Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

X-Men: Dark Phoenix 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 21, 2019

A phoenix rising from the ashes is one of the more redolent images from mythology and/or Mankind’s collective unconscious, but it’s just one of the ironies that Dark Phoenix perhaps brings an incontrovertible end to the long running if sometimes problematic X-Men franchise, and in this case it’s an end with no obvious resurrection in sight. That “finality” may in fact be a chimera (to reference another mythological beast of some renown), since one of the things that has frequently attended Marvel cinematic (and, frankly, other) science fiction adaptations is the whole conceit of an alternate timeline, where death is an illusion, supposed epochal events seemingly a passing fancy, and any sense of one coherent storyline is an almost laughable proposition. What’s kind of odd about this particular alternate timeline is that it was at least delved into if not completely explored in X-Men: The Last Stand, a film which was not exactly met with the same general critical rapture as its two predecessors. But what’s also odd is how the story of Jean Grey (played in this installment by Sophie Turner of Game of Thrones, who also briefly portrayed the character in X-Men: Apocalypse) is that in at least one timeline previously explored her story doesn’t end all that well, by which I mean, her story ends. All of this adds up to a rather odd combo platter of ideas and snippets culled from other X- Men properties, but like many an odd casserole, only certain ingredients register while the overall taste is a bit muddled.

It’s been kind of interesting over the past many years seeing how adapters attempting to fashion films out of longstanding and in many cases iconic, maybe even totemic, characters tend to go one of the two routes: breaking with “tradition” and crafting those aforementioned pesky alternate timelines, or seeking to reinvent a character with an origin story. Dark Phoenix would seem to once again be a kind of odd combo platter of both of those approaches, but Simon Kinberg, who had a previous “at bat” with Jean as screenwriter for X-Men: The Last Stand , ultimately doesn’t seem to know quite how to shape, or perhaps more accurately stated, reshape, this material as either writer or director.

Hey, remember when the X-Men were mutants, feared by the general populace and hated by those shadowy governmental types who are often some of the villains in the various X-Men films? Well, that was then (as in “pick your timeline”) and this is now, or at least another then, and the X-Men are firmly ensconced in hero territory as this story gets underway. A traumatized young Jean has been placed under the mentorship of Charles Xavier (James McAvoy, because, you know, it’s then), though that “traumatized” aspect returns to haunt the story as Jean grows into a woman transformed by whatever the outer space equivalent of getting bitten by a radioactive spider is, something that increases her already formidable powers, but which leads to a cascading series of events when what might be called repressed memories well up.

While shadowy governmental types are actually refreshingly missing from this enterprise, the film perhaps couldn’t avoid a “special guest villain” casting stunt, in this case an alien named Vuk (Jessica Chastain), who attempts to lure Jean over to “the dark side”. What’s at least potentially interesting about this is that Charles and Magneto (Michael Fassbender), while still bickering (so to speak), find themselves unavoidably aligned in a conclusion that something needs to be done with Jean, though it’s arguable that Charles’ motives are perhaps more relatively pure.

To paraphrase some questions I posed in the opening paragraph of my X-Men: Apocalypse Blu-ray review, it almost doesn’t matter anymore with regard to any of the glut of superhero movies (but perhaps arguably more consistently with some Marvel fare) which timeline, story element, or character fate you think you’re following, because chances are some carpet somewhere will be pulled out from under you (and there’s one potential example of that in this film which won’t be spoiled here). That’s the kind of weird thing about these films that utilize reboots and/or different “versions” of what happened — they want to exist within the “confines” of a franchise while also almost unavoidably at times taking on the aspect of a standalone entry. Unfortunately, X- Men: Dark Phoenix doesn’t consistently register as either.

Note: My colleague Brian Orndorf was even less impressed with X-Men: Dark Phoenix than I was. You can read Brian's thoughts here.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080p Blu-ray.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with a 2160p transfer in 2.39:1. For my thoughts on the 1080p Blu-ray presentation, please see our X-Men: Dark Phoenix Blu-ray review. As is often the case with 4K iterations of films finished at a 2K DI, there are palpable upgrades here in fine detail levels, often with regard to textures and/or patterns like the tweed jacket Charles wears when he first meets Jean, the yellow ribbing of the X-Men uniforms, or even the kind of almost linen looking covering on the space shuttle. While there is a Dolby Vision credit closing the film, this disc doesn't offer that version of HDR, but there is some very nice nuance added to highlights throughout the presentation, with some of the sepia toned material accruing an almost peach like ambience, and with some really impressive saturation in some of the bolder primaries the film offers (reds and blues are especially impressive). The CGI isn't especially helped by the increased resolution, but some of the coloring, especially some gorgeous purples, really pops nicely. Shadow detail is at least marginally improved here, as in the scene where the "pre-Vuk" Jessica Chastain walks out into her backyard to see what her dog is barking about.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 4K UHD presentation of X-Men: Dark Phoenix offers a sonic upgrade from the already excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix featured on the 1080p Blu-ray with a really nicely rendered Dolby Atmos track. There is very nice vertical placement throughout the presentation, starting with some of the cacophony of the opening car crash clearly wafting overhead, and later effects, like jets and helicopters whizzing overhead clearly offering midair placement of effects. While there's the same "on again, off again" approach to immersion here that I mentioned in the X-Men: Dark Phoenix Blu-ray review, this Dolby Atmos rendering offers arguably more forceful LFE and an overall more consistent surround experience. Fidelity is excellent across the board, supporting both the over the top set pieces and the quieter dialogue moments with no problems whatsoever.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 4K UHD disc includes the Audio Commentary by Simon Kinberg and Hutch Parker also featured on the 1080p Blu-ray included in this release. For a list of the rest of the supplements included on the 1080p Blu-ray, refer to the Supplements section of our X-Men: Dark Phoenix Blu-ray review.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are some rather interesting ideas underpinning X-Men: Dark Phoenix, including a kind of feminist subtext along with some roiling psychological issues that were obviously highlighted to try to make this more of a personal story than a traditional sci-fi superhero epic. Unfortunately, the story here never manages to completely convince, probably especially because of previous "alternate timeline" efforts where people and events come and go almost randomly at times. Fans of this film will most likely be pleased with the technical presentation here, with the 4K UHD version offering nice upticks in video and (perhaps especially) audio.