First New Mutants Movie Review Calls It A Generic Superhero Film

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First New Mutants Movie Review Calls It A Generic Superhero Film

The first review for The New Mutants calls it a generic superhero movie. Josh Boone's upcoming film is one of the most highly anticipated, yet unlucky, superhero movies in years. Filmed three years ago, The New Mutants was initially scheduled for release back in 2018 but has been delayed multiple times over the years due to potential reshoots, schedule changes, and a studio merger that threatened the film's release entirely.

Disney eventually rescheduled the film's release to April of this year but, just when there seemed to be an end in sight, the coronavirus pandemic forced another delay. Now, the film is set to release in theaters on August 28.

The New Mutants was initially intended to be the first of a trilogy, but those plans were ruined due to the constant delays. It is now intended to be the last installment of Fox's X-Men film series. The movie follows five teenage mutants discovering their powers while held in a secret facility. The cast includes Maisie Williams (Wolfsbane), Anya Taylor-Joy (Magik), Charlie Heaton (Cannonball), Blu Hunt (Mirage) and Henry Zaga (Sunspot). The New Mutants has been described as combining the superhero genre with horror, supposedly giving it much darker elements than most superhero movies. However, the film's first review is in and doesn't have many good things to say.

The New Mutants' first review from THR calls it "generic" and "eye-rolling." Jordan Mintzer began the review by writing, "If you’ve never seen a teen movie, a superhero movie, an asylum-set psychological thriller, Nightmare on Elm Street or a single episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, then perhaps The New Mutants will be something of an eye-opening experience." After referring to the film as an "eye-rolling case of déjà vu," Mintzer writes:

Generic and, at its best, straining to be heartfelt, director Josh Boone’s adaptation of the Marvel spin-off comic series is a Marvel movie spinoff in its own right, making vague references to the X-Men franchise but attempting to stand on its own. Unfortunately it rarely does.

Mintzer goes on to write that the film is not as scary as it could be, suggesting the PG-13 rating keeps it from reaching its full potential. Unfortunately, there won't be as many reviews for The New Mutants as there usually would be. Screen Rant, along with other publications, has decided against reviewing The New Mutants due to safety concerns. This decision was made after Disney announced the film will "only do screenings in markets that are open." The movie has lost out on a number of early reviews from critics who refuse to review the film until safer screening options are offered.

Sadly, The New Mutants has had a tough ride. It had the potential to be one of the most exciting movies of 2020 following X-Men: Dark Phoenix's box office bomb. Its unlucky history made audiences root for the film to be something great. However, its first review isn't a good sign, especially when there won't be that many more to come. Of course, moviegoers will have to make their own decisions about The New Mutants if they choose to see it in theaters.