To say this film has had quite the journey to its release date would be an understatement.
Originally aiming to be released in the spring of 2018, re-shoots that never happened and Disney acquiring 20th Century Fox (who own the rights to the X-Men films) meant it took over two years before we actually saw it.
Some including myself thought this would never get released, considering it was planned to be a trilogy and obviously expanding the X-Men universe. But with the Disney acquisition all completed, this would end up being the last film within the X-Men franchise that we have seen develop since 2000.
So after this long wait, I think it only felt right to check it out on the big screen, and thankfully it was not as bad as you might expect for a film with so many delays.
The film for the most part is pretty formulaic. The story structure with its accompanying themes are perfectly fine in its execution, there are some nice action set-pieces and characters are pretty engaging. The ending did feel rushed, weak and it was a shame to see it kind of go out with a whimper.
What was making this film stand-out from other superhero films, was the horror vibe it was giving off in the trailers and posters. The horror is fairly effective and more suited to a young adult demographic. But there were some nicely done nightmarish moments that elevated the film well. The strong visual effects contributed well to those scenes and gave it some strong imagery that made it worthy of being shown on the big screen.
The largely young cast all did a good job with their roles I felt. I continue to enjoy anything Anya Taylor-Joy does and her as well as Maisie Williams star-power carried this film well. Lead Blu Hunt as well as Henry Zaga and Charlie Heaton all made the most of this opportunity and showed that they have a bright future ahead of them.
It was nice seeing Alice Braga involved as I can only recall seeing her in 'I Am Legend' many years ago.
It's amazing that after all these delays and numerous articles talking of its struggles, you would have naturally expected something that was absolute trash and the worst in the franchise. Yes it wasn't anything spectacular and the concept could have easily been better utilised. But what we have is still passable and perfectly functional entertainment where I was never bored.
It's sad to see Fox's X-Men franchise end this way. But it was a great 20 years of big screen superhero mutant action, and I look forward to see how it's portrayed in the MCU.
Rating: 7/10
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