What's odd about Captain Marvel and (to a lesser extent) Dark Phoenix is that you can see the through line for the heroine clearly.
You can go step by step: Carol Danvers regains her memories, reclaims her story, and fully realizes her power. Jean Grey is transformed by the Phoenix force and works through her disorientation, works through guilt over killing her mother (and then Raven), her rage over her abandonment and Charles' manipulations and--secure in herself and her love for her chosen family--transcends to a higher existence.
And yet, neither story comes off.
Why?
Carol comes off as flat. Kinberg gets sidetracked in Charles' (and Erik's) issues and loses the thread. As a result, neither movie completely satisfies. I think the filmmakers had good intentions, but couldn't deliver.
no subject
You can go step by step: Carol Danvers regains her memories, reclaims her story, and fully realizes her power. Jean Grey is transformed by the Phoenix force and works through her disorientation, works through guilt over killing her mother (and then Raven), her rage over her abandonment and Charles' manipulations and--secure in herself and her love for her chosen family--transcends to a higher existence.
And yet, neither story comes off.
Why?
Carol comes off as flat. Kinberg gets sidetracked in Charles' (and Erik's) issues and loses the thread. As a result, neither movie completely satisfies. I think the filmmakers had good intentions, but couldn't deliver.