Just got back from Days of Future Past. Probably the
best since X2. It's really about discrimination and fear
again, instead of about superpowers.
R:
Yeah, after a couple of movies they just sort of throw
those themes out the window. First Class tried to find
them again.
T:
Last Stand has the themes more than First Class.
R:
Does not!
T:
Does too!
R:
Let us make an X-Men toplist.
T:
On 7th place I have X-Men: First Class.
R:
Really?
T:
Of all the franchises I grew up with X-Men the most.
The comics, the TV show, now the movies. More than
Star Wars, more than any other geek thing that I was
far too into. And to me, Matthew Vaugn doesn't get
X-Men. He makes fun movies, but they're not X-Men.
Vaugn has far too much fun. But X-Men isn't
Avengers. X-Men isn't fun. X-Men is about
discrimination and racism, about fear, loneliness and
group behaviour. It's like Vaugn just wanted to make
a Bond movie.
The comics, the TV show, now the movies. More than
Star Wars, more than any other geek thing that I was
far too into. And to me, Matthew Vaugn doesn't get
X-Men. He makes fun movies, but they're not X-Men.
Vaugn has far too much fun. But X-Men isn't
Avengers. X-Men isn't fun. X-Men is about
discrimination and racism, about fear, loneliness and
group behaviour. It's like Vaugn just wanted to make
a Bond movie.
R:
This is nothing like Bond.
T:
My problem with Matthew Vaugn's X-Men is a bit
like your problem with the JJ Abrams Star Trek
movies. They're fun, but they're not Star Trek. I didn't
grow up with Star Trek, so it's all fine by me.
like your problem with the JJ Abrams Star Trek
movies. They're fun, but they're not Star Trek. I didn't
grow up with Star Trek, so it's all fine by me.
R:
But those are discriminatingly bad! But I understand
the comparison. I really liked Magneto in First Class
though.
the comparison. I really liked Magneto in First Class
though.
T:
Yeah, Magneto's storyline was great. But I had a
problem with most of the other mutants. Banshee and
Angel, the girl who spits fireballs. Those aren't cool
powers. Especially not for a movie. That entire
Xavier storyline, which is basically about a rich kid
who get's off on peoples powers. First Class
should've been what it was originally going to be:
X-Men Origins: Magneto. With just Magneto and
Sebastian Shaw as the only mutants. But now they
had like a thousand different mutants running around
in that movie, far too many for the sixties, when
nobody in the world was supposed to even know they
existed. Days of Future Past tries to rectify some of
that, bringing the mutants more undercover, instead
of out in the open. Which works better with X1.
problem with most of the other mutants. Banshee and
Angel, the girl who spits fireballs. Those aren't cool
powers. Especially not for a movie. That entire
Xavier storyline, which is basically about a rich kid
who get's off on peoples powers. First Class
should've been what it was originally going to be:
X-Men Origins: Magneto. With just Magneto and
Sebastian Shaw as the only mutants. But now they
had like a thousand different mutants running around
in that movie, far too many for the sixties, when
nobody in the world was supposed to even know they
existed. Days of Future Past tries to rectify some of
that, bringing the mutants more undercover, instead
of out in the open. Which works better with X1.
R:
I haven't seen Days of Future Past yet, so I don't have
a 7th place.
On 6th place I have X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
T:
Me too.
R:
It's an hilariously melodramatic shit of a film. Dumb
characters, horrible writing. Only some of the scenes
with Wolverine being witty were sorta funny.
T:
It drifts off pretty far from the Wolverine and setting
we saw in X1, to which this is essentially a prequel.
And some of the VFX are really bad.
R:
How could they approve those?
T:
I have no idea. I used to superhate Origins as well,
but not anymore. Maybe I've gotten used to it, maybe
I've discovered the good bits in it.
R:
Oh you actually watched this more than once?
T:
I told you, X-Men is my bible.
R:
Oh yeah, right.
On 5th place I have The Wolverine.
T:
Me too! It's very 'different' isn't it?
R:
This is kinda like Bond. Reminds me somewhat of
You Only Live Twice.
T:
I don't really watch Bond films. I liked the red-headed
girl. Yukio. But I found it a little weird that the whole
mutant issue wasn't really going on in this movie,
whilst this is supposed to happen after Last Stand.
R:
I guess all of that isn't really going on in Japan.
T:
Setting it in Japan was a nice breath of fresh air though.
R:
I thought this was everything Origins should have been.
T:
Maybe, though I didn't really get what exactly
Wolverine's arc was in this. That was left far too
vague to focus on it so entirely. The swordfights were
great, by the way.
R:
On 4th place I have The Last Stand.
T:
Again: Me too.
R:
It's a fine continuation of the first two, but it suffers
from crowded plots and characters.
from crowded plots and characters.
T:
Really? Than you won't like Days of Future Past,
which is the most crowded of all X-Men movies yet.
But I thought Last Stand was kinda simple in it's story.
Little exposition and stuff, but more made as the third
act to a story, the trilogy, which made this the action
climax. I think it works if you think about it like that.
But you're right that they introduce a lot of mutants
that don't really have a function, like Vinnie Jones as
Juggernaut, which was terrible. Though, to Brett
Ratner's defense, he was cast when Matthew Vaugn
was still going to direct it I think. Matthew Vaugn
really doesn't get X-Men.
which is the most crowded of all X-Men movies yet.
But I thought Last Stand was kinda simple in it's story.
Little exposition and stuff, but more made as the third
act to a story, the trilogy, which made this the action
climax. I think it works if you think about it like that.
But you're right that they introduce a lot of mutants
that don't really have a function, like Vinnie Jones as
Juggernaut, which was terrible. Though, to Brett
Ratner's defense, he was cast when Matthew Vaugn
was still going to direct it I think. Matthew Vaugn
really doesn't get X-Men.
R:
It focusses on cool mutant powers too much, and it's
missing the themes of X1 and 2.
missing the themes of X1 and 2.
T:
No! It has those themes, with the cure, the oppression.
That subplot of Rogue deciding to get rid of her
powers.
That subplot of Rogue deciding to get rid of her
powers.
R:
I thought that was Mystique's story in First Class.
Before first class she wasn't that interesting a
character.
Before first class she wasn't that interesting a
character.
T:
First Class is a 60's revenge movie. Last Stand is
Brett Ratner trying to make a Bryan Singer movie,
which is closer to what X-Men should be I think.
Brett Ratner trying to make a Bryan Singer movie,
which is closer to what X-Men should be I think.
R:
I just enjoyed First Class a lot more.
T:
So on 3rd place I have X-Men: Days of Future Past.
The middle act is a little slow, as it over-X-plains the
plot for non-X-perts. But the first and final thirds of
the movie are as good as Singer's other episodes. It
didn't really feel as big as the budget suggested it was
going to be, but then again, X-Men movies have
never really felt huge in the way Avengers or
Transformers feels huge. It focusses more on
character. Which is also sort of my only problem with
DOFP. The movie's main story is about Wolverine
having to convince Xavier to become the Xavier we
know from Patrick Stewart. This is fine, but the
depressed Xavier just isn't one I personally like very
much. Also: I would've liked to have seen more of the
future bits, 'cause they were awesome. These are
minor details. Overall it was very good. A return to
form for the franchise with a nice teaser for the next
part: X-Men: Apocalypse.
The middle act is a little slow, as it over-X-plains the
plot for non-X-perts. But the first and final thirds of
the movie are as good as Singer's other episodes. It
didn't really feel as big as the budget suggested it was
going to be, but then again, X-Men movies have
never really felt huge in the way Avengers or
Transformers feels huge. It focusses more on
character. Which is also sort of my only problem with
DOFP. The movie's main story is about Wolverine
having to convince Xavier to become the Xavier we
know from Patrick Stewart. This is fine, but the
depressed Xavier just isn't one I personally like very
much. Also: I would've liked to have seen more of the
future bits, 'cause they were awesome. These are
minor details. Overall it was very good. A return to
form for the franchise with a nice teaser for the next
part: X-Men: Apocalypse.
R:
My 3rd place has First Class, which we already sort
of discussed. It has some of the same problems that
Last Stand has, being overcrowded with plot and
characters, but it was more enjoyable. But I really
would've wanted it to be a Xavier/Magneto buddy
cop movie à la Lethal Weapon.
of discussed. It has some of the same problems that
Last Stand has, being overcrowded with plot and
characters, but it was more enjoyable. But I really
would've wanted it to be a Xavier/Magneto buddy
cop movie à la Lethal Weapon.
T:
My 2nd place is X2: X-Men United, which is a
terrible title by the way.
terrible title by the way.
R:
But a great film.
T:
It's a lot cooler than the first one, more slick and
actiony. Especially in that opening scene.
actiony. Especially in that opening scene.
R:
My 2nd place is the first one actually: X-Men. A
great way to start a franchise and introduce the
universe, the characters and the themes.
great way to start a franchise and introduce the
universe, the characters and the themes.
My 1st place is the only one left: X-Men. The movie
that sort of started the comic book movie craze and, I
would say, is still the best one ever made. The
dialogue and the metaphor are so spot on that they
overshadow the comic book fun in a great way,
making it very real, for a comic book movie. Maybe
even the most real of all comic book movies. This is
one of my all time favorite movies.
R:
My 1st place goes to X2 for the same reason why The
Empire Strikes Back is the best Star Wars movie. Like
Empire this too is very dependent on the first film, but
it continues and improves on it's characters and
themes in a great way.
T:
Let's recap.
T: R:
7. First Class -
6. Origins Origins
5. Wolverine Wolverine
4. Last Stand Last Stand
3. Future Past First Class
2. X2 X-Men
1. X-Men X2
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