Honestly, I’ll get straight to the point and avoid wasting anyone's time, which is exactly what *Dark Phoenix* did. It seems clear that no one involved in making this movie truly cared about it. After seeing the film, it's easy to understand why there were so many delays and a weak marketing campaign—I hardly saw any promotion for it. It’s not a complete disaster, nor is it an utter failure, but the third act feels like a real letdown for fans. It has one of the most rushed endings I’ve seen in years; it truly seems as though someone from production told the writers to hurry up because the Marvel Cinematic Universe was looming and nothing done here would matter. It's true that, regardless of how good or bad this film might have been, its impact wouldn't be significant, which is likely the most negative consequence of the Disney-Fox merger. *Days of Future Past* is arguably one of the better X-Men films, but *Apocalypse* and *Dark Phoenix* feel like a waste of time because they don’t fully explore the changes caused by the time travel event, and now it's over; a complete reboot is coming. The first act of this movie is genuinely impressive. I was invested in both the story and characters, captivated by what they were doing, and Hans Zimmer's score elevates a specific sequence that really stands out on IMAX, showcasing the visual and audio quality. For a while, it’s a well-written, well-performed, and exciting film (with minor issues here and there). However, after a risky but believable plot development, Simon Kinberg destroys everything he had built up until then. From that point on, you can sense the merger happening, and everyone involved just gives up. The writing becomes poor, one of the most forgettable and unoriginal villains ever appears (I thought comic-book adaptations had moved past those clichés), characters like Quicksilver are barely present (why set up his relationship with his father if they never address that subplot?), and the ending lasts only about three minutes. In that short time, they attempt to condense the final hour of *Avengers: Endgame*. Now, imagine that epic hour of climactic battles crammed into a few minutes... The cast does their best. Sophie Turner carries the movie with an emotionally powerful performance; she almost deserves a positive review on her own. James McAvoy (Professor Charles Xavier) continues his strong performances—if he doesn't get an Oscar in the coming years, I’ll be shocked—and Michael Fassbender is excellent as Magneto. Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique) doesn't do much, and Nicholas Hoult (Beast) is a pleasant surprise, but Jessica Chastain (Smith) is the only real weak link. She seems uninterested in being part of a superhero film, and it shows; her performance feels one-dimensional for a rather uninspired villain. The screenplay is full of characters making decisions that feel out of character and exposition scenes that don’t do justice to their compelling backstories. Still, I can't help but focus on the ending. I prefer a slow start with a strong finish, not the other way around. *Dark Phoenix* delivers an engaging and captivating first act, but it gradually declines until it reaches one of the saga's worst third acts. The action is good, and the film is well-shot, but it all ends so quickly that you don’t even have time to enjoy it. If not for Hans Zimmer's score, which really grabbed my attention, I would have tuned out before the end. It’s a shame that a beloved franchise like X-Men had to conclude this way. Simon Kinberg, knowing about the merger, should have reworked the last half and taken more risks. If the movie didn't matter anyway, they should have tried something completely new and gone all out. Even if it failed, at least it would have been remembered as a bold and powerful film. Instead, it’s a disappointing conclusion to a 20-year saga and is forgettable. It isn’t even bad enough for people to remember how awful it was; it's just…meh. If they didn't care, how can they expect the audience to? All in all, *Dark Phoenix* turns out to be exactly what everyone feared: a movie that ultimately didn't matter at all, one that didn’t even attempt to honor an extraordinary saga that significantly influenced the comic-book genre. The most frustrating thing is imagining how great it could have been—the cast is perfect (Sophie Turner shines), Hans Zimmer’s score is magnificent, and the action is thrilling. The worst feeling a fan can experience is disappointment mixed with frustration at envisioning how amazing something could have been. But flawed writing, a terrible villain, and questionable character choices ruin those dreams. With one of the most abrupt endings in recent years, X-Men concludes as an isolated franchise, now placing its hopes on Kevin Feige and Marvel to do the mutants justice. P.S. As you know, I try to avoid trailers whenever possible. After seeing *Dark Phoenix*'s trailers, I can only advise you not to watch any of them—not even the first one! Especially that first one! I can’t understand how someone would approve such spoilery trailers. It's unbelievable. Rating: C

Source on TMDB