Dark Phoenix - Movie Analysis Essay

Introduction

We love our superheroes because they make the impossible possible and unlock the full potential of our imaginative capability, helping us see life in a whole new dimension. The film industry is an essential source of entertainment in the 21st century which has provided movie enthusiasts with a wide range of film genres for entertainment purposes. Science fiction is one of the genres that has continued to push the power of the human imagination to new domains. Dark Phoenix is a superhero film based on the Marvel Comic X-men characters written and directed by Simon Kinberg ("Dark Phoenix | Film Threat"). The plot development of the film unfolds around the X-Men getting forced to face the full power of the Phoenix after a mission in space goes wrong.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Film Summary

The plot begins in the year 1975 when Jean Gray, who is eight years old at the time, gets orphaned after the death of her parents in a road accident. She gets taken in by Professor Charles Xavier who enrols her at Xavier's school for gifted youngsters. Upon rigorous training at the facility, Jean goes for a mission in 1992 in response to a distress signal from the Space Shuttle Endeavour. During the extraction of the astronauts, Jean gets struck by the energy emanating from the solar flare greatly amplifying her superpowers. The increased energy destroys the mental blocks placed by Xavier in Jean’s mind to control trauma. As a result, she becomes filled with rage and pain. The aftermath that follows revolves around Jean trying to seek justice and a permanent cure for her pain and anger. When she achieves this, Xavier's school is renamed the "Jean Grey School for Gifted Youngsters" (James), with Hank a mutant who has a beastly appearance and superhuman abilities as the new director after Xavier’s retirement.

Movie Analysis

The acting and screenplay aspects of the film are primarily composed of computer effects given that most of the occurrences depicted in the film are fictional and therefore require special effects throughout the film. However, these aspects of the screenplay have made the movie even more interesting to watch as it picks on the viewers' curiosity and also manages to depict the director’s imaginative creativity.

Although the film is fictional in its plot development and character depiction, the movie still managed to address various social aspects besides the entertaining role it serves. Jean, for instance, serves the purpose of showing the viewer that even the superheroes who we idolize also face various challenges in their daily lives encounters and resilience is critical in overcoming these obstacles. For instance, after killing one of the X-Men Raven Darkholme sent to capture her, she flees to Genosha a mutant refugee island where she asks for assistance from Erik Lehnsherr to help her control her rage (Bradshaw). This serves as an essential educational point for young viewers as it helps them to understand that everybody, even the superheroes, experience various challenges. The film could, therefore, be viewed as an essential informational tool that helps the viewers in the development of better problem-solving skills.

Response

Although the movie has managed to address a wide range of thematic concerns, self-discovery and realization could be considered as the central theme in the film. Many characters in the movie are on a self-discovery journey. Jean, who is one of the central figures in the film, is on a self-discovery journey. Throughout the plot development of the film, she continually seeks solutions to the challenges that she goes through, such as her rage and pain, where she even travels to her childhood hometown in search of answers.

Conclusion

A person’s imagination is the ultimate life experience that allows them to live their life to the fullest potential—during the 114 minutes running time that the Dark Phoenix covers, the film portrays a pure work of ingenious creativity and unmatched imaginative power ("‘Dark Phoenix’ Review: X-Women Power? Nah"). The film serves not only a recreational purpose but also an educative role through the various thematic concerns addressed in the movie, making it a worthwhile watch.

Works Cited

James, Caryn. "Film Review: X-Men Dark Phoenix". Bbc.Com, 2020, https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190606-film-review-x-men-dark-phoenix.

Bradshaw, Peter. "X-Men: Dark Phoenix Review – Mutant Franchise Fizzles Out Forgettably". The Guardian, 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jun/05/x-men-dark-phoenix-review.

"‘Dark Phoenix’ Review: X-Women Power? Nah". Nytimes.Com, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/06/movies/dark-phoneix-review.html.

"Dark Phoenix | Film Threat". Film Threat, 2020, https://filmthreat.com/reviews/dark-phoenix/.