posted
I just got my X-2 DVD from Amazon.com, and damn, it's such fun to watch. I'm wondering how they'll top this in the next movie, though -- Xavier, before his trip to do the spooky thing with the President, foreshadows the next one by saying the Stryker thing runs deep in Washington. And, of course, there's going to be some Phoenix element in the next one.
I don't know if anyone's as big a geek as I was in the seventh grade, but back then I was way big into "comic novels" -- novels based off comic book characters. Christopher Golden wrote a then-favorite trilogy of mine (I'll have to look at it again; it was among my favorite books, once upon a time) about Magneto reviving the Sentinel program and reprogramming them (through a backdoor he learned during his brief stint as the White King of the Hellfire Club) to serve him. He takes Manhattan, declares it to be a mutant sanctuary, and the whole thing's just an amazing trilogy. At least, it is as I remember it.
While I don't expect it would be possible to work that plot line into the next movie (or Sentinels into any movie), I think for movies 4-6 there's a strong possibility that Magneto might seize a city -- probably Manhattan, for dramatic effect -- and declare it a sanctuary for mutants. Much, most of the original trilogy (titled, I believe, Siege, Sanctuary, and Salvation) would have to be left out, including Sentinels, Acolytes, the whole outer-space trip, and Magneto would need a significantly larger following (and the movie a significantly larger budget) -- but I could see it happening.
Then again, I also dream of A Song Of Fire And Ice getting turned into a series of ridiculously long movies. Don't take my Hollywood dreams too seriously.
And yes, for all of those who didn't know before, when it comes to X-Men, I'm an utter geek. I loved them when I was a kid, and I still get a kick seeing it do well in the theater.
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Beast? We've seen Dr. Hank McCoy on the television -- he's not likely to turn into a giant blue ape anytime soon, let alone turn into a superhero. I can see him becoming the crusader for mutant rights that Xavier, now that he's known as a mutant, can't be -- but I think mother McCoy's bouncing baby boy is resigned to life as a scientist and talking head.
Master Mold has the same problem as the Sentinels (and the same problem the humanoid, open-seated machine guns had in the Matrix movie) -- it's so much more practical to use a nuke or other WMD that Singer can't keep the Sentinels in there and keep credibility.
I can see a battle room, if not the super-high-tech one the X-Men have in the comics. They don't have Shi'ar technology handy, and it's expensive to blow shit up all day. Again, the believability problem. But they'll probably start training the younger recruits like Iceman or Rogue (or Shadowcat, or Banshee, or Colossus). Similarly, you know Pyro's going to become a major character once he falls in lockstep with Magneto.
And I can definitely see some kind of mutant sanctuary. Unfortunately, the space thing doesn't really work, since there's no believable reason why Magneto would be able to survive in his little bubble in space as he does in the comic books. He could do the space shuttle thing to Asteroid M, but then why go into space at all if you don't have an advantage there? It could be done for the literary effect, but I don't think it's worth the cost to credibility. More likely, he'll snatch some place on Earth. Genosha, if it exists, or Manhattan.
And yeah, the Phoenix bit's going to be interesting to watch. I've always had the Guardian of the Crystal Phoenix in my head -- I'll love watching what Singer does with a drowned Phoenix.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mazer, these weren't graphic. Literally, novels based off of comic strips -- thus, I dubbed them comic novels. A graphic novel would be something Gaiman-esque, I think. Right?
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
The thing is, the Sentinels aren't designed to be indescriminate killing machines. They're supposed to isolate mutants and either contain or eliminate them. If Sabertooth is in a suburb, would you rather send a Sentinel to get him or a tac-nuke?
I'm waiting for Sentinels. Striker's allies could authorize the Sentinel project, and they could come to tear the roof off of the X-Mansion. I'd love to see Iceman in his element (ha ha) flying around on slides, and even see Wolvie jump up on the back of one and slash out its circuitry.
Maybe they could bring in Angel, or Gambit, or a highly unstable Alex Summers as Havok.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
I love me some John Constantine. I have to question why the flock they made him American, though.
Posts: 13123 | Registered: Feb 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I never read the comics but I love the X Men movies. What a great story. It's even got me watching the cartoons with my kids. I hope they keep the series going.
Questions: *With so many years between films, are these actors going to age too quickly to let the series complete itself?
*Is it the actors that make these flix so satisfying, or is it the writing/story?
posted
LadyDove, I was wondering the same thing. Magneto and Xavier are likely to die before they can get too many movies done -- die, or become too decrepit to play their parts.
And holy crap, T's right. According to the links, it's Beast and the Danger Room. Also, I just paused my X2 DVD -- on Stryker's computer, they have a list of files. One of them is Franklin Richards. One of them is Omega Red. One of them is Muir Island. And one of them is Project Wideawake.
Project Wideawake, for those of you who don't know, is the Sentinel program. It's founded by a dude named Trask, and holy crap they let it exist.
I can see a lot of possibilities with Omega Red and Muir Island, too, though Franklin Richards is an impossibility -- the Fantastic Four movie hasn't even been introduced yet, and he belongs in that series if he belongs in existence at all.
But holy crap. T's probably right, it's going to be the Sentinels next time around. Though I doubt Master Mold will be in there -- the Sentinels are hard enough to introduce without the complication of a psycho super-machine.
Man. Omega Red. I can really see his powers in action, though I don't know how they'd cast him -- casting him as a product of the U.S.S.R. would be tacky, and besides, the series is already fairly adamantium-intensive. It could use a different twist.
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Lalo, I'm totally loving the DVD too. We sat and watched the big old documentary in the special features last night.
To kind of give my thoughts on LadyDove's question, I don't think the actors could make it so enjoyable without a good story and writing. I thought both movies were done really well with the first one being kind of the intro and exposition and the second one being a full storyline.
I get miffed a little though with the actors at points. This is from Yahoo! Movies linkage :
quote: The cast member from the first two movies most likely to not return for the third movie is Halle Berry (Ororo Munroe, AKA Storm), due to her rising profile as an A-list star, and the script difficulties of keeping Storm's role in each of these ensemble movies large enough to do her status justice. There are rumors that Fox may someday develop a 'Storm' movie for her to star in, however. (11/18/03) According to USA Today, Halle Berry is still considering returning for this third film. According to her costar Shawn Ashmore (via X-Men Hype!), besides budgetary concerns, the biggest requirement for Berry to return might be for her hours to be shortened, and her role lengthened. Although that sounds contrary, what he *means* is that she doesn't want to have to stay in Vancouver for six months during the entire shoot like most other cast members have to.
"Enough to do her status justice." Puh-lease. Storm is essential to the core cast, but not enough to get her 1/4 of the screen time in every movie. (Especially when we have Pheonix plot points to be dealt with.) If she didn't sign on, do you think they would recast? (I hate it when they have to do that.)
And what do you guys think about the comment in LadyDove's link about a possible Wolverine spin-off? To me, the best part about these movies is the chemistry of the ensemble cast and the writing that makes them so dynamic and interesting together. To take that away in the name of a "spin-off" would ruin it for me. Are there really any storylines from the original that could feasibly be made into a movie that focuses mainly on one character? Lalo??
Ok, so I can kind of understand her reasoning. She is kind of overloaded with superhero movies. But. I think that SHE should think that that is a really really good thing. Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
| IP: Logged |
quote:“I love playing superwomen like Storm in X-Men, Jinx in James Bond and Patience Price in Catwoman, but I don’t want to keep playing them at the expense of exploring other characters.
“I would be happy if they would bring Jinx back for a cameo in a future James Bond film, and I would revive Storm if they could expand her role more or condense my filming commitments to a few weeks instead of months. “I want to be available to create new characters.”
MGM had been developing a script for a Jinx movie, but has put the project on indefinite hold in order to fast track the next James Bond movie because Pierce Brosnan is anxious to exit the franchise as soon as possible.
Shudder.
Berry was awful as a Bond girl. Actually, the latest movie was possibly the worst Bond movie I've ever seen -- is it just me, or did they actually manage to make a shallow series even shallower with Die Another Day?
And dude, you're right. Storm isn't a major enough character to deserve, god help me, a spin-off -- though they could, I guess, do a flashback deal to Storm's past in Africa when she grew up from child thief to weather goddess. It's not deep enough to be a plot, though, and I know Hollywood would wreck even that with a trite loved-and-lost plotline, and almost certainly an evil villain to round it off as a formula movie.
Not that the X-Men movie franchise doesn't usually require an evil villain, but I'd like to see them continue along with the Marvel idea of having Magneto be a sympathetic anti-hero. Eventually, we might get a movie without a Stryker-esque evil villain. That's really the key to the X-Men -- aside from earlier comics, the best part about them was that they had no villains. The government acted out of fear to protect its citizens, Magneto acted to protect his people (with more than a hint of a superiority complex, which just spiced up the series with psychological implications; e.g., did it develop as a defense mechanism?), and the X-Men acted to reconcile both sides and fight any major attacks by either side.
I can't think of any one-character plotlines that would hold water. The Wolverine spinoff, while I hate the idea, would probably center around his pre-amnesia days as a Canadian black ops (ha ha! Canadian black ops!) agent with Sabretooth and Maverick and Silver Fox. Only problem is, in the first movie, they made it clear that Wolverine didn't know who Sabretooth was -- destroying a damn important plotline in the original Marvel version, the feud between Wolverine and Sabretooth.
Heh. God, I'm a geek.
There aren't many other characters I can think of that deserve a spin-off. Not Cyclops, not Jean Grey, not Storm... The Beast had one hell of a career, but not only does he currently not exist as a blue furry dude, to create his true-to-Marvel career they'd have to invent the Avengers and the Defenders.
Which I just can't see. Captain America isn't doable -- a dude with a shield isn't a superhero.
If they had to do a spin-off, Wolverine would be the one to do it on -- but they'd mangle it further than they have already, and I wish they'd leave well enough alone.
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Oh, does anyone else think Gambit's about due for a role? Aside from casting difficulties -- who the hell could play the role without hamming up the Cajun accent and charm? -- his powers are just too easy to put in a movie. Him, now, maybe they could do a spinoff around him, if they had to do one at all. His past with the Thieves Guild in New Orleans would make for one hell of a mutant-mafia-movie.
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Actually, thinking on it, they might be able to pull off a Wolverine-Sabretooth feud. If they play the amnesia card right, it's not important that he didn't recognize Sabretooth in the first movie.
Gah. A spin-off is such a bad idea...
Posts: 3293 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I so will be there for X3. Hugh will sign up for it I'm almost sure as well because of what he said on that website "Well, it'll be a few years off, but I am tied to the character of Wolverine and really do want to know how his story progresses. I ow a lot to Wolverine, and I love working with Bryan Singer and Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan and the guys, so I'd be silly to throw it all away, so yes...when they're ready, I'm there." As long as Hugh's there as Wolverine and they cover the Phoenix thing, I'll be happy.
I'm not sure if a spin off would work with any of the characters. Wolverine rocks, of course, but I think it'd be kind of boring with just him and none of the variety of powers and other stuff we saw in X2. Just wouldn't be as exciting I think. I also am not so sure Hugh Jackman would do just a Wolverine film and if he doesn't and they get someone else to do it.... *cringe* not good.
The Halle Berry thing I'm not really bothered by, if she doesn't wanna do it because of bigger projects etc. that's her perogative just get another girl.
Posts: 51 | Registered: Oct 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
The Christopher Golden books were the Mutant Empire trilogy – best X-men novelization yet.
I want to see them explore some of Wolverine’s samurai background. The Clarendon/Miller Wolverine mini-series was ground breaking in launching the character in a new direction – I’d like to see elements of it explored in film. If they do a spin-off, that would be the plot to use.
Just imagine Lucy Liu as Yukio. (I know she’s not Japanese – it would still rock!)
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
HOW CAN U SAY THAT U HATE WOLVERINE!!! HE IS SO COOL!!!!
whew
...
ok..
I think they need to go in depth with Wolverine and tie it into the plot. If they make a movie with just wolverine they could really screw over everything theyve already made.
Gambit could be played by Jonny Dep (I think i spelled that wrong), wouldn't that be the best!!! They also need to introduce other characters. and most of all they need to USE ICEMAN!!! for heaven sakes...
Well, hate is a really strong word. I don't care for his character. I think that the X-Men were more well rounded when he wasn't a member, and the writers had to kowtow to Wolverine's angsty/bestial musings every issue.
"Oh, someone stuck adamantium in my skin, oh-oh-ohhh! I'm soooo tortured. No! I'm a raving animal lunatic! And the best there is. . ."
Blah, blah, blah, bub.
I DO like how they're handling Wolverine's character in Ultimate X-men: Jean Grey just told him that if he ever had a romantic thought about her, she'd kill him. (Logan tried to murder Cyclops while they were in the Promise Land.)
EDIT: Promise Land????
Nobody even picked up on that! I can't believe it!
Savage Land. Wolverine tried to kill Cyclops when they were in the Savage land.
[ November 30, 2003, 10:28 AM: Message edited by: Scott R ]
Posts: 14554 | Registered: Dec 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
No takers here. This movie is going to suck and blow at the same time.
Is there a DC alternate universe I don't know about (entirely possible, since DC creates AUs everytime somebody sneezes)? Why would they change from Selina Kyle to Patience Price?
As he so frequently did with other characters, Frank Miller created the definitive Catwomen in Batman Year 1. Any deviations are intolerable.
Dagonee *Showing his geeky side.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Evil Laugh]](graemlins/evillaugh.gif)
)
