X2 Review

[mrv3000]

I have the vague feeling I'm supposed to be doing something. (Anybody know what?) Oh well. Found this link over in mst3k. It's a review of X2 by Kevin Murphy.

http://www.ayearatthemovies.com/reviews.htm

WARNING: You probably shouldn't read it if you only want to see 100% positive reviews. I have to say this is one of the more interesting reviews I've read. It's an article that is better read after you've seen the movie and one for when you're in the mood for a little pondering.

spikesbuffy - do you have his book? Is it like this article? I think I may need to go get that book.

Comments

[josephides.livejournal.com]

Yup - I agreed with nearly everything he said. Ian McKellen = perfect. And I mean that - every line he delivered, every move *made* that film. A bad guy you could care about.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. He really was a complete joy to watch!

Hmmm.

[aj.livejournal.com]

See, reading this, I can see where he comes from in all these arguments. Admittedly, this is from someone (who really is quite like the moviegoing public in a lot of respects, save for the consciceness of his words) who is not a comic reader or fan. And he did admit that he enjoyed the movie (if just for Ian McKellan).

And you *don't* have to have read the comic books to get it all. He nailed most of the underlying themes and outlined one that they probably should have done more with. Knowledge of the comics just makes the whole experience richer because like it or not this movie WAS made for the comic fans. There can't help but *be* in jokes for the people who've read 35+ years of back story. I'm not saying it's fair, I'm just saying it is. ;)

But I will say that he does have a point about the indescriminate killing. Had this been pre-2000, I would have been downright appalled at this in an X-Men movie. One of the big precepts of X-Men canon is that they don't kill unless pushed to a wall. Even Wolvie (I'm still not a big Wolverine fan. I don't get his appeal and probably never will) katowed to that little rule, and watching him pretty much weed his way through an attack squad (threatening the kids or not) would have been disturbing.

Unfortunately, Marvel these days wants the X-Men to be 'edgier' and more 'hip'. Apparently, this means a body count and gratuitous violence. And, unfortunately, this is happening all over the company. I've been picking up a title called AgentX in recent months. It was (and has become again) downright funny, but it is NOT in any way, shape, or form an appropriate book for kids under 13. No way, no how, period. Still, it's only got a 'PG' rating on the cover. And this last issue, a cat got puked on and ate the eyeball off a the severed head of a chupacabra monster. And that's just the CAT!

*sigh* God, I never thought I'd be for a ratings system. Never. I was the stereotypical kid that all the nice little terrifed people make the ratings system *for*. I watched R-rated movies (and higher) before the age of 15. I read stuff that I *know* thirty year-olds blush at. But then, I had my head on straight and knew what was reality and what wasn't.

Bah.

Re: Hmmm.

[mrv3000.livejournal.com]

Thought you might be interested in this. :)

And you *don't* have to have read the comic books to get it all.

No - even though I had questions, I wasn't lost. Very virgin X-Men friendly.

There can't help but *be* in jokes for the people who've read 35+ years of back story. I'm not saying it's fair, I'm just saying it is. ;)

Yep.

One of the big precepts of X-Men canon is that they don't kill unless pushed to a wall.

Really. I never would have known that from the films. I like that. Of course, I'm from the mindset of asking why the climaxes of many films always end in bad-guy deaths?

Still, it's only got a 'PG' rating on the cover. And this last issue, a cat got puked on and ate the eyeball off a the severed head of a chupacabra monster.

PG? Wow. :P

I read stuff that I *know* thirty year-olds blush at. But then, I had my head on straight and knew what was reality and what wasn't.

I was *way* less rooted in reality. Even all the way through high school I couldn't watch horror movies because I'd be awake all night in a cold sweat, worrying about what was in my closet. Yep - behavior for a 5-year-old. Don't know when that all changed - probably college.