So, I just saw this movie, which, on Rotten Tomatoes...
Is rotten. But the viewer base seems to be viewing it a bit better. I'm curious as to whether this is a fanboy effect that will be straightened out in the coming weeks, or if the critics will be proven right in the long run. I'll put my questions at the end of the thread - If you don't care what I think, feel free to skip to the end.
Overall Opinion
I liked the movie. It was certainly flawed, and it wont be breaking into my top 5 action or super hero movies, but I thought it was, at the least, a functional action flick that was worth the cost of admission, and at best, a worthy X-Men movie.
What I Didn't Like
-Congestion - Like most super hero movies these days, the movie was packed. Really packed. A lot of characters, a lot of threads to follow, and just generally busy. I thought it payed off on most of what it threw on the screen, and it was all necessary, but the road was bumpy and cluttered.
-Magneto's Fridge Family [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StuffedIntoTheFridge] - While it was well done, considering what it was, and was necessary for the plot, it still happened.
-Xavier's Girlfriend - She wan't necessary. While she doesn't have enough screen time for me to get really upset, the 5 or 8 minutes she did take up could have been used better, perhaps to smooth the transitions between the story jumps that were actually necessary and interesting.
-Apocalypse's Defeat - It was really well done, don't get me wrong. I loved it. But I can't help but feel like it was a bit of a let down. They brought out the Phoenix to get it done, but I can't help but feel like there was a better option, which they seemed to be building towards. How I would have done it: Xavier goes in to mind fight Apocalypse. As he's getting beaten down, instead of calling to Jean, he calls to Magneto (Who's still mid-world wrecking), and tells him that not only is Apocalypse about to murder his favorite girl, but it's his son that's stuck there, broken and dying. Cue an epic two on one beat down where Xavier and Magneto prove why after 50 years of stories, when it comes to who's the real big bad nightmare mutants, they never fail to get mentioned. And save Jean's inner beast for another film.
What I Did Like
-Very Pretty - The movie is generally well shot. The scenery, locations, costumes and effects look good. My one problem is that they went back to 'Heroes switch to generic suits when shit gets real,' something I didn't like from previous movies, but then they fix it at the ending when the go back to more unique, individual costumes. I also had a mild problem with the X-Basements color scheme, if only because it made Mystique look weird when she was in it.
-Gorgeous Destruction Porn - They didn't just call it apocalypse because its the villain's name. Shit gets fucked up, hard. But unlike other super hero movies, it's all very clear and visually distinct. Because it all happens during the day, you really get a good view of whats going on, and they resist the temptation to cheap out and just drown everything in concrete dust. Even when the destruction effect IS dusty, it's still very clear.
-Quicksilver - Once again, this character simply robs every scene he's in. He's fun, he's high energy, and oh God, his action scenes are the best. I was entranced by his mansion rescue, an excellent follow up to his jail break scene in Days of Future Past, and his thrown down with Apocalypse, though short and poorly ending, was fantastic.
-Hero Mash-Ups - While Civil War still reigns king when it comes to being able to show multiple supers at one time without making most of them seem pathetic, this movie does a pretty good job as well. Everyone (Save perhaps Beast) gets a moment to shine.
-Casting Off the Crutch - It's true - Money Bags Wolverine is in the movie. But they resist the temptation (And the weird canon pile up potential) of leaning on him in favor of a small cameo. And I think it was worth adding him in rather then leaving him out all together. Admit it - Weapon X Wolverine going on a roaring rampage was awesome, and it's nice that they added an in-universe reason for Logan to be attracted to Jean - She saved him, even if he can't remember it.
-Early Mentioned Things Pay Off - It's not huge, but the stuff that happens early does pay off. Angel vs Nightcrawler, the fact that electricity, properly used, messes with some mutant powers, Mystique's status as a hero to all mutants - It all comes together in the end.
Would I Recommend It To A Friend
I certainly would.
So, Escapist Users, I'm open to all comments and opinions, as always, but here's some questions for starters.
Questions/Discussion Topics
-Have you seen it? If not, do you plan on seeing it?
-Did you like it?
-What do you think it did poorly, regardless of overall opinion?
-What do you think it did well, regardless of overall opinion?
-Would you recommend it to a friend? Either generally, or under certain circumstances (Only if they like X-Men, etc)?
Thank you for reading!
Is rotten. But the viewer base seems to be viewing it a bit better. I'm curious as to whether this is a fanboy effect that will be straightened out in the coming weeks, or if the critics will be proven right in the long run. I'll put my questions at the end of the thread - If you don't care what I think, feel free to skip to the end.
Overall Opinion
I liked the movie. It was certainly flawed, and it wont be breaking into my top 5 action or super hero movies, but I thought it was, at the least, a functional action flick that was worth the cost of admission, and at best, a worthy X-Men movie.
What I Didn't Like
-Congestion - Like most super hero movies these days, the movie was packed. Really packed. A lot of characters, a lot of threads to follow, and just generally busy. I thought it payed off on most of what it threw on the screen, and it was all necessary, but the road was bumpy and cluttered.
-Magneto's Fridge Family [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StuffedIntoTheFridge] - While it was well done, considering what it was, and was necessary for the plot, it still happened.
-Xavier's Girlfriend - She wan't necessary. While she doesn't have enough screen time for me to get really upset, the 5 or 8 minutes she did take up could have been used better, perhaps to smooth the transitions between the story jumps that were actually necessary and interesting.
-Apocalypse's Defeat - It was really well done, don't get me wrong. I loved it. But I can't help but feel like it was a bit of a let down. They brought out the Phoenix to get it done, but I can't help but feel like there was a better option, which they seemed to be building towards. How I would have done it: Xavier goes in to mind fight Apocalypse. As he's getting beaten down, instead of calling to Jean, he calls to Magneto (Who's still mid-world wrecking), and tells him that not only is Apocalypse about to murder his favorite girl, but it's his son that's stuck there, broken and dying. Cue an epic two on one beat down where Xavier and Magneto prove why after 50 years of stories, when it comes to who's the real big bad nightmare mutants, they never fail to get mentioned. And save Jean's inner beast for another film.
What I Did Like
-Very Pretty - The movie is generally well shot. The scenery, locations, costumes and effects look good. My one problem is that they went back to 'Heroes switch to generic suits when shit gets real,' something I didn't like from previous movies, but then they fix it at the ending when the go back to more unique, individual costumes. I also had a mild problem with the X-Basements color scheme, if only because it made Mystique look weird when she was in it.
-Gorgeous Destruction Porn - They didn't just call it apocalypse because its the villain's name. Shit gets fucked up, hard. But unlike other super hero movies, it's all very clear and visually distinct. Because it all happens during the day, you really get a good view of whats going on, and they resist the temptation to cheap out and just drown everything in concrete dust. Even when the destruction effect IS dusty, it's still very clear.
-Quicksilver - Once again, this character simply robs every scene he's in. He's fun, he's high energy, and oh God, his action scenes are the best. I was entranced by his mansion rescue, an excellent follow up to his jail break scene in Days of Future Past, and his thrown down with Apocalypse, though short and poorly ending, was fantastic.
-Hero Mash-Ups - While Civil War still reigns king when it comes to being able to show multiple supers at one time without making most of them seem pathetic, this movie does a pretty good job as well. Everyone (Save perhaps Beast) gets a moment to shine.
-Casting Off the Crutch - It's true - Money Bags Wolverine is in the movie. But they resist the temptation (And the weird canon pile up potential) of leaning on him in favor of a small cameo. And I think it was worth adding him in rather then leaving him out all together. Admit it - Weapon X Wolverine going on a roaring rampage was awesome, and it's nice that they added an in-universe reason for Logan to be attracted to Jean - She saved him, even if he can't remember it.
-Early Mentioned Things Pay Off - It's not huge, but the stuff that happens early does pay off. Angel vs Nightcrawler, the fact that electricity, properly used, messes with some mutant powers, Mystique's status as a hero to all mutants - It all comes together in the end.
Would I Recommend It To A Friend
I certainly would.
So, Escapist Users, I'm open to all comments and opinions, as always, but here's some questions for starters.
Questions/Discussion Topics
-Have you seen it? If not, do you plan on seeing it?
-Did you like it?
-What do you think it did poorly, regardless of overall opinion?
-What do you think it did well, regardless of overall opinion?
-Would you recommend it to a friend? Either generally, or under certain circumstances (Only if they like X-Men, etc)?
Thank you for reading!
