THE NEW MUTANTS

of genuinely outstanding back-catalog reissues on 4K disc lo these many months, editor Al Griffin and I were excited by the prospect of reviewing a new movie…well, perhaps “new” isn’t the ideal word, despite the title here. By the time it debuted theatrically had been delayed more than two years—and one pandemic—past its original release date, owing to creative adjustments made to exploit an ever-evolving market. Based upon the comic book series that would eventually introduce Deadpool and Cable, this movie ties into Fox’s greater X-Men universe, with a namedrop here, a flashback there, and a fresh crop of youngsters struggling to cope with recent physical changes that have given them extraordinary powers. They’re the only patients in an isolated hospital specializing in their kind, but is the goal to help them identify and control their unique gifts, or is it something far more sinister? The creepy horror vibe puts an original spin on the proceedings, but the parade of teen angst feels pretty well-worn by this point.