X-Men Apocalypse: A Movie Review

Movie review: X-Men Apocalypse
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Movie Review: X-Men Apocalypse
Betty Kaklamanidou’s analysis of the portrayal of patriarchy in films highlights the societal elements elevating the role of men above women through the manifestation of ‘the myth’ that men are superior. To prove her hypothesis, she presents how the female characters in the X-Men franchise have evolved per the preset societal belief about the ability of women to not only have control over themselves but also to assume leadership and influential roles. She studies the representation of patriarchy in the film’s prequels: X-Men, X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine by analyzing the trajectory of the major female characters concerning their trait representation. She assumes the position that the X-Men universe is dominated by male chauvinism barring the chance of the women to ever get to the top. This essay weighs her sentiments against the female character presentation in the 2016 film from the franchise; X-Men: Apocalypse. Although some of her views about the franchise hold up, especially the dependence on male guidance, it (the film) rises above its prequels in ensuring that the female heroines control their destiny and have the capability to 'ascend to the top.' This is even though, just like the prequels, the film only included one, woman Lauren Shuler Donner, in its entire production.
Mystique is one of the most vital protagonists of the film, with arguably the most feministic presentation of a heroine in the whole franchise. Her character is built from the last scene in X-Men: Days of Future Past, where her role classified her both an icon and a role model, an aspect preserved for male characters in superhero movies. Kaklamanidou’s view is that heroines who defy that patriarchal setting is stripped both of their powers and cinematic presence, which is not the case with Mystique's character. Against Kaklamanidou’s position, Mystique’s powers are available until the last scene where she fights Apocalypse disguised as Psylocke. Her cinematic presence is also realized throughout the film building from the scene in Days of Future Past, where she saved the president to her pivotal role at the end where she is the trainer of Cyclops, Jean Grey, Quicksilver, and the Nightcrawler as the setting for a sequel. This shows that X-Men Apocalypse went beyond the patriarchal myth to establish a permanent female superhero retaining her powers and assuming a lead role throughout the film. Instead of stripping her of her powers, the film gets her more responsibility not dependent on her abilities but on her leadership qualities, which does not hold up the patriarchal myth forwarded by Kaklamanidou.
However, the process of reinstating Mystique as a hero and a role model in Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters shows aspects of patriarchy, as the school does not instantly recognize her role. To achieve this, she depends on Beast to bolster her status to the school. This shows Kaklamanidou’s sentiment on women's dependency on men to develop their character was valid, according to the film. Another mythos that Kaklamanidou posits about movies present in X-Men A...