But Joe, who was used to going to the theater every other week or so back when the world was still spinning around, was really aching for a new movie movie, so I checked the movie website until I found a showing where there was no one else in the theater, got out the masks, and off we went. I was pretty tense the whole time, but Joe and I remained the only occupants of the big room, and I slowly began to relax as the movie began. And much to my surprise, I was captivated pretty much from the get-go.
In fact, I'd have to say that the opening sequence for The New Mutants is one of the most compelling bits of footage I've ever seen. It's a wonderful blend of What The Hell Is Going On? and action, with a soupçon of pathos thrown in for good measure. And it never really stopped gripping me for the hour and a half which followed. Every character is vividly brought to life. I'm particularly fond of Anya Taylor-Joy's portrayal of Illyana Rasputin / Magik...and, in fact, didn't even realize that this was the same actor I'd just loved in Emma, because here she is so tough and bitchy. She even seems bigger. (A few weeks later I saw her in The Queen's Gambit, and once again I failed to recognize her until I looked into her IMDb credits to see what else she had done.) But Charlie Heaton's Sam Guthrie / Cannonball is also great...and Maisie Williams's Rahne Sinclair...and Blu Hunt's Dani Moonstar / Psyche / Mirage...and Henry Zaga's Roberto da Costa / Sunspot...and Alice Braga's Dr. Reyes...they all do excellent work here. Oh, and let's not forget Marilyn Manson, who turns in a good performance as well. (Heh heh. You're probably going to have to read the credits for that one, but I shit thee not.)
As for the plot, you continue to wonder What The Hell Is Going On? for most of the movie. And I like that. That slow slide as What You Think Might Be Going On turns into something else. Nice job on the writing, Josh Boone and Knate Lee. Josh Boone was also the director, and this was only his third time at bat, which makes me want to see the other things he's done. (In fact, his next gig, a mini-series based on The Stand by You-Know-Who, will be out in a minute, and it's actually going to make me subscribe to CBS All-Access.)
So: good actors, good story. And when it came out at Redbox, I rented it and had another go. It was just as good as the first time. Maybe even better, because this time I actually knew who Anya Taylor-Joy was, so I was able to appreciate her work here even more. (The first time around I just thought she was a bad ass Russian bitch --and I mean that in a good way.)
In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I then watched all of the Special Features...including the Commentary, so yes, I watched the whole movie a third time. Speaking of Special Features, here's what you get (and shouldn't miss):
Origins and Influences (7:27) Has some excellent interview footage, including a goodly amount of Bill Sienkiewicz, Also a few "whilst filming" scenes which were very interesting.
Meet the New Mutants (7:16) More good.
Deleted Scenes (7 of them, total running time 10:52) Nothing essential, but hey, you've got eleven minutes to burn.
Director's Commentary. Believe it or not, this was the big one for me. I was expecting the usual stilted commentary from the director, maybe with a few revealing bits. But no, Josh Boone don't play that. In fact, he just calls Bill Sienkiewicz up and they chat for an hour and a half. They don't even talk about the scenes that are playing behind their conversation. Quite unexpected.
I think you have to go Blu-ray to get all of the extra goods, though, so go ahead and spend those extra 20¢ if you want the full treatment.
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