10 Terrible Movies With Awesome Endings
9. Dark Phoenix
It wasn't exactly a surprise that Dark Phoenix was a bust - given the film's hellish post-production, where almost the entire third act was reshot - but it brought Fox's X-Men franchise sputtering to a disappointing halt all the same.
From a writing and directing perspective, so much of this movie feels completely flat.
We've seen most of it done better elsewhere, and between a lifeless performance from Sophie Turner as Jean Grey and Jennifer Lawrence not even pretending to be interested, it felt like an obligation for most involved.
But the final scene at least delivers something approaching a genuinely affecting sign-off for the entire two-decade saga, as a retired Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) is greeted at a Parisian cafe by Magneto (Michael Fassbender), before the pair play a friendly game of chess.
It's not a scene full of operatic, dramatic grandstanding, but circles back to Charles and Erik's chess games from the earlier films in a slyly affecting way. It's an ending that deserved a much better film leading up to it.