X-2

[Calis]

So anyone else see this today or planning on it? I watched it this morning, great movie I thought, very cool special effects, and overall a good action flick, and once again proves that a comic book movie that doesn't suck ass can be made. :) After the debacle that was Daredevil, I needed this to keep hope alive.

This could possibly be construed as a small hint at a spoiler, so if you're easily offended stop now......




I was pretty excited at the pretty blatant hints of the character making an appearance in the next one, I had a pretty strong feeling they'd pull that out soon, and I'm excited to see how it turns out. Now I can't wait to see the next one.

[Craptacular]

But they've already made XXX.

[Jets80]

I'll wait till it comes HBO. That first one sucked ass and Im not paying 10 bucks to see it at the movies.

[Pyser]

this is where a dvd addiction and a free movie ticket comes in handy.

(free ticket in the x-men 1.5 dvd)....

[dawgfan]

Just got back from seeing it. Very, very cool. A definite improvement over the first one, and they've set-up the next one nicely. Fans of the comic book should be very happy with how Bryan Singer has handled things so far.

The opening sequence with Nightcrawler is amazing...

[JHandley]

You're killing me, dawgfan, just killing me. Nightcrawler was always my favorite, but I just don't wanna deal with the hassle of an opening night crowd.

[Calis]

Honestly if Nightcrawler is your favorite(I'm in the same boat), I'd say it's worth fighting the crowds. He's a pretty big badass in this flick. :)

Granted I say that and I saw it at 11 a.m. this morning.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

I'd like to see Jean Grey again .....Huba Huba .....but its gonna have to wait a week though cuz I've been busy with work and OOTP 5.

[GrantDawg]

It was fantastic. Much better than the first (just got through re-watching the first by the way. It wasn't as good, but saying it sucked is a stretch). And I also loved the hint of what is to come.

About the only criticism is the total void of humorous "quips" that were abundant in the comics and first movie. It is a part of this team that they are constantly insulting/getting on each other's nerves. Just a minor quibble though. If you loved the comic, you will love the movie.

[tucker342]

I have to wait till next week to see it:(

[mrskippy]

Great flick. Never saw the first one, but now I'm going to go back and check it out on DVD.

[JeeberD]

Went and saw it this afternoon. Great action flick. I loved the scene with Magneto and the guard who had "too much iron", the opening sequence was great, and Rebecca Romjin sure didn't disappoint.

I'll probably go see it again with my girlfriend (who I'm sure will love Wolverine's scenes)...

[Barkeep49]

A huge improvement over the first.

Only quibble: Both my friend and I nearly burst out laughing when towards the end of the movie it seemed like Scott was going to make out with Xavier in the craft.

Other than that, a great movie.

[dawgfan]

BTW, anyone else notice how Halle Berry dropped the faux African accent in this one? I don't recall them ever mentioning Storm was from Africa in the first one, so her accent may have confused some people. Of course, there was no explanation in this one why she wasn't speaking with an accent...I wonder if Halle just got tired of talking that way or if it was a decision by Bryan Singer to just drop it.

[cincyreds]

I saw it today!!

It is much better than the first one.

I am going to go and see it again....

I really liked it!!

[CamEdwards]

yep, this one is much better than the first one. I took the boys to see it today and they were both on the edge of their seats. Well, Andrew was until the last ten minutes, when he fell asleep in my lap.

It was nice to see James Marsden get less screen time. I don't have a problem with him per se... I went to school with his strange little brother and I'm jealous of his success.

[Calis]

I had heard a while back that Marsden was cast as Jesse Custer in the upcoming(Man I hope so) Preacher movie, but that was pretty tentative.

I think that'd be amazing if done right, Preacher being my favorite all time series, some great stuff. Not sure I picture Marsden in that role, but I guess we'll see, maybe...been a while since I've heard anything about it, it might already be canned.

[bamcgee]

I saw it and liked it a lot, but I don't think I understood the last shot of the movie very well. Without providing too much of a spoiler to the others, anyone wanna tell me exactly what they saw under the water there? What was that supposed to be? bubbles?

[GrantDawg]

A Pheonix. :)

[Calis]

That wasn't too much of a spoiler. :)

It looked a little dark to me also.

[Swaggs]

If you thought Jean Grey was hot before.... ;)

[sachmo71]

http://www.cool-movie-trivia.com/images/Xmen07.jpg


I'm glad she used her powers more in this movie. They sort of wimped her out in the first one, I thought.

[Celeval]

Movie rocked.

Trailer for Matrix Reloaded Rocked.

Mmm... Mystique.

Kevin

[Fidatelo]

I saw it, and it was pretty wicked. I like how they are starting weave future plots into the story, and that they have done a good job of showing Magneto as not just a straight up villain. It would be really cool if 10 years from now we could look back at the sum of all the movies parts and see it almost as a cohesive whole, with all the characters evolving, people leaving and joining the team, etc.

It would be really cool too if when actors decide to leave they could at least agree to act in a small role in the next film so that the writers could write them out without having to just tell the viewers that so-and-so is off on some solo mission or something. Even if it's just a quick scene of the character leaving the mansion with an explanation.

[Franklinnoble]

FranklinNoble's Review of X-2
(Roger Ebert can keep his day job... although I think I can do a better job than Gene Siskel right now... ;) )

Spoilers may be included... but you wanna read it anyway...


First of all, let me tell you a little bit about myself. When I was somewhere between the ages of 10 and 15, comic books were my life. My parents hated it. They'd have preferred I read something more substantial. Obviously, they'd never read Chris Claremont's work on the Uncanny X-Men back in the day... I increased my vocabulary exponentially every time Hank McCoy had something to say. I lived and breathed X-Men. During the late 80's, there was no better comic... maybe not ever. I'd hide back issues inside my drum set, just to keep my folks from throwing them out. And I would have given my left nut to have a good movie made about my favorite comic book characters back then.

Fortunately, this morning, I still have both testicles, and that movie has finally arrived. I am now living in the era of movies I could have only dreamed of as a kid, with all the comics I read as a youngster coming to life in movies I'm not embarassed to watch (anyone who saw previous live-action attempts at Spider-Man, The Punisher, or Captain America knows exactly what I'm talking about).

Most comic fanboys point to the original Superman movies as the gold standard of comic book film adaptations. I don't get this. I think they pretty much sucked. Christopher Reeve wasn't built like Superman. Margot Kidder didn't look or act at all like Lois Lane. Jimmy Olson and Perry White? Wasted.

Then there was Batman. The first one was pretty good - maybe I liked it because in 1988 (I believe that's when it came out... ) there were no other comic book movies. This was the best we had, for a long, long time.... and the sequels only got progressively worse.

The 90's were filled with garbage. Blade was pretty good, but I never read the comic, so it didn't do much for me. But CGI was getting more and more sophisticated. Marvel was getting it's intellectual property legality issues sorted out. The golden age was coming - it was only a matter of time.

Thank God they didn't screw the poodle. When X-Men came out, I was amazed - they cast the movie perfectly (with the exception of Halle Barry, in my opinion at the time). Hugh Jackman (an unknown) WAS Wolverine. Patrick Stewart moved flawlessly from being typecast as a Star Trek actor to now being typecast as Professor X.... worse things can happen to your career (see: Shatner, William). But the movie was a little empty... like they held something back... maybe it was money - I always felt as if they could have done more without overdoing it.

Marvel's next attempt was Spider-Man. Arguably, the cornerstone of their comic empire, and a tall order to fill for a movie franchise. Basically, it was almost impossible to do this one right, but they very nearly pulled it off. Willem Dafoe's plastic Green Goblin aside, it was a pretty decent film, and the CGI webslinging made it worth the price of admission. I have a feeling the sequel will do better.

Then came Daredevil... and I was SURE this would flop. Ben Affleck (whom I affectionately call "B. Lo") as Matt Murdock?!? Egads... spare me. This is where Marvel was gonna lay an egg. Except Affleck didn't suck. In fact, he was pretty damned good. He pulled it off, and Daredevil was a good film - again, leaving room for improvement with the sequel.

Ahh, but now there is X-2. With comic book films raking in the cash, Director Brian Singer had lots of money to play with, and lots of time to do it right. And, as a lifelong comic book fanatic who was weaned on the Uncanny X-Men during his formative years, I can testify that I just about creamed my pants during this film, from the very opening scene right to the finish. I'll probably see it half a dozen times in the theater, and I'd pre-order the DVD on Amazon.com right now if they'd let me.

Everything I ever hoped for in a comic book film was in this movie, and my only regret was that it left me wanting more. I could have had 9 hours of it, and not wanted to leave... I would have pissed my pants in the movie theater before walking out to empty my bladder.

First, there's the introduction of Nightcrawler. He is brilliantly and perfectly depicted in the opening scene... and the movie shows off the awesome power of his teleporting abilities in a way that the comics could never truly illustrate. Oh, and the blue smoke and *BAMF* is dead-on-balls accurate. I had a hardon within 45 seconds of the movie's beginning.

Then there's the raid on the school. Wolverine goes into his famous berserker rage - and he kicks ass. No holds barred. He's opened a can of whup-ass and unleashed the f*cking fury. If this movie were a woman, I'd already be on my second orgasm, and ready for round three... because then there's Colossus... my all-time favorite X-Man... and... my God... there should have been more of him. The special effects of him transitioning to his living steel form were PERFECT... and the fearless confidence he has while he's about to be gunned down is right-on... he kicks ass for like five seconds... and I really hope he gets more screen time in X-3. Kitty Pride makes an appearance... as well as Siryn (sp?)... and a few other X-kids (Artie Lang... looks nothing like the comic book... but, fuck it... at least they're throwing us fanboy geeks all kinds of bones in this one).

Then there's Magneto's jailbreak... This, my friends, is quite simply the epitome of everything that a comic book film adaptation can be when done right. Magneto establishes himself as a true bad-ass right here. Do not f*ck with this man if you have so much as a paperclip nearby. This scene I'm not going to spoil - because it's so damned good you must pay your $8 to go watch it. Repeatedly. It's awesome. Everything I've ever wanted to see in a comic book movie has been done. It's all gravy now.

Cut to Boston... Bobby Drake's parents house... you've seen the scene in the trailers, for the most part... Wolverine takes a bullet to the forehead (clang! I love it!)... Pyro goes ballistic... and he LIKES it... another perfect casting job... he totally nails the character. Rogue uses her powers for pretty much the only time in the film... not much for her to do, really... they need to find a way to beef her up like they did in the comics... but that's another story, I suppose...

Now the X-Jet (or whatever the hell they call it) picks up Wolverine and the gang, and heads for home. Storm's best part is here - she knocks out a few F-16's tornado-style. Jean Grey begins showing flashes of her Dark Phoenix manifestation... a direction I didn't expect this film to go in, but a welcome one indeed. Magneto saves the day. All good stuff.

The raid on Alkili Lake follows - and it doesn't disappoint. On the ride over, you see Pyro get seduced by the dark side (Ian McKellen delivers another of many, many great lines - I can't over-stress how well he nails Magneto - "You are a god among insects. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise.") Mystique kicks more ass... I admit, when I first found out Rebecca Romijn was going to be doing the first movie basically bare-assed, I groaned at what I thought was an attempt to put a piece of bad-acting eye candy in the film... but she's really one of the best parts of X-2, and not just because she runs around in body paint. Lady Deathstrike has here one good scene, and, admittedly, her quick demise is a bit disappointing. Then again, she was never one of my favorite villains, so, what the hell.

The movie ends with the bad guy making a clean getaway (Magneto, that is...) and the good guys escaping, but at a great cost... and, when a team member buys the farm, the reaction of the survivors is convincingly good... not nearly as cheap as, say, when Data bites it in 'Nemesis.' More like Spock dying in 'Wrath of Khan.' It's that good. The final hint at the potential for a Dark Phoenix saga was the icing on the cake.

I walked out of this movie feeling as if every childhood fantasy for the live-action depiction of my favorite comic book had been totally fulfilled, and, better yet, it left me wanting more. I'm immensely glad that the film has had such an enormously successful opening weekend - that bodes well for the likelihood that they'll be able to sign the major actors for a third installment, and that they won't cut any corners this time around, either. Right now, Marvel can do no wrong. They've masterfully worked their way up to comic book film nirvana, and I hope they stay on top of their game. With "The Hulk" up next, and Amazing Spider-Man filming now, all I can say is that my comic-reading 13 year old son has no idea how good he has it right now...

[cincyreds]

So do you guys think that Jean Grey actually died?

Or will she comeback as something else?

She is signed on to be in X-3, so maybe there is a little surprise waiting for us all.

I have to go see it again.

At the end when Patrick Stewart was sitting with those children, he paused and glanced over his shoulder outside and then smiled as if someone spoke to him telepathically.

What was up with that?

[KWhit]

I know! I know!

[Franklinnoble]

Originally posted by cincyreds
So do you guys think that Jean Grey actually died?

Or will she comeback as something else?

She is signed on to be in X-3, so maybe there is a little surprise waiting for us all.

I have to go see it again.

At the end when Patrick Stewart was sitting with those children, he paused and glanced over his shoulder outside and then smiled as if someone spoke to him telepathically.

What was up with that?

Jean Grey WILL be back... whether it's in the next movie, or a later installment, remains to be seen.

[cincyreds]

Well put Franklinoble, well put.

I am happy that your comic book fantasies have been fulfilled. Honestly.

I must go see it again. It is one of those movies that you have see again to really understand.

[Calis]

Anybody else notice when Mystique was going through the computer files, the name on the screen was Remy Lebeau? I thought that was kinda interesting. Maybe they'll toss Gambit into the next one, one can dream. :)

And yeah, Jean Grey will be back and better than ever. Can't wait to see how she looks as her uber self now.

[RendeR]

I have to say that with all the dissapointing movies that were made in the past. X-Men has far and away been the best portrayed comic book thus far. I can only hope they keep the actors aigned and keep them in characters for years to come. I'm 15 again playing Champions with my friends blasting hte bad guys with pencils and dice.

I LOVED this movie. I don't think I've seen actors put into roles that fit so perfectly before....

And yes, jean will be back...one way or another =)

What a lead in!

[Pyser]

um, did anyone else laugh at the....well, laughably bad Hulk trailer?

[Franklinnoble]

Originally posted by Pyser
um, did anyone else laugh at the....well, laughably bad Hulk trailer?

Yeah... I've got a bad feeling the Marvel streak might come to a grinding halt with this one.

They've hired the same director that did "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Personally, I thought that movie SUCKED. The effects were laughably bad... all the flying kung-fu crap really turned me off, and I'm deathly afraid he'll bring the same brand of "special defects" to The Hulk.

[Calis]

Marvel streak come to an end? Didn't the streak end with Daredevil and start anew with X-Men? In case it hasn't been noticed yet, I'm very bitter about DD.

[JeeberD]

Originally posted by Pyser
um, did anyone else laugh at the....well, laughably bad Hulk trailer?

Well, I thought the trailer looked a whole hell of a lot better than the Super Bowl commercial.

Not that that's saying a lot...

[Bee]

I think the Hulk movie will make Daredevil look like pure genius.

[dawgfan]

Hmmm. My issue with the Hulk trailer is just that the CGI Hulk isn't convincing enough for me - he looks too cartoony in a Shrek kind of way. I'm still expecting a well-done story, strong direction and good acting - all things that I've been told were lacking in Daredevil.

[Bee]

I don't know...to me Shrek looked more convincing than the Hulk.

[Franklinnoble]

A lot of people were P-O'ed at Daredevil. Admittedly, I was never a big fan of the comic, so I don't know what sort of let-down there was along those lines.

That, and he looked a bit too much like "The Gimp" in that red leather costume... ;)

All that aside, it really wasn't a bad movie. Probably not very close to the original comic story, but not bad, otherwise.

[Calis]

Really? I guess maybe I'm more biased than I thought because I'm a big Daredevil fan, but I thought the acting, story, dialogue, hell...everything was horrible in that movie. I didn't really see a redeeming quality in it. For God's sake, Ben Affleck was Daredevil! :)

I think the movie basically further went to show what X-Men did right, and what the comic book movies of old always did wrong.

[Franklinnoble]

Originally posted by Calis
Really? I guess maybe I'm more biased than I thought because I'm a big Daredevil fan, but I thought the acting, story, dialogue, hell...everything was horrible in that movie. I didn't really see a redeeming quality in it. For God's sake, Ben Affleck was Daredevil! :)

I think the movie basically further went to show what X-Men did right, and what the comic book movies of old always did wrong.

Well, I thought the special effects illustrating Daredevil's "radar" were pretty cool. I don't think there were too many moments in the movie where I was really rolling my eyes over it... but, if I were to look at it more critically, here's what I'd have wrong with it:

[list=1]
The "I'm going after the bad guy that killed my father as a masked crimefighter" storyline has sort of been done before. ;)
Less-than-ideal casting. IMO, Affleck wasn't that bad as Murdock. They could have probably done better. Kingpin was mis-cast (although I can't think of anyone else that could have pulled it off, either). Bullseye was a little too over the top. Foggy was good. So was Urich.
The Elektra storyline was a tad contrived. Hot chicks don't really go for blind lawyers, at least not right off the bat like that. The playground fight scene was a bit gay. And the fact that some girl with no super-human ability could keep up with a supposed super-hero like Daredevil was somewhat unbelievable.
[/list=1]

[Swaggs]

That trailor for the Hulk knocked it off my Summer radar.

The CGI looks horrendous. And seeing him jump/fly over huge spans of ground just doesn't fit in with his character at all. I think I would rather see Lou Ferrigno in green paint again.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally posted by Swaggs
That trailor for the Hulk knocked it off my Summer radar.

The CGI looks horrendous. And seeing him jump/fly over huge spans of ground just doesn't fit in with his character at all. I think I would rather see Lou Ferrigno in green paint again.


This is exactly what he does in the comics. He's always been a big jumper. Hopping around and such. Always. From everything I've seen the Hulk, as the Hulk, seems to follow the comic very closely.

I think this film will be excellent.


As for X-2. A good movie, not great. Certainly an improvement over the first. Wolverine was amazing. Hugh Jackman is Wolverine. They need to give him his own movie. They really do. Magneto was great too. Mystique a very pleasant surprise, as was Iceman.

Frankin's recount of Nightcrawler's assault on the White House and the attack on this school are quite right. Certainly the cinematic equivalent of an orgasm for any long-standing X-fan. Simply great.

I felt the movie sort of died out a bit after that. Too much going on. Too many characters. The actors were solid, just too much. Like butter spread across too much bread. Delicious butter, just too thin.

Looking forward to the whole Dark Phoenix saga. It was certainly one of the, if not THE, Highlight of the entire Chris Claremont era. Hellfire Club, Wolvie hanging from the ceiling, dripping with raw sewage. Ahh... Good times!

[GrantDawg]

Originally posted by Swaggs
That trailor for the Hulk knocked it off my Summer radar.

The CGI looks horrendous. And seeing him jump/fly over huge spans of ground just doesn't fit in with his character at all. I think I would rather see Lou Ferrigno in green paint again.


Jennifer makes this a must see film. Plus my daughter wants to see "The Hulnk" really bad. :)

[Franklinnoble]

Anybody seen the "Hulk Hands" they sell now? I gotta tell you... for a kid's toy, they're pretty bad-ass. ;)

[Airhog]

I never really read comics as a kid, of course since im young, comics were never really that big when I was a kid. But I enjoyed the preview of the Hulk and it looks like a good movie.

[Franklinnoble]

Originally posted by Airhog
I never really read comics as a kid,

It's not too late to start. Head down to your local comic book shop and give a few titles a read... Try on Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Spider-Man, and, umm.. The Ultimates for starters (seriously... all three are relatively new series by Marvel, and they're all pretty good).

Just don't go on Friday afternoons (or whenever they host their "Magic:The Gathering" tournaments)... man... that place turns into dork central station... even by my standards.

[Calis]

I'll second this, I just actually picked up the first trade paperback of Ultimate X-Men from B&N after watching the movie this weekend, and I'm really impressed with it so far.

I'd been out of the comic loop for a while, but it seems like there's still some high quality stuff floating around.

[Fidatelo]

Originally posted by Calis
I'll second this, I just actually picked up the first trade paperback of Ultimate X-Men from B&N after watching the movie this weekend, and I'm really impressed with it so far.

I'd been out of the comic loop for a while, but it seems like there's still some high quality stuff floating around.

The first Ultimate X-Men TBP rocked, but don't waste your cash on the next two. I was majorly disappointed. :(

As for good comics, TPB's are the way to go. You can more easily avoid wasting money on crappy storylines or throwaway "guest writer" issues, and nowadays all the good stories are in TPB shortly after the arc is finished.

[GrantDawg]

I'm going to pick up some of the Xmen reprints for my wife. After seeing X2 she really wants to read the origins of everbody.

You know, this might just get me back into comics. :)

[Calis]

Heh, I hear you on that. The movie really got me interested in reading comics again...I just don't think I can do the issues anymore, I think I'll have to stick to the paperback's.

Anyone know if the other series of X-Men are good? I think there's an Extreme or something, and I'm guessing that Uncanny is still running, not sure though.

Last comic series I actually bought the issues to was Preacher, oh how I love Ennis and Dillon. :)

[dawgfan]

I have a buddy that still buys & reads comics. His recommendation is to go with the Ultimate line. The deal with these is Marvel is reinventing their main characters (X-Men, Spider-Man, Daredevil, Avengers aka the Ultimates, etc.) as though they were starting off in the present day. This gives the writers freedom to borrow bits and pieces of original stories and origins as they see fit and weave them into a contemporary setting.

His take is that the Ultimate X-Men is the best of the X-men lines, over the original Uncanny line and the Extreme line. Extreme is written by Chris Claremont though, so if you were a fan of his original run on the X-Men it might be worth taking a look. My buddy can't stomach him anymore so he doesn't buy it - he thinks Claremont has gone too far into the touchy-feely too much talking/not enough action direction.

[Franklinnoble]

Originally posted by dawgfan

His take is that the Ultimate X-Men is the best of the X-men lines, over the original Uncanny line and the Extreme line. Extreme is written by Chris Claremont though, so if you were a fan of his original run on the X-Men it might be worth taking a look. My buddy can't stomach him anymore so he doesn't buy it - he thinks Claremont has gone too far into the touchy-feely too much talking/not enough action direction.

Yeah, Claremont hasn't been the same since he tried to fart out a few really bad sci-fi novels. He was awesome in the late 80's... now, well, he's just a failed sci-fi author who forgets that he's writing comic book stories. Still, the art in Extreme X-Men is pretty sweet... if you like well-proportioned and scantily clad comic babes. ;)

[Coffee Warlord]

Am I the only one that was not impressed with X-2?

It wasn't *bad*, mind you. Good effects, they have certainly casted the characters well, but, I simply felt the entire pace of the movie was just...off. The movie simply seems unfulfilling throughout.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally posted by Coffee Warlord
Am I the only one that was not impressed with X-2?

It wasn't *bad*, mind you. Good effects, they have certainly casted the characters well, but, I simply felt the entire pace of the movie was just...off. The movie simply seems unfulfilling throughout.

Nah. I am with you more or less. The pacing was way off. No real begining, middle, or end.

[Honolulu_Blue]

As for great trade paperbacks. Go out and get the trade papaerback for the "Dark Phoenix Saga" or "Days of Future Past." These are a collection of some classic X-Men of old. They are, more or less, total stories. Great, great stuff. Classics.

[GrantDawg]

Originally posted by Honolulu_Blue
As for great trade paperbacks. Go out and get the trade papaerback for the "Dark Phoenix Saga" or "Days of Future Past." These are a collection of some classic X-Men of old. They are, more or less, total stories. Great, great stuff. Classics.

I'll be looking for them. I don't know if there is a really good comic shop in town in more. The last good one was the one I worked for 15 years ago.

[sasquatch]

If you're going to get back into reading comics, don't limit yourself to just the superhero genre. There are a lot of great comics out there that are telling so many different great stories in so many other different, more interesting genres than that of spandex-clad warriors hitting each other. Most of them are in trade paperback form too. Some trade paperbacks I'd recommend in other genres are:

Historical Fiction: Berlin by Jason Lutes, Age of Bronze by Eric Shanower

Humor: The Adventures of Barry Ween: Boy Genius by Judd Winick

Political Thriller: Queen and Country by Greg Rucka

Slice of Life: Box Office Poison by Alex Robinson

Sci-fi Social Commentary: Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis

Crime: Jinx, Goldfish, and Torso by Brian Michael Bendis

I don't know if these are everybody's cup of tea, but I think they're all well crafted and non-superhero-centric.

[Qwikshot]

Originally posted by sasquatch
If you're going to get back into reading comics, don't limit yourself to just the superhero genre. There are a lot of great comics out there that are telling so many different great stories in so many other different, more interesting genres than that of spandex-clad warriors hitting each other. Most of them are in trade paperback form too. Some trade paperbacks I'd recommend in other genres are:

Historical Fiction: Berlin by Jason Lutes, Age of Bronze by Eric Shanower

Humor: The Adventures of Barry Ween: Boy Genius by Judd Winick

Political Thriller: Queen and Country by Greg Rucka

Slice of Life: Box Office Poison by Alex Robinson

Sci-fi Social Commentary: Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis

Crime: Jinx, Goldfish, and Torso by Brian Michael Bendis

I don't know if these are everybody's cup of tea, but I think they're all well crafted and non-superhero-centric.

What about Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" Series?!?
Or even "Maus"

The problem with comics is that they are like soap operas...I feel that you had to be at the start to understand it all...and really I can't partake in another costly hobby, so I'll sit this one out...but a grade school friend of mine had stacks...and I remember friends of mine gushing over a guy called "Badger"...but I never got into it.

[Anthony]

Quote:
"And seeing him jump/fly over huge spans of ground just doesn't fit in with his character at all."

he was always able to do that. he could really span large distances in one single jump. a co-worker of mine pointed out that he saw the Hulk running really fast in the trailer, and asked if he was able to do that, and i had to say that speed wasn't his thing, especially when he first came out when he was just a big pile of muscle and not much in the brain dept. while i would say he's as fast as your average powerful hero gifted with stregnth, the speed thing ain't eactly his bag. it look bad and i refuse to pay around $10 for a movie ticket to see it. i'll wait for it on cable.

i saw Daredevil and was not impressed. i only wanted to see it for Bullseye's dart scene in the bar. i think he was played great. Michael Clark Duncan was miscast. with special effects they could have taken Pee Wee Herman and made him monstrous. Marlon Brando would have been a great kingpin, he's naturally robust.

Duncan looked like he took "Intro To Laughing Like A Villain 101" right before they shot the movie. LOL. it's good for kids i guess. i knew Affleck was gonna fuck it up like he did Pearl Harbor. I spent 60% of the movie trying to decide if Jennifer Garner deserved to be #2 on my top 3 Hot Chick list (Britney is #1). she passed. she's hot.

X-2 was a rare example of a sequel being better than the original. great movie. not enough Colosus - if he was gonna be in it for 2 minutes they should have done without him.

Note: for those of you who see the movie, here's something neat. in the bar scene with Mystique and the drunk Prison Guard, there is a tv in the background. on it is a doctor being interviewed on a talk show. the Dr.'s name is Dr. Hank McCoy.

aka The Beast (sans blue fur).

[Franklinnoble]

The Beast didn't always have blue fur... I caught that one, along with the Remy LeBeau name on Stryker's computer. When I get the DVD, I'll probably geek out and pause on scenes like that just to see what other little "Easter Eggs" are hidden in the film.

[cthomer5000]

Originally posted by Coffee Warlord
Am I the only one that was not impressed with X-2?

It wasn't *bad*, mind you. Good effects, they have certainly casted the characters well, but, I simply felt the entire pace of the movie was just...off. The movie simply seems unfulfilling throughout.

For a million reasons, I didn't get to see the movie before tonight. I came home, looked up this thread, and couldn't believe I read this far before anyone even said anything slightly negative about it. It's an alright movie, but neither one has been a masterpiece.

Right off the bat we get a decent opening sequence with horrible music to make sure it seems completely corny. I think the score has been the worst aspect of both films so far, at times totally inappropriate or overshadowing the movie itself. Nightcrawler himself looked great, and Alan Cummings grew on me by the end of the movie, I liked the character overall.

I could write a bunch, but i'm getting damn tired right now. Time to speed things up.

Things I liked
Rogue/Iceman sexual tension early in the film. It seemed genuine and addressed the intensely human issue of Rogues "gift."

Jean Grey. solid acting, and very nice to look at. I wasn't nuts about the ending, but let it slide due to not being very familiar with her comic book history.

The raid on the school. Great scene overall. Certainly helped underscore Wolverines insane rages and willingness to slaughter at will.

Cyclops. I don't know the actors name, but he makes the character believable upright and forward.

Storm was definitely improved in this film, she sucked in the first.


Things I didn't like
The special effects at Bobby's parents house. The worst looking of everything in the film.

The fact that Professor X could just wipe out all humans or mutants if he wanted with Cerebro. It felt like a pretty cheesy doomsday storyline. Why in the fuck would he build a machine that strong?

The film's score. And the pacing seemed all over the place. Sometimes moving too fast, sometimes moving too slow. I think there need to be some longer dialogue scenes in general. No one is ever standing still for a minute in these movies because there are so many characters involved.


overall i thought the movie was "good" . I'd grade it a C+/B-