DJOfRadioGallifrey

First of all I marked it down by 2 because of the elves short hair, and lack of glow. I do hope they fix that. Other than that the cinematography was great and i did like the overall story they were getting across, it's a world away from Tolkein, more like a re-imagining. But to translate to TV they needed to put in some surprise elements, or else it would have been a paint by numbers. I wish Galadriel diplomacy was better since she is a future Queen and thousands of years old, but I think the diminishing numbers of the elves and the weakening powers explain their brashness and lack of glow, hopefully the rings will amend this. And I hope her slight knock of confidence gives her back her grace. Halbrand is the most fascinating character (spoiler) his twist was expected to a lore follower, but I approve of this version since he would appeal to a casual viewer and anybody who likes the ordinary folk in GoT (I get glimpses of that) I do wish we spent more time in the forge, so I'm hoping season 2 will have 'Sauron's perspective.' We need more Sauron, and a gentler wiser Galadriel, then I'll be all in. My dad agrees, needs tweaking, If it weren't for the effects and the atmosphere my mum wouldn't have had a sniff, but she has a new heartthrob.

I've learnt to take critics with a pinch of salt. When they or an audience member with too many expectations harpoons something, I just shrug and say; 'My turn.' and go see it to be able to critique for myself. ( I don't always read reviews since sometimes I see the movie on the release date) When I went in, I was a little excited (for the hype, and Sophie Turner) but quelled my enthusiasm because this was coming off the back of Apocalypse, which wasn't the best, but the Quicksilver sequences were amazing. Anyway, dark phoenix opened in an avant garde fashion, instead of the CGI department blowing their load on the title sequence, they put up a test card style title which to me expressing drama and substance. We did get drama, and the pacing was fine, digestable. I've given up with the time-line but I accept this is the final and legit-line I'm willing to follow. But I kind of wish Mystique wasn't made the poster girl and the hero of the previous films, since she is supposed to a strong dark mysterious character that is a 'henchwoman'/ assassin, not a mentor/ blue saviour. Her death came, not unexpected, since- duh- the trailer, and duh- Jennifer lawrence wanted out of the franchise pronto. Her death was vital, because not only did it add to the motivation of the characters around her, therefore amping up the drama. But her death was a sweet release (to the film)since her character had become redundant, and seeing Miss Lawrence screaming behind her beautiful oscar -winning stoic face 'I want out of my contract!' you can't really route for someone who doesn't want to be there. A relief indeed. The handsome cast are distracting, and the tension/bromance between magneto and Professor X is a joy, I can hear the typing of thousands of fanfiction on the verge of being uploaded. The action scenes speckled in the production are works of art, and have surely been made for laptop 'wallpapers' and trailer service (remember wonder woman in batman vs superman, anyone?) But still good in their entirety and context. Train sequence was the best. Really wished this movie had more Jean Grey as well as her alter-ego, this is her movie, and I'm pretty sure her role equated to 30 mins, well her CGI hair must have been a headache, but beautifully crafted. Sophie Turner's acting has vastly improved. So what I take away from this movie is quiet satisfaction and a soundtrack that I will definitely download. Why are people describing it as the worst film ever? Who knows? Too many expectations, I think the evolution of the audience is to blame, they are either too-refined, or are in desperate need of titillation(casual nudity), and exploding heads. Lower your expectation and just watch the damn movie as if you are channel surfing, and enjoy.

I'm not one to take critic responses as gospel, they've been off before, and on this occassion it all a matter of opinion. I came out of the movie theatre sated. All movie suits different tastes. And I was in the mood for a horror/sci-fi/action just before halloween. It was a hero/ villian origin story perfect for the avengers haitus. I was never bored- in fact I didn't want to go to the toilet. Plus it has Tom Hardy, whose magnitism can carry every scene (Kudos on the bike riding skills). Yes, Im a fan girl, for his acting and it was on point( To go from swag to vulnerable to manic is a delight to see. The CGI wasn't bad, so it wasn't distracting. Venom himself was menacing, I kind of wish they had made him even more menacing, but I suppose they had to fit the '15' rating (I'm from the UK), the comic aspects came from the dynamic between Eddie ad Venom, which at times went from intense to whimsical (funny but it took away some of the edge- unless your into that kind of thing). I suppose that is my only critism. His love interest (and her boyfriend) was actually quite helpful, her involvement was crucial in the final act (shame about her wig).

At the end of the day, great popcorn munching movie, it's best to go in with medium expectations so you can be mildly surprised it's a decent piece of entertainment. Would recommend.