In the third part of the series X MEN, the audience is finally engaged with the movie emotionally. In the previous movies, I believe it lacked emotion involving the characters and the plot. However, with this movie, the audience as finally developed a connection with each of the characters, which as a result, delivers a stronger emotional impact.
Magneto and Professor X still value their old friendship, despite their differences on how mutants should live on Earth. In this film, Magneto leads his charge of mutants (The Brotherhood) to finally take a stand for their place in society, while Professor X counters his efforts with his X Men. Magneto manipulates and recruits other mutants to fight against the humans because they have developed a cure for their mutation. Meanwhile Charles Xavier devotes himself to protect the humans and fight off Magneto. This film finally introduces us to Jean Grey’s alternate personality “The Phoenix”. In the previous X Men movie, we are left with the concept that Jean sacrificed her life to allow the X Men to escape. During this scene, we quickly see “The Phoenix” emerge, but it isn’t until this film that her personality and character are revealed.
The Phoenix turns Jean into one of the most powerful mutants ever in the Marvel Universe, and unfortunately the beloved Jean Grey is never able to return to her normal state and is gone forever. A powerful and emotional scene in the movie is when Professor X attempts to save Jean from the Phoenix with his mutant abilities, but The Phoenix is too powerful for him, and he fails. When The Phoenix kills Charles Xavier (who is the second X Men she has killed in the movie) the audience sees the transition that has taken place. The Jean Grey that fans loved, has been consumed by the by the powerful force of the Phoenix and is extremely dangerous. Magneto, devastated after watching his good friend die, then takes Jean to lead the rebellion because he knows that with her by his side, no one will overtake them.
I think this movie does a great job of showing progress of the characters from the previous movies as well. We see the growth the X Men students with their abilities and we also see their personalities strengthen. When Professor X dies, the toughest X Men, Wolverine, drops to the floor and begins to cry. This scene clearly depicts the transition and the strength of the relationship between the two that was not apparent in the first or second film.
Finally, this movie leaves us with the hope that although Professor X is not with the X Men, his teachings and his ideologies will continue to live on through the school and the X Men. The audience can leave with the sense that the X Men are ready to help the people of this world as they have mastered how to control their abilities and do not live in fear of what the world thinks of them.
Movies and Heroes 