The Story

After sending the space shuttle Endeavour into space, the shuttle sends a distress call because it is floating into a solar flare. The President of the United States has the X-Men on speed dial and asks them to help save the crew. According to Hank, the X-Jet could fly into space, but he does not want to risk it except Charles persuades him. The team now consists of Raven (Mystique) as team leader, Hank (Beast), Jean, Scott (Cyclops), Ororo (Storm), Kurt (Nightcrawler), and Peter (Quicksilver). At the start of their mission, Raven promises that the second any of them are in danger, she turns them back home.

They save the crew at the last moment, but Jean gets hit by the solar flare except they’re not aware that this is something else entirely. Back on earth, the X-Men are welcomed like superheroes and this is where the real story begins. Jean starts to feel different. The Dark Phoenix energy cannot be controlled. The D’Bari, an alien race which planet was destroyed by the Phoenix energy, are trying to hunt it down. Vuk’s (played by Jessica Chastain) goal is to harness this power and use it to destroy planets to build a new world for her kind.

In the end, we get one final battle between Jean and Vuk and a completely different ending for quite a lot characters. To understand this movie, the story must be seen through the perspective of four of the main characters.

Raven

Mystique was always a big part to the story of the X-Men. In this timeline, she gets the place and the voice she deserved. The fearless fighter who puts the needs of others before hers and she is never afraid to speak up and to confront others.

When the group comes back to the mansion after the rescue mission, Raven confronts Charles that he put the group in danger and that Jean should have not survived. She is the first who sees that Charles has changed for the worst and she wants to protect the kids from him. Sounds weird, right? But, unfortunately, she was right.

As Hank has put it, they are the last ones from the first generation of the X-Men. Raven wants to leave the X-Men behind and she wants Hank to come with her, but they never got the chance. After the first stills were released, it was soon known that Raven would die and that it would happen by Jean’s hand. Her death breaks the group into two: the ones who want to help and safe her and the ones who want to revenge and kill her.

Charles

We know Charles as the center of the X-Men as he always knows what to do and how to help someone find their true potential. In this instalment, we see a completely different Charles as he is now someone who does not know when to stop and blinded by acceptance and fame. He achieved his goal: humans and mutants can live side by side and he is risking a lot to keep it that way. But, as Raven said, he accepts the recognition for the work of others.  The family is ripped apart and put back together in Dark Phoenix, but it is not Charles who puts them together, it is Raven and Jean. The women save the team once again by sacrificing themselves.

I was looking forward to seeing another version of Charles and this is what makes the First Class generation more interesting. We had the young visionary Charles, the broken Charles, the inspiring Charles, and now the reckless Charles. But he is also one reason, why I cannot give this movie a 10 out of 10. Charles has seen her foster-sister die, he had to put her to rest, and he does not cry once. I thought he just wanted to hold up the façade and at the end of the movie he would have a massive break down and cry in someone’s arms or something. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It seems that he missed Raven more in Days of Future Past than in this movie and that is what I really cannot deal with.

Erik

The almighty Magneto really did make it. He built a safe haven for mutants on an island gifted by the US government called Genosha. He is not driven by revenge anymore; he does not want to do anyone harm. It is nice to see him at peace.

That is until Jean asks him for guidance and Hank later asks him for help and in the blink of an eye, the revengeful Magneto is back. He loved Raven and he is not interested in the details of what has happened. Erik and Charles have essentially switched places. No one is really the bad guy in the end, but they have been always driven by their egos towards the same goal: not being hunted and mutants to be accepted and not feared.

An emotional minus for me was Peter and Erik. I wanted it to be in Apocalypse and I was hoping to see it in Dark Phoenix, but unfortunately, they did not include it. Why did Peter not tell Erik that he is his son? Lost opportunity of a great scene.

The Dark Phoenix

We have seen the Dark Phoenix story in X-Men: The Last Stand and it did not do it justice. The movie was too chaotic and full of different plotlines, but this time, we see the origin story, which is far more better. The focus lies on Jean as it should.

In the original films, Jean was called to be the most powerful mutant and even above class 5. For example, Charles and Erik are “only” classified as 4. Jean was always unstable because her powers have always been hard to control. We see that she was responsible for the death of her parents and that Charles took her in, and he raised her as if she were his own child. The bond between them is truly a father-daughter one as she is looks up to and admires him. After she gets hit by the Phoenix force, the mental barriers Charles had put into her mind to stabilise her break and the secret from which he wanted to protect her comes onto the surface. She is a danger to everyone and everything they worked for is jeopardised.

Sophie Turner does an incredible job switching between the broken suffering little girl and the powerful mutant she always was. Her scenes with Jessica Chastain are the most powerful ones of the whole film.

The Big Finale

Dark Phoenix moves forward too fast. Some scenes needed more space to breathe and evolve, which would have helped to emotionally grab the audience.

Why I am not able to give the movie 9 out of 10 is because of Quicksilver and the lack of one of his iconic epic slow-motion scenes. We do not see much of him in this instalment and then there is the big math question. Hank becomes the principal of the now called Jean Gray School for Gifted Youngsters. Scott, Peter, and Storm are now teachers? We know that this movie is the last one of the franchise so I was hoping that all questions would be mostly answered, but it still leaves some things open for the individual to interpret.

Charles has retired and he’s at a café in Paris when Erik comes to him and offers him a place to stay because he has helped him so many times that now, it is his turn to do the same for him. This scene was heartwarming, but Charles being in his 40’s and doing nothing is not realistic for me.

The last shot shows the Phoenix flying over earth, which means that Jean is not truly death but is living on in the Phoenix flare. She has evolved and became something more powerful, but is the Phoenix still a danger for earth? Or does Jean’s soul or whatever have it under control?

The Timeline

What we have left now is a big mess in our brains to put the X-Men movies into the right order on our DVD shelves. One thing is for sure, a lot has been erased and the fates of almost everyone has changed.

Jean is dead again, but a couple of years earlier as in the original timeline. Erik probably will never become a part of the Brotherhood and will not kill any more people. Charles is no Professor and does god knows what with his life. Quicksilver and Nightcrawler became a part of the X-Men and will probably stay for quite a long time. Wolverine will never fall in love with Jean and Scott will not be killed by her. Angel was born a couple of years earlier. Will Iceman and Rogue find each other? And what has happened with Psylocke after she ran away after Apocalypse? At least we know that Deadpool was and always will be its own franchise. Maybe the timeline which EW has made will help you out.

Sophie Turner at the World Premiere:

“To know to stepping into something where there is such a loyal and dedicated fanbase … you know it is not just of the movies, it is of the comics decades and decades, generations of people have loved the X-Men comics and so, you know, it’s people’s life’s and I definitely don’t take that lightly. I think that it is something that meant something to so many people for so long and it certainly has meant a lot to me for a really long time. When I was growing up all I knew about the X-Men was that these guys where Mutants and they were kind of ostracizes and they were ashamed of these things that make them different, but when they kind of harness those things that make them different they make them quite powerful and special and that is just something that I think is such a wonderful message for every young girl and boy to kind of grow up hearing.“

What did you think of the movie? Sound off in the comments below!

The post Movie Review: X-Men Dark Phoenix appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

For the kids, there’s The Secret Life of Pets 2, and then some films that are definitely not for the kids including Child’s Play and Annabelle Comes Home. Plus Netflix continues to toss their hat into the ring with two original movies, Murder Mystery, which stars Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, and I Am Mother, which stars Hilary Swank.

Read on to discover what movies are coming out this month and tell us what you are looking forward to below!

X-Men: Dark Phoenix
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Men In Black: International

Toy Story 4
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Late Night

Child’s Play
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The post June 2019 Movie Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Disney will be leaving a mark this year with Dumbo, Aladdin, Toy Story 4, The Lion King, and Frozen 2 all being released over the course of 2019, so both the young and young at heart are incredibly excited to see these movies!

But if superheroes are more your speed, never fear because like every other year, they are here to save the day. This year sees Brie Larson assuming the role of Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel, while Zachary Levi will be in Shazam!, Tom Holland is back as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Far From Home, and of course, almost everybody starring in Avengers: Endgame, which is the final instalment in the Avengers franchise. There’s also Stranger Things star David Harbour taking on the role of Hellboy and two mutant-filled movies—New Mutants and Dark Phoenix.

Need a little romance or a good rom-com? Rebel Wilson stars in Isn’t It Romantic about a woman trapped in a romantic comedy, Riverdale‘s Cole Sprouse stars in the film adaptation of Five Feet Apart, another YA adaptation coming to our screens is The Sun Is Also A Star, and a gender-swapped version of What Men Want starring the hilarious Taraji P. Henson.

Other highly anticipated and intriguing movies include M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass, Ryan Reynolds voicing Pikachu in Detective Pikachu, Taron Egerton playing the infamous Elton John in Rocketman,  Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson donning suits in Men In Black International, a star-studded cast in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and a Downton Abbey movie.

Read on to discover some of 2019’s movies coming out this year and tell us in the comments below which ones you are most excited for!

JANUARY – MARCH

Glass

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part | Trailer

What Men Want | Trailer

A gender-swapped take on the Mel Gibson comedy What Women Want sees Taraji P. Henson playing a sports agent who can hear what the men in her industry are thinking. And, we suspect, she won’t take no s–t from any of them. Starring Taraji P. Henson, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Max Greenfield.

Alita: Battle Angel | Trailer

An action-packed story of one young woman’s journey to discover the truth of who she is and her fight to change the world. Starring Jennifer Connelly, Eiza González, Rosa Salazar, and Mahershala Ali.

Isn’t It Romantic | Trailer

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Trailer

As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless’ discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup’s reign as village chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind. Voiced by Jay Baruchel, America Fererra, Cate Blanchett, Kit Harington, and Kristen Wiig.

Captain Marvel

Us

Five Feet Apart | Trailer

Where’d You Go, Bernadette | Trailer

Chaos Walking

A dystopian world where there are no women and all living creatures can hear each others’ thoughts in a stream of images, words, and sounds called Noise. Starring Tom Holland, Daisy Ridley, Mads Mikkelsen, and Nick Jonas.

Dumbo

The Dirt

APRIL – JUNE

Shazam!

Hellboy | Trailer

Avengers: Endgame | Trailer

Brightburn | Trailer

Pokémon Detective Pikachu

The Sun Is Also A Star

Aladdin | Trailer

Aladdin is an upcoming American musical romantic fantasy adventure film directed by Guy Ritchie, from the screenplay co-written with John August and Vanessa Taylor, and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. Starring Will Smith, Naomi Scott, Nasim Pedrad, and Mena Massoud.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters | Trailer

John Wick: Chapter 3

This movie picks up right where Chapter 2 left off, as John must survive the bounty on his head without the aid of the larger criminal underworld. Starring Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, and Anjelica Huston.

Rocketman

Dark Phoenix | Trailer

Men In Black International | Trailer

The post 2019 Movie Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Everyone gets excited about the new year and what it brings, especially upcoming movies. Whether  its sequels or stand-alone movies, one franchise that will be topping 2018 is Marvel.

Marvel is bringing multiple new films out in 2018, including Infinity War and Black Panther, but what other Marvel movies are coming out this year?

Read on to discover what’s coming out this year and tell us in the comments below what you’re most excited for!

Black Panther

February 16th 2018

Ever since his appearance in Captain America: Civil War many have been waiting for Black Panther’s stand-alone film, and now the wait is almost over. The film will see T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) return to his home as king of Wakanda, but he comes to find that his power and authority is being challenged by two adversaries he has known for a long time. The result of their conflict ends up causing issues for the entire world so T’Challa ends up partnering with a CIA agent. Chadwick

Joining Boseman is Michael B. Jordan (Creed) who is set to play the film’s villain, Erik Killmonger, and Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years A Slave), who will be playing Nakia (aka Malice). Also part of the cast is Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead), Martin Freeman (The Hobbit), Angela Basset (American Horror Story), Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings) and John Kani (Captain America: Civil War).

The New Mutants

April 13th 2018

The New Mutants follows a diverse group of teenage who discover they have extraordinary powers while held captive in a secret facility and must tackle their demons while trying to save themselves. The film features five mutants—Russian teen Magik, a sorceress that uses teleportation and discs to travel; Scots girl Wolfsbane, who must figure out how to reconcile her ability to turn into a wolf with her religious beliefs; Native American Danielle Moonstar; Brazilian ladies man Sunspot; and lastly, a Kentuckian code-named Cannonball.

Starring Anya Taylor-Joy (Split), Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), Blu Hunt (The Originals), Henry Zaga (13 Reasons Why), Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things), and Alice Braga (I Am Legend).

Avengers Infinity War: Part 1

May 4th 2018

This is probably the most anticipated Marvel movie and definitely tops the first Avengers film. Infinity War takes place four years after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 with the Avengers still torn apart after the events that unfolded in Captain America: Civil War. However, Thanos is coming to Earth to continue his quest on collecting the infinity stones for his personal use so the Avengers must join forces once again and work with more heroes to stop him.

The film is filled to the brim with almost every hero from the Marvel films and stars Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johannson, Chris Pratt, Robert Downey Jr, Elizabeth Olsen, Chris Evans, Karen Gillan, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Sebastian Stan, Dave Bautista, Paul Rudd, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Tessa Thompson, and Pom Klementieff.

Deadpool 2

June 1st 2018

Deadpool 2 is one of 2018’s Marvel films that is being kept underwraps and hopefully we will see a legitimate plot or trailer pop up sometime in the next few months to clue us in. Currently its plot stands at:

After surviving a near fatal knee boarding accident , a disfigured guidance counselor (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Poughkeepsie’s most celebrated French Bulldog breeder while also learning to cope with an open relationship. Searching to regain his passion for life, as well as a new stuffed unicorn, Wade must battle ninjas, tight assed metal men, and babysit a group stereotypical side characters as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and creative outlets for his very open-minded sex life. He manages to find a new lust for being a do-gooder, a sparkly Hello Kitty backpack, all while earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best 4th Wall Breaking Superhero.

The film sees Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Josh Brolin, T.J Miller, Brianna Hildebrand, and Zazie Beetz return.

Ant-Man and The Wasp

July 6th 2018

Even though Ant-Man isn’t the most popular superhero, there are still many fans that enjoyed the first film so he’s getting a sequel. Again, the events of Civil War has caused Scott Lang to try to balance his life at home, being a father and the responsibilities of Ant-Man. The film sees Scott get called out on a job by Hope van Dyne and Hank Pym who require him to work with Hope, who will be taking up the role of Wasp.

The film stars Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly who will both be starring in Infinity War so this film will definitely play off the events of Infinity War. The film also stars Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfieffer, Judy Greer (Jurassic World), Hannah John-Kamen (Killjoys), and Walton Goggins (Justified).

Venom

October 5th 2018

We haven’t seen Venom in a while and it’s unclear if Spider-Man: Homecoming or a new Spider-Man movie has anything to do with this, however, we’re still very excited. The entirety of this film has been kept very hush-hush with no plot, images, or video—but we do know that it will be an R-rated film. Nobody is really sure why this movie is being kept on the downlow, but it’s creating a big hype.

Playing Eddie Brock/Venom is Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road), along with Michelle Williams (The Greatest Showman), Jenny Slate, Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games), and Riz Ahmed (Rogue One).

X-Men: Dark Phoenix

November 2nd 2018

The X-Men are a huge franchise that has plenty of movies, but fans just keep wanting more and so Marvel is giving it to us. The film follows the comic book storyline, The Dark Phoenix Saga.

Set in the 1990s, 10 years after X-Men Apocalypse, Jean Grey loses control of her abilities as the Dark Phoenix and forces the X-Men to fight her and keep her safe, while the alien empress Lilandra tries to capture her.

Just like Infinity War, previous stars will be returning including James McAvoy as Charles Xavier, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, and Sophie Turner as Jean Grey. Along with these three, Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Evan Peters, Alexandra Shipp and Kodi Smit-McPhee will also be joining them.

What Marvel movie or any movie are you looking forward to in the new year?

The post Marvel Movies To Watch In 2018 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.