The New Mutants
review by Bobby Blakey
Ever since the original X-Men debuted in 2000 it continued to expand with a total of 6 in the core X-Men series, 4 spin-offs films featuring both Wolverine and Deadpool and TV shows and more. Before the big Fox Disney deal there were still a couple other X films in the can, but only Dark Phoenix got released. Now after years of delays The New Mutants is finally here, but does the final film from the FOX brand bring something new to the X-universe or should it have stayed delayed?
The New Mutants follows an isolated hospital where a group of young mutants is being held for psychiatric monitoring. When strange occurrences begin to take place, both their new mutant abilities and their friendships will be tested as they battle to try and make it out alive. The film stars Maisie Williams, Anya-Taylor Joy, Charlie Heaton, Alice Braga, Henry Zaga, and Blu Hunt with The Fault in Our Stars director Josh Boone at the helm.
I am a huge X-men fan and followed just about every one of the titles except New Mutants until the last few issues before transitioning over to X-Force. So I cannot speak for the actual story arcs themselves but I do know enough about each of the characters themselves. Like many I am sure with all the issues getting this movie made and finally released kept my expectations low. The first thing you have to know is that this is not the typical X-men movie and that is a good thing. The story itself plays along the line of horror/thriller, superhero and teen drama all rolled injected into the X-universe. While this final chapter in the Fox era of mutants it connects via the discussion of the X-Men and obviously mutants themselves but beyond that is a standalone flick.
It is a bit slow at times and struggles to find its place for me initially it found its footing pretty quickly and for me delivered a solid flick. I really had a great time seeing these characters come to life. They seemed pretty spot on
with the execution of their abilities and overall character tones while still making them a bit different for the film. I thought all the cast were great in their respective characters and captured the essence of what I know about them.
Have no fear that while this isn’t your typical X-universe flick there is plenty of fun to be add with them using their powers. Some of the stuff I had seen in the trailer turned me off on that front at first but they pulled it together with some great surprises and visuals. There is an element of the story that hardcore fans will recognize that was clearly intended to expand into future installments that we all know is probably zero chance of happening, but I can dream.
For a film that went through so much struggle and years before its release it works and deserves better. Hopefully it will find the audience it deserves, but either way it is a strong entry into the franchise I love despite its ups and downs.
In addition to the film this release offers up bonus content including deleted scenes, interviews, featurettes and more. Grab your copy of The New Mutants available now on Digital, 4K Ultra, Blu-ray and DVD from 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment.
