Les nouveaux mutants

Les nouveaux mutants
Original title:Les nouveaux mutants
Director:Josh Boone
Release:Cinema
Running time:93 minutes
Release date:26 august 2020 (France)
Rating:

Mulder's Review

The New mutants is originally a group of teenage mutants from the publisher Marvel Comics. This group has not only known three successive comic book series but also many appearances in other Marvel comics. Far from being just a spin-off from the X-men comic book world, this team of mutants was above all a way to approach adolescence and thus to address a large panel of comic book readers. The first team of New Mutant characters was created by Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod. They first appeared in The New Mutants (September 1982), part of the Marvel Graphic Novel series, and then had their own series from 1983 to 1991. The second New Mutants series published in 2003 featured a new group of teenage mutants. Finally, the third series of New Mutants, which brought together most of the original team members, was launched in May 2009. With its many quality screenplays and quality drawings, New Mutants had real potential to become a superhero movie in the rejuvenation movement of Peter Parker / Spiderman on the big screen. Unfortunately for the viewers the film The New Mutants, which was on several occasions both remade and pushed back, turned out to be one of the worst adaptations of a Marvel Comics saga on the big screen.

For those of us who are passionate about the Marvel universe, the first team consisted of Danielle Moonstar (Psyche, Mirage), Rahne Sinclair (Wolfsbane), Roberto da Costa (Sunspot), Samuel Guthrie (Cannonball) and .Xi'an Coy Manh (Karma). These were later repaired by Amara Juliana Olivians Aquilla (Magma), Douglas Ramsey (Cypher), Illyana Rasputin (Magik) and Warlock. In the film, the screenwriters seem to have selected only some of his young superheroes, including Rahne Sinclair (Maisie William), Illyana Rasputin (Anya Taylor-Joy), Sam Guthrie (Charlie Heaton), Roberto da Costa (Henry Zaga) and Danielle Moonstar (Blu Hunt). Unfortunately, the main features of the characters are erased from the screen and some of their powers are completely forgotten.

With the comfortable budget at the director's disposal (80 million dollars that can't be seen on the big screen), one could have hoped for striking scenes and a real plot. Instead, apart from a rather successful introductory scene that takes up the entire plot of the film, it takes place in a kind of boarding school where the mutants are gathered together to try to learn how to master their powers and realize that they are locked up against their will. Moreover, Rahne Sinclair, Illyana Rasputin, Sam Guthrie, Roberto da Costa will have to face enemies created against their will against Danielle Moonstar who has not yet mastered her powers. As much as one can understand the treatment brought to the cinema on the X-men as much in this case, the writers do not seem to have really been able to respect the spirit of the New mutant comics and wanted to proceed to an unnatural marriage between the horror film and the universe of the superheroes. The blatant lack of rhythm, twists and turns and obvious editing problems make the film a total disappointment for all those who have already read the adventures of the New Mutants but above all appreciate seeing these characters come to life on the big screen.

The photography of the film also poses important concerns as most of it takes place at night and lacks visibility on several occasions. A good Marvel adaptation, like most Marvel studios, can be felt on screen not only because of the care taken with the comics but also to give a real thickness to the characters. The total lack of depth and psychology of the characters makes it impossible to get attached to the characters. While the casting is well done and we appreciate the presence of Blu Hunt (a very good choice for the Mirage character), Anya Taylor-Joy and Maisir Williams, the two young teenagers played by Charlie Heaton and Henry Zage do not benefit from the same care. With the impressive potential of the comics, one might have expected an action-packed adventure movie that would have been effective and not a clumsy Freddy Krueger sub with a clumsy direction. Not that Josh Boone is not a good r director, we had enjoyed his previous movie The Fault in Our Stars, but he doesn't seem to be a real comic book enthusiast and this is reflected in some awkward action scenes.

After Josh Trank's very disappointing Fantastic four (2015), the new mutants easily stands out as one of the worst adaptations of a Marvel comic book saga and its distribution would have been much better suited to a direct video release than a movie. The acute pernuria of American film releases linked to the global pandemic does not justify paying one's way to see a failed film, hardly saved by Mark Snow's successful music.

The New Mutants
Directed by Josh Boone
Produced by Simon Kinberg, Karen Rosenfelt, Lauren Shuler Donner
Written by Josh Boone, Knate Lee
Based on New Mutants by Chris Claremont, Bob McLeod
Starring Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Alice Braga, Blu Hunt, Henry Zaga
Music by Mark Snow
Cinematography: Peter Deming
Edited by Matthew Dunnell, Robb Sullivan, Andrew Buckland
Production company: 20th Century Studios, Marvel Entertainment, Genre Films, Sunswept Entertainment
Distributed by 20th Century Studios
Release date: August 28, 2020 (United States), August 26, 2020 (France)
Running time: 98 minutes

Seen on August 28, 2020 at Gaumont Disney Village, Room 16 seat A19

Mulder's Mark: