The X-Men franchise has had a patchy life-span over the past 20 years, coming to a close this week with the release of X-Men: Dark Phoenix.
From Winterfell to the X-Mansion, Sansa Stark becomes X-Woman Jean Grey.
Jean goes into space, then weirdly, space appears to go into Jean.
And so we have it - Dark Phoenix rises.
Apart from X-Men movie The New Mutants next year, to all intents and purposes Dark Phoenix is on a mission to wrap up the franchise ahead of its merge with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and fulfilling their contractual obligations we have a gathering of the old guard returning to the superhero fray.
McAvoy's Xavier, Fassbender's Magneto and J-Law's Mystique, it's all on for young and old as Invasion of the Bodysnatchers meets Mutants and the X-Men and women do everything in their superpower to save the planet and save themselves.
So, on the plus side - pitting two first class actors Sophie Turner and Jessica Chastain against each other made for some nice moments and at a little under two hours it doesn't necessarily outstay its welcome.
But I kinda feel like I am searching for a silver lining here.
Strangely paced, oddly pontificating and lacking the lustre a top notch cast like this deserves, I can't see this Dark Phoenix rising from the ashes of mediocrity any time soon.
It's not offensively bad, it's just not that great.
2 and half stars.
Newshub.
