My X-Men Continuity Questions

In seven days I will be the theater watching Marvel's Mighty Mutants up on the big screen once again!  As a life-long x-reader I am thrilled to see director Bryan Singer give me a another X-Men film to watch. But let's be real for a few minutes.  The X-Men franchise hasn't been all rainbows and blockbusters.  Some of them have sucked.  X3 and the Wolverine origin film were the low points for the franchise and since then it has been on an upward slope.  After re-watching X-Men and X2 the last few nights I realized they weren't phenomenal films either, but still good for their time.  

Now we expect more out of our comic films.  Better characters, better plots, and more drama.  X-Men: Days of Future Past righted the wrongs of previous films and hopefully X-Men: Apocalypse will continue to satisfy x-lovers and general movie goers.  But as I watched X2, I thought of a few things in regards to continuity.  Sure the x-franchise has always been wishy-washy, but I'm hoping DoFP has set in motion a new precedent at 20th Century Fox.  But while the future is a clean slate(post-1973) Singer and co. still have some cleaning up to do.  Starting with answering these questions.

1.  Is Jean's Phoenix persona still a multiple personality disorder?

At the end of X2 we saw Jean Grey sacrifice herself to save her friends.  Then she rises from the ashes(or lake) to be named Phoenix.  We learned that years ago Charles Xavier installed a series of fail-safes in Jean's mind to stop her from becoming so powerful she would hurt/kill everyone.

Now Singer has hinted at a redo of The Dark Phoenix Saga to possibly get it right(just look at the animated series for help Bryan).  But does that mean Jean's Phoenix identity will be from space like the original source material, or is she still a Two-Face kind of nutball?

Yes, the future has not been written, but it's still the same reality rules right? Jean Grey is still a powerful mutant that has the potential to become THEE most powerful mutant.  Will Xavier still install those safe guards in Jean's mind thus still creating the Phoenix?  Or will the Phoenix be a space spirit that inhabits Jean's body? Or will Xavier just train her better in this new future?

2.  Birth Dates

Again, as I watched X2 the other night I saw that Jubilee was one of the mutant kids captured by Stryker.  But then in X-Men: Apocalypse she is about the same age as Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Nightcrawler.  When Xavier stopped Mystique from killing Trask did this new future mess with the sexual relations of certain x-parents?  As the years go by, will Iceman, Rogue, and Kitty, not be born till later?  Or, will this new reality become a place where Bobby's parent's end up having him even sooner than in the previous reality, thus making him the same generation of X-Men as Jean and Scott, and not the next generation?  My head is starting to hurt.

3.  Leaping Decades

Since X-Men: First Class, the x-films(minus The Wolverine and Deadpool) have leaped ten years at a time.  From 1962, to 1973, to 1983 in X-Men: Apocalypse.  Meanwhile James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence have only aged 5 years (First Class was released in 2011).  Now, I'm willing to forgive one trilogy with this flaw, but producer Simon Kinberg says the next x-film will leap another ten years into the 90's.  

So Tye Sheridan and Sophie Turner (who are both turning 20 this year) may have to look like they're in their mid-30's within five years?  I can't buy it again.  Mystique is a shape-shifter so Lawrence can look however young she wants.  McAvoy is shaving his head so he'll look different, and we were already starting to see the grey hairs on Fassbender in DoFP, but can Singer and Fox really keep this up? 

I tweeted X-Men writer, Brian Michael Bendis, yesterday saying I feel like they should do an All-New X-Men approach.  Take Sheridan and Turner into the future to see what they become.  Then keep them there.  It was great storytelling by Bendis, it would be something really different from what we've seen, and it solves your aging problem.  I haven't seen Apocalypse yet, but I like the casting of Sheridan and Turner based off their previous bodies of work.  I doubt I will want them re-cast for older versions within the new few years.  Especially if it's only Scott and Jean that time travel!  We may actually get the close and unique relationship those two are supposed to have that was horribly done in the first three films because film makers think Wolverine in the coolest X-Man.  HE'S NOT!!!  Sorry....I had to vent a little.  It's just an idea.  Bryan, call me. 

4.  Do Wolverine and Deadpool still know each other?

With the success of Deadpool we all know Fox is going to want to get him into an actual X-Men movie soon (probably why they're continuing the decade leaps between films), but I'm more curious about his past.  Thanks to DoFP, the only three films that are reality in the X-Men films now are First Class, Days of Future Past, and Deadpool (and Apocalypse).  So if X-Men Origins: Wolverine never took place, did Logan, Sabertooth, Deadpool, and the Blob still all work together for Stryker?  Wade mentioned in his solo film he was a former bad ass for hire.  Does that mean he knows Logan from way back when?

5.  Give Us A New Wolverine Before the Next Film

The last X-Men: Apocalypse trailer let the cat out of the bag and showed us that we are indeed not getting an X-Men film without Wolverine.  Well I don't know about you but I was worried for a sec (he said sarcastically).  Hugh Jackman said his third solo Wolverine film will be his last go as Logan.  And as much as I think Jackman was great as the Canuck with claws I say, "thank you for your service good sir," and "who's next?"

Obviously Fox is already looking for an actor to replace Jackman as the face of their X-Men films.  Because a fifty-year old Hugh Jackman trying to get with a twenty-year old Sophie Turner would just be creepy.  I honesty have no idea who could replace Jackman as a young Logan, but let's get a taste of him first.  Rumors have it the new Han Solo will make a cameo in Rogue One before his own solo film.  And most are saying the best way for Harrison Ford to pass the Indiana Jones torch is to have a flashback with the new actor. I like that idea.

If this new Wolverine film is indeed based off of the superb Old Man Logan story line then they should have the flashback scene from the book in the movie....and have the new Wolverine play that part.  Again, it would be a way for the audience to get used to the new actor before he steps into the lime-light and becomes the star of the franchise. Whata ya think, bub?  

The First Part of 'Mockingjay' Leaves My Appetite "Hungry" For More

"You should read the books." This a phrase my wife has told me for the past few years any time we watch a film from The Hunger Games franchise.  I've always responded, "if I read the books it'll spoil the movie."  With that said, this weekend I went to see the third installment in The Hunger Game films; Mockingjay- Part 1.

It picks up right where Catching Fire left off.  Katniss is in District 13 after her home, District 12, was destroyed by President Snow and the Capital.  The rebellion has started and Katniss must become the battle call or it will fail.  But all Katniss wants to do is rescue Peeta.  However, Peeta is busy being used by the other team as propaganda against the rebels.  Katniss must decide if she can put her personal feelings aside and is ready become the Mockingjay the world needs her to be.

The title in the film has a "Part 1" to it and it shows. It just seems incomplete.  Much like the seventh Harry Potter film, and almost every Hobbit movie, you get the feeling that the meat of the story is yet to be told.  As part of a continuation of the two previous films I think it works quite well.  But as a stand-alone film it is very different, and less kid-friendly, from it's predecessors.  

Jennifer Lawrence has really grown into this role as she keeps getting better at it.  In fact, all of the actors in the franchise seem to be getting better.  The best delight was Elizabeth Banks as Effie.  The character is completely out of her element, so watching her use her high class charms in a military estate is quit interesting.  The first half of the movie I also felt like Gale was just going to do nothing but stand beside Katniss and not say a word.  But towards the end he found his niche as part of the team trusted to bring back Peeta.

Speaking which, the weakest part of the film, and of the whole franchise in my opinion, has been Peeta.  I'm not blaming Josh Hutcherson for his acting abilities.  I think the character was always just a waste.  I don't see what Katniss sees in this useless person, and her affection for him makes me dislike her every time she shows concern.  For gods sake woman, mini-Thor is standing right beside you!  Meanwhile, the additions of Julianne Moore and Natalie Dormer more than make up for anything lacking in other performances; which their really aren't any.

I applaud the director, Francis Lawrence, for gracefully continuing the progression of Katniss and this tale.  I've been so satisfied knowing nothing about the novels.  Lawrence has created a world where, at several points in the movie, I was on the edge of my seat wondering if certain characters were about to meet their doom.  

Mockingjay- Part 2 will come out next year and then The Hunger Games will be complete.  However, like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, I'm sure Hollywood will find some way to do a spin-off or prequel to get as much water from this well until it has long dried up.  I'm anxious for the final film to come out so that we all can look at the saga as a whole.  While this piece of the puzzle is a bit lacking, I do believe it will serve the purpose in the grander scheme of things and fit perfectly.

Rating: B-

My X-Ratings

With a little over a month left till X-Men: Days of Future Past is released in cinemas everywhere I'm sure I'm not the only fan boy both excited and worried about this new film.  Director Bryan Singer gave us, in my opinion, the two best X-Men movies to date so this instills me with confidence for DoFP.  But there have also been some really crappy X-Men movies, and also a few somewhere in the middle. 

I remember when X-Men was coming out the Kokomo Tribune was asking people to write in about who their favorite X-Man was.  I said Iceman, and my response ended up being published in the newspaper plus, I got free movie tickets to see X-Men.  Ever since I've seen every X-based movie in theaters, and most were midnight showings.  Some I enjoyed, some I thought were ok, and some made me hate Brett Ratner forever!

X-MEN (2000)

Without this film several things would not have been possible.  The superhero/comic book film movement might not have exploded like it did if X-Men hadn't lead the charge.  We never would have seen every geek and nerd's dream come true as Jean-Luc Picard finally became Professor Charles Xavier.  He may never have become bff's with Ian McKelln as well.  Also, the world may have never been able to recognize what an amazing thespian Hugh Jackman is.  Hard to believe Jackman was originally not even supposed to play Wolverine.  Actor Dougray Scott left the role to be in Mission Impossible II.  Some nights, if you listen closely, you can still hear Mr. Scott kicking his own ass for that one.

Based on the popular Marvel comic series, X-Men was about a group of genetically enhanced humans, called mutants, that are sworn to protect a world that fears and hates them.  However, evil mutants are out to cast revenge on mankind for it's fear of them.  This film had a lot of up-and-comers in it like Halle Berry, James Marsden, Anna Paquin, and of course, Hugh Jackman.  Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen played CharlesXavier and Erik Lensherr, two former friends who now are on opposite sides of a war between humans and mutants.  Along with Jackman, Stewart and McKellen's performances were the delight of this film!  Some of the characters didn't shine like I would have hoped, with most of the focus on Wolverine, but I blame the writers, not the actors.  

I could go into more detail about some of the more disappointing things like the female casting or how Iceman is not Mr. Nice Guy, but actually a class clown, but I won't.  This film was exactly what it needed to be to attract a wider audience while staying true to the heart of the source material.  It had some great easter eggs for X-Men fans and left us with a open ending that made us believe there'd be a sequel.  

RATING:  B

X2: X-MEN UNITED (2003)

Bryan Singer returned to the directing chair in this sequel to the successful 2000 film.  Loosely based on the X-Men story line, God Loves, Man Kills, we are introduced to Colonel William Stryker.  Stryker is looking to invade the X-Mansion in hopes of capturing Professor X and the machine Cerebro.  He's planning on using these resources to wipe mutants off the planet.  The X-Men must unite with their nemesis, Magneto, in order to take down Stryker and save mutant kind.

The entire original cast returned and actor Alan Cumming came in to play Nightcrawler.  It was exactly what anyone wants in a movie sequel.  The action and effects were better, the drama was more intense, and it deepened the emotional journey for all our heroes, not just Wolverine.  I loved the addition of Cumming's to the cast and thought he played a terrific Nightcrawler.  Bryan Singer brought everything up a level and set up the third film even better than he did the second film.  Too bad Singer would not return to complete this trilogy.  Again, one of my few complaints is the miscasting of Jean Grey and Storm.  They should have dropped those two early on just like Halle Berry dropped that horrible African accent from the first film.

RATING: A-

X3: THE LAST STAND  (2006)

I remember when I went to see this film in theaters. As I watched it I just kept thinking, "this couldn't get any worse" but then it kept getting worse.  I would barely even call this an X-Men film!  I came out of the theater as disappointed as a man who had been left at the alter.  I walked up to the Superman Returns poster, and in the middle of hundreds of people, cried out, "Please don't suck too!"  I got a few looks, and even though many may disagree with me, I like Superman Returns.

When I say this film is loosely based on the most popular X-Men story of all time, The Dark Phoenix Saga, "loosely" is putting it very loosely.  Brett Ratner stepped in for Bryan Singer in the director's chair and apparently had a goal to kill this trillion dollar franchise before it even hit the billions.  Jean Grey returns from the dead just as a pharmaceutical drug has come out to "cure mutants."   Magneto finds a broken Jean, now known as the Phoenix, and wants to use her to destroy the cure and mankind.  I can't really blame Ratner and Fox for trying to complete a movie trilogy, but they obviously had no idea the potential the X-Men franchise could bring at the time, otherwise they wouldn't have killed almost all of their main characters.  There was also a lot of new characters introduced like Angel, Colossus, and Beast, who really didn't have anything to do because of the focus on Wolverine, Jean, and Magneto.  This movie also crossed plots with one of Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men stories, Gifted, and at one time Whedon was in the running to replace Singer as director.  If only that would have happened!  Read Gifted and The Dark Phoenix Saga, and see how badly they screwed this movie up.

The only thing I can honestly say I like about the film is the Pyro/Iceman fight.  Bobby got all iced up and took down his former friend.  But they also had him arrive on-scene with Kitty like a little bitch instead of using his ice slide like he should have.  Based on the trailer for DoFP, that problem has been rectified!   

RATING: F

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE (2009)

As if three X-Men films where Logan was the main character weren't enough for you, he now gets his own film!  Hugh Jackman returns to tell the tale of how Wolverine got to the beginning of X-Men, how he got his claws, how he lost his memory, and what his relationship is with Sabertooth.  Also, more mutants were introduced in this film including the fan favorite, Gambit, played by Friday Night Lights alumni, Tyler Kitsch.

Having lived for hundreds of years Logan and his brother Victor join a government assault team full of mutants led by William Stryker.  Logan walks away after being done with killing, but Victor won't let him go.  He murders Logan's girl, which makes Logan ask Stryker to help in his revenge.  Stryker turns Logan's bones to adamantium and renames him Weapon X.  

I don't know where to begin with this film.  The horrible claw effects, the horrible misuse of Gambit and Kitsch, or the horrible, horrible ending.  You can tell this film was made not to be good, but to cash-in on a popular character from a popular movie.  This film is full of characters that never develop, much like X3, because the main focus is still on Logan.  The final battle and "adamantium bullet" just made me cringe.  I think Wolverine is a somewhat overrated character(like Batman) but he and Hugh Jackman deserved better than this.

RATING: D

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (2011)

After X3 killed the franchise's potential and the Wolverine origin film killed the franchise's dignity Fox did the only thing they could do; reboot.  This film was supposed to be just a Magneto origin story but ended up becoming much more, although I don't think it needed to be more.

Erik Lensherr is a Holocaust survivor in 1962 who only has one goal; kill the man who murdered his mother, Sebastian Shaw.  While attempting this Erik meets a young Charles Xavier who is working with the government to also bring down Shaw.  Erik joins their cause as he and Charles bring together a team of mutants to stop Shaw from preventing nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Like the first X-Men film, this movie is full of up-and-coming actors like James McAvoy, Michael Fassenbender, and Jennifer Lawrence.  But you could have taken only several of the main characters out of the dozen that were in the film and the message would still have be the same.  Charles, Erik, Raven, and Shaw are the only essential characters.  Everyone else could have just been thrown out of film, and were only in it for the action sequences.  Alex Summers is Cyclops's brother, so I'm not sure why he was a teenager in the 1960's.  The White Queen is supposed to be the fictional mutant version of Angelia Jolie, a powerful bitch who is tries to do good things in bad ways.  And just when you think we'd get an X-Men film without Wolverine, guess who makes a 10 second appearance?

Fox didn't call this film a reboot of the franchise but they should have because it debunks a lot of the continuity of the first three films.  I'm told DoFP will help clear up some of the errors in the franchise, but I'm not going to hold my breath on it fixing every one.  Scrape away all the over-the-top action sequences that were pointless, along with the handful of pointless characters, and what you have at the center of the film is actually quite good.  It's the tale of Charles and Erik's friendship that turns sour.  If they had only focused on it more instead of all the other bullshit the film could have been great; especially with McAvoy and Fassenbender performing it.

RATING:  C-

THE WOLVERINE (2013)

Hugh Jackman returns to play Wolverine in a sixth film.  Thankfully, this semi-sequel was much better than Logan's first solo film.  The plot is loosely based on Wolverine's samauri past and his time in Japan before he joined the X-Men.  But this film takes place after the events of X3.  Logan has distanced himself from the rest of the world, feeling guilty after killing his love; Jean Grey.  But a woman soon arrives to take him to Japan where a man from Logan's past offers him a chance to become mortal and live a normal life.

This X-film features only two other mutants besides Wolverine, which allows the focus to stay more on Logan, and give the supporting characters more to do than just show off their powers.  This movie is basically Logan fighting a bunch of Japanese mafia guys and it's great!  It allows Jackman the ability to make the character shine and helps us remember why he is one of the most popular comic book characters in today's society.  

The ending does become a little silly, but if you watch the Director's Cut there is a ninja/Wolverine fight sequence that was cut out of the theatrical version that is just plain awesome!  Plus, there are a few other deleted scenes that help the film tremendously better in regards to plot and character development.  So my rating of this film is off of the Director's Cut.  The credit scene teases X-Men: Day of Future Past, but I more enjoyed Logan's gift he got at the end of the DC version.

RATING: C+