Comments on: Familiar Faces http://www.afburns.com/2009/05/04/familiar-faces/ Alexander Burns's writing sketchbook Sat, 28 Aug 2010 15:33:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Alexander Burns http://www.afburns.com/2009/05/04/familiar-faces/comment-page-1/#comment-1330 Alexander Burns Tue, 05 May 2009 20:07:31 +0000 http://www.afburns.com/?p=543#comment-1330 It's funny you mention Gambit being in his 20s in the '70s (or maybe at the latest 1980) for this flick. If it is set that long ago (as it mostly seems to be), that would mean Cyclops is like 45 in the first X-Men film. He looks pretty good for his age. :) Gambit's powers were fun to see. I would liked at least a little bit of an accent (though certainly not the ridiculous extreme they usually gave him in the comics or that '90s cartoon). They definitely did focus more than they did in X3. It's just unfortunate that they focused on the wrong things. It was kind of like a bad '90s comic; lots of brief stunt guest appearances by characters who were badly represented and didn't really have anything to do or any reason to be there, multiple different endings that you would have to go to different theaters to see, and lots of unnecessary battle scenes that had ridiculous things like Wolverine attacking a fire escape. It gets worse the more I think about it, lol. It's definitely a surface-only movie. As soon as you put the barest amount of thought into it, the whole thing falls apart. It’s funny you mention Gambit being in his 20s in the ’70s (or maybe at the latest 1980) for this flick. If it is set that long ago (as it mostly seems to be), that would mean Cyclops is like 45 in the first X-Men film. He looks pretty good for his age. :)

Gambit’s powers were fun to see. I would liked at least a little bit of an accent (though certainly not the ridiculous extreme they usually gave him in the comics or that ’90s cartoon).

They definitely did focus more than they did in X3. It’s just unfortunate that they focused on the wrong things. It was kind of like a bad ’90s comic; lots of brief stunt guest appearances by characters who were badly represented and didn’t really have anything to do or any reason to be there, multiple different endings that you would have to go to different theaters to see, and lots of unnecessary battle scenes that had ridiculous things like Wolverine attacking a fire escape.

It gets worse the more I think about it, lol. It’s definitely a surface-only movie. As soon as you put the barest amount of thought into it, the whole thing falls apart.

]]> By: Erin http://www.afburns.com/2009/05/04/familiar-faces/comment-page-1/#comment-1328 Erin Tue, 05 May 2009 19:30:12 +0000 http://www.afburns.com/?p=543#comment-1328 It was interesting to read a true comic fan's opinion of the movie. I saw it last weekend, as well, and I really **gasp** liked it. ;-) But, I must admit, I have never read a lot of comic books -- a flirted with the X-Men universe during early Generation X and the Age of Apocalypse, but that's about it. I definitely never read any Wolvie-specific stuff. One of the reasons I enjoyed the film, I think, was that it seemed to have more focus than the others. There probably were unnecessary characters, but the story focused solely on Wolverine, as opposed to the other X-Men movies that had too many main credits characters and not enough screen time for them all. I will say, that while I enjoyed the Gambit appearance, I could take it or leave it. I didn't think it was necessary for Wolvie at all. Really, I wish they would have waited to bring Gambit in until they could do him justice, because I really like him as a character. Also, having him in his 20s in the 1970s seems to mess up the potential for a Rogue/Gambit romance in future present-day X-movies since they made her so young in the first one. I do hope that they make some more of these focused X-Men films in the future. I'd like to see X-movies that focus on one character at a time. Let's have Rogue and the Miss Marvel thing. Or how about the origin of Professor X and his adventures with Magneto back in the day. Gambit is rife with storyline, and so are characters like Storm. But it was interesting to read your thoughts on the subject. I bet if I were a little more versed in the Wolvie back story, I would not have enjoyed the movie as much. It was interesting to read a true comic fan’s opinion of the movie. I saw it last weekend, as well, and I really **gasp** liked it. ;-) But, I must admit, I have never read a lot of comic books — a flirted with the X-Men universe during early Generation X and the Age of Apocalypse, but that’s about it. I definitely never read any Wolvie-specific stuff.

One of the reasons I enjoyed the film, I think, was that it seemed to have more focus than the others. There probably were unnecessary characters, but the story focused solely on Wolverine, as opposed to the other X-Men movies that had too many main credits characters and not enough screen time for them all.

I will say, that while I enjoyed the Gambit appearance, I could take it or leave it. I didn’t think it was necessary for Wolvie at all. Really, I wish they would have waited to bring Gambit in until they could do him justice, because I really like him as a character. Also, having him in his 20s in the 1970s seems to mess up the potential for a Rogue/Gambit romance in future present-day X-movies since they made her so young in the first one.

I do hope that they make some more of these focused X-Men films in the future. I’d like to see X-movies that focus on one character at a time. Let’s have Rogue and the Miss Marvel thing. Or how about the origin of Professor X and his adventures with Magneto back in the day. Gambit is rife with storyline, and so are characters like Storm.

But it was interesting to read your thoughts on the subject. I bet if I were a little more versed in the Wolvie back story, I would not have enjoyed the movie as much.

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