Anytime a geek property gets the movie treatment, we can’t help but worry how Hollywood is going to change it. It can either go one of two ways. Firstly, I was really hesitant about the Star trek reboot- but darnit it really was quite good. It was fun, moved fast and kept you interested. Hell, it even gave Spock a love interest.
That way is the right way. When someone who already admires the franchise and understands how much it means to people and takes the helm and gives you something awesome worth adding to the continuity.
Then there is the wrong way, the “Wolverine: Origins” way. Where Hollywood takes a really good cake that tastes right and looks awesome and puts it in the blender to see how the colors look all mixed up.
It feels familiar but is far from the same thing.
I adamantly refused to go see ” Xmen: First Class” on the ground that it could have sucked hardcore like “Origins” did. I was expecting Professor X to basically be hanging out with Don Draper and all my favorite mutants to be spun about simply because the producers thought ‘ hey this would look awesome! Let’s give that new kid in the CGI department a real test!”
Sure, it has it stupid moments, I still didn’t like the fact that Azazel was in it, or Havok years before Scott and January Jones’ performance reminded me more of Mokujin from Tekken than Emma Frost- but admittedly- it was pretty damn good.
What I liked about it was the way it was melded in. Sure, it had the typical ‘ let’s try our powers’ montage- but it was done in such a way that didn’t feel schlocky. They clearly blended the surrounding atmosphere of the Cuban missile crisis to a story that convincingly uses its surreal cast of characters. It sounds like a really good fan-fiction. I also enjoyed the fact that they acknowledged what happened in the first two films, but largely ignored “Origins” and “ X3.
It does have a few odd moments, like why the hell is Mystique hiding in Charles’ kitchen like some magical gnome in the first place? Not to mention, it’s pretty weird watching her interact with Azazel considering- well umm Nightcrawler?
I totally dug the whole sixties thing, but then again I’m addicted to ” Mad Men” in the first place and Betty Draper in lingerie and vinyl just felt like Betty decided it was time to let her inner dominatrix out
"Say 'what' one more time, bitch and I get the paddle"
I am not thrilled by the fact that the original X-men were not included in the film. To me that just makes- no fuckin’ sense. But I do understand why. Jean, Cyclops, Angel, Beast, Iceman were all played to death in the three X-films. In an odd way, it really did work. I couldn’t really stand to deal with Cyclops again anyway.
The fact that Charles was such a charismatic bastard early in the film ( hell, I know people like that) and in the later films he becomes so paternal and humble- made sense. What good is all that power if he can’t even walk? It makes him to a person who is much more appreciative of his powers and understanding to those who don’t have any at all.
So, okay, all right. I admit it. The movie wasn’t half bad, at all. It was fun quirky, albeit different from the source material but Matthew Vaughn obviously really gave a shit about the characters he was using.
And hell- this made my night:
.
-Girl Duality
