Episode 44 - Hell hath no fury like an X-Man scorned

m* and regular contributor John take on the difficult assignment of comparing two X-Men films both attempting to adapt the infamous Dark Phoenix Saga comic book storyline. The first film, X-Men: The Last Stand, made the first attempt at adaptation in 2006 while the second attempt happened in 2019 with the screening of Dark Phoenix. While it was unsurprisingly found that both films pale in comparison to the comic storyline, what is surprising is the wealth of political critique to be gained with this unique nerdy retrospective. Score!

Trigger warning: Themes raised in this episode regarding mental health, PTSD, domestic violence and sexual assault. 

Music used in episode:

"Dopey Cat Strikes Back" - AK Fru

"Escape From Reality" - Denis Kasatkin

Useful references:

Handy explanation of The Dark Phoenix Saga comic book storyline: Dark Phoenix Explained: The Real Story Behind the X-Men Classic - IGN

2006 review of X-Men: The Last Stand: X-Men: The Last Stand | Culture | The Guardian.

2019 review of Dark Phoenix: X-Men: Dark Phoenix review – mutant franchise fizzles out forgettably | Film | The Guardian.