Dark Phoenix appears in an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This became a consistently strong image.
Sharpness always remained positive, as the movie exhibited fine delineation and accuracy. Any softness remained negligible in this tight presentation.
The film lacked moiré effects or jaggies, and it also didn’t suffer from any edge haloes. Print haloes remained absent.
Colors favored a mix of teal, orange and amber, with some purples and other tones tossed in as well. The hues came across as well-developed.
Blacks seemed deep and dense, while shadows appeared smooth and concise. Everything about the image satisfied.
In addition, the film’s DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack proved to be top-notch, with a vivid, involving soundscape. The movie boasted a slew of action scenes, and those used all the channels in a lively, engaging manner that brought out a good sense of the material.
Audio quality pleased, with speech that seemed natural and distinctive. Music fared well, as the score appeared bold and rich.
Most importantly, effects came across as accurate and dynamic, with tight, dynamic low-end response. The soundtrack gave the movie an extra level of life and impact.
When we shift to extras, we open with an audio commentary from director/writer Simon Kinberg and producer Hutch Parker. Both sit together for this running, screen-specific look at story/characters and connections to the comics, cast and performances, sets and locations, various effects, editing and cinematography, and connected domains.
At times, Kinberg and Parker can go down a fairly self-congratulatory path. However, they still cover the movie in a reasonably compelling manner, so this becomes a reasonably engaging chat.
A five-part documentary called The Making of Dark Phoenix fills a total of one hour, 20 minutes. The program offers notes from Kinberg, Parker, 2nd unit directors Guy Norris and Todd Hallowell, comic writer Chris Claremont, production designers Michele LaLiberte and Claude Pare, costume designer Daniel Orlandi, property master Claire Alary, SPFX supervisor Cameron Waldbauer, VFX supervisor Phillip Brennan, 2nd unit SPFX coordinator Tom Blacklock, 1st AD Josh McLaglen, director of photography Mauro Fiore, linguist Adele-Elise Prevost, editor Lee Smith, and actors Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Alexandria Shipp, Evan Peters, Halston Sage, Scott Shepherd, Hannah Anderson, Kota Eberhardt, Andrew Stehlin, and Jessica Chastain.
“Making” examines Kinberg’s move to the director’s chair and his approach to the material, the source material and its adaptation, cast and performances, sets and locations, costumes and props, stunts and action, various effects, photography, and editing.
With 80 minutes at its disposal, “Making” comes with a lot of room to explore various topics, and it does touch on a good array of domains. At its best, it can provide a nice view of the production, mainly via ample footage from the sets.
However, the tone tends to remain rather fluffy at times. We get a lot of praise for the production and all involved, comments that can become tedious. Still, the good outweighs the meh in this largely informative program.
How to Fly Your Jet to Space with Beast lasts two minutes, three seconds. It’s a comedic piece with Hoult in makeup/character. It gives us some amusement value.
Five Deleted Scenes span a total of eight minutes, 22 seconds. We find “Edwards Air Force Base” (1:12), “Charles Returns Home” (1:18), “Mission Prep” (1:14), “Beast Mia” (0:52), and “Charles Says Goodbye” (3:42).
Most of these tend toward minor character bits or exposition, so we don’t lose anything crucial. I do like “Goodbye” and might prefer it as the film’s ending to the existing conclusion.
We can watch the scenes with or without commentary from Kinberg and Parker. They give us basics about the sequences and tell us why they cut them.
We finish with three trailers for Phoenix. No other promos appear here.
Fans who hoped the X-Men First Class series would wrap on a high note will encounter a major letdown via Dark Phoenix. Despite the grand drama of its story, the film seems bland and emotionless. The Blu-ray boasts excellent picture and audio along with a fairly positive package of bonus materials. Phoenix fails to adequately explore its material.