Effects, Jackman Make X-Men Worthy
X-Men
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen
Director: Bryan Singer
Movie Help Web Popcorn Kernels:
Did They Get Wolverine Right?
That's the question that many a comic book fanatic is asking him or herself. I was, and I haven't collected comic books for years. Waiting for seating to begin at my local theatre, I could tell who was there to see X-Men. Some were more obvious than others -- arriving with a mutant-like blue painted face. Others just had that question in their eyes. "Did they get Wolverine right?"
Wolverine, (a.k.a. Logan) is a mutant; he's a human born with a genetically enhanced healing factor which allows him to take a fair bit of punishment and walk away unscathed. As far as anyone knows, this fan-favorite character is from Canada. In 1988, Marvel Productions and New World Video produced a pilot for an animated series "X-Men." In this video, Wolverine has an Australian accent. It was horribly jarring. Ever since then, fans (the ones I know, anyhow) have wondered how far from the mark new efforts would be in portraying Wolverine.
Will he appear wearing a tutu? Will he be a lounge singer? Will they exchange his trademark metal claws for metal-toed feet?
So, for the fans, let me say right away that they got Wolverine right. We find him at the beginning of the film in a seedy bar in the northwest of Canada. He's making some spare change by fighting all takers in a cage. Yes, he's the same cigar-smoking-ornery-fellow-with-a-soft-spot-buried-deep-inside that we know and love.
Now For The Rest of The Film
In the not too distant future, some humans are born with mutations that give them special powers. As "normal" people begin to fear these mutants, there is growing support for some kind of governmental registry. Tension is building and it seems inevitable that there will be some conflict between humans and mutants.
Erik Magnus Lehnsherr (played by aristocratic Ian MacKellan) likens the intolerant humans to Nazis who killed his family in Poland decades before. The belief allows him to write off all humans and anyone else who will stand in his way. He uses his powerful magnetic abilities in a crusade to make the world safe for his Brotherhood of Mutants. As Magneto (pronounced Mag-NEAT-o), he becomes the threat that humans fear.
Professor Charles Xavier (stoic Patrick Stewart) is shepherding young mutants into a protective fighting force, the X-Men. His philosophy of peaceful coexistence puts him at odds with Magneto. From his wheelchair, Professor X uses his powerful mental abilities to locate new mutants and guide them to his school.
When both groups come looking for Wolverine and Rogue (a young mutant girl who must avoid skin-to-skin contact for reasons revealed later) the conflict begins.
Details
The makeup and other SPFX are wonderful. It's a visually pleasing film. The sets are elaborate; the electronic effects are exactly what you'd expect from a big-budget film; a sufficient number of things blow up.
The acting is better than what I expected for a comic book adaptation. Patrick Stewart and Ian MacKellan are convincing in their portrayal of two sides of the same coin. Anna Paquin as young Rogue is full of genuine teenage angst. James Marsden is the straightlaced but somewhat in-charge Scott Summers/Cyclops. Rebecca Romijn-Stamos is creepy, otherworldly and blue-all-over as Mystique. The rest of the performances were passable.
But the real star is Sydney-born Hugh Jackman in his first big American film. As Wolverine, he evokes Clint Eastwood in his toughness with maybe a little Gary Sinise thrown into his facial expressions. His voice is, thankfully, North American. Jackman is the real reason to watch this film. He gets most of the best lines, especially in his exchanges with Marsden's Cyclops. The interplay between these two heroes who don't see eye to eye sent waves of laughter through the theatre. Wolverine seems to exist in this film to point out what is silly in Professor X's little world, so that we don't feel alone in our suspension of disbelief. He can't help but crack a smile at the superhero code names everyone uses, even though he himself resorts to Wolverine now and again.
But...
All this praise, but only three stars? Three stars sounds too much like condemnation, so let's call it 3.5.
My main problems with the film were the action and the drama.
The action scenes were just a bit off, which is distracting in this type of film. Director Bryan Singer, who gave us a thinking man's action film with The Usual Suspects, gives us some confusing camera motion for the raw power and speed of X-Men. At times, some of the mutants defy gravity in ways that don't look entirely convincing physics-wise. I'm prepared to suspend my disbelief, but let me at least see what's going on, and make it look good! I was worried about this right from the beginning when we meet Rogue with her teenage boyfriend. The close-ups had them moving partly out of the frame and I thought "Uh-oh."
Secondly, I'm surprised to say that Singer fails to ratchet up the tension. I was not on the edge of my seat. He rushes through some scenes which ought to be played for more trepidation. There is enough character development, brooding figures, and angst, but I get the impression that Singer has forgotten to bring the audience into the fold. Or perhaps it's just the feeling that the X-Men can't really lose. Maybe Magneto isn't a vile enough villain.
All in All
I'll still recommend this to friends. I expect even better things in the future from Jackman, and seeing him here is a hint of things to come. There is enough here to like that I hope they can justify a sequel. The Star Trek franchise suffered a much worse first effort before they hit their stride with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. With some tweaking they can borrow from the X-Men's vast library of adventures and perhaps throw in a twist or two the fans aren't expecting.
Trivia?
The grapevine tells me that Rebecca Romijn-Stamos (X-Men's blue Mystique) is a real-life mutant who sports an extra toe. If you can confirm or deny this rumor, let me know.
