Flashback Friday: X-Men (2000)

Every great franchise starts with one narrative.

In 2000, the first shot of the recent comic book movies was X-Men (2000). The film starts with the introduction of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Rogue (Anna Paquin). Upon entering the school run by Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart), they are drawn into a battle of good vs. evil.

Professor X’s group of mutants wants to live in peace with their human neighbors. The Supremacist Brotherhood, led by Magneto (Ian McKellen) wants to use their abilities to enslave humanity. The only way to save the world is for the X-Men to save the world.

I have not read any of the text in paper form, so I cannot state for certain what has been transferred word for word and what was adapted for the screen.

Overall, it is a fantastic film. It is a great introduction to the IP for someone who had the base knowledge about this world but knew little else. The actors are perfectly cast. I could feel the push and pull between Stewart and McKellen.

I loved the girl power coming out of the story (even though the male characters still outnumber them). What I didn’t like was the growing love triangle between Wolverine, Jean Grey (Famke Jannsen), and James Marsden (Cyclops). While it added another layer of drama, it once again reduces the female character to the love interest.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Throwback Thursday: X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

If there was a pill or a serum that you could take to become normal, would you take it?

This is the inquiry posed by X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), the third film in the 2000s X-Men trilogy. When government officials announce that a cure for mutants is available and mandatory, the community has a choice to make. Do they become human or stand up for themselves for themselves? While this question is being answered, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) has transformed into Phoenix and turned to the dark side.

Becoming an ally of Magneto (Ian McKellen), she turns on her mentor, Professor Xavier (Sir Patrick Stewart), and her former teammates. Our heroes have an impossible task in front of them. Not only must they defeat Magento, but they must stop their old friend.

Out of the three movies, I like this one the best. The heightened emotion is tangible and immediately grabs the audience. The most potent aspect of the narrative is the major story question: conformity vs letting your freak flag fly.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

The Good Liar Movie Review

We all want romantic love, no matter how old we may be. But that does not mean that every potential romantic partner we need is looking for the same love that we are.

In the new film, The Good Liar, Betty (Helen Mirren) and Roy (Ian McKellen) meet as many of us do these days: via the internet. Both single and at a certain age, their first date goes well. But Roy is much more than the lonely widower looking for love again. He is a con-man extraordinaire. Betty is his latest mark. A wealthy widow with only an adult grandson as her family, Stephen (Russell Tovey), Betty seems like a mark that is too good to be true.

But like all things that are too good to be true, this particular con is not going as planned. Roy begins to have feelings for Betty, which complicates his plans. But then Betty plays her hand and the game switches.

The Good Liar is not the best film of 2019. However, it is one of the more unique films of this year. As the film’s leads, Mirren and McKellen bring a gravitas and the obvious decades of acting experience to their roles. I appreciated that as an older woman, Mirren is given equal screen time and an equally powerful character arc as McKellen. There are not many actresses of her generation who are given these roles.

That being said, the film was a little too long. There were moments when I wanted the big reveal to drop instead of holding out a little longer.

Do I recommend it? I am leaning toward yes.

The Good Liar is presently in theaters.

All Is True Movie Review

When we talk about legendary men such as William Shakespeare, we speak of them as if they are icons, instead of human beings who have become icons over time.

In the new movie, All Is True, William Shakespeare (Kenneth Branagh, who also directed the film) is dealing with the twin troubles of the fire that destroyed the original Globe Theatre and mourning the loss of his son.

But returning home for a little r&r is not going to be so easy. Though Shakespeare receives a visit from his old friend, Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton (Ian McKellen), this is the easiest of the relationships with those around him. His wife, Anne Hathaway (Judi Dench) feels put upon by the years of emotional and physical distance between them. His eldest daughter, Susanna (Kathryn Wilder) is going through a rough patch in her marriage. His younger daughter Judith (Lydia Wilson) rages against the injustices that women in her era experience on a day to day basis.

Branagh is an old hand at Shakespeare. His career has been built upon the life and the work of this film’s subject. What I liked about this film is that is presents Shakespeare as a human being, warts and all. His Shakespeare is not a young man at the height of his career, but an older man whose better days are behind him. He carries the weight of his world on his shoulders and the mistakes he has made along the way.

I recommend it.

All Is True is presently in theaters.

Flashback Friday-X-Men 2 (2003)

In the world of movie sequels, there are many that are released to the movie going public. But there are few movie sequels that not only stand on their own, but also advance the story forward.

One of these  movies is X-Men 2, released in 2003.

Taking off from where X-Men ended, X-Men 2 begins several months later. A previously unknown mutant, Nightcrawler, (Alan Cumming) has attempted to assassinate the President. In retaliation, the governments puts into a place a series of anti-mutant measures.  Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is trying to find out where he came from while Mystique (Rebecca Romijn) is trying to break her boss, Magneto (Ian McKellen) from prison.

Complicating things is William Stryker (Brian Cox), a scientist who breaks into Professor X’s school and take hostages, Professor Xavier included. Now both teams of mutants must come together to rescue the hostages.

Up until earlier this year when I saw X-Men: Days Of Future Past, I would have said that X-Men 2 is the best comic book movie ever made. But second place is still not bad.

What I liked about this movie is the mixture of the action and the drama. While this movie has the requisite heroes vs. villain scenes, it is much more complicated. This movie blurs the lines (especially within the mutant characters) of who is a hero and and who is a villain. The scene in the movie when Bobby comes out to his family (spoiler alert), who then rejects him, breaks my heart. The final scene of the movie (which I will not spoil for those who have not seen this movie) was on the greatest movie cliffhangers I had seen up to that point.

I recommend this movie.

X-Men Days Of Future Past: Best Comic Book Movie Ever

*-This review contains spoilers. Read at your own risk if you have not seen the movie.

The reviews X-Men Days Of Future Past have been nothing but glowing.

I can happily report that this movie is amazing.

In the future, a war has killed millions, both mutant and humans. To prevent this future from happening, Professor Xavier (Sir Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) send Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to the early 1970’s. Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) is creating Sentinels that are targeting mutants. Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) is going to kill Dr. Trask, starting the war. If Wolverine can prevent Dr. Trask’s assassination, the war will not happen.

This movie is everything everyone has said and more.   All of the characters from the X-Men universe are included, even those that had been killed off in previous films.  It’s funny, it’s gut wrenching, it is truly the best comic book movie ever.

Hugh Jackson does the full monty (backside only) for a few moments.  I’m not ashamed to say that it was a very enjoyable few moments.

Stay after the credits, there is a very interesting scene.

This movie is a must see.