Dark PhoenixControl is a double-edged sword, one precariously balanced on the fulcrum of trust. Dark Phoenix (a.k.a. X-Men: Dark Phoenix) is a superhero action movie and entry into the X-Men franchise of films exploring the advent of mutantkind throughout the latter half of the 20th century. It focuses on the transformation of comparatively new member of the X-Men, Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), into a force of unmatched power after absorbing a cosmic entity into her being following a rescue mission in space. After Jean begins to lose control over her newfound ability, she is revisited by her past which led X-Men founder, Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), obfuscated to bring her under his wing.
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Dark Phoenix--like other recent entries into the X-Men film universe--borrows its basic plot from a classic story arc from its Marvel Comics source material. The basic framework remains the same: Jean Grey is subjected to an alien power that pushes her telekinetic and telepathic abilities to extremes, but fractures her emotional stability. She becomes wildly destructive--an outcast among her comrades--challenging the love of her closest teammate, Scott Summers/"Cyclops" (Tye Sheridan), to pull her back from the edge. Like the preceding films in the franchise, Dark Phoenix makes deliberate alterations, adding its own spin to this adaptation. Scott is important in Jean's struggle to retain her humanity, but it is Charles Xavier who represents her greatest link to the world. The film opens in the past (1975), when a young Jean (Summer Fontana) inadvertently caused the death of her mother in a car crash after losing control of her burgeoning powers. Charles rescues her in the wake of this tragedy and invites her to join his blossoming school for gifted students, where he guides her to control her abilities. This is where Dark Phoenix starts to mirror more recent Marvel Comics' depictions of "Professor X"; Charles Xavier has been conditioning Jean Grey's mind from a young age to keep her power in check. He installs barriers in her memory, ostensibly to shield her from the trauma of the crash she caused that destroyed her family. He essentially deprives Jean of the agency to control her emotions for herself, instead choosing for her what she should and should not remember. This is outed after the space mission, when Charles attempts to use his super-powered psychic amplifier (Cerebro) to access her mind after she collapses, forcing him to reveal this to his closest lieutenants and teammates, Hank McCoy/"Beast" (Nicholas Hoult) and Raven Darkholme/"Mystique" (Jennifer Lawrence). Dark Phoenix is set in an alternate 1992, where mutants have become superficially welcome as special-powered saviors and heroes. Charles Xavier is at the media vanguard, presenting a positive face for his race after being subjected to decades of oppression and fear from humanity. But for those like Raven, Charles appears to place the public image of mutants above the welfare of his own team. Another tragedy strikes when the X-Men fail to dissuade Jean from going on a rampage, and Raven's fundamental doubts are taken up by others like Hank, leading to a schism that threatens to turn Charles' dream into a nightmare.
The center of Dark Phoenix is Jean's journey to understand herself, and acts as a metaphor for the terror that accompanies maturity and discovering one's individuality. Actress Sophie Turner became recognized for her performance as Sansa Stark in "Game of Thrones". Due to the nearly decade long run of the series, audiences watched her character grow up--à la the Harry Potter series--evolving from a shy, immature girl and into a strong-willed woman, showcasing a rare mixture of fear and determination simultaneously. This returns in her portrayal of Jean Grey, adding an extra element of pathos to her portrayal of this classic X-Men character's nervous breakdown. Prior to the fated mission in space, Jean appears unflappable in her dedication to Charles' vision, trusting him and Raven implicitly. But Charles pushes her to save the final member of the astronaut team they were called upon rescue--despite Raven's objections--at the expense of her safety. In a later scene, a grieving Hank confronts Charles over their mutual loss, and calls him out as a hypocrite for failing to admit that he made a mistake...that he was wrong. Disillusioned, Hank reaches out to another old colleague, Erik Lehnsherr/"Magneto" (Michael Fassbender), who has since established a protected community for mutants on an island nation (Genosha). But before this, Jean approached Erik herself, asking for guidance to help control the rage within her. Jean's visit ends in chaos when military forces arrive, intending to apprehend her; she replies by tossing their helicopters around like ragdolls, only adding weight to Hank's plea to Erik for revenge.
Dark Phoenix puts the motivations of a younger generation of mutants in the foreground; Scott, Jean, and their other compatriots--like Kurt Wagner/"Nightcrawler" (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and Ororo Munroe/"Storm" (Alexandra Shipp)--are the ones actually out in the field, fighting for Xavier's dreams. But they swiftly discover that they have their own motivations, and start learning to make choices about right and wrong for themselves. Earlier X-Men films focused on the formation of the eponymous heroes--like X-Men: First Class; Dark Phoenix is already deep into the series, and the X-Men are an established presence in their world. Jean and her peers are students on the verge of graduation; more importantly, they begin identifying what lessons their teachers have taught them have value, and which ones do not. The proverbial "devil" on Jean's shoulder comes in the form of Vuk (Jessica Chastain), the leader of a violent alien race of shapeshifters known as the "D'Bari", seeking to control the cosmic power Jean has absorbed in order to conquer Earth and rebuild their empire in the process. Vuk is a cipher for the briskly explored theme of mental illness--a voice that tells Jean that she is justified to punish those who have "betrayed" her, a rationalization that only further damages Jean's delicate psyche. The D'Bari are irredeemably evil, yet powerful and numerous enough to give the X-Men a good fight. But their most effective weapon are the dark whispers Vuk has been dripping into Jean's ear like cursed hebenon, hoping to turn her against her adopted family, who pose the only true threat to them claiming that cosmic power for themselves. The power struggle between the X-Men and the D'Bari represents the more traditional superhero movie crisis in Dark Phoenix, but more important is Jean's tenuous grasp over control and rage--a deadly tug-of-war with the world caught in the middle.
Recommended for: Fans of superhero movies--notably those adapted from classic "X-Men" stories--with lots of vibrant special effects and explosive fight scenes. Dark Phoenix also explores themes like betrayed trust within families--even adoptive ones--and the dangers of embracing an "ends justify the means" philosophy.
The center of Dark Phoenix is Jean's journey to understand herself, and acts as a metaphor for the terror that accompanies maturity and discovering one's individuality. Actress Sophie Turner became recognized for her performance as Sansa Stark in "Game of Thrones". Due to the nearly decade long run of the series, audiences watched her character grow up--à la the Harry Potter series--evolving from a shy, immature girl and into a strong-willed woman, showcasing a rare mixture of fear and determination simultaneously. This returns in her portrayal of Jean Grey, adding an extra element of pathos to her portrayal of this classic X-Men character's nervous breakdown. Prior to the fated mission in space, Jean appears unflappable in her dedication to Charles' vision, trusting him and Raven implicitly. But Charles pushes her to save the final member of the astronaut team they were called upon rescue--despite Raven's objections--at the expense of her safety. In a later scene, a grieving Hank confronts Charles over their mutual loss, and calls him out as a hypocrite for failing to admit that he made a mistake...that he was wrong. Disillusioned, Hank reaches out to another old colleague, Erik Lehnsherr/"Magneto" (Michael Fassbender), who has since established a protected community for mutants on an island nation (Genosha). But before this, Jean approached Erik herself, asking for guidance to help control the rage within her. Jean's visit ends in chaos when military forces arrive, intending to apprehend her; she replies by tossing their helicopters around like ragdolls, only adding weight to Hank's plea to Erik for revenge.
Dark Phoenix puts the motivations of a younger generation of mutants in the foreground; Scott, Jean, and their other compatriots--like Kurt Wagner/"Nightcrawler" (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and Ororo Munroe/"Storm" (Alexandra Shipp)--are the ones actually out in the field, fighting for Xavier's dreams. But they swiftly discover that they have their own motivations, and start learning to make choices about right and wrong for themselves. Earlier X-Men films focused on the formation of the eponymous heroes--like X-Men: First Class; Dark Phoenix is already deep into the series, and the X-Men are an established presence in their world. Jean and her peers are students on the verge of graduation; more importantly, they begin identifying what lessons their teachers have taught them have value, and which ones do not. The proverbial "devil" on Jean's shoulder comes in the form of Vuk (Jessica Chastain), the leader of a violent alien race of shapeshifters known as the "D'Bari", seeking to control the cosmic power Jean has absorbed in order to conquer Earth and rebuild their empire in the process. Vuk is a cipher for the briskly explored theme of mental illness--a voice that tells Jean that she is justified to punish those who have "betrayed" her, a rationalization that only further damages Jean's delicate psyche. The D'Bari are irredeemably evil, yet powerful and numerous enough to give the X-Men a good fight. But their most effective weapon are the dark whispers Vuk has been dripping into Jean's ear like cursed hebenon, hoping to turn her against her adopted family, who pose the only true threat to them claiming that cosmic power for themselves. The power struggle between the X-Men and the D'Bari represents the more traditional superhero movie crisis in Dark Phoenix, but more important is Jean's tenuous grasp over control and rage--a deadly tug-of-war with the world caught in the middle.
Recommended for: Fans of superhero movies--notably those adapted from classic "X-Men" stories--with lots of vibrant special effects and explosive fight scenes. Dark Phoenix also explores themes like betrayed trust within families--even adoptive ones--and the dangers of embracing an "ends justify the means" philosophy.