X-Men return to X-cellence

With more Mutants, more conflict and more POW! than ever before, X-MEN: Days Of Future Past dazzles and delights more than any X-Film than ever before.

ON CONTINUITY

ARTH VADER (AV): It has been said that the  “Days Of Future Past” story arc is one of the best in comics, if not in all of pop fiction. Yes, it’s that good. It’s story is that of one mutant hero sent to the past at a critical point in history, to avert a terrible nightmarish future. And while this film is different enough from the original content, this is one of the instances where I didn’t mind. The creative liberties taken by Bryan “Stop trashing my crappy X-MEN movies” Singer is perfectly balanced and seems to unfold naturally onscreen. 

THE PONTIFICATOR (TP): Continuity has always been a major subject with these X-Men films since day one, mainly because they departed from comics almost immediately. That said, continuity between the films is the only real measure left and this film manages to tie up all the loopholes of the previous films, while also delivering an alternate version of a classic X-Men story.

CASTING, DIRECTING AND ACTING 

AV: Never have so many A-List actors appeared in one movie have DoFP. Even though this film is crammed with top acting talent from the X-Men film universe with the addition of Peter “Tyrion Lannister” Dinklage and the return of dozens of old familiar faces like Fassbender, MacAvoy, McKellan, Stewart and… ah heck you get the idea. The direction was remarkably seamless for such a complicate screenplay and so many actors to corral. There is a level of cinematography that few movies can aspire to. Lastly, the acting was solid on all fronts. Lesser (or bad) actors had few-to-no lines and characters with substance and depth were allowed to explore the qualities that make the characters great. What did you think, Pontificator? 

TP: I found the pace of the film to be a bit slow at times Vader, stagnant in areas that could have been abbreviated, making room for a bit more action. The casting was well done though, and the cast was vast. There really isn’t much I can say that hasn’t already been said about Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, and Michael Fassbender (easily my favorite performance, again). They know their roles and delivered. Jennifer Lawrence got a great amount of screen time and although she was adequate as Mystique, much of the mystique of the character came from the use of her abilities. It’s hard for me to see Peter Dinklage as anyone but Tyrion Lannister, but of course he gave a great performance as Bolivar Trask anyway. Evan Peters as Quicksilver, was perhaps the biggest breath of fresh air to come around in a long time, and with such a simplistic character, was certainly one of the highlights of the film.

SPECIAL EFFECTS

AV: With a full on production budget of more than $180 million, we dang well better get some beautiful set designs, top notch actors and eye-popping special effects. Thankfully, that is pretty much what we got. The vicious conflict between man & mutant is conveyed to horrifying reality on the big screen as we watch X-Man vs machine duke it out to the death. The transitions of Mystique are spectacular and the Sentinel scenes are awesome—in particular the final fight sequence. I was delighted at this film and I am not alone because as the time of this blog writing, the movie has crossed the $500 million mark worldwide and is still going. Well done, Mr. Singer. 

TP: IMAX 3D wasn’t an option for this film, and that is a shame. I still saw it in 3D and it was still a stellar display of special effects, but a film like this needs to be pushed beyond the envelope. That said, the effects displayed in conjunction with the cinematography were awesome, especially the Quicksilver sequence (reminiscent of the Nightcrawler display in X2). I thought the future Sentinels could have been done better, but they still delivered the ominous feel of impending doom, as intended. It should also be pointed out that the sets used were done extremely well and instrumental in establishing the tone of the 70’s and of a future gone horribly wrong.

TAKING A DEEPER LOOK

AV: So when the rubber meets the road, this movie stands as one of the best in it’s genre. The course of events this film leads the audience on quite literally ties up lose ends, resets the history and timeline and threads all the movies together to have a common historical context. What’s more, the film is genuinely fun, even if you don’t watch or care about X-films. Clearly the actors, film production people and everyone affiliated had a great time making this film. What’s more, the laugh-out-loud, scene stealing antics of newcomer Quicksilver makes his part of the film a… wait for it… run away hit. The scene is so good it’s almost worthy the price of admission by itself. Seriously. 

TP: Of course this film is going to raise some questions while giving some answers. Firstly, I’d like to know how Kitty Pryde acquired the ability to shunt someone’s consciousness backward in time? Secondly, I’d like to know exactly how Magneto and his Brotherhood got caught? They were brimming with incredible power when we last saw them at the end First Class, so how a bunch of regular humans catch them is beyond me. Thirdly, if experimentation followed by death was the order of the day for the captured mutants, why was Magneto himself spared this fate when he was easily the most dangerous of any of the captured mutants? How is Emma Frost dead, before she is even born? There were a plethora of questions this film brought up that haven’t been answered (yet). Although I enjoyed the film, am I the only one that realized things would have been a lot easier if they simply brought Quicksilver with them?

ON SEQUELS

AV: This is really two solid X-Movies in a row, now Ponty. We can’t really chat about the future of X-Movies without discussing the post credit sequence Pontificator. The throngs of loyal followers screaming out the name of En Sabah Nur (The comic book name of the ultra mutant badass Apocalypse in Marvel comics) as he constructing the great Pyramids and the four horsemen ride into view at the end of the scene. Might I speak for all of comic fan-boy nations and say a resounding (and I quote): “Yeeesss!” Between the events of this movie and the stellar implications of the post-credit scene, the X-Men as a franchise has a strong set of legs to stand on going forward.

TP: There is no question about this Vader, as X-Men: Apocalypse is already in the works… along with X-Force (BOOM!), and I can’t wait to see where they take us next.

RATE IT!

ARTH VADER rates X-MEN: Days Of Future Past: There are few franchises that can do a complete turnaround as well as this one clearly does. This movie is action-packed, well written and well delivered. It’s a total package that shows that greatness can come if you keep at it. A stellar cast, magnificent effects and non-stop action compel me to give X-MEN: Days Of Future Past 9 busted blocks that may travel back in time and offer an alternate rating. Who knows? Pontificator… you have the con. Bring it home! 

THE PONTIFICATOR rates X-Men: Days of Future Past: Although I feel it could have been a bit heavier on the action, it was certainly a great story that helped out the franchise tremendously. The acting was solid, along with the special effects making this film an instant classic… able to hunt down and destroy eight (8) mutated busted blocks.

XMEN: Days Of Future Past: 8.5 / 10 Busted Blocks

Re-Introducing Wolverine. Again.

Following the 2009 debacle of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, FOX inches ever-closer to getting it right with The Wolverine.

ON CONTINUITY

ARTH VADER (AV): At this point, continuity in all these non-Marvel Studios movies is a joke, Pontificator. Without going down the long, winding (and uninteresting) road of not following the source material, these (mutant) movies can't even follow their own story arc in chronological succession. I can be somewhat forgiving on this topic but it can't be ignored. The last Wolverine movie–that supposedly took place in the 1970's–left Logan without memory and grabbing a brew at bar in Japan (see post-credit cut scene from X-Men Origins: Wolverine). So what happened here Ponty? Did Logan not like his Japanese beer and left to go hang with the X-Men for a while before heading back to hibernate in Alaska? I'm confused...

THE PONTIFICATOR (TP): This film takes place after the events in X-Men: Last Stand (instead of X-Men Origins: Wolverine), so the continuity remains intact (if you swallow the red pill), as far as the films are concerned Vader. As far as keeping pace with the comic books, the X-Men films by Fox Studios left continuity behind a long, long time ago... in an alternate universe (my best guess).

CASTING, DIRECTING, ACTING

AV: Until the day I draw my final breath, Hugh Jackman will evermore be Wolverine to me. There, I said it. Newcomer actress Tao Ocomoto may just yet become my newest movie actress crush. Smart, sophisticated and mysterious, her portrayal of Logan's one true love, Mariko was great. Director James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma, Girl interrupted)'s vision of Wolverine was captivating. While the screenplay certainly had some holes, the casting was spot on in The Wolverine. So much so that any movie goer, fan boy or other, could watch and have a really good time. Your thoughts?

TP: Hugh Jackman is Wolverine... until they find someone better to fit the role. He has branded the character with his own interpretation of Logan, and it has been pretty good. The overall acting the film was alright and I had no real complaints except for Svetlana Khodchenkova... who I found to be unnecessary and a waste of a character. I’ll get more into that later, but the slow pace of the film didn’t do it any favors either. To be a true summer blockbuster, you have to come stronger than this film O’Dark One.

SPECIAL EFFECTS

AV: Two parts of the film stand out as ridiculous SFX shots, Ponty. First, the train scene. While this scene may very well eclipse every good moving action sequence in the history of the action movie genre, this train ride seriously goes (ahem) off the rails–at 180 mph. Its a ridiculously fun action sequence that serves no purpose but to deliver gratuitous levels of adrenaline-soaked mayhem. The second is the end sequence featuring the robotic and awkwardly re-imagined Silver Samurai. While the premise of the idea is just downright stupid, it looked phenomenal. Kind of a running theme in this film. 

TP: <Snikt>...we’ve seen it a million times now, the popping of the claws, the healing factor, and so I wondered where could they find an opening to dazzle me with effects? Fortunately the filmmakers have learned all the lessons taught by others in CGI and were able to pull off the Silver Samurai much better than I anticipated. It was menacing and believable... unlike the train fight scene which was not new (see: Skyfall, Spider-man 2 and Mission Impossible) and quite predictable. Aside from the Silver Samurai, there was nothing being offered in this film in the effects department, that hasn’t already been digested before.

TAKING A DEEPER LOOK

AV: It's a tired conversation to state these non Marvel Studios films go off on weird story arcs and unnecessary tangents. These screenplays butcher perfectly legit stories and dumb them down to experiments in absurdity. The Wolverine suffers from a wandering, listless identity crisis... BUT, the first half of this movie is introspective, exceptionally well shot and so rich in character-driven story telling, it may be amongst the best I have seen. The end is unfortunately a mish-mash of bunk that is as hard to swallow as it is to watch. The beginning feels very much like an entirely different movie than the ending. That said, I liked it overall and would encourage others to check it out as well. P-Man? 

TP: I don’t know exactly where they dropped the ball here Vader, but I can think of a few areas that certainly need some attention, starting with the plot. With so much material in comics, for the plot to be so shoddy is inexcusable. Somehow we are supposed to believe that the gratitude of having your life saved culminates in a murder plot for the one that saved it. Umm... lame. In comics the Silver Samurai has innate power, so why not simply keep that instead of making Viper a mutant... which she certainly is not. Such a rich and profound character reduced to a “mutant” cameo... sad. On top of all that, losing the claws was just dumb. All it did was open the door for a future plot device, equally ridiculous. The complete mish-mash of so many comic elements from past Wolverine stories, thrown together with no coherent plot, made this film as dicey as the bloodless ninjas on the business end of the claws.

ON SEQUELS

AV: As of the writing of this post, Hugh Jackman is discussing a four-picture, $100 million deal that would cement him as Wolverine for the foreseeable future. There is no doubt we will see him in future installments. The post-credit sequence is clearly a build-up to X-Men: Days of Future Past, due out next summer (2014) and his one of the most exciting moments in the film. We need more Wolverine and we demand better scripts! Ponty?

TP: Why was I so sure somebody wanted to look back on the Wolverine films and say “trilogy”? Now you say four? I shudder to think where they will go next because they never seem to get there via the familiar roads already paved. Yes, after the credits we get teased by a scene that looks toward the future for the X-Men... but that doesn’t make me any more optimistic about another Wolverine film... never mind another two.

RATE IT!

ARTH VADER Rates The Wolverine: Somehow, even after a fifth appearance on screen, the Wolverine is almost but just not quite there. It's fun, he's furry, he's furious and unfortunately the screenplay still plays like a schizophrenic day dream. But that doesn't stop this from being a frenzied, fun-filled fight fest full feral, flash-ripping fun (don't worry true believers, the theatrical release sports a PG-13 rating but the forthcoming director's cut Blue-Ray DVD will show this movies true color: Red!). Though it still struggles to find it's sense of self, The Wolverine is worthy of a healthy eight (8) Adamantium-filled busted blocks. 

THE PONTIFICATOR rates The Wolverine: I really tried to like this film and it helped to have some good scenes and Jackman’s rendition of the character be so endearing, but in the end, much of it was stale. Even though I enjoyed the Silver Samurai (changed as he was), the final battle was somewhat anti-climactic and the waste of Viper and the opportunity for some serious ninja scenes left me feeling heavy... and left this film only able to slice six (6) busted blocks.

The Wolverine: 7/10 Busted Blocks

"Wolverine"...Makes the Cut!

FOX Studios continues to hit the jackpot with hunky Hugh Jackman as everyone's favorite manic manicured X-Man in X-MEN Origins: Wolverine.

On Continuity

THE PONTIFICATOR (TP): Expecting it to follow the comic is a high expectation, but it at least stays consistent with the three “X-Movies” that precede it...and that is a plus for me. While there are some elements of Wolverine’s true origin within this film, it quickly deviated from canon within the first sixty-seconds of the film.

ARTH VADER (AV): Well, what can I say Pontificator? True to FOX Studios form, the producers of this movie tried every trick in the book to make this movie unwatchable. Yet, as a testament to the depth and quality of the original content, I found this movie, despite it's many WTF moments, a particularly good time. Really. Continuity with the Marvel Universe? C'mon, NONE of the FOX X-Men movies pay a lick of attention to the original source material. It didn't matter though, because this movie did a lot of things right, at least from an entertainment standpoint.

Casting, Directing and Acting

TP: Hugh Jackman has made Wolverine his own. I enjoyed Liev Schreiber as Victor Creed (a.k.a. Sabertooth) and thought his version was a very plausible rendition of a young (relatively speaking) Creed before the obvious further mutation into the first X-Men movie version. It seemed as though this Colonel Stryker (Danny Huston) studied his predecessor from X2 as some of the mannerisms and speech patterns were so on point, they were eerie.

AV: Director Gavin Hood brought a great character with a mediocre screenplay to life, so Gavin, my hat's off to you, sir. Joining heart throb Hugh, is a well-casted assortment of mutant players. The characterizations were good, I won't lie, but the story was just an odd mix of butchered Marvel content and pointless Hollywood movie dribble. Lovely Lynn Collins plays Silverfox and became a pivotal character in the film. This movie's ending has GOT to be one of modern cinema's greatest WTF-moments. That said, I agree with you, P-man, Liev Schrieber as Victor Creed (Sabertoooth) was masterful. And rounding out the vast array of mutants, Will I. Am's John Wraith was pretty... ok. My biggest issue? Too many mutants!
*ARTH VADER ADDRESS FOX STUDIOS DIRECTLY*: Guys, can we talk? I mean, seriously, let's calm the frack down here, huh? We don't have to stick all of Marvel's hundreds of mutant characters into_one_fricken'_movie. Ok? C'mon, Heather Hudson? Really? I can't even follow these movies and I've been reading The X-MEN since 1976! I can't begin to imagine what the public at large thinks of these abominations of comic book content. Please, let the audience into the fold slowly. You're driving us all nuts with this! Don't make me have to contact the M.M.M.S.! I'll do it!

Special Effects

AV: This movie is not just augmented by special effects, Ponty, it's made by them. I think it safe to say this movie was not possible twenty years ago. Not simply due to the SFX themselves, but the seamless clarity of the effects work, how believable they are to the eye and the story content made possible by the ability of the SFX and the quality of the post-production. The near-mesmerizing portrayal of Fred J. Dukes (The Blob) by Kevin Durand is just captivating. The movie is almost worth seeing just for the portrayal. I simply won't comment on the disastrous excuse for a finale that is presented at the end of this movie but suffice it say... I am simply lost.

TP: The special effects were excellent and were consistent with the caliber of effects I’ve come to expect from the X-films. In films like these it’s mostly about the powers, and though done very well...it was also about the stunts, which were also done very well. There was a slight detection of “cheese” during one segment of Wolverine’s fight with Gambit...but the sour taste didn’t linger too long.

Taking A Deeper Look

AV: So terrible ending aside Pontificator, this movie does have some juicy moments. Visually and even theatrically. I must first call out the absolutely stellar job the Director and SFX folks did with the time-lapse adventure sequence in the opening of the movie. Frankly, I could watch this sequence over and over, it's that well-done.

TP: Agreed Vader, this movie had one of the best opening sequences I have ever seen, excellently chronicling the life and times of Wolverine and Creed through the wars they fought together. Very heavy on the action and moderately so on the humor, there wasn’t any serious drama beyond the “holy cow” feeling I got from trying to fathom being through most every war since the Civil War. Ryan Reynolds was a showcase of his brand of humor early...and dazzled with the action throughout.

AV: Next, the mid-movie battle scene with Colonel Stryker's helicopter henchmen, was breathtaking. Watching Hugh leap through the air, claws extended, at an oncoming Helicopter; THAT"S the stuff of masterpieces! And stopping his motorcycle by jamming his claws into the ground then spinning to face his adversary? Awesome! It almost allows me to forgive that debacle of an ending we were forced to endure. Almost.

Looking Ahead: Sequels

TP: There are a lot of places to go with a sequel should they ever decide to make one. Gambit was underutilized in this film so there is always room to expand upon him, although that seems unlikely since the movie ended with Wolverine in Japan. I’d say the Silver Samurai would be a good candidate for an appearance if they decide to explore Logan’s time abroad in Japan. I’d be surprised, though pleased, if they even decided to introduce Sunfire...since there is great groundwork already laid for the effects thanks to the Human Torch in Fantastic Four.

AV: Both excellent suggestions Pontificator! I agree. In fact, I'd bet my regenerative mutant fast-healing factor this won't be the last Logan movie. Done with the proper vision and sense of perspective, the Wolverine Franchise can live on ad infinitum, like James Bond. Jackman's portrayal of Wolverine is delightful and strongly casted, but Hugh, I gotta' tell you buddy, Wolverine is actually bigger than you are. He will be a viable story-telling vessel long after you've "snikt'd" your last claw. The future forward teaser that is shown at the end-of the credits is enough fodder for me to get all giddy for future Wolvie installments. What do you say, Hollywood? Wanna make another easy $200 Million? How about another Wolverine flick already! Pontificator, what do you think?

TP: I think you’re onto something Vader...and Hollywood needs to be reading our blog!

THE PONTIFICATOR Rates X-Men Origins: Wolverine: There have been many mixed reviews on this film...most of them less than flattering, but I must admit I enjoyed this film more than most. Maybe they hooked me with the opening sequence and I became more than partial to Liev Schreiber’s Sabertooth...but even with the spotty plot, this film busted seven blocks for me.

ARTH VADER rates X-MEN Origins: Wolverine: Let's face it, old-friend, all-in-all, this was a good movie. Weird story sequencing, a downright awful ending, over-casting characters and poorly sequenced chronology couldn't sink the the battleship that is the Legend of Wolverine. After all, he's still the best there is at what he does. With a few tweaks, this franchise could be a as solid as this first effort tried to be. I'm compelled to give this movie eight solid busted blocks, Bub.

X-MEN Origins: Wolverine: 7.5/10 Busted Blocks