"foX-Men" Re-watch: X-Men

 "X-Men" (2000)

Believe it or not, there was a time when superhero films weren't the ubiquitous box office giants that they are today. After the box office dud and critical failure of "Batman & Robin," Studios weren't ready to take a chance on them, but 20th Century Fox had faith that a movie based on the reigning champs of the comics world would reinvigorate the genre and they weren't wrong. "X-Men" was the beginning of their take on the X-franchise that ended last year with the release of "The New Mutants." As we wait to see how the MCU is going to integrate Marvel's Merry Mutants into their shared universe, I thought it would be fun to re-watch and take a look back at the peaks and many valleys of this era beginning with the film that stated it all, 2000's "X-Men."

Principal photography on "X-Men" began on September 22, 1999 and ended on March 3, 2000. The film stars Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier, Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto, Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine, Halle Berry as Ororo Munroe/Storm, Famke Janssen as Jean Grey, James Marsden as Scott Summers/Cyclops, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as Raven Darkholme/Mystique, Bruce Davison as Senator Robert Kelly, Ray Park as Mortimer Toynbee/Toad, Tyler Mane as Victor Creed/Sabretooth, Shawn Ashmore as Bobby Drake/Iceman and Anna Paquin as Marie D'Ancanto/Rogue. The film was written by David Hayter. It was directed by Bryan Singer. "X-Men" was released on July 14, 2000.

SNIKT!

It's always fun for me to re-watch the original "X-Men" movie because I'm immediately transported back to that time in my life. It was the summer before my senior year. We had survived Y2K. I was pumped to finally be a senior. I remember sitting in the Capitol  II theater in Newton, Iowa, the day it was released. It was packed. I am pretty sure I went with my youth pastor at the time and her boyfriend who was also a big X-Men fan. I was like giddy. This was my "The Phantom Menace." I only bring that up because it was released the year before. As the lights went down, I just remember thinking how crazy it was that I was going to finally see these characters in "real life." It was a trip.

I want to start off by acknowledging that Bryan Singer is garbage. He and Roland Emmerich, another prominent director of the time, took advantage of teenage boys at gross pool parties and while he will most likely never face real justice for what he's done, he will never work again in Hollywood. Fingers crossed. I hate that he is associated with the X-Men in any way. I completely understand if you can't enjoy the X-Men films because Bryan Singer. That is completely valid. You may be able to compartmentalize and enjoy the films despite his involvement and that is OK too. How we consume media and why we do or don't is personal and I don't really think there is a wrong or right way to do that. I really thought it would be wrong not to point this out right from the start. That being done, let's get into the film itself.

In a lot of ways, "X-Men" was a template for modern superhero films. Bryan Singer was coming off directing the critically acclaimed "The Usual Suspects," not to mention "Apt Pupil," which also starred Ian McKellen. Ian McKellen was a classically trained, Oscar nominated actor. Halle Berry was one year away from winning the Oscar for "Monster's Ball." These are not the people that you would expect to be in a movie like this. They definitely toned down the more comic book-y elements, too. They didn't want colorful costumes, which is why they put them in the black leather outfits. I hate those. I will forever hate those. I hate that they made the move to the comics, too. I get it on both ends. But I still hate them and I will always hate it.

Ugh. Black leather.

One of the big strengths that the movie has is its cast. These are really strong and talented actors and I'd like to single a few of them out, if I may. Of course, I may. This is my blog and I do what I want.

Hugh Jackman was an unknown when he was cast as Wolverine. He was mainly a stage actor. He wasn't their first choice. They wanted Russel Crowe, but he said  nah. The role was initially given to Dougray Scott, the guy who currently plays Kate Kane's dad on "Batwoman." He had to back out due to his filming of "Mission: Impossible 2," plus he had to recover from a motorbike accident. Jackman wouldn't have been my first choice. He had zero experience. He was too tall. Not Canadian. But I'll be goddamned if he didn't kill this role. This will be the role that he is forever most known for and I kind of pity whoever they cast to be the MCU Wolverine. He's got huge shoes to fill. I remember watching Jackman as Logan and like, he just got it. The voice. The mannerisms. Any trepidation you had just fell away. He's definitely one of the bright spots of the film and this is coming from someone who is far from a Wolverine stan. 

Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen are so good. Stewart was sort of a no brainer for Xavier. A bald headed actor who has nerd crew already? Check. He's just so good. It's like Xavier wheeled off the screen of "X-Men: The Animated Series" into this movie. I'll be honest, 17 year old Eric was very unsure of McKellen as Magneto. This old guy playing the Master of Magnetism? I wasn't convinced. But, McKellen changed my mind in his very first scene in the hallway with Xavier after the hearing. Like, he just embodied everything about Magneto. His age made no difference. These two are great friends and that obvious camaraderie translated to the screen and made this very important pairing shine.

Can we talk about Rebecca Romijn-Stamos (at the time)? Who would have thought that a model in her first major role with barely any dialogue would kind of walk away with the movie? It is pretty clear that Romijn's catwalk experience really informed and enhanced her work as Mystique. Her movements are just so captivating and when she's onscreen you can't take your eyes off her and I think that would be true even if she wasn't basically naked covered in blue paint. Another model who rocks the movie is Famke Janssen playing my all-time favorite comic book character Jean Grey. Janssen slays as Jean and yes I'm biased. From her initial speech in front of Congress, I was sold. I'm not sure she needed to be a doctor since it's barely touched on in the other movies, but whatever. Then, there is Halle Berry rocking the first of 4 bad wigs and bad accents. Seriously, she has a different wig and different accent in each movie she appears in. It's fine. They do Storm kind of dirty in these movies, but we will talk about that another time.

Stabbed.

Is "X-Men" a good movie? Yes and no. It definitely takes itself too seriously a lot of the time. It is pretty heavy handed with the marginalized people metaphor that is X-Men and that metaphor is not subtle to begin with. The movie opens in a concentration camp for God's sake. The dialogue can be corny as hell. The most glaring example of that being the "What happens to a Toad when it's struck by lightning?" line, which will and should never stop being mocked. Poor James Marsden is basically just there to be snarked on by Wolverine and be the third in a love triangle that feels unnecessary. Jackman and Janssen have so much chemistry it's difficult to see Scott as a viable roadblock to them being together. The movie suffers from what a lot of superhero movies suffer from when it comes to the threat. Magneto's making everyone a mutant machine kind of falls apart when you look at it too closely. It's one of those vaguely defined things that always shoot bright lights that you can't think about too hard. I'll never be a big fan of Anna Paquin's aged down Rogue. Like, Rogue is this sassy, powerful, semi-tragic, super charismatic Southern Belle and like Paquin just doesn't bring a lot to the role. Some of it is the writing for sure. I feel like if she had brought some Sookie from "True Blood" to this role, it would have been much more successful.

All that being said, I do enjoy the movie. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with nostalgia and just always remembering the feelings I first felt when I saw it. But aside from the casting, which as I've pointed out, is pretty top notch and the Easter eggs littered throughout the film for the diehard fans, this movie is not really bad. It's just good, but you can see the potential for something great, which would be realized with "X2: X-Men United," one of the best superhero films of all time. Fight me. The movie makes set up fun and interesting, which is not easy to do. The action pieces are pretty bad ass. It makes sense that each "X-Men" film would have an action set piece featuring Wolverine and his first against Mystique is the second best one. The fight choreography is so fluid and really utilizes each mutants unique fighting style. His last fight scene with Sabretooth is great, too. Not as good as the fight against Mystique, but solid. Storm may not get too much play but each time she uses her powers is, visually especially, one of the best scenes of the movie. The Toad dialogue may be corny, but the lightning sparking around Storm and the bolt that sends Toad flying into the ocean is dope.

"X-Men" is a movie that I would recommend to any comic book fan or MCU fan. If you haven't seen it, I'd definitely check it out. It's a movie that I love watching every couple of years and I kind of wrap myself in it like a warm blanket and revel in the early aughts goodness.

Next up, William Stryker menaces the mutants and Nightcrawler BAMFs onto the scene.

I'd love to hear your memories of the first "X-Men," especially if you saw it in theaters like I did. Where does it rank for you out of all the X movies. Let me know in the comments.