Movie Magnetism!
May. 31st, 2006 10:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chaosvizierAnd so the summer blockbuster season continues with what might be the biggest hit of all: X-Men 3: X-ality. Is it X-treme enough? X-cellent enough? Over-X-aggerated? Find out now!
X-Men 3: The Last Stand
Movies based on comics are vulnerable to hyperbole and exaggeration, simply because that is the nature of comics- everything is huger, more vivid, more powerful, more energetic. Heroes are paragons of humanity, or supernatural entities; villains are ruthless and evil and the embodiment of cruelty. Some scripts follow this simplistic formula to the letter and create simplistic movies. However, some comics have created environments in which there are higher concepts and moral dilemmas to be addressed. Batman embodies justice above the law; Spider-Man is just an ordinary kid who becomes extraordinary; V brings anarchy and freedom to a subdued populace. The X-Men have always been a symbol of bigotry and prejudice, as "normal" humans are confronted with a "mutant" race that threatens them with their differences.
The previous two films address this issue on smaller scales, building up the characters and their interactions and histories and setting the stage for larger conflicts between mankind and mutantkind. This third film explores the larger scale issue: war between the species, with genocide high on the list. And the film does try to live up to its name, "The Last Stand", as fatality soars high on all fronts.
The plot: Humans bad. Magneto bad. X-Men get between a war of baddies. Also, Wolverine turns down hot sex. WTF?
The pros: A movie like this relies on special effects to carry many of its points across, and this series has never been a slouch in that department. Likewise, the continuation of the story is decent, with the original characters continuing their roles as before. The movie does not waste time with rehashing what has gone before; the audience is assumed to be aware of previous events and, as a result, what all the characters are about. The introduction of new characters, both hero and villain, allow for expansion of the armies and a little change when things start to go awry, as they are wont to do. And the issues addressed are heavy: A "cure" for mutation becomes available. It turns mutants into normal humans again. Many mutants think it is an oppression of their rights, and Magneto believes it is a declaration of war, in which the final outcome would be the genocide of all mutants at the whims of "human" government. But some mutants see the cure as a blessing, giving them a chance to live a life free of prejudice, free from disfiguring or disabling mutations that make them outcast. Extra props for Kelsey Grammar as The Beast, though; definitely wins the "Best New Character" award.
The cons: Ignoring things like canon and accuracy and similarity to the source material, the key problem is that this movie is too short. At a mere 90 minutes and change, there is no room for character development, especially when so many new characters are introduced and brought to the forefront. Kitty Pryde is a young girl suddenly thrust into the firing line; her "character" scene lasts all of 90 seconds. Colossus? I don't think he even got a character scene. And while the deaths of Xavier and Cyclops transform the dynamic of the team, even those setups are short and undeveloped. The use and misuse of Phoenix by both Xavier and Magneto is perhaps the only interesting and developed storyline beyond the main plot of humans curing mutants. In other points, the bridge scene was showy but unnecessary, and Magneto's Brotherhood of Wankers was even less interesting than the wankers he had in the first film. The Brotherhood of Lo Pan would have those jerks for lunch.
The verdict: It is good, but it needs more. Ultimately, the worst of the three, which is a shame, because the potential for it to have been the best is definitely there.
Disclaimer: Of course Jean went crazy. The first mutant she met who liked her was a weirdo in a purple suit. Purple! Jebus.
Disclaimer: For a movie entitled "The Last Stand", they sure left a lot of openings for a followup. I can't wait for "Final Fantasy X-Men: Final And Last Mean Nothing To Us".
Disclaimer: "Oooh, my mutant power is writing without a pen! I just think and words appear in my notebook!" You belong in the Brotherhood of Cannonfodder Mutants.
X-Men 3: The Last Stand
Movies based on comics are vulnerable to hyperbole and exaggeration, simply because that is the nature of comics- everything is huger, more vivid, more powerful, more energetic. Heroes are paragons of humanity, or supernatural entities; villains are ruthless and evil and the embodiment of cruelty. Some scripts follow this simplistic formula to the letter and create simplistic movies. However, some comics have created environments in which there are higher concepts and moral dilemmas to be addressed. Batman embodies justice above the law; Spider-Man is just an ordinary kid who becomes extraordinary; V brings anarchy and freedom to a subdued populace. The X-Men have always been a symbol of bigotry and prejudice, as "normal" humans are confronted with a "mutant" race that threatens them with their differences.
The previous two films address this issue on smaller scales, building up the characters and their interactions and histories and setting the stage for larger conflicts between mankind and mutantkind. This third film explores the larger scale issue: war between the species, with genocide high on the list. And the film does try to live up to its name, "The Last Stand", as fatality soars high on all fronts.
The plot: Humans bad. Magneto bad. X-Men get between a war of baddies. Also, Wolverine turns down hot sex. WTF?
The pros: A movie like this relies on special effects to carry many of its points across, and this series has never been a slouch in that department. Likewise, the continuation of the story is decent, with the original characters continuing their roles as before. The movie does not waste time with rehashing what has gone before; the audience is assumed to be aware of previous events and, as a result, what all the characters are about. The introduction of new characters, both hero and villain, allow for expansion of the armies and a little change when things start to go awry, as they are wont to do. And the issues addressed are heavy: A "cure" for mutation becomes available. It turns mutants into normal humans again. Many mutants think it is an oppression of their rights, and Magneto believes it is a declaration of war, in which the final outcome would be the genocide of all mutants at the whims of "human" government. But some mutants see the cure as a blessing, giving them a chance to live a life free of prejudice, free from disfiguring or disabling mutations that make them outcast. Extra props for Kelsey Grammar as The Beast, though; definitely wins the "Best New Character" award.
The cons: Ignoring things like canon and accuracy and similarity to the source material, the key problem is that this movie is too short. At a mere 90 minutes and change, there is no room for character development, especially when so many new characters are introduced and brought to the forefront. Kitty Pryde is a young girl suddenly thrust into the firing line; her "character" scene lasts all of 90 seconds. Colossus? I don't think he even got a character scene. And while the deaths of Xavier and Cyclops transform the dynamic of the team, even those setups are short and undeveloped. The use and misuse of Phoenix by both Xavier and Magneto is perhaps the only interesting and developed storyline beyond the main plot of humans curing mutants. In other points, the bridge scene was showy but unnecessary, and Magneto's Brotherhood of Wankers was even less interesting than the wankers he had in the first film. The Brotherhood of Lo Pan would have those jerks for lunch.
The verdict: It is good, but it needs more. Ultimately, the worst of the three, which is a shame, because the potential for it to have been the best is definitely there.
Disclaimer: Of course Jean went crazy. The first mutant she met who liked her was a weirdo in a purple suit. Purple! Jebus.
Disclaimer: For a movie entitled "The Last Stand", they sure left a lot of openings for a followup. I can't wait for "Final Fantasy X-Men: Final And Last Mean Nothing To Us".
Disclaimer: "Oooh, my mutant power is writing without a pen! I just think and words appear in my notebook!" You belong in the Brotherhood of Cannonfodder Mutants.
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no subject
Date: 2006-05-31 03:57 pm (UTC)My main complaint with movie was that it seemed like they were trying to fit two movies worth of stuff into one short movie. If they hadn't done that, I think this one would've been a much better movie than X2.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-31 04:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-31 04:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-31 04:49 pm (UTC)MAGNETO: *slams bridge down on Alcatraz and marches across*
LOGAN: YOU SHALL NOT PASS!
MAGNETO: You just totally stole my line.
BEAST, to KITTY: Keep Leech secret. Keep Leech safe.
MAGNETO: Stop that, all of you.
STORM, to humans: Fly, you fools!
MAGNETO: Now you're being ridiculous.
JUGGERNAUT: I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!
MAGNETO: Finally, some original dialogue...
no subject
Date: 2006-05-31 04:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-31 07:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-31 07:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-31 08:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-31 08:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-01 01:48 am (UTC)Dark Phoenix deserved her own movie. AND IT WASN'T MULTIPLE PERSONALITY SYNDROME, IT WAS AN INTERGALACTIC ENERGY BEING WHO GOT CORRUPTED BY JEAN GREY'S SUBLIMINATED ANGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (backs away from capslock of rage)
The Mutant Cure storyline was the first one that appeared in the recent "Astonishing X-Men", cowritten by *geek alert* Joss Wheaton. This also deserved it's own movie.
Magneto's war against humanity ... that deserves several movies, in all honesty.
The first five minutes of the movie ... Days of Futures Past, anyone??? First five minutes of an excellent time travelling X-men storyline where Kitty Pride totally kicks ass to the point of impressing Logan gets turned into a danger room exercise. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot? That's the movie that SHOULD have been made. Except then everyone would know where Terminator stole the plotline from.
*steps off soapbox*
no subject
Date: 2006-06-01 01:18 pm (UTC)I personally say yes, step away from aliens and intergalactice drama when making these movies. Mutant Superpowers is enough of a stretch of reality to keep people thinking without throwing in alien monsters. That's what we have Star Trek for. ;-)
Magneto's war has always been an underlying theme of the movies- this one simply had him building a much larger force than he had in the previous two.
And yes, a cheeky nod to the Sentinel-laden dark future in the Danger Room. But again, save time travel for Star Trek.
Now, if in future X-Men films the government approves of a budget for Sentinel construction... yeah. I'm all for that.