X-Men: Dark Phoenix is the second attempt at adapting The Dark Phoenix Saga for a film (after The Last Stand's subpar attempt). Naturally, this means that Jean is a big part of the film and the story and we get a quick flashback showing us how she discovered her powers, and how she came to Xavier. Soon after that, she will unlock her powers and we get a taste of what is arguably the most powerful X-Men member is capable of. Unfortunately, the film's pace is terrible and the overall story buildup isn't that great either. We're supposed to get some shocking events including important character deaths but the way it was done just gives you no feeling at all. The plot never feels like it is actually building up to anything, and the climax is pretty anticlimactic itself. We have division among the X-Men team, including severe doubts about Xavier's intentions and whether he is truly wanting the best for his students. The bulk of the film has several members tracking down Jean, which ends up leading to the final fight. All of this feels like the first half of a second, but we never get the second half where everything goes all out. The huge reliance on shoddy special effects also affect the enjoyment. As a result, X-Men: Dark Phoenix is an average film that's forgettable.
