Hey gang! So with the release of Logan approaching us in the next couple weeks, I thought for the fun of it to go back and revisit the films that started it all in the X-Men universe. I didn't actually have plans of reviewing these films, but I had a sudden knack of watching these films again and just getting my thoughts out before the big release. Starting this retrospective off I'll be discussing the original X-Men trilogy and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show, bub!
X-Men (2000) -
What boggles my mind is the fact that this was one of the first films to kick off the trend of Hollywood developing big budget comic book movies. It proved that even comic book properties that aren’t as well-known as Batman and Superman can be made into blockbuster films. Granted, this doesn’t discount Blade, released in 1998, but it seems X-Men made more of an impact garnering a larger and wider audience than the R-Rated Blade. Now, as far as X-Men goes as a singular film it still really holds up after all these years. First off, this film does an excellent job of introducing these characters and setting up this universe where mutants exist. It truly amazes me how compelling the story played out and to see the start of some pretty striking character arcs. The conflict between Magneto and Professor X is handled perfectly. Wolverine was a great character of mystery and Rogue having the trouble of finding herself was relatable. These characters are so rich in this screenplay, but of course, the casting of such characters to make them come to life is some of the best casting you will ever see. Hugh Jackman just owns it as Wolverine in every way, I adore Patrick Stewart as the wise Professor X and Ian McKellen as Magneto, whose motives as a villain could be truly understood. Those specific performances were highlights for me, but the rest of the cast also bring about very solid performances in these iconic characters.
The film does a great job of being a self-contained telling this story, while also leaving aspects of the story open for questioning in the next installments. When watching this film again I tried to picture myself seeing this film for the first time if it was the only X-Men film that existed and right off the bat I knew that if I saw this back then, I would want more out of this story and these characters. My only issues are that some of Halle Barry’s line delivery in the role of Storm kinda took me out of it. She changes in and out of this accent and it was kinda mediocre. Also, even though I did enjoy the action sequences and I thought the spectacle of the film was great I think there could’ve been more added to the action instead of there being one punch, kick, or zap that just sends someone flying backwards. There just could’ve been more to the action like hand to hand combat on top of that destruction. However, when the fight scenes with Wolverine go down that's where it hit. All and all, this film sets up this universe perfectly, the casting was flawless, the direction was solid and it does a great job of being a self-contained movie while leaving us wanting more.
The film does a great job of being a self-contained telling this story, while also leaving aspects of the story open for questioning in the next installments. When watching this film again I tried to picture myself seeing this film for the first time if it was the only X-Men film that existed and right off the bat I knew that if I saw this back then, I would want more out of this story and these characters. My only issues are that some of Halle Barry’s line delivery in the role of Storm kinda took me out of it. She changes in and out of this accent and it was kinda mediocre. Also, even though I did enjoy the action sequences and I thought the spectacle of the film was great I think there could’ve been more added to the action instead of there being one punch, kick, or zap that just sends someone flying backwards. There just could’ve been more to the action like hand to hand combat on top of that destruction. However, when the fight scenes with Wolverine go down that's where it hit. All and all, this film sets up this universe perfectly, the casting was flawless, the direction was solid and it does a great job of being a self-contained movie while leaving us wanting more.
Verdict: A-
X2 is definitely one of the cases where the sequel is better than the original. I absolutely adored it from start to finish and what I found so amazing about this entry is how gripping Bryan Singer directed this entry and that each scene had such a level of importance. You really got the sense that after directing the first film that Singer had a strong sense of this world and he knew exactly where the heart of the franchise would lead to next. I loved that every character in this film had their moment to shine and there was a fine balance for every single character in this movie. I love where the character of Wolverine was taken as we delve deeper into his broken past. Alan Cumming was a great addition to the cast as Nightcrawler. There's also a phenomenal opening scene involving Nightcrawler that might be one of my favorite opening scenes in any film ever. He was a different character that I was fascinated by in regards to his backstory and belief system.
Brian Cox as William Stryker was also great, who was just another layered villain that you could really understand and there was enough in his characteristics and actions that made you dislike him as well. He brought a lot to that performance and in my opinion he's a pretty underrated actor in this franchise. Maybe an underrated villain as well considering the love Magneto gets. It could differ in the comics, but the primary focus here are the films alone. Again, fantastic direction behind this project where I actually felt these characters were so real. The universe and characters feel so believable with what could come off as incredibly goofy and silly comic book characters. The entire film, made these elements as believable as they could be and to go along with that an emotional chapter that make said elements stand out more. It was a pivotal chapter in this 3 part story, The Empire Strikes Back if you will, and it couldn't have been developed in a more perfect fashion.
I am aware that this entry in particular has a lot of mixed to negative reactions from fans, but I feel I should get the positives out of the way first. For the most part I think this is a good looking film with some pretty decent cinematography work. I enjoyed the spectacle of it and there were some fun and entertaining action sequences. The cast is fine in their parts and the addition of Kelsey Grammar as Beast/Hank McCoy was excellent. It might've been fun to watch, but unfortunately a film just looking really cool isn't enough to be of any quality. I will acknowledge that compared to the first 2 films that this was a very disappointing way for continuing this story. I think the biggest issue was its pacing because there are pivotal events that happen just far too quickly. There was no build-up and you couldn't get an emotional response out of these events because nothing special was done to have the audience feel more towards these events and what these characters were going through.
I actually really liked how this film opens as well as the great climatic last stand off involving Wolverine, which I will not spoil, but in the end these scenes almost amount to nothing because of how the film was constructed as a whole. It was missed opportunity and these great scenes could've had more of an impact. Even a few of the main characters we've been following in the first couple films have very little to do and they should've had more importance because they were crucial characters that needed to be there since they make up the heart and soul of this franchise. I just wish that this film was so much more and didn't have so much stuffed into this shorter time frame. It's an okay watch though. It's not as cringe worthy as others may make it out to be, but it really could've been a lot more.
Let's see! A film about the origin of one of the most beloved comic book characters of all time could redeem the franchise after such a disappointing entry in The Last Stand, right? Well, to put it lightly-THIS MOVIE SUCKS! Also, spoiler alert if you haven't seen the film, but I'm advising you not to give it your time of day. Seriously, the directing of this film is so disjointed that none of the scenes feel important and are glossed over far too quickly. At least in The Last Stand, the pivotal events that happened made me realize there was potential there and that Brett Ratner and the staff behind that film were trying to have us gain emotion in the story. There was a little bit of importance felt in those scenes, but in this movie, I can't say that there were scenes that really stuck out. It's not necessarily like the movie is too fast to catch a breath, but too fast to the point where there's not a moment to take in the emotion. When the film tries to be emotional, there are just certain elements that take you out of the story to not feel a single thing. The performances were lackluster in the more emotional scenes especially with Lynn Collins and Will-i-am.
There's not even any tension in the horrifically edited action sequences considering they feel as if I were watching a TV edited version of a movie censoring the violence. Honestly, the film could've taken advantage of being R-Rated. Also, what really bothers me about this movie is the fact that there are plot points that try and overcomplicate aspects of said plot to change certain motives of characters for the overall film. The problem is that these reveals that change the entire scheme of things didn't even need to be there and wouldn't have changed a thing if it was just kept the way it was. Also, there are a few aspects of the plot that don't even make any sense. Why does Sabretooth have to be Wolverine's brother if there's no acknowledgment of it in the first film? Why does Deadpool's face have to be sewn up if he's Weapon 11? Why does it have to be Wade Wilson? How can an Adamantium bullet give Wolverine amnesia after he was shot in the head? I could go on. I guess the positives I can give are that Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber are trying and are actually decent in their roles. The film they were in was just such a disservice to what could've been a fulfilling chapter in this franchise but is now one that can be ignored.
X2 (2003) -
X2 is definitely one of the cases where the sequel is better than the original. I absolutely adored it from start to finish and what I found so amazing about this entry is how gripping Bryan Singer directed this entry and that each scene had such a level of importance. You really got the sense that after directing the first film that Singer had a strong sense of this world and he knew exactly where the heart of the franchise would lead to next. I loved that every character in this film had their moment to shine and there was a fine balance for every single character in this movie. I love where the character of Wolverine was taken as we delve deeper into his broken past. Alan Cumming was a great addition to the cast as Nightcrawler. There's also a phenomenal opening scene involving Nightcrawler that might be one of my favorite opening scenes in any film ever. He was a different character that I was fascinated by in regards to his backstory and belief system.
Brian Cox as William Stryker was also great, who was just another layered villain that you could really understand and there was enough in his characteristics and actions that made you dislike him as well. He brought a lot to that performance and in my opinion he's a pretty underrated actor in this franchise. Maybe an underrated villain as well considering the love Magneto gets. It could differ in the comics, but the primary focus here are the films alone. Again, fantastic direction behind this project where I actually felt these characters were so real. The universe and characters feel so believable with what could come off as incredibly goofy and silly comic book characters. The entire film, made these elements as believable as they could be and to go along with that an emotional chapter that make said elements stand out more. It was a pivotal chapter in this 3 part story, The Empire Strikes Back if you will, and it couldn't have been developed in a more perfect fashion.
Verdict: A+
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) -
I am aware that this entry in particular has a lot of mixed to negative reactions from fans, but I feel I should get the positives out of the way first. For the most part I think this is a good looking film with some pretty decent cinematography work. I enjoyed the spectacle of it and there were some fun and entertaining action sequences. The cast is fine in their parts and the addition of Kelsey Grammar as Beast/Hank McCoy was excellent. It might've been fun to watch, but unfortunately a film just looking really cool isn't enough to be of any quality. I will acknowledge that compared to the first 2 films that this was a very disappointing way for continuing this story. I think the biggest issue was its pacing because there are pivotal events that happen just far too quickly. There was no build-up and you couldn't get an emotional response out of these events because nothing special was done to have the audience feel more towards these events and what these characters were going through.
I actually really liked how this film opens as well as the great climatic last stand off involving Wolverine, which I will not spoil, but in the end these scenes almost amount to nothing because of how the film was constructed as a whole. It was missed opportunity and these great scenes could've had more of an impact. Even a few of the main characters we've been following in the first couple films have very little to do and they should've had more importance because they were crucial characters that needed to be there since they make up the heart and soul of this franchise. I just wish that this film was so much more and didn't have so much stuffed into this shorter time frame. It's an okay watch though. It's not as cringe worthy as others may make it out to be, but it really could've been a lot more.
Verdict: C+
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) -
Let's see! A film about the origin of one of the most beloved comic book characters of all time could redeem the franchise after such a disappointing entry in The Last Stand, right? Well, to put it lightly-THIS MOVIE SUCKS! Also, spoiler alert if you haven't seen the film, but I'm advising you not to give it your time of day. Seriously, the directing of this film is so disjointed that none of the scenes feel important and are glossed over far too quickly. At least in The Last Stand, the pivotal events that happened made me realize there was potential there and that Brett Ratner and the staff behind that film were trying to have us gain emotion in the story. There was a little bit of importance felt in those scenes, but in this movie, I can't say that there were scenes that really stuck out. It's not necessarily like the movie is too fast to catch a breath, but too fast to the point where there's not a moment to take in the emotion. When the film tries to be emotional, there are just certain elements that take you out of the story to not feel a single thing. The performances were lackluster in the more emotional scenes especially with Lynn Collins and Will-i-am.
There's not even any tension in the horrifically edited action sequences considering they feel as if I were watching a TV edited version of a movie censoring the violence. Honestly, the film could've taken advantage of being R-Rated. Also, what really bothers me about this movie is the fact that there are plot points that try and overcomplicate aspects of said plot to change certain motives of characters for the overall film. The problem is that these reveals that change the entire scheme of things didn't even need to be there and wouldn't have changed a thing if it was just kept the way it was. Also, there are a few aspects of the plot that don't even make any sense. Why does Sabretooth have to be Wolverine's brother if there's no acknowledgment of it in the first film? Why does Deadpool's face have to be sewn up if he's Weapon 11? Why does it have to be Wade Wilson? How can an Adamantium bullet give Wolverine amnesia after he was shot in the head? I could go on. I guess the positives I can give are that Hugh Jackman and Liev Schreiber are trying and are actually decent in their roles. The film they were in was just such a disservice to what could've been a fulfilling chapter in this franchise but is now one that can be ignored.
Verdict: D
There you have it! Those are my thoughts on the first four entries of the X-Men franchise. I can say it was a very interesting turn of events. Also, stay tuned for Part 2 of this Retrospective where I'll be talking about First Class, The Wolverine, Days of Future Past and Apocalypse. That post goes up on Monday (2/27) and I can't wait to to get my thoughts out on those films because boy do they get better. So excited that Logan is soon upon us and that the days are getting closer for that. Be sure to follow me on the social media links down below:
Twitter and Instagram: @alexjcorey
Thank you all so much for reading, I mean it, and be sure to see some movies and all that good stuff.
Take care. :-)
Comments