X-Men (Films, Comics, Cartoons, etc.)

[himiko]

So, I just saw X-Men: Days of Future Past and wondered if anyone else has seen it, and if they enjoyed it? But, since X-Men has so many films, TV series and comics, all with different canons, I thought I might as well make this an all -purpose X-Men thread.

SPOILERS

Anyway, as far as Days of Future Past (DOFP) goes, I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a nice touch that so many of the actors from the earlier films came back to appear in this, even just in small cameo parts (seriously, some of them don't even get speaking parts), especially given that it's a pretty talented pool of actors- also Peter Dinklage (also known as Tyrion Lannister) is in it as an antagonist for the 1970s X-team. I liked the glimpse of early- William Stryker (the villain of X2, who experimented on Wolverine and covered his bones in adamantium). I STILL firmly believe that Charles and Magneto are in love, and whilst there is no confirmation of this in the film, future Charles and Magneto fit into my headcanon nicely with some of their scenes together. Magneto gets to do awesome shit, of course.

Only minor fault (other than the non-confirmation of the Professort X/ Magneto relationship ) is that it's very heavy on the dudes. Not to say that there's anything wrong with the male characters in the films, and I do love me some Magneto in particular, but the ONLY female character of importance in the 1973 storyline is Mystique, compared to Charles, Magneto, Hank and Wolverine (and antagonist Bolliver Trask, and young William Stryker, and Quicksilver, and pretty much every other character with a speaking part that isn't being possessed by Charles), which is particularly irritating given that in the comics, as I have just discovered, it was actually Kitty Pryde who filled Wolverine's part. Things are slightly better in the future scenes, there being 3 women in the team, but only Kitty/ Shadowcat gets many lines, Storm and Blink mostly fight. Come on guys, there's piles of good women characters in the X Men comics and cartoons, surely you could have fitted a few more into the film?

[Arwen17]

Haven't seen it yet, but I plan to really soon. I've watched all of the other films, even though I've never read the comics and don't plan to. But I do like reading the wiki pages about characters on the internet. XD
It's the same with anime. I watch a TON of anime, but almost never read manga. When I read, I like to read books without pictures. It just appeals to me more.

I'm looking forward to seeing Blink, although it sounds like her part is tiny. But I do like her costume and makeup a lot.

[himiko]

I'm the same, actually, I don't really read comics (occasional graphic novels, but that's about it), but I find it interesting to read about the comics online. I occasionally read manga, but only of anime that I've seen and enjoyed XD

Blink does look awesome. She's actually on screen a fair bit in the future scenes, but pretty much all of her scenes are action ones, so she gets to use her powers a lot, but barely speaks.

[Arwen17]

Just saw the movie last night. I liked it, but you were right, Blink doesn't have many scenes or close-ups. But I really enjoyed Quicksilver! What a fun guy!
The xmen movies have really become the Hugh Jackman movies. I wish they wouldn't focus on him constantly. I like a variety of characters and I love when they introduce new characters. But the movies always seem to turn into a "Wolverine can heal, so he's gotta be the special snowflake of this film. No one else can do anything because they can't heal." Come on!

[himiko]

^ Aye, indeed. I mean, it made sense in the first film to focus on Wolverine and Rogue as the "newbies to the group", so to speak, because it helped introduce the universe as a whole, the concept of the X-Men, and the other characters to the viewers, who may not have been familiar with them beforehand. Since then, however, they've continued to focus so heavily on Wolverine that it's to the detriment of many of the other characters.

I kind of think they're writing themselves into a corner, too, because the more that Wolverine is the focus of the films, the harder it becomes to move the focus away from him and onto the others. I mentioned above that Kitty is the one that gets sent back in time in the comic storyline, but she's had so little screentime in the films (fairly minor role in X3, I think she might have been in X2 but possibly played by a different actress and in an even smaller role) that of course the producers weren't going to risk making her the focus of the films. They couldn't send Professor X or Magneto, because they want an "old" X Man teaming up with these younger selves. So it only left Wolverine. Makes me even more sad that they had Rogue basically turn into a damsel in distress in the first film and then used her less and less in every film, because she was my favourite character in the cartoon, and I would have quite enjoyed seeing her in a bigger role in the later films.

In a way, X-Men: First Class, DOFP and the subsequent films that will presumably follow on from it give me some hope that (being a reboot in a sense, and having concentrated on different characters) the future films will see Wolverine either phased out, or in an extremely reduced role. Hopefully to bring in some much needed female characters Much as I will miss Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, I think the franchise needs to keep the focus off Wolverine for a while, and this might be where that happens.

[Arwen17]

Love and agree with everything you just said. I too was excited about the possibilities they opened up since they completely retconned the last 7 movies LOL.
tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Retcon

[sleepyqueenie]

*does not read what has been said before in case of spoilers* I adore X-men
I have yet to see Days of Future Past. Since the vacation has started now I will go to the cinema as soon as I can. ^^