X-Men: Days of Future Past (Singer)

[Skitch]

I liked #2 best for years...I've since come to feel 1>2. Though I could see DoFP taking first position after a few rewatches.

[Dukefrukem]

I stand by that X2 is not a good movie. Neither is Last Stand. Or either of the Wolverines. Actually all but the first movie are not fun for me.

[Irish]

What aspects X1 appeal to you in ways X2 doesn't?

Both movies have similar A-plots:

(Magneto|Stryker) wants to use (Rogue|Professor X) to amplify a device that will kill large numbers of (humans|mutants).

Granted, X2 is denser and more polished on the whole.

[Dukefrukem]

I saw X1 four times in theaters. It was a perfect build of the universe, like you said, no giant set pieces, small set of characters, plenty of humor. I hated the mutant vs human element in X2. In fact, there really hasn't been a decent mutant vs mutant fight since the first movie (Wolverine vs Wolverine/mystique). Everything is always Mutant vs Human since. I hated how everyone scattered around in X2, they never fight as a whole/side by side, they always fight separately. The story felt thin. Action weak. Acting bad. Bleh.

[Skitch]

Wolverine acts so unlike Wolverine in X2. Hes supposed to be an asshole, hes not the leader, Scott is, and they have YET to do that. It may be a minor thing, but it irritates me. And its more blatant in X2 than X1. I agree part 2 is more polished, I just need more Slim.

[Irish]

In fact, there really hasn't been a decent mutant vs mutant fight since the first movie (Wolverine vs Wolverine/mystique).

I dunno. I thought Wolverine versus Lady Deathstryke was pretty good (although technically, I guess she isn't supposed to be a mutant).

I hated how everyone scattered around in X2, they never fight as a whole/side by side, they always fight separately.

It's interesting that you had the same beef about Return of the Jedi. Do you suffer from some type of cinematic separation anxiety, Duke?

[Irish]

Wolverine acts so unlike Wolverine in X2. Hes supposed to It may be a minor thing, but it irritates me.

Dude, the way they treat Scott is bizarre, especially if you're coming from the comics. Both his role & Storm's role are minimized. Off hand guess is that neither of them appear in more than 6 scenes over three movies. They're barely given anything to do. Even their dialogue is most often purely functional (and unlike everybody else, neither of them is allowed a backstory or a subplot).

Given Scott's position on the team, it's weird. I guess the decided to focus on Wolverine above all else, and I doing that cut Scott out because otherwise you've got a superhero movie with two male leads.

[Dukefrukem]

I dunno. I thought Wolverine versus Lady Deathstryke was pretty good (although technically, I guess she isn't supposed to be a mutant).

It's interesting that you had the same beef about Return of the Jedi. Do you suffer from some type of cinematic separation anxiety, Duke?

I bet there's definitely a reason why I feel this way because you're right.. it's the exact same feeling in RotJ.

[number8]

The Chosen One protagonist was reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally popular in the late 90s and early 2000s.

The first movie had the exact same narrative as The Matrix.

[Irish]

Uh, what? How do you see Wolverine (I'm assuming you mean Wolverine) as a "chosen one"? And in that context, how is X1 similar to The Matrix?

[Skitch]

Dude, the way they treat Scott is bizarre, especially if you're coming from the comics. Both his role & Storm's role are minimized. Off hand guess is that neither of them appear in more than 6 scenes over three movies. They're barely given anything to do. Even their dialogue is most often purely functional (and unlike everybody else, neither of them is allowed a backstory or a subplot).

Given Scott's position on the team, it's weird. I guess the decided to focus on Wolverine above all else, and I doing that cut Scott out because otherwise you've got a superhero movie with two male leads.

Thats why I say we've had like 5 Wolverine movies (or maybe Wolverine and the X-Men) and 2 X-Mens.

[Skitch]

Hell, X2 and 3 have more in common with a What If? issue that explored what if Wolverine was the leader of the X-Men instead of Scott.

[number8]

Oh, that it's got a secret war between two factions that's been going on for years until an outsider joins up and becomes the one to tip the scale. It's a common hero arc, obviously, but they made the decision to use it in what is supposed to be a team of heroes. The movie should have been an ensemble but instead focuses on Wolverine because they present him as The Guy in the story, and they've had a hard time breaking away from it ever since. In every entry aside from First Class, they find a reason why Wolverine is the only one who can solve the big crisis because of his specific power, which is why they're all Wolverine and Assistants with Marginally Useful Powers movies.

[Irish]

Ah, okay. Disagree on the details (Logan isn't "chosen," for instance, the plot doesn't lean toward monomyth, and the war doesn't seem particularly secret), but I understand what you mean.

I dunno if they struggled with it so much as made a conscious, early decision to focus on a fan favorite to the exclusion of other characters. It only feels like it "should be" an ensemble because the comics are. It would have been cool, though, if they had taken a more round-robin approach: X1 is about Wolverine, X2 is about Storm, X3 is about Cyclops, etc etc. Similar to Marvel, but with everybody participating in every film.

I like the series on the whole, but yeah, still feels like there's untapped potential there.

[number8]

It's been a while, I think I misremembered the fact that it was Rogue that they were going after and he just happens to tag along.

Although they did bring him to the mansion against his will and then persuaded him to join up.

[Dukefrukem]

He never really agreed to join. He just kinda hung around because Prof X promised him answers.

[Ezee E]

Marsden is a pretty bad actor. It was a good decision to keep Scott out of it.

[MadMan]

The next one might feature Cyclops more. It is odd that Storm got pushed to the background.

[Dead & Messed Up]

This movie was fun. I haven't seen First Class, but I wasn't too lost. Wanted more Dinklage, wanted deeper Dinklage.

I guess that shit with the stadium changes a lot. Weren't mutants murmured about in the original film? Which takes place 20-odd years after this one? I dunno.

Appreciated them "correcting" The Last Stand without ignoring it altogether.

Agreed with those calling Singer's direction a little flat.

This film's Quicksilver scene is like some sort of rhyme to the Nightcrawler scene from X2.

For me, the fundamental issue with these films is that the actors playing Magneto and Professor X are so good in both timelines (seriously, that casting is superb) that I want a film that doesn't push them into superhero formula. Their scenes are always more interesting than the special effects fights - even when they really arent, they are, because of that chemistry and understated method of acting.

For me, X2 > DOFP > The Wolverine > X1 = X3