I'm going to delay The New Mutants one last time to remember Chadwick Boseman. As I left the theater Friday night, I checked my phone to discover he had passed away after a battle with colon cancer. The word "stunned" does not do justice to how I felt.
I feel incredibly blessed to have seen him as the Black Panther, a role that I can't envision anyone else playing. I struggle to comprehend the pain or difficulty he must have endured while filming several action movies and going through multiple surgeries and chemotherapy. I was also fortunate to see him in 42, playing Jackie Robinson.
Many others have already eulogized him in more profound ways than I ever could, but I'll miss him on screen, and I cannot wait to watch his movies about Thurgood Marshall and James Brown.
FINALLY!
The New Mutants sees the light of day, hitting theaters after four delays that caused many to doubt whether it would, or should, ever be released. Disney must be thrilled to finally get this final Fox produced X-Men film out into the world.
FAST FACTS
REPORTED BUDGET: $67 million
OPENING DOMESTIC BOX OFFICE: $7 million
OPENING WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE: $9.9 million
ROTTEN TOMATOES CRITICS/AUDIENCE SCORE: 35% / 53%
CINEMA SCORE: N/A
END CREDIT SCENE: No
THE THEATER EXPERIENCE
I normally begin with my non-spoiler review, but this year has certainly not been normal. Theaters have been closed due to concerns surrounding Covid-19 since March and are just beginning to reopen in the United States. The New Mutants will test the waters for other movie studios to determine if people are ready to return to theaters.
I saw the movie at an AMC location in a suburb of Chicago. I've never questioned the cleanliness of this location, but admittedly, I was nervous driving over. I was most anxious about physical distancing from potential neighbors during a hundred minute movie. I waited until the last possible minute to secure my seat to ensure that I would be on my own island in the theater. Though my showing had sparse attendance, other showtimes (especially Dolby screens) were quite crowded.
They had specific directions for people to walk, employees wore masks behind protective barriers, and the theater was dotted with stations providing sanitizing wipes. Truthfully, the stations of sanitizing wipes did make me feel more at ease as I made my way to my seat.
Overall, I believe the experience was positive, and I'm more likely to return for the next movie I'm interested in seeing. However, I can't help but wonder how a movie experience like Black Widow would makeme feel given the likelihood of significantly more people crowded into a confined space.
NON-SPOILER REVIEW
Directed by Josh Boone, The New Mutants faced a number of challenges on its way to being released. Originally thought of back in 2014, it began filming in 2017. Between 2017 and its release in August 2020, it faced delays due to re-shoots and Fox scheduling changes. Both the success of Deadpool and the failure of Dark Phoenix altered the fate of this film, pushing it back further and further. Also can't forget about the sale of Fox to Disney, which was a titanic shakeup to the entire film industry.
I thought Blu Hunt (as Danielle Moonstar) was the acting standout as the lead who struggles with her mutant powers. Other notable actors include Maisie Williams (Rahne Sinclair), Anya Taylor-Joy (Illyana Rasputin), Charlie Heaton (Sam Guthrie), and Henry Zaga (Roberto da Costa).
Unfortunately, the challenges that the movie encountered show through. Some of the editing didn't seem to fit and there were tone shifts that didn't quite connect. Most of the issues I had with the movie were on par with the post production issues that seemed to plague it.
OVERALL RECOMMENDATION
This movie seemed to have a potential that it never quite reached. Also, I would not go to this film expecting big connections to the X-Men universe. For the most part, this is a self-contained adolescent mutant story.
My Rating: C
Feel free to wait for this one to come to streaming or on demand. If you completely forget about it, I don't think Disney will blame you. In fact, they'd probably prefer it.
SPOILER REVIEW
The story begins with Danielle Moonstar as she wakes during a time of turmoil on the reservation where she lives. She loses her father before seeing a smoke-like creature above her. After fainting, she wakes up in a hospital for gifted individuals who have discovered their mutant abilities in violent ways, which have caused them to be shunned from their communities.
A quick summary of abilities:
Rahne transforms into a large dog
Sam can blast off like a rocket
Illyana can teleport/form an energy sword/has a pet dragon
Roberto becomes engulfed in flames
Dr. Reyes (played by Alice Braga) at the hospital has the mutant power of energy projection/ shield generation
Danielle's powers, however, were never clear to me. Does she have psychic abilities, fear manipulation, energy projection, or all three together?
Throughout the movie, Dr. Reyes attempts to coax Danielle's mutant ability to manifest. Each time Danielle is stressed or afraid, the other students endure realistic flashbacks to traumatizing moments in their lives.
Rahne encounters the priest she killed who branded her as a witch.
Roberto relives an intimate moment with a girl where he inadvertently burned her.
Sam finds himself in the coal mine where he killed his father by igniting his rocket ability.
Lastly, Illyana has her demon-like abusers from her childhood spawn and chase the kids through the hallways of the hospital. Not really sure if her abusers were actually demons or that is just how she sees them. They're not very clear about it.
Dr. Reyes is eventually given orders by her superiors to kill Danielle once they realize she is causing all of the disturbances. The attempt on Danielle's life triggers a massive bear with red glowing eyes to appear, killing the doctor and endangering all of the other kids. As the bear tears through the hospital campus, Danielle searches for a way to control her powers. Eventually, she learns to control her fears and the bear vanishes. With the doctor now dead, the kids are free to leave the facility, which is how the movie ends.
If my review feels a bit choppy or disjointed, then I've given you an accurate vibe of the film. Feel free to check out some of my other reviews below.