"Generation X" by Scott Lobdell, Fabian Nicieza and Others (1994-1995)

It's the early- to mid-90s, dudes!  Time to get extreme!  I'm talking about MASSIVE shoulder pads!  I'm talking about MORE pouches!  I'm talking about BIG, ridiculous guns that would be almost impossible to shoulder!  I'm talking about ponytails, tiny, thin feet, and cool-sounding names like "Phalanx," and "Emplate" (whatever that's supposed to mean) and "Chamber!"

Yes, it's time to carefully unsheathe our double-bagged, holographic comix with their embossed 3D trading cards.  It's time to carefully open these "spare copies" (NO CRINKLING) of Generation X and get down to business!

But hold on a minute!  I'll have you know that these X-men aren't your parents' X-men!  No, no no!  These X-men are way more broody than those other X-men... these X-men have ISSUES!  And not just double-bagged, holographic with the the embossed trading card issues!  By "issues" I mean that they get dark!

It could have worked.  The problem is that the villains in this series outshine the heroes, and what might have been an interesting little horror comic fails to stay in its lane.  Every time the more colorful, more "adult" X-men show up it really kills the mood, and the costumes these new heroes are saddled with could have been done away with entirely.  

Leaving them in street clothes would have worked a lot better, and ramping up the horror elements would have improved Generation X even more.  As it is it's a decidedly lukewarm effort, a slightly darker take on the Image titles that were probably outselling Marvel titles at the time.  Youngblood it ain't, (Jim Lee's) X-men it ain't, and they failed to venture into Swamp Thing territory, which would have been a more natural fit.

Oh well.  For the record I enjoyed it.  I can't say I remember most of the character's names, I can't say I remember what most of the plots were about, but it was an enjoyable detour back into a time when the comics industry was in a state of flux, and when a signed copy of Generation X might have been something that someone actually wanted.

Related Entries:

"The Hellboy Omnibus" Volumes 1 and 2 by Mike Mignola and Others (2021)

"Batman: The Court of Owls Saga" by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo (2011-2012)

"Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories Volumes 1 and 2" by Mike Mignola & Others (2018)

"Joe Hill Presents Hill House Comics" by Joe Hill and Many Others (2019-2020)

"X-men: Battle of the Atom" by Brian Michael Bendis et al. (2013)

Sexiest (female) comic book character: Magick or Psylocke?  I'd have difficulty answering this question.  I was exposed to Magick at a much younger age, but Psylocke's "Eastern ninja thing" was more in line with both the kind of movies I was watching in the 80s and the kind of women I was fantasizing over.

But I've digressed before I've even started.  I was going to discuss Brian Michael Bendis' Battle of the Atom, wasn't I?  I should probably do that instead of sidestepping into the historically hot women of comic books. 

First, a bit of background.  Battle of the Atom is one of those "interim" X-men comics that follow the years in which "the X-men were important at Marvel" and Jonathan Hickman's House of X and Powers of X, which are regarded as a return to form.  This isn't to say that Bendis' work on the characters is bad or irrelevant, just that these "interim years" were disappointing for many fans, and that there was an impression that the mutants were being sidelined in favor of other, non-mutant characters that Marvel Studios had the rights to.

There was also a feeling that the X-men "couldn't catch a break," and yes, reading Battle of the Atom one gets a sense of this.  Just thinking of the deaths and upheavals that came before this series, yeah, it was a rough time to be a mutant.

In Battle of the Atom the X-men have split into two factions after the death of Charles Xavier.  One faction is led by Wolverine, the other by Cyclops.  At some point in the recent past these two factions were joined by the original X-men, who were transported to the future by Beast.  To these original X-men are then added a group of future X-men, who want the original X-men to return to their own time period so that everyone involved can avoid a catastrophic future.  Oh, and there's yet another group of X-men that show up, also from the future, to oppose the first group of future X-men, who may or may not be the good guys.  Confused yet?  I was.

But the problem with this comic book series isn't really the confusion it creates, but rather the ending, which just seems to represent a form of writer's block on the author's part.  After wading through so many iterations of the X-men, some of whose interactions are fun, one expects a grand finale, but this grand finale never arrives.  Instead the villain overexerts him/herself, and we're left with a series of epilogues that don't really add anything to the saga.

It's a comic book half full of good art and half full of mediocre art.  The story just barely holds together.  You could read it I suppose, but there are better comic books out there.

Related Entries:

"Animal Man by Grant Morrison: Book One" (1988-1989)

"Spider-Verse" by Dan Slott and Many Others (2014-2015)

Upcoming Superhero Movies in the Order I Want to See Them 4

"The Planetary Omnibus" by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday (1999-2009)

Superhero Movies From October 2018 Onward (7)

For reviews of older superhero movies click here and here.  It felt like time to get rid of the "baggage" those older entries carried, so I'm starting again from October 2018's Venom.

Oh and by the way, I think I'll stop reviewing these movies as a separate genre at the end of 2020.  Endgame has come and gone, the MCU is now an established brand, and to be honest I think most of the best superhero movies are behind us.  2020 seems like a good time to move on to movies as a whole, rather than focusing so much on whatever Marvel Studios, Warner Bros., or Sony are putting out.

Superhero Moves On The Way

Morbius, the Living Vampire (Taiwan Release Date Unknown, July 31, 2020 in the States)

Wonder Woman 1984 (Taiwan Release Date Unknown, June 5, 2020 in the States)

The New Mutants (Taiwan Release Date Unknown, April 3, 2020 in the States)

Birds of Prey (Taiwan Release Date Unknown, February 7, 2020 in the States)

Joker (Comes Out in Taiwan October 3, 2019)

Spider-Man: Far From Home (Comes Out in Taiwan July 3, 2019)

X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Got bored and saw it the other day.  It was blazing hot outside, and there wasn't much else to do.

What I Liked: For one thing it wasn't nearly as bad as some of the reviews would lead you to believe.  It's definitely NOT great, but if you were able to sit through Apocalypse you'll be able to sit through this one.  It's actually not bad up until Jean visits the house, though after that point...

What I Didn't Like: At times this movie just doesn't make sense.  WHY do the cops show up after Jean visits that house?  And WHY do the two mutant factions fight in New York?  And WHY do the aliens insist on boarding the train from the other end, when they're clearly walking all along its length, thus making it incredibly easy for the X-Men to fight them off?  

To make things worse, Sophie Turner really can't carry a movie.  Watching her interact with some of the other, more talented cast members is truly cringeworthy.  As bad as this movie is, it's still better than X3, and yet I found myself missing Famke Janssen throughout the film.

Most inexplicable of all is Magneto.  First he says revenge is wrong and that he's given up on it.  Then someone gets killed and he's all about revenge again.  Then he learns about the Phoenix Force and he's all about saving Jean.  This, and that magnetism/telekinesis battle between him and Jean is the most unintentionally hilarious thing I've seen in a long time.

Future/Sequels: As far as anyone knows, The New Mutants is still coming out next year.  After that it'll be a long wait before we see Marvel Studios' take on the same set of characters.

Avengers: Endgame

What I Liked: Everything.  This movie is awesome from beginning to end.

What I Didn't Like: Only two (very small) complaints: 1) Bruce and Nebula's explanation for their "heist" probably isn't going to satisfy anyone who bothers to think it through, and 2) the part at the end where all the "Marvel superheroines" line up and go into battle seems a bit too much like checking off an item on a checklist.

Future/Sequels: The next MCU offering is Spider-Man: Far From Home later this summer.  No other films have been given a release date as yet.  I think it's fair to say that Marvel will make a big announcement soon.

Hellboy

Wasn't interested.  I suppose I'll download it at some point.  Not in any hurry though.

Shazam!

What I Liked: Zachary Levi and Asher Angel are both examples of great casting, the story is well thought out, and the battle at the end takes some interesting twists and turns.  I consider Shazam! a vast improvement over Aquaman, which was trying to do too much in too short a time, and also Captain Marvel, which was in my opinion one hot mess of a movie.  Shazam! is much smaller-scale compared to those other two films, but its smallness works to its advantage.  It's very focused and to the point.

Mark Strong, who was wasted on Martin Campbell's Green Lantern, has much more to do in Shazam!  Even if his reasons for being "evil" aren't that well thought out, he's still a good (bad) villain.

What I Didn't Like: The battle at the end goes on a bit too long.  I think shortening it would have made for a better movie.  The introduction of the rest of the Marvel Family feels a bit rushed, even if it was gratifying to see them onscreen together.

Future/Sequels: No definite plans for any sequels as yet, but one of Shazam's other villains is introduced in a post-credits scene.  It's early to say, but I think this movie will be well received and I'd be surprised if a sequel isn't announced soon.

Captain Marvel

What I Liked: There's a part about halfway through, when Carol Danvers is reunited with an old friend.  In that part you can see Brie Larson's skill as an actress.

The fight on the spaceship near the end is oddly satisfying, but some of my satisfaction may have to do with 90s soundtrack, and the fact that I was a much younger guy when those songs were everywhere.  Nostalgia, in other words.

What I Didn't Like: Going back to the comic books, I never found Carol Danvers especially interesting, and this movie did nothing to change my mind.  Really, what is her reason for doing anything in this film?  At what point does her character change or make any real kind of discovery?

She's also so much more powerful than anyone she comes up against in this movie.  There's no sense of threat when "danger" strikes.  Jude Law?  Nope.  The Skrulls?  Not really.  Ronan the Accuser?  Their confrontation is a non-event.

I've also got to say, the explanation given for Nick Fury losing his eye really bothered me.  It's always seemed like this event should be of crucial importance, but in the movie it's explained in such an offhand manner.  The randomness of this explanation diminished the entire film.

Future/Sequels: Strap yourself in because Avengers: Endgame is less than two months away.  After Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home Marvel has announced no other films, though if Captain Marvel does well I'm sure we'll see a sequel.  I've heard a lot of talk about an Eternals movie, but we'll see.

I think what's going to make or break a Captain Marvel sequel is the Asian market, especially China.  If it goes over big in Beijing and Shanghai (as Aquaman did) you can be sure there will be another one.  If, however, this movie fails to find an audience in such places, I imagine Kevin Feige will start vaguely alluding to "future adventures" without making any real commitment.

Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

Does this one count?  Batman and the Justice League are in it.  It also features the newer and older versions of Aquaman.

What I Liked: It's a funny movie, though not as good as the first.  This said, it's not nearly as hyper as the first one, which might be a relief for those who found the first film slightly overwhelming.

What I Didn't Like: It does drag a bit toward the end.  It's weird to say, but I found myself having to really concentrate on Lego Movie 2.  There are SO many references, to so many things, that after the first hour my brain got tired.  

Future/Sequels: There might be a sequel to the Lego Batman movie, though there's no release date as yet.  There might also be The Billion Brick Race.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

What I Liked: Everything.  In my opinion this movie's awesome from start to finish.  The characters, the plot, the animation, the soundtrack, all of it's great.  I suppose it depends on how it does financially, but Spider-Verse could be a real game-changer for CBMs.

For me the best part of the film was the Bill Sienkiewicz-inspired sequence halfway through.  I've been a huge fan of that guy for years, and seeing his art animated almost brought tears to my eyes.  That version of the Kingpin?  That's all Bill Sienkiewicz.

What I Didn't Like: Small complaint: no Spider-Woman.  I've always liked Spider-Woman more than Spider-Man, and it would've been wonderful to see Jessica Drew (finally) show up in this movie.

Future/Sequels: There's talk that Spider-Woman could feature in the sequel alongside Spider-Gwen and Silk, but such plans are tentative of course.  It's entirely possible that a sequel would feature Spider-Man 2099 instead.

Aquaman

What I Liked: Atlantis looks cool.  Amber Heard is easy on the eyes.  The battle in the end - aside from a ridiculous pause in the action for a predictably romantic moment - looks amazing.

What I Didn't Like: Weird moments of exposition.  Instead of showing the audience what's happening/has happened, the characters in this movie often feel the need to stop whatever they're doing and explain things.  The only part of this movie where the action flows seamlessly is when Aquaman and Black Manta have their big showdown halfway through.

The part in the beginning about Aquaman's parents could have been removed entirely.  It adds absolutely nothing to the story, and starting the movie from the adult Aquaman's first appearance would have made a lot more sense.

This movie gets dumber as it goes along.  By the end I was laughing at certain scenes and bits of dialogue, and I wasn't the only one.  And before someone chimes in with "at least it doesn't take itself so seriously," let's remember there's a difference between laughing WITH a movie and laughing AT a movie.

The small ray of hope being that it's not as terrible as Justice League.  Not that this is saying much.

Future/Sequels: Shazam!, also set in the DCEU, will be out in a few months.  After that it's a long wait until Wonder Woman 1984.  Aquaman 2?  It's kind of early to tell, but the movie's been doing well in China, and those wanting a completely brainless superhero romp will be all over this one.

Venom

What I Liked: After a really clunky beginning there are some great action sequences.  Everything after Venom shows up is much better than the 15 minutes that try (and fail) to set up the story.  The fight between Venom and Riot near the end is very good.

What I Didn't Like: That beginning part.  It feels like they weren't sure what kind of movie they were making.  Horror?  Action?  Science fiction?  Going more for the "body horror" elements would have improved the film, and the spaceship/alien invasion subplot could have been dispensed with altogether.

As clunky as the beginning is, the dialogue throughout the movie is by far the worst part.  None of the actors seem at ease with what they're saying, and a couple of lines are unintentionally hilarious.

Future/Sequels: There are plans for a sequel with Woody Harrelson's Carnage in a bigger role.  I think that after setting up the general premise, a sequel is bound to be better.  Harrelson would also make a great villain.  Last I heard, Sony's next comic-based movie will be Morbius the Living Vampire, with Jared Leto as Morbius.  There may be some crossover between Venom and Morbius.

Related Entries:

Some Other Movies From 1985
Some Other Movies From 1987
Some Other Movies From 1989
The Other Movie Oscars: The 1990s

A Review of Every Marvel Movie from 2008 to the Present (Revised as of May 15, 2018)

Due to the truly astonishing number of Marvel films either released or in various stages of production, I have decided to begin the list below with the first Iron Man, in 2008.  For reviews of older Marvel films look here.

Also, a note on the ratings/stars next to each entry.  These ratings were assigned when the movie came out, and may not reflect my current feelings about that movie.  In other words, I was judging X-men Origins: Wolverine against Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, the other two superhero movies of that year.  Since 2008 there have been a lot more superhero films, and getting three stars in 2018 is a lot harder than getting three stars in 2008.

****	Excellent!  Had to see it twice!
***	Good movie with a few flaws.
**	Not bad, but not great.
*	I’d watch it once if I was bored enough.
[no stars]	Just terrible.
@	So bad it’s kind of good.

21. Iron Man (2008) ****

After Batman Begins, this is the other movie that reinvigorated the genre.  Where Batman Begins was dark, this one was funny.  Where Batman is driven, Tony Stark is brilliantly conflicted.  It is everything that Nolan's movie wasn't, and that's why it works.

22. The Incredible Hulk (2008) ***1/2

This movie was sidelined by the overwhelming success of Iron Man, but I loved it.  I loved Edward Norton's take on the character, I loved the script he wrote for the film, and I loved the Greco-Roman take on The Hulk.  My only complaint is that he let The Abomination live at the end.  I found this hard to believe.

23. Punisher: War Zone (2008) *

A more violent take on Frank Castle.  It's a solid film, but maybe a little too depressing for its own good.  I consider it an improvement on the first.

24. X-men Origins: Wolverine (2009) *

This movie is standard popcorn fare, much along the lines of Ghost Rider. Hugh Jackman goes through the motions, an attempt to bring Deadpool and Gambit into the mix is handled badly, and by the end you're thankful that it's not as dreadful as X3.

2010s

25. Iron Man 2 (2010) ***

I liked this almost as much as the first one.  Downey Jr. is given even better one-liners in this film, and Mickey Rourke characteristically chews the scenery.  Sam Rockwell is also great as Justin Hammer, and my only complaint is that Don Cheadle isn't given enough to do.

26. Kick-Ass (2010) **

I have friends who love this movie.  I don't.  I think the first half is good, but after Big Daddy dies it just gets silly - especially the jet pack.  A nice warm up for The Amazing Spider-Man, however.

27. Thor (2011) *

Considering how hard it must have been to adapt Thor to the big screen, I would consider this movie a success.  Still, compared to other movies Marvel Studios has made, I think this is the weakest one.  I've never been a big fan of Kenneth Branagh.

28. X-men: First Class (2011) ***

Michael Fassbender makes this movie.  Forgive the pun, but he is positively magnetic as Magneto.  I thought the end was weak, but it's still miles ahead of the first three films.

29. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) ***

Still one of my favorite Marvel movies.  It might seem a bit slow for some people, but the mixture of Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark really worked for me.

30. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)

Ghost Rider journeys to Europe on an extremely low budget.  The screenplay was probably good, but the direction is all over the place and Nicholas Cage overdoes the "manic" elements.  The only good thing I can say about this film is that the actress who plays "the Devil's baby-momma" is extremely beautiful.  Fun Fact: Idris Elba, who appeared in Thor the year before, is Johnny Blaze's sidekick.

31. The Avengers (2012) ***1/2

There are entire websites devoted to how awesome this movie is.  It's a good film, but not one of the best.  Considering how difficult it is to put characters as diverse as Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor into the same movie universe, this one is an unqualified triumph.  I'm only sorry the Oscorp Tower didn't make an appearance.

32. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) ***

This is a good movie, and I'm looking forward to the sequel.  Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone have some terrific chemistry, and it's a solid effort.  The Lizard is a bit too Hulk-like for my taste, but this is a vast improvement over Spider-Man 3.

33. Iron Man 3 (2013) *

I was super excited about this movie, but walked away from it disappointed.  It starts out well, but neither of the villains are very compelling, and the stunt work is too over the top.  My biggest complaint is the ending, which gives us a Tony Stark who no longer has any reason to be Iron Man.

34. Kick-Ass 2 (2013) **

It's not a great movie, but it's not bad.  There are some funny scenes in this one, but it could have been a lot better.

35. The Wolverine (2013) **1/2

I had high hopes for this one, but it wasn't all that good.  It's certainly much better than X-Men Origins: Wolverine and all the other X-Men films, but that's not saying all that much.

36. Thor: The Dark World (2013) ***

This was a great movie.  I didn't love the first Thor, but this one was a vast improvement.  Reminded me a lot of the Walt Simonson run on the comic book.  Hoping to see Beta Ray Bill in Thor 3!

37. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) ***1/2

Steve Rogers struggles with the modern world and his role in S.H.I.E.L.D.  After encountering the Winter Soldier, he has even more reasons to doubt the nobility of certain causes.  A very topical movie, with some great action sequences.  Didn't like it as much as Thor: The Dark World, but it was well done.

By the way, if you liked this movie you'd probably also enjoy (and find a lot that's familiar in) the Robert Redford vehicle Three Days of the Condor.

38. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) **

Too much CGI, but some great performances from Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone.  I liked this movie more than "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," though the action sequences in Cap were better.  This film has more dramatic tension, better ensemble performances, and more heart.  Looking forward to the third film!

39. X-men: Days of Future Past (2014) ***1/2

A surprisingly good movie.  As mutantkind faces extinction, Wolverine journeys into the past to change the future.  Excellent performances, and one of the most emotionally resonant superhero films to come along in quite a while.  Fun Fact: Although played by a white midget (Peter Dinklage) in Days of Future Past, Bill Duke, a rather large black man, plays Bolivar Trask in the earlier X-Men: The Last Stand.

40. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) **

A good movie, though it features too many characters for its own good.  Humor holds the film together, and makes some of the less plausible plot elements seem more plausible.  As with many other recent films from Marvel Studios, seems less inspired than calculated.  Maybe the second one will be better?

41. The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)**1/2

I can't say it's flawless, but I did like it much better than Guardians of the Galaxy.  It's less talky than the first Avengers, and the battle between Hulk and the Hulkbuster is truly awesome.  Quicksilver seemed a bit  underused, and I would have liked to see more of the Vision, but it's still a great movie.

42. Ant-Man (2015)***

Any great scenes in this movie involve a) Michael Pena, b) shrinking, or c) both.  As for the rest of it?  It starts off well enough, but it takes too long to get going.  "The heist" at the end is a bit of a non-event, but the fight scenes between Ant-Man and Yellowjacket are good.

43. Fantastic Four (2015)*

This movie is not bad up until the four return from Planet Zero.  After that point it's a mess.  Once Reed escapes from the military facility the dialogue is awful, the characters do things that make no sense, and the movie somehow ends without building up any kind of dramatic tension.  It feels like an hour of this film was removed before it hit theaters, and Dr. Doom looks like he escaped from another, much lower-budget film.

44. Deadpool (2016)***

The good news: as far as films within Fox's X-men universe go, this one is second best.  It's not as riveting as X-men: Days of Future Past, but it's better than all the other ones.  Compared to the Marvel Studios films, I'd rank it above lesser efforts like Iron Man 2 and 3, though it comes nowhere near their best.  It's refreshingly profane, yet it struggles during most of the "serious" parts.  A sequel to this movie would probably be much better than the original.

45. Captain America: Civil War (2016) **1/2

I liked it, but it was WAY to long and that fight at the airport seemed entirely unnecessary.  The inclusion of both Black Panther and Spider-Man also did very little to advance the plot, though I was happy to finally see Marvel's approach to these characters.  I think a smaller-scale movie, concentrating on the dynamic between Steve, Bucky, and Tony would have worked much better.

46. X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) **

Continuity be damned!  Never mind the fact that many of the events occurring in Apocalypse happened much later (or is it earlier?) in the first three X-men movies.  Never mind the fact that many of the characters from First Class ought to be in their 50s by the 1980s.  The biggest problem with this movie is the villain, and the fact that he's just not threatening.  When you title a movie "Apocalypse" it ought to feel like the end of the world, and this movie just doesn't deliver on that promise.

47. Doctor Strange (2016)**1/2

A former neurosurgeon battles otherdimensional threats.  Benedict Cumberbatch, an actor with an established reputation, is a credible Dr. Strange, though the plot is somewhat formulaic.  The strength of this movie is its visuals, and these are something worth seeing.

48. Logan (2017)***1/2

A solid, dramatic film that may well prove Oscar-worthy.  It's still early 2017, so it's hard to say whether or not the Academy will remember Jackman's performance or Mangold's direction come Oscar time.  But Logan is a good (maybe great) movie that might just stand the test of time.  The last act falters a bit, but the first two acts are excellent.  Not as mind-blowing as The Dark Knight, not as paradigm-shifting as Deadpool, but nevertheless a well thought-out, well executed meditation on pain and loss.

49. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) **

If you're one of those people who LOVED the first Guardians of the Galaxy, you'll probably love this one, too.  I wasn't a huge fan of the first installment, and this movie did nothing to change my mind.  The humor in Vol. 2 seemed even more forced, and the characters spend SO much time explaining plot points that it took me right out of the movie.

50. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)****

Gotta say they nailed it.  I can't think of a single bad thing to say about this movie.  The acting, the directing, the special effects, the fight scenes - and they even made me love Iron Man all over again.  I'll be seeing it again soon.

51. Thor: Ragnarok **1/2

Too jokey by far, even if the jokey bits are also the best parts of the movie.  Hela might be one of the better developed Marvel villains, but the Thor and Loki seen in this movie are so watered down as to be unrecognizable.  Who is Thor, really?  What is his personality?  What does he want?  Even Marvel doesn't seem able to answer these questions - and thus the central flaw in their Thor trilogy.  I'm still a big fan of Taika Waititi, and What We Do in the Shadows remains one of my favorite films, but his directorial style obscures what might have otherwise been a solid action movie.

52. The Black Panther (2017) ***1/2

My favorite thing about this movie is the world-building.  As a piece of world-building Wakanda rivals Peter Jackson's Middle Earth, and Jackson built Middle Earth with the aid of Tolkein's novels.  I've also read my share of Black Panther comics, and I can't think of many precedents for what Ryan Coogler and co. managed to get onscreen.  Black Panther is a well put together movie, and my only reservation is that there isn't much tension leading up to the film's climax.

53. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) ***

Having Thanos as the main character was a bold choice.  That ending was an even bolder choice.  I think that after audiences get past their initial sense of dismay, they'll get behind this movie, though of course the extent of their support remains to be determined.  The story's solid and Thanos is a compelling (if not entirely explained) villain, and the movie does an admirable job of juggling dozens of characters spread across several galaxies.  My one complaint?  The cgi isn't always necessary, and certain characters (Proxima Midnight) ought to have been performed by real, living people.

54. Deadpool 2 (2018) **1/2

Weirdly dramatic in parts, but with enough laughs (and violence) to keep it chugging along.  The first one was funnier, but Deadpool 2 has me looking forward to an X-Force movie - if that ever happens.  The second post-credit scene was almost better than the entire movie.

On the Way

Note: the Fox release schedule is to be treated with the utmost skepticism.  Deadpool 2 is already in the can, but other releases are anybody's guess.  Disney/Marvel has recently acquired the rights to the characters, and it may transpire that Marvel Studios "kills" both the upcoming X-Men: Dark Phoenix and New Mutants films as a way of easing these properties into their cinematic universe.

55. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) 

Ant-Man is still one of the more overlooked Marvel movies, even though it was, in my opinion, far better than Doctor Strange.  Like almost everyone else, I'm curious to see how they work elements of Avengers: Infinity War into this movie.

57. Venom (2018)

The symbiote looks solid, though Eddy Brock resembles Peter Parker a little too closely.  Is that Carnage in the trailer?  The idea of Woody Harrelson playing Carnage has me more excited than Tom Hardy playing Venom.

56. X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)

Fox gives it the old college try with yet another adaptation of the X-men's most iconic storyline.  That actress playing Jean Grey does absolutely nothing for me, and I'm hoping Marvel prevents this from seeing the light of day.  I'm also not optimistic about first time director Simon Kinberg.

58. Captain Marvel (2019)

A female superhero film - even if it will appear a TWO YEARS after DC's Wonder Woman.  And Captain Marvel ain't no Wonder Woman!  There are many production photos available online.

59. Avengers 4 (2019)

With a rumored budget of a BILLION dollars, this and Infinity War will, if nothing else, be something to talk about.

60. Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 (2019)

If it's half as good as the first one, it should be great!

61. The New Mutants (2019)

I am/was guardedly optimistic about this one, but they've pushed the date back and those reshoots seem like they're taking forever.  Not a good sign.

62. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2020)

The last one made me sleepy.  A third one?  I don't know, if Adam Warlock is involved I might be more interested.

63. Gambit (2019)

Don't hold your breath.  I list it here because it's supposed to be entering production soon, but who knows?

64. X-Force?  Deadpool 3?

These films are also supposed to be entering production, but with the Marvel/Disney deal underway their future seems uncertain.  I like the idea of both movies, but then again the idea of Deadpool popping up in a MARVEL movie beats the idea of both movies to death.

Related Entries:

Deadpool 2 and Waves of Nostalgia
Some Other Movies From 2002
A Review of Every Marvel Movie from 2008 to the Present (Revised as of April 26, 2018)
Avengers: Infinity War: 6 Days and Counting

The FoX-men No More? FoxTastic No Longer?

It looks like Disney's going to buy Fox - or at least part of Fox - which means - if this whole deal is completed to everyone's satisfaction - that the X-men, the Fantastic Four, and whoever else will be returning to Marvel.

This is pretty good news.  Not that I have too much of an opinion about it, but just the same I'd LOVE to see the Fantastic Four done right.  I don't really have a big problem with the Tim Story movies - aside from the fact that they ruined Galactus - but the idea of Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm (not to mention the Silver Surfer!) showing up in a Marvel movie has me excited.

If you don't follow comics that much (and how many do lately?), a lot of the seminal Marvel stories feature one or more members of the Fantastic Four.  Marvel has thus far avoided including references to them in movies like Civil War and the upcoming Infinity War, but it's great that they (probably) won't have to dance around this particular loophole in the future.  Anyone who knows comics will be glad at the thought of Ben Grimm facing off against the Hulk, or of Reed Richards causing trouble for Tony Stark, or of the potential cuckolding Reed faces at the hands of whoever wants to bang Susan Storm.  I don't regard the Human Torch as being quite so essential to any comic book saga, but sure, he's great too.

And the X-men?  They're a thornier problem, though of course I'd love it if Marvel took another crack at their origin story.  It's not that First Class wasn't an excellent movie, I just think Marvel would have a lot to add to that story as well.  FINALLY we can admit that yes, the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are Magneto's children, and FINALLY a studio can approach the X-men's origins without worrying overmuch about copyright infringement.

But the downside to all of this is the (possible) inclusion of mutants into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  And while I don't think that Kevin Feige is in a hurry to "water down" what Marvel has painstakingly built, the idea of combining the X-men and the Avengers at some point is going to be a powerful temptation.

The trouble being that if you have this group of people who get their powers from a mutant gene, then the non-mutants don't seem so remarkable.  Is Hulk cool when you have a Juggernaut?  Is Captain America cool when you have Wolverine?  Certainly seeing these characters on screen together is something that we all want on some level, but even in the comics Marvel is very, VERY careful about how (and how often) they do it.  You don't see Spider-man popping up that often in the pages of X-men.  You don't see Professor X hanging out that much with Doctor Strange.  Sure, these things happen, but the better writers know that when it comes to combining these properties, less is definitely more.

Not that I wouldn't love to see Deadpool make fun of the Avengers.  But he could do that in "his own" movie, and it wouldn't fracture the integrity of the MCU too much.  And yes, seeing Wolverine as an Avenger would be great, but if the cost is mixing too many mutants and non-mutants together then I'd rather they avoided it.

It is fun to think about though.  If this deal goes through, the future of both the MCU and the X-men cinematic universe is wide open.  A Dark Phoenix Saga featuring the entire MCU?  That would definitely beat the hell out of whatever Fox is making now.

A Review of Every Marvel Movie from 2008 to the Present (Revised as of May 20, 2016)

Due to the truly astonishing number of Marvel films either released or in various stages of production, I have decided to begin the list below with the first Iron Man, in 2008.  For reviews of older Marvel films look here.

****	Excellent!  Had to see it twice!
***	Good movie with a few flaws.
**	Not bad, but not great.
*	I’d watch it once if I was bored enough.
[no stars]	Just terrible.
@	So bad it’s kind of good.

21. Iron Man (2008) ****

After Batman Begins, this is the other movie that reinvigorated the genre.  Where Batman Begins was dark, this one was funny.  Where Batman is driven, Tony Stark is brilliantly conflicted.  It is everything that Nolan's movie wasn't, and that's why it works.

22. The Incredible Hulk (2008) ***1/2

This movie was sidelined by the overwhelming success of Iron Man, but I loved it.  I loved Edward Norton's take on the character, I loved the script he wrote for the film, and I loved the Greco-Roman take on The Hulk.  My only complaint is that he let The Abomination live at the end.  I found this hard to believe.

23. Punisher: War Zone (2008) *

A more violent take on Frank Castle.  It's a solid film, but maybe a little too depressing for its own good.  I consider it an improvement on the first.

24. X-men Origins: Wolverine (2009) *

This movie is standard popcorn fare, much along the lines of Ghost Rider. Hugh Jackman goes through the motions, an attempt to bring Deadpool and Gambit into the mix is handled badly, and by the end you're thankful that it's not as dreadful as X3.

2010s

25. Iron Man 2 (2010) ***

I liked this almost as much as the first one.  Downey Jr. is given even better one-liners in this film, and Mickey Rourke characteristically chews the scenery.  Sam Rockwell is also great as Justin Hammer, and my only complaint is that Don Cheadle isn't given enough to do.

26. Kick-Ass (2010) **

I have friends who love this movie.  I don't.  I think the first half is good, but after Big Daddy dies it just gets silly - especially the jet pack.  A nice warm up for The Amazing Spider-Man, however.

27. Thor (2011) *

Considering how hard it must have been to adapt Thor to the big screen, I would consider this movie a success.  Still, compared to other movies Marvel Studios has made, I think this is the weakest one.  I've never been a big fan of Kenneth Branagh.

28. X-men: First Class (2011) ***

Michael Fassbender makes this movie.  Forgive the pun, but he is positively magnetic as Magneto.  I thought the end was weak, but it's still miles ahead of the first three films.

29. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) ***

Still one of my favorite Marvel movies.  It might seem a bit slow for some people, but the mixture of Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark really worked for me.

30. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)

Ghost Rider journeys to Europe on an extremely low budget.  The screenplay was probably good, but the direction is all over the place and Nicholas Cage overdoes the "manic" elements.  The only good thing I can say about this film is that the actress who plays "the Devil's baby-momma" is extremely beautiful.  Fun Fact: Idris Elba, who appeared in Thor the year before, is Johnny Blaze's sidekick.

31. The Avengers (2012) ***1/2

There are entire websites devoted to how awesome this movie is.  It's a good film, but not one of the best.  Considering how difficult it is to put characters as diverse as Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor into the same movie universe, this one is an unqualified triumph.  I'm only sorry the Oscorp Tower didn't make an appearance.

32. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) ***

This is a good movie, and I'm looking forward to the sequel.  Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone have some terrific chemistry, and it's a solid effort.  The Lizard is a bit too Hulk-like for my taste, but this is a vast improvement over Spider-Man 3.

33. Iron Man 3 (2013) *

I was super excited about this movie, but walked away from it disappointed.  It starts out well, but neither of the villains are very compelling, and the stunt work is too over the top.  My biggest complaint is the ending, which gives us a Tony Stark who no longer has any reason to be Iron Man.

34. Kick-Ass 2 (2013) **

It's not a great movie, but it's not bad.  There are some funny scenes in this one, but it could have been a lot better.

35. The Wolverine (2013) **1/2

I had high hopes for this one, but it wasn't all that good.  It's certainly much better than X-Men Origins: Wolverine and all the other X-Men films, but that's not saying all that much.

36. Thor: The Dark World (2013) ***

This was a great movie.  I didn't love the first Thor, but this one was a vast improvement.  Reminded me a lot of the Walt Simonson run on the comic book.  Hoping to see Beta Ray Bill in Thor 3!

37. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) **1/2

Steve Rogers struggles with the modern world and his role in S.H.I.E.L.D.  After encountering the Winter Soldier, he has even more reasons to doubt the nobility of certain causes.  A very topical movie, with some great action sequences.  Didn't like it as much as Thor: The Dark World, but it was well done.

38. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) **

Too much CGI, but some great performances from Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone.  I liked this movie more than "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," though the action sequences in Cap were better.  This film has more dramatic tension, better ensemble performances, and more heart.  Looking forward to the third film!

39. X-men: Days of Future Past (2014) ***1/2

A surprisingly good movie.  As mutantkind faces extinction, Wolverine journeys into the past to change the future.  Excellent performances, and one of the most emotionally resonant superhero films to come along in quite a while.  Fun Fact: Although played by a white midget (Peter Dinklage) in Days of Future Past, Bill Duke, a rather large black man, plays Bolivar Trask in the earlier X-Men: The Last Stand.

40. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) **

A good movie, though it features too many characters for its own good.  Humor holds the film together, and makes some of the less plausible plot elements seem more plausible.  As with many other recent films from Marvel Studios, seems less inspired than calculated.  Maybe the second one will be better?

41. The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)**1/2

I can't say it's flawless, but I did like it much better than Guardians of the Galaxy.  It's less talky than the first Avengers, and the battle between Hulk and the Hulkbuster is truly awesome.  Quicksilver seemed a bit  underused, and I would have liked to see more of the Vision, but it's still a great movie.

42. Ant-Man (2015)**

Any great scenes in this movie involve a) Michael Pena, b) shrinking, or c) both.  As for the rest of it?  It starts off well enough, but it takes too long to get going.  "The heist" at the end is a bit of a non-event, but the fight scenes between Ant-Man and Yellowjacket are good.

43. Fantastic Four (2015)*

This movie is not bad up until the four return from Planet Zero.  After that point it's a mess.  Once Reed escapes from the military facility the dialogue is awful, the characters do things that make no sense, and the movie somehow ends without building up any kind of dramatic tension.  It feels like an hour of this film was removed before it hit theaters, and Dr. Doom looks like he escaped from another, much lower-budget film.

44. Deadpool (2016)***

The good news: as far as films within Fox's X-men universe go, this one is second best.  It's not as riveting as X-men: Days of Future Past, but it's better than all the other ones.  Compared to the Marvel Studios films, I'd rank it above lesser efforts like Iron Man 2 and 3, though it comes nowhere near their best.  It's refreshingly profane, yet it struggles during most of the "serious" parts.  A sequel to this movie would probably be much better than the original.

45. Captain America: Civil War (2016) **1/2

I liked it, but it was WAY to long and that fight at the airport seemed entirely unnecessary.  The inclusion of both Black Panther and Spider-Man also did very little to advance the plot, though I was happy to finally see Marvel's approach to these characters.  I think a smaller-scale movie, concentrating on the dynamic between Steve, Bucky, and Tony would have worked much better.

46. X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) **

Continuity be damned!  Never mind the fact that many of the events occurring in Apocalypse happened much later (or is it earlier?) in the first three X-men movies.  Never mind the fact that many of the characters from First Class ought to be in their 50s by the 1980s.  The biggest problem with this movie is the villain, and the fact that he's just not threatening.  When you title a movie "Apocalypse" it ought to feel like the end of the world, and this movie just doesn't deliver on that promise.

On the Way 

 47. Doctor Strange (2016)

All I can say is... finally!  I've been waiting for this movie for so long.  Scott Derrickson is directing, and Benedict Cumberbatch will star as Stephen Strange.  The first trailer was released today, and it looks GREAT.  Time to get strange!

48. Deadpool 2?  X-Force? New Mutants? (2016)

The Gambit movie has been put on hold for the time being.  A Deadpool sequel so soon seems unlikely.  X-Force also seems unlikely without Deadpool.  New Mutants is a distinct possibility, however.

49. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (2017)

Who would have thought the first Guardians of the Galaxy would be such a success?  And who would have thought that a sequel would be on the way so soon?  Most of the original cast and crew will return for this film.

50. Third Wolverine Film (2017)

Hugh Jackman and director James Mangold will be returning.  Hopefully they can improve upon The Wolverine, which wasn't the stylistic triumph I hoped it would be.  Hugh Jackman has indicated that they'll be going for "Old Man Logan," though of course Fox will need to change a lot of the story to make up for characters they don't have the rights to.

51. Deadpool 2? X-Force? New Mutants? (2017)

Fox just greenlit the Deadpool sequel, and it seems likely that it will take over Fantastic Four 2's release date.  Either that or they'll skip straight to X-Force and put Deadpool on the roster.  New Mutants is also a possibility.

52. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

The Hulk will be in it, though nothing is known about the plot.  Taika Waititi will be directing, and Chris Hemsworth will return as Thor.

53. The Black Panther (2017)

Chadwick Boseman will play the Black Panther.  Creed's Ryan Coogler is directing.  I think it's safe to say that elements of his backstory will appear in the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron.  Nothing else is known about this movie.

54. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Sony finally set a release date for this film.  After years of negotiations with Marvel, Tom Holland will finally star as a much younger Spider-Man, with Jon Watts directing.  I thought the Amazing Spider-Man films were... OK, but I'm glad to see the character back under Marvel's supervision.  Last I heard Michael Keaton (Batman!) was in talks to play (one of the) villain(s).

55. The Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (2018)

It was bound to happen.  Thanos will be the villain, and his quest for the infinity gems (stones) will probably cause Earth's mightiest heroes a great deal of misery.  The interplay between this and DC's two Justice League movies will be fun to watch.

56. Captain Marvel (2018)

A female superhero film - even if it will appear a YEAR after DC's Wonder Woman.  And Captain Marvel ain't no Wonder Woman!  My guess is that Marvel will struggle with the script for a while and eventually give up.  Captain Marvel just isn't that interesting a character.

57. Inhumans (2018)

It's kind of hard to imagine the Inhumans in the absence of the Fantastic Four, but I'm sure Marvel will figure out a way to make it work.  Last I heard this movie had been delayed, and its release date may be given to another film.

58. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) 

No details on this movie as yet.  It was announced this week, and the release dates for both Captain Marvel and Black Panther have been adjusted to accommodate it.

59. The Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 (2019)

With a rumored budget of a BILLION dollars, this and Infinity War Part 1 will, if nothing else, be something to talk about.

60. Untitled (2020) 

Have fun guessing.  My guess is that we finally get another Hulk movie.  Yeah, I know about that business with Universal, and yes, he often works better as part of the Avengers, but a Planet Hulk or World War Hulk movie would be amazing.  Marvel also knows how bad many of us want this one.

61. Untitled (2020) 

Have fun guessing here, too.  We can safely rule out Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America.  Ant-Man's sequel and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 are also listed above.  What does that leave us?  Could Marvel have won back the rights to the Fantastic Four?  Or will it be Guardians of the Galaxy 3?

62. Untitled (2020) 

Go CRAZY guessing!  Ghost Rider?  Daredevil on the big screen?  The Punisher?  Ego the living planet?  The U-Foes?  Spider-Gwen?

Fox's X-men Movies 2

To recap, the movies in Fox's X-men series are listed below, with confirmed sequels in red:

X-men (2000)
X2: X-men United (2003)
X-men: The Last Stand (2006)
X-men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
X-men: First Class (2011)
The Wolverine (2013)
X-men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Deadpool (2016) 
X-men: Apocalypse (2016)
Third Wolverine Movie (2017)

And to the above can be safely added the Deadpool sequel, which is more of a certainty than any other sequel at this point.  It's also possible that Deadpool 2 will really be Deadpool and Cable, or even X-Force, or perhaps they'll even work Deadpool into The New Mutants.

But to return to the not-so-distant past, I was going to discuss X-men: First Class, which came out in 2011.  This film was directed by Mathew Vaughn, and combines elements from both the comic books and an earlier, unfinished screenplay for X-men Origins: Magneto.  It deals with the X-men's earliest years, and explains how the feud between Xavier and Magneto came to be.

My lust for Jennifer Lawrence aside, it was a great way to reboot the series, and also a great film by its own merits.  Both Fassbender and McAvoy are electric in this movie, and Kevin Bacon's Sebastian Shaw proves to be their most menacing foe ever.  More than anything, this film gives us reasons to like the X-men, reasons to root for them, and this is more than any of Singer's movies ever did.

In tone it borrows a lot from the early Bond movies, with Magneto acting as a kind of super-powered 007.  The sheer style of this movie exceeds anything seen in the series up to that point, and my only real problem with it is Beast, whose self-loathing grows a bit tiresome and hard to understand.  Dude, you've got Jennifer Lawrence falling all over you, and you're still obsessing over your feet?

Two years later, in 2013, The Wolverine hit theaters.  This movie disappointed a lot of people, probably because we were all expecting too much.  With James Mangold directing one of the all-time classic Wolverine stories, it seemed like a sure thing, but the results were mixed.

I think if you can calm down a bit, and not expect all the usual pyrotechnics, The Wolverine is a good film.  Yes, the adamantium robot/faux Iron Man thing at the end almost ruins the whole movie, but up until Logan storms the castle it's pretty good.  Yes, it has its faults, but it's still miles ahead of X-men Origins: Wolverine.

I can only wonder what Darren Aronofsky would have done with this movie.  He was circling this project for quite a while, and it's fun to contemplate the strange movie that might have resulted.

In 2014 Bryan Singer would return to the franchise with X-men: Days of Future Past.  This is the film that brought time travel into the X-men universe, and which also tried to combine the best elements of Singer's X-men movies with those of X-men: First Class.

The final product?  Well, while I wouldn't dispute the fact that Days of Future Past has its flaws, I think it remains the most emotionally resonant film in the entire franchise.  Much of this emotional resonance is due to Simon Kinberg's script, which far outstrips anything he'd written up to that point.  It's as if the guy who wrote The Last Stand and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter had done some soul searching in the years since his last effort, and the result was something nobody expected.

This movie does, however, leave a gaping hole in the franchise.  Why, you ask?  Because it doesn't really fix the continuity in the way he'd intended.  Yes, the war with the Sentinels was averted, but there remains the question of previously established characters, and of events prior to Wolverine's "resetting" the timeline in 1973.  Days of Future Past doesn't really give us a new X-men in the way that First Class might have done.  Instead, it creates new continuity problems, and its ending dampens some of the threat posed by Apocalypse in the upcoming sequel.

But oh well.  Those of us who've followed the X-men over the years can only get so upset over such things.  It's not like such continuity problems were absent from the comics!

After Days of Future Past, it was finally Deadpool's turn to get his own movie.  Wade Wilson actually appeared much earlier in X-men Origins: Wolverine, though that version of the character is ignored or forgotten by most.  In fairness to Origins, the bit with Wade in the elevator is kind of funny.

I saw Deadpool the first day it appeared in the local theater, and I'd have to say I was pleasantly surprised.  It's not a perfect movie, but it manages to be funny, violent, and somewhat suspenseful all at the same time.  Not all of the gags worked for me, but there's so many of them, and they come so fast, that you can safely ignore the ones that don't work for the ones that do.

I just wonder what Deadpool's astounding popularity is going to do for the series as a whole.  Putting him in something like Days of Future Past, for instance, would have completely destroyed that movie.  Even including supporting characters like Colossus in Deadpool's films diminishes the more serious tone set in Singer's movies.  Deadpool is in many ways the antithesis of the dramatic hero (or even antihero), and with all of his fourth wall-breaking he could easily overwhelm the average moviegoer's suspension of disbelief.

But I suppose a fuller understanding of how we'll interpret the X-men in the presence of Deadpool awaits this summer's X-men: Apocalypse.  In this movie Singer will be discarding the older X-men cast, and will instead feature both the First Class alumni and some newer characters.

Unlike Days of Future Past, which spent a lot of time in the 70s, this movie will take place in the 80s.  It will also mark the reintroduction of characters like Storm, Cyclops, and Jean Grey.  Apparently Magneto becomes one of Apocalypse's "horsemen," and Mystique (?) and Xavier must lead the X-men against the threat he and Apocalypse represent.

I'd like to say it will be good, but I wonder if the X-men series isn't getting a bit too serious for its own good.  I'm also getting tired of Bryan Singer and his fondness for black leather.  There's certainly a lot going for this movie, but I'm not feeling that excited about it right now.  Hopefully it will surprise me?

And after Apocalypse comes the third Wolverine.  Apparently this will be Jackman's last run as Logan, and director James Mangold will be returning for an adaptation of the "Old Man Logan" comic book.  

It could be great.  It could also be average.  I doubt it will be terrible.  One has to ask, however, how Old Man Logan is supposed to work in the absence of characters like the Hulk, who was the main adversary in the original story.  Replacing him with the Juggernaut or the Blob just wouldn't be the same thing at all.

Fox's X-men Movies 1

I've been re-watching Fox's X-men films, and I thought I'd write about them before they vanish from my memory.  One of these movies is great, three others are good, but the other three are completely forgettable.  It's the forgettable ones that I'm trying hardest to keep in mind, since for me they have a mental half-life of a day, maybe two at the most.

To recap briefly, there have been 8 movies in Fox's X-men universe so far.  A ninth is on the way this summer, in the guise of X-men: Apocalypse.

The films in this series and their years of release are:

X-men (2000)
X2: X-men United (2003)
X-men: The Last Stand (2006)
X-men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
X-men: First Class (2011)
The Wolverine (2013)
X-men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Deadpool (2016) 

And of course there's also Apocalypse, due later this year, and the third Wolverine movie, due in 2017.  There are also plans for a Deadpool sequel, which might also come out in 2017, and the endlessly discussed New Mutants, X-Force, and Gambit films, all of which may or may not become a reality.

Watching the first X-men in 2016 is strange.  Hugh Jackman looks so damn young, and the tone of that movie is so different from more recent entries in the series.  It's pretty derivative as superhero films go - this was, after all, done before Sam Raimi's Spider-Man - but in 2000 this was about the best we could expect from any superhero film.

If I have a real complaint about the first X-men, it's that Ian Mckellan was always too old to play Magneto.  Yes, he is/was a great actor, and 2000 was a high point in his career, but he never comes across as threatening, or as virile, as he should be.

And yes, Sabretooth never recognizes Wolverine.  Even though they are supposed to be brothers.  Even though they fought in several wars together.  Even though they were costars in X-men Origins: Wolverine.

Almost all of the (other) X-men, right from the beginning, are completely uninteresting characters.  You would think in an ensemble film like this one they'd have more to do, but no, not really.  I think Singer was wise to recognize that Wolverine is the star of the show, but Logan completely overwhelms every other character in this movie, to the point where you begin wondering why they are there, and why he puts up with them at all.

I think the sequel, X2, was slightly better.  It holds together - just barely - and it's a lot faster-paced.  

In this film Stryker attempts to use both Xavier and Cerebro to destroy all of the mutants, and Magneto and the X-men must band together to stop him.  The fight between Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike is great, though Nightcrawler is so annoying that he almost ruins the entire movie.

And why did Jean Grey need to sacrifice herself at the end?  Couldn't she have stopped the water from inside the Blackbird?  And wouldn't simply levitating the Blackbird above the flood have been easier than diverting all that water around the plane?  And why did Logan have to choose between Stryker and his fellow mutants?  Why not just cut Stryker loose from his chains, and then pump him for information later?

In my opinion, the absolute worst part of X2 is when Magneto and Mystique are aboard the Blackbird, and they're "gossiping" about Rogue.  It's the kind of scene that would have made sense if all of those present were gay men, but it's far less convincing with a mixed group of male and female superheroes.

But then again, nothing in X2 is even half as bad as most of X-Men: The Last Stand.  Anyone who's seen this movie will remember the classic line "I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!" and other embarrassing moments.  Can anyone tell me, for example, exactly why Magneto had to levitate the Golden Gate Bridge?  Why not just put himself and his friends on a bus, and levitate that?  And if all those phials of "demutating" serum are lying around, why did Logan have to kill Phoenix in the end?  Why not just do the same thing to her that he and Beast had already done to Magneto?

I will say, however, that the scene where Phoenix kills the Professor is one of the best scenes in any of the X-Men movies.  But the real problem is that the movie doesn't go anywhere after that.  It gets bogged down in this "demutating serum" subplot, even though this subplot only diminishes the threat that Phoenix represents.

It's nice, however, to see Cyclops killed near the beginning of this movie.  He is annoying throughout all of the first three X-Men films, and it's pleasant to see Jean Grey finally drain him of all his life force.

After X-men: The Last Stand it would be three more years before the next entry, X-men Origins: Wolverine, would hit theaters.  By 2009 the movie landscape was also looking quite different, with the success of both Marvel's Iron Man and Warner Bros.' Batman Begins as established facts.  Movie audiences were expecting a lot more from their superhero movies by that time, and the reaction to Wolverine's first solo outing would reflect this trend.

In retrospect though, X-men Origins: Wolverine isn't all that bad.  In some respects it's a return to a more streamlined, action-oriented format along the lines of the first Ghost Rider, or even the first Spider-Man.  To be sure, both of those films are better than Wolverine's movie, but at least it isn't the disaster that the third X-Men was.

The real trouble with X-men Origins: Wolverine is, of course, that it plays havoc with the series' continuity.  By having us follow Wolverine from his earliest years to the present day, it calls into question all the X-men movies that came before it.  It also manages to bungle Deadpool, one of the most popular characters from the comics.

Yet as bad as Origins might be, let's not forget that it was the success (!) of that movie that paved the way for X-men: First Class three years after.  The plot of First Class even includes elements of a script written for an undeveloped film: X-men Origins: Magneto, which was to follow the blueprint laid down in Wolverine's first solo effort.

But I think it would be better to delve into X-Men: First Class next time, especially since it represents a kind of "new beginning" for the series.  This entry is also VERY long already, and I'll need some time to rest, reflect, and re-watch some more movies before going any further.