Dark Phoenix (2019)
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A powerful mutant struggles to maintain her sanity as a cosmic force amplifies her abilities and threatens to consume her identity.
The story
In 1975, young Jean Grey is orphaned in a car crash when her telekinetic powers manifest, leading her to the School for Gifted Youngsters. Decades later, during a space mission, Jean is struck by a surge of solar flare-like energy that amplifies her psychic powers while destabilizing her mental state. As she begins to experience trauma and lose control over her abilities, she must navigate the growing tension between her allies and enemies who seek to contain or exploit her power. Amidst the escalating danger, Jean must find a way to manage the overwhelming force within her before it causes irreparable harm to those she loves.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being struck by cosmic energy during a space mission in 1992, Jean Grey's powers become dangerously amplified, triggering PTSD and breaking the mental blocks placed on her by Professor Charles Xavier. Upon returning to her hometown, she discovers her father is alive and realizes her past actions caused a tragic accident. During a confrontation with the X-Men, she accidentally kills Raven Darkholme. Seeking help, she travels to the mutant refuge of Genosha, where she is confronted by the D'Bari, an alien race that seeks to harness the Phoenix Force she now carries. A conflict erupts between the X-Men and a faction of mutants led by Magneto, who aim to stop the D'Bari. Amidst the chaos, Jean's memories are restored, and she eventually faces the D'Bari's true intentions to conquer Earth. After a final confrontation in space, Jean transforms into a phoenix-shaped being of energy, destroying the D'Bari. The film ends with Xavier and Magneto reconciling in Paris while a phoenix appears in the sky.
- Original title
- X-Men: Dark Phoenix
- First release year
- 2019
- Runtime (minutes)
- 114
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Simon Kinberg
- Writers
- Simon Kinberg · writer
- Cast and characters
- James McAvoy · Professor Charles Xavier; Michael Fassbender · Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto; Jennifer Lawrence · Raven Darkholme / Mystique; Nicholas Hoult · Hank McCoy / Beast; Sophie Turner · Jean Grey / Phoenix; Tye Sheridan · Scott Summers / Cyclops; Alexandra Shipp · Ororo Munroe / Storm; Evan Peters · Peter Maximoff / Quicksilver; Kodi Smit-McPhee · Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler; Jessica Chastain · Vuk / Margaret Smith
- Genres
- superhero; action; adventure
- Themes
- identity; mental health; power and responsibility; sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- somber; tense
- Setting
- 1975, 1992, and the present day; locations include a school for mutants, the island of Genosha, New York City, and Paris.
- Premise and plot tags
- origin story; superhero; multiverse
- Source material / true-story basis
- Marvel Comics
- Franchise connections
- X-Men
- Reception
- The film was a critical and commercial failure, receiving mixed-to-negative reviews and becoming one of the biggest box-office bombs of all time.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 22% · scale: percentage · review count: 384; Metacritic · score: 43 · scale: 100 · review count: 52; PostTrak · score: 69% · scale: percentage
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Raspberry Awards · Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel · Nominated; Golden Raspberry Awards · Worst Supporting Actress · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The third act was reshot in late 2018 after test screenings yielded poor responses.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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