Kitsch Rocks Gambit
Wolverine: Origins spoilers within.
I must confess I don’t have much background on the X-Men characters who I haven’t seen in the first three movies. But I can appreciate the richness and variety of the mutations and gifts that each one has as a brilliant and unlimited expression of human potential (or limitations).
Wolverine’s Origins story brought a whole new set of mutants. I loved Deadpool, partly because I’ve grown fond of Ryan Reynolds lately, whose boy-next-door adorableness shines through even bland vehicles, and who does a great talk show interview. Shame they had to make his cute face half-formed at his “rebirth”, but the sealed mouth was pretty funny, and his cracks in the beginning, and sword work, rocked.
Didn’t think they gave any decent development to Dominic Monaghan’s character - I don’t even know his name - although his trailer was decorated sweetly-I’m a sucker for a pretty string of light bulbs. The Blob - what can you say about him, other than yuck. Will.i.am.? Don’t know his name either. Comes and goes. (heh) Gotta feel bad for the kid with the burning eyes in school. How many cute girls did he torch? And Kayla - hypnosis with a touch - that has potential. Although she doesn’t remotely resemble her diamond-skinned sister. And she seems to have died.
Liev Schreiber’s Victor was the strongest characterization, and least mysterious, of the mutants. Dude had a mean streak and the claws, four legs, and power to use them. Wolverine of course showed the complex debate that the mutants all face - to use their powers for good or evil? To live in society as a freak, or as a loner, away from it all? And Jackman looks truly scary ripped like that.
Which leads to Gambit. Taylor Kitsch was perfectly cast as Remy LeBeau, seducer of any and all living creatures. Sly glances from under hat brim (I love that hat - it just looks beautifully made), growly voice, devil-may-care attitude, and all that power in his cards and staff. But he also turned into the boy scout, helping Wolverine find The Island (which looked less like Alcatraz than Roosevelt Island, sadly), make sure the kids were okay, and try and get Logan back to safety.
I loved seeing Kitsch’s gorgeous face 15 feet tall on screen. And his magnetism completely commands the screen, even when he was lurking, unfocused, behind Hugh Jackman, who himself is awfully hard to avoid looking at. Loved how we first see him from behind, shuffling his cards, and he's revealed in bits. Great setup.
Read criticism about Gambit’s cajun accent coming and going, which I actually didn't notice much. But I was reminded how little that counts toward a great career during a preview in which Brad Pitt plays a good ole boy huntin’ Nazis... ouch. Kitsch's onscreen heat compares with, no, exceeds that of Brad Pitt's in Thelma and Louise, so frak accents.
And bring on a Gambit feature!
I must confess I don’t have much background on the X-Men characters who I haven’t seen in the first three movies. But I can appreciate the richness and variety of the mutations and gifts that each one has as a brilliant and unlimited expression of human potential (or limitations).
Wolverine’s Origins story brought a whole new set of mutants. I loved Deadpool, partly because I’ve grown fond of Ryan Reynolds lately, whose boy-next-door adorableness shines through even bland vehicles, and who does a great talk show interview. Shame they had to make his cute face half-formed at his “rebirth”, but the sealed mouth was pretty funny, and his cracks in the beginning, and sword work, rocked.
Didn’t think they gave any decent development to Dominic Monaghan’s character - I don’t even know his name - although his trailer was decorated sweetly-I’m a sucker for a pretty string of light bulbs. The Blob - what can you say about him, other than yuck. Will.i.am.? Don’t know his name either. Comes and goes. (heh) Gotta feel bad for the kid with the burning eyes in school. How many cute girls did he torch? And Kayla - hypnosis with a touch - that has potential. Although she doesn’t remotely resemble her diamond-skinned sister. And she seems to have died.
Liev Schreiber’s Victor was the strongest characterization, and least mysterious, of the mutants. Dude had a mean streak and the claws, four legs, and power to use them. Wolverine of course showed the complex debate that the mutants all face - to use their powers for good or evil? To live in society as a freak, or as a loner, away from it all? And Jackman looks truly scary ripped like that.
Which leads to Gambit. Taylor Kitsch was perfectly cast as Remy LeBeau, seducer of any and all living creatures. Sly glances from under hat brim (I love that hat - it just looks beautifully made), growly voice, devil-may-care attitude, and all that power in his cards and staff. But he also turned into the boy scout, helping Wolverine find The Island (which looked less like Alcatraz than Roosevelt Island, sadly), make sure the kids were okay, and try and get Logan back to safety.
I loved seeing Kitsch’s gorgeous face 15 feet tall on screen. And his magnetism completely commands the screen, even when he was lurking, unfocused, behind Hugh Jackman, who himself is awfully hard to avoid looking at. Loved how we first see him from behind, shuffling his cards, and he's revealed in bits. Great setup.
Read criticism about Gambit’s cajun accent coming and going, which I actually didn't notice much. But I was reminded how little that counts toward a great career during a preview in which Brad Pitt plays a good ole boy huntin’ Nazis... ouch. Kitsch's onscreen heat compares with, no, exceeds that of Brad Pitt's in Thelma and Louise, so frak accents.
And bring on a Gambit feature!