In 1982, Chris Claremont, acclaimed writer of The Uncanny X-Men, spun off The New Mutants, a new team of heroes introduced in a self-titled graphic novel before launching a monthly series which ran for a decade. As with the core X-Men of the era, the team was a multi-national unit, comprised of:
Danielle Moonstar, a Cheyenne who had the ability to cast illusions.
Rahne Sinclair: A Scottish lycanthrope.
Sam Guthrie: Son of a Kentucky coal miner who'd hoped to follow in his dad's footsteps. He was not initially injured in the books, unlike in the movie we're reviewing.
Roberto DaCosta: Son of a wealthy Brazilian family.
Xhanh Coy Manh, a Vietnamese emigre who could control people's minds.
For reasons known only to the producers, Xhanh was replaced by Ilyana Rasputin, the younger sister of X-Man Peter "Colossus" Rasputin. Ilyana would join the team much, much later in the comics after the experience of losing a few years of her childhood in a daemonic limbo.
About 18 months into the series, artist Bill Sienkiewicz took over as series artist from co-creator Bob McLeod, and it is one of his earliest arcs that creates the core of the movie. However, artistic and creative license take over.
Dr. Cecilia Reyes (Alice Braga, niece of Sonia Braga) is presented here as a villain when she was a reluctant member of the X-Men in the comics. She recruits the kids through curious means, but it turns out she works for a sinister organization, the Essex Corporation. Danielle doesn't have her powers under control when she's brought in, but it will prove vital as we move on.
To appeal to today's audience, there's a very unexpected hookup between two characters you wouldn't expect. Ilyana (Anya Taylor-Joy) is the eye candy for the teenage boys, as evidenced by the torn nylons in several scenes. Rahne (Maisie Williams, ex-Game of Thrones) gets to be the headliner, even though it's more about Danielle.
Here's the trailer for a film that took two years to complete:
Rating: B+.
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