Before watching "Dark Phoenix", I wrote a popular science article "Must Know 7 Knowledge Points of "X-Men"
On the first day of the Dragon Boat Festival today, the movie was released. I took advantage of the heat and went to see a movie, the IMAX version.
After all, the IMAX is more than 40% larger than the average screen. In addition, the 3D viewing experience is also better, the dual-screen projection ensures the brightness of the screen, and the sound is better than ordinary cinemas, which can be distinguished by the human ear.
In the process of watching the movie, the cracks on Jean Grey's face are fully visible, the power of the phoenix in the universe is deep and colorful, and every bullet of the train battle seems to be real to the face.
In the film, the whispers of the characters and the huge explosion sound are more realistic because of the IMAX technology, which makes people more integrated into the film.
After the film, recalling studying McLuhan in college, he said that film was a hot medium. Then the current iMax can be said to be a high temperature medium.
It's a fitting end to this 20-year X-Men journey with IMax.
And once something is watched on a larger screen, it seems to be more tempting to think outside the plot - what does this movie want to say; what kind of belief does the X-Men want to convey to everyone for 20 years?
1. Minority
The X-Men is a film that focuses on a minority.
In the Marvel universe, X-men are a group of genetically mutated mutants. Their "differentness" comes from genes, so they have the nature of original sin.
Naturally so.
So, in X-men
In this world, not only are they not proud of their superpowers, but they become superheroes. Most of them are troubled by mutation, they are considered to be freaks in daily life, and they are not accepted by society.
The Mystique in "Lesson 1", because of her blue skin and red hair that can change shape at any time, has been an orphan since she was a child. And Jean Grey was abandoned by her biological father because she couldn't control her superpowers.
Before they became superheroes, they were not even ordinary people and were excluded from normal human society.
This is something special about the X-men, with the sadness and anger of being unfairly treated.
Previously, there was a stalk that said Spider-Man wanted to join X-men, but was rejected by Professor X, because Spider-Man's super power was not born, but mutated.
Many people only regard it as a joke in a comic, but upon closer inspection, it is not difficult to find that there are reasons behind Professor X's rejection of Spider-Man: Spider-Man has never been treated unfairly, but is more like the chosen son of the common people. .
It's not that he doesn't want to let him join the X-men, but the X-men's ambition is not here.
The establishment of X-men is to let the world see that those "different" people who are marginalized by you can equally integrate into human society with dignity, and even play a huge role.
2. Rethinking the Two Lines of the Minority
Since time immemorial, the minority hoped to survive only with two strategies of integration and struggle.
In the movie, Professor X and Magneto represent two paths respectively.
It's just that Professor X's line is relatively firm, and he uses love to generate power: he established a school, hoping to help mutants control their own abilities and become useful people to society;
Magneto is more extreme and believes that instead of trying to make humans accept mutants, it is better to use his superpowers to gain control over the world. .
Political correctness and generating electricity with love have always been the first choice for Hollywood, which has been deeply influenced by leftist trends of thought. For the past 20 years, the X-Men franchise has reiterated this philosophy: Peace is the answer.
Every time Professor X confronts Magneto who is trying to establish a new order, he moves everyone with love.
And at the end, the stalk of using love to generate electricity is no longer fresh. Even as a popcorn piece, "Dark Phoenix" is trying to ask: Does the professor's love make everyone better, or push everyone into a deeper abyss.
In the film, the professor takes the risk of sacrificing everyone and sends the X-Men to space as astronauts in an old wrecked aviation plane. In order to fulfill the professor's order of "one must not be missing", everyone went to save the people again when there was only 30 seconds left to be swallowed by the solar flare. In the end, of course, it also caused Qin to absorb the power of the phoenix, and then blackened.
The successful rescue operation earned the professor praise from the nation and even the president, while Mystique, on behalf of the X-Men, questioned the professor's behavior, believing that he risked the life of the X-Men just to prove to the world that "we Very useful", we can live together.
As a popcorn blockbuster, it is rare to question the value of "generating electricity with love". After all, if you can't protect yourself, how can you talk about dignity and protect others?
And if you keep releasing goodwill, will it become a burden to this group instead? Letting them become sacrificers is contrary to the original intention of the original world harmony.
What is more interesting is that Magneto in this film finally went to an idyllic life, bringing a group of mutants to live on an island chartered by the U.S. government. Even refused to join Qin Ge Lei with a desire for revenge.
In a sense, Magneto represents a kind of destination for minority forces to establish a new order: although he has obtained a legal identity and status, he still can only live a peaceful life.
The Rise of Women - The Power of Emotions
20 years of X-Men ended with "Dark Phoenix", which implicitly echoes the general trend of female superheroes in recent years.
After all, when Marvel has Valkyrie and Black Widow, DC has Wonder Woman, and X-Men as a group drama, it is very reasonable to end with Qin Ge Lei, a female cop.
In the play, Qin Ge Lei's character arc coincides with many topics in current feminist discussions: Childhood was ignored due to gender reasons, elders distorted the facts in the name of protection, in the face of the real battle, unable to calmly challenge the battle, resulting in unexpected mess.
Although, in the end, the character reconciles with his past under Professor X's confession, and fights against the Boss in the play by himself.
Of course, it's not too hard for Qin Gree's Phoenix Force to take down the Boss, but killing the Boss also means that the Phoenix Force will hurt Cyclops and the Professor.
This puts Qin in a dilemma, and it also becomes the weakness of the villain who mocks Qin in the play. But in the end, Qin's choice was beyond the villain's expectations: Qin flew to outer space, turned into a phoenix, and chose to die with the Boss in the play.
Before making her choice, Jean spoke about a theme that has been consistent with X-Men for 20 years: Emotions didn't make me weaker, but made me stronger to protect my family.
This sentence is said from the heroine's mouth. In addition to the metaphor of her own gender, it also points out the values of "X-Men": for mutants (minorities), giving them a family environment that they can integrate into, Only then can they become part of the family and fight for the family regardless of each other.
At the end of 20 years, no matter what the plot is, it is still worth watching.
And, it is better to enjoy with IMAX. Really makes me think more.
McLuhan, honestly don't lie to me.
Extra: Some magical experiences about IMAX
I don't have much experience watching IMAX, and this time is undoubtedly my latest one, and it's also the one time I have a serious experience with IMAX.
Before, I understood that IMAX was just big, and I was stupidly confused about the difference between it and various giant screens.
This time, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the iMAX room seems to be carefully designed. I went to see Huaxing in Shuang'an, Beijing, and found that although the seats were not very positive, the view was quite good.
Only this time I discovered that each IMAX theater is specially designed, as the arrangement and the material of the chairs. The dual-screen projection used by IMAX has higher screen brightness, so the general 3D visual effect that is a bit dark does not exist in IMAX.
Therefore, there is a space scene in "Dark Phoenix". The power of the phoenix floats in the air like a nebula, and it is bright enough and beautiful enough.
I found a comparison of the IMAX screen on the Internet:
Comparing the two sides, it is obvious and very specific.
Just, next time, watch a blockbuster, I may choose iMax :)
View more about X-Men: Dark Phoenix reviews
