Pretty much every film on the release calendar has experienced some swapping and changing in recent months but none understand the meaning of the word 'delayed' more so than The New Mutants. Josh Boone's X-Men spin-off, developed and produced under 20th Century Fox before Disney's purchase of their repertoire, was originally intended for release back in August 2018 and has landed on many different dates before finally arriving in a very different theatrical landscape two whole years later. The big question on everyone's lips now: was it worth the hassle?
A group of young mutants undergo treatment at a secure institution to help learn how to control their powers. But when their fearful memories begin to become reality, the group begin to question what the facilities true purpose is. Boone directs Anya Taylor Johnson, Maisie Williams, Charlie Heaton, Blu Hunt, Henry Zaga and Alice Braga in what has been dubbed a "darker" X-Men.
For a film that has made such noise trying to find a release date, The New Mutants lands with the softest of thuds. There's nothing especially bad about The New Mutants but nothing particularly impressive about this middle-of-the-road spin-off either, as decidedly 'fine' as a film could be. Originally developed as a trilogy but refashioned as a standalone adventure after Disney's acquisition and clear plan to integrate these characters into their own Marvel Cinematic Universe, the scars of the edit room's cutting and chopping show, hindering the film from ever developing a true sense of excitement or rhythm. Poor ADR and obvious dubbing only emphasise that this version of the film has been assembled after the fact, in an attempt to salvage something more self-contained.
At a too-short 94 minutes, we never really explore these characters with the depth they need or deserve. Boone's screenplay, co-written with Knate Lee's script, contains few surprises, watering down its villain with a bland arc that could have been ripped from several other genre pieces. Boone's direction is a little stronger, landing some suitably scary, if sporadic, moments - but nothing that will be remembered too long after the credits have rolled on both The New Mutants and Fox Studio's reign with them.
A solid ensemble does their best to inject some personality into these characters, with Anya Taylor Joy leading the way with a spirited performance. Maisie Williams and Blu Hunt handle the LGBT romance with sensitivity, adding some much-needed and refreshing representation to the superhero genre. Ironically, it is the sole element that allows this film to stand out in any way, shape or form.
The New Mutants has evidently been the victim of studio inference outside of Boone's control, but while this darker approach could have been a welcome new angle for a film franchise that had begun to grow stale, there is little evidence here to suggest it was ever going to inspire new confidence in the X-Men. Unable to fully commit to the horror and not inspired enough in its narrative to make up for that in any way, The New Mutants is the cinematic equivalent of a shoulder shrug, a whimper of an ending to this X-Men universe.
Summary: The New Mutants ends the X-Men as we know them with the biggest shrug imaginable, an unremarkable spin-off that provokes no real emotion, good or bad.