X-Men: Days of Future Past
Okay, I saw it. From the excited reviews, I was honestly expecting something really amazing, but I didn't really like it all that much. I mean, it's not X3 levels of suck, but it's not as good as X2, not even better than FC. Maybe it's around the same level as X1, which is pretty disappointing.
Honestly, though, my problem was basically Erik (the young one).
Like, oh my fucking grilled cheese, Erik was the biggest, dumbest, douchiest fucking dumbass EVER. Even in X2 and FC when he pulled similar heel-faced turns, his actions were understandable. Like, you knew why he was doing what he was doing, even if what he was doing was really sucky (turning Charles into a weapon, abandoning Charles after paralyzing him). In this movie, he was like a caricature of himself. Like, he was saying all these things about mutant brotherhood and everything, but it all sounded really hollow and he was just really flat and unbelievable. I honestly didn't get the sense that he cared about anything, not even Charles. And everything he was doing was just making the situation worse and at the end of the movie I just wished Charles would've let him get captured or whatever because he was just too dumb to let go. There is no smart, practical mastermind villain here - this is just an angry dude throwing a tantrum without a specific target, and he needs some time out or a nap or something.
Magneto in the future was amazing, but Erik just ruined the whole movie for me. I couldn't get into his whole thing, and it just - ugh. No.
I'm glad it wasn't a Wolverine fest again, though. And Charles and Professor X were both great, and I really loved their scene together. I loved that Charles didn't fall into a pit of despair because of Raven and Erik - he moved on with his life after they abandoned him, and actually did open up his school and get students and teachers. While Erik was being imprisoned and stuff for JFK, Charles was doing things, productive things, and not moping around. So many people online are acting like it was all about Raven and Erik, and it was such a relief to see that it was the loss of his school, his students, to the Vietnam War that really broke him. I mean, I'm sad he broke, but thank goodness it was about something more important than two people who left him and never looked back, because Charles is really a lot stronger than that.
The future X-Men parts, the Charles parts, the Hank and Wolverine parts...they were all good. I really loved the Charles and Raven relationship, too, where they both still considered each other family, how Charles pulled himself out of his funk for Raven, and how Raven was so, so ecstatic to see him again. I also loved that Charles put his faith in Raven and let her make her own choice in the end, even though it would've been easy for him to take control of her like he did with Erik. Those parts were really awesome.
I really liked Quicksilver in here, too, and his scenes were funny and great.
None of that is enough to balance out the suck factor of Erik's epic, gormless, douchecanoe act, though. Like, it could've been a great move, but...meh.
Maybe Captain America: The Winter Soldier spoiled me. Great action, plus great characters, with great emotional moments that make you feel for everyone...now there's how you do a superhero movie where the protagonist and the antagonist both go through epic emotional upheaval and make it good and believable.
xpost: http://jadehunter.dreamwidth.org/189049.html
Honestly, though, my problem was basically Erik (the young one).
Like, oh my fucking grilled cheese, Erik was the biggest, dumbest, douchiest fucking dumbass EVER. Even in X2 and FC when he pulled similar heel-faced turns, his actions were understandable. Like, you knew why he was doing what he was doing, even if what he was doing was really sucky (turning Charles into a weapon, abandoning Charles after paralyzing him). In this movie, he was like a caricature of himself. Like, he was saying all these things about mutant brotherhood and everything, but it all sounded really hollow and he was just really flat and unbelievable. I honestly didn't get the sense that he cared about anything, not even Charles. And everything he was doing was just making the situation worse and at the end of the movie I just wished Charles would've let him get captured or whatever because he was just too dumb to let go. There is no smart, practical mastermind villain here - this is just an angry dude throwing a tantrum without a specific target, and he needs some time out or a nap or something.
Magneto in the future was amazing, but Erik just ruined the whole movie for me. I couldn't get into his whole thing, and it just - ugh. No.
I'm glad it wasn't a Wolverine fest again, though. And Charles and Professor X were both great, and I really loved their scene together. I loved that Charles didn't fall into a pit of despair because of Raven and Erik - he moved on with his life after they abandoned him, and actually did open up his school and get students and teachers. While Erik was being imprisoned and stuff for JFK, Charles was doing things, productive things, and not moping around. So many people online are acting like it was all about Raven and Erik, and it was such a relief to see that it was the loss of his school, his students, to the Vietnam War that really broke him. I mean, I'm sad he broke, but thank goodness it was about something more important than two people who left him and never looked back, because Charles is really a lot stronger than that.
The future X-Men parts, the Charles parts, the Hank and Wolverine parts...they were all good. I really loved the Charles and Raven relationship, too, where they both still considered each other family, how Charles pulled himself out of his funk for Raven, and how Raven was so, so ecstatic to see him again. I also loved that Charles put his faith in Raven and let her make her own choice in the end, even though it would've been easy for him to take control of her like he did with Erik. Those parts were really awesome.
I really liked Quicksilver in here, too, and his scenes were funny and great.
None of that is enough to balance out the suck factor of Erik's epic, gormless, douchecanoe act, though. Like, it could've been a great move, but...meh.
Maybe Captain America: The Winter Soldier spoiled me. Great action, plus great characters, with great emotional moments that make you feel for everyone...now there's how you do a superhero movie where the protagonist and the antagonist both go through epic emotional upheaval and make it good and believable.
xpost: http://jadehunter.dreamwidth.org/189049.html