By Paul Hall
A traumatic event leads to Dani Moonstar (Blu Hunt) waking up handcuffed to a bed. But where is this teenage girl? And how did she get there?
Dani has been placed in a hospital along with a small number of young patients. Dr. Cecilia Reyes (Alice Braga) is treating all five of the residents in the hopes they will soon be released.
The other residents are obviously mutants, albeit youthful ones; they know their powers, and their treatment is all about controlling them and avoiding the potential devastation they are able to unleash on society.
Rahne (Maisie Williams), Illyana (Anya Taylor-Joy), Sam (Charlie Heaton) and Roberto (Henry Zaga) have mixed feelings about the newest resident. While they are all working to control their powers, the others are surprised to know that Dani has no idea what kind of power she possesses.
As Dani makes friends with Rahne and enemies with Illyana, her journey of discovery begins and it soon becomes clear that this facility is more than a hospital and that the residents are not free to leave. But what is going on, and what does the future hold for this pack of mutants? Only time will tell if they can control their powers and control their destinies.
The New Mutants is a long-anticipated movie. I can see from early on that there is something at the core of the film to be excited about. Unfortunately, it feels wholly unnecessary as a big-screen release.
Sure, there are some big action moments that are meant to scare and startle, but those sequences felt disjointed from the rest of the film. Instead of a seamless introduction to these characters, we get limited moments to explore who they are and expanded moments of the five hanging out in situations as varied as therapy sessions and late-night shenanigans.
While the film progressed, I never felt satisfied with the amount of meaty facts revealed about the characters, their backstories and motivations. Instead there were allusions to days gone by, and a lack of detail to grab on to about who they have become.
It’s probably a good thing that I didn’t have the expectations that many had for The New Mutants. I felt disappointed by the lost opportunity to establish new characters for future generations. This film should have been an exciting and hip start for a new set of heroes, and instead it felt like a subpar television movie that would have had me reaching for a remote if I were watching at home. I would love to endorse this film as a reason to get back into theaters, but unless you are invested in individuals within the film, it can wait.
Paul’s Grade: C-
The New Mutants
Rated PG-13
Stars: Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Henry Zaga, Blu Hunt, Alice Braga
Director: Josh Boone
