X-men, a Film Series

I would like to discuss X-Men in a manner I have not seen discussed at length before; as a series of films. The X-Men comic is one of the longest and most complicated comic continuities in existence. Most fans look at the films as an interesting side note in the long popularity of the comic. I am not most fans. My introduction to the world of X-Men was the first film, and I loved it. As a big fan of sci-fi/action movies, I thought it had just the right mix of, action, characters, and plot. In particular I loved the core characters of the x-men vs. the Magneto group. Wolverine, Cyclops, Jean, Storm, Rogue, and Xavier; Magneto and Mystique as the villains. That is what I see x-men as. The fact that there was much more story then was being shown in the movies was clear, however comic book films are hardly alone in this. X2 continued the trend, picking up where the first film left off, and moving the plot in exciting directions.
    The problem with X-men 3 is it introduces way to many new characters, and doesn’t continue what was set up in the last two movies. Archangel may have been on of the original x-men in the comics, but to me he was just a random character introduced into the movie that had very little significance. At the same time Rogue, arguably the main character of the first movie had very little screen time. Another main character is killed off-screen. The Beast and The Juggernaut were fun characters that were introduced, but I still would have rather seen more of the characters that we have come to know and love over the past two movies. Why cut down Mystique’s role and introduce The Juggernaut when Mystique’s character has been built up so much? Maybe it’s just the way I look the series of movies as something that could be ongoing, while the writers may have looked at some of the character’s arcs as complete.

My other problem with this movie is there is way too much story crammed into a movie that is not all that long. Jean and the dark phoenix story could have had its own movie, and so could the storyline about the mutant “cure”. Magneto’s plans for Jean are never really explained as far as I can remember. I also felt like a few times in the movie they were just trying to throw as many mutants in the movie as they could, just for the hell of it.

What I did like were things that were set up in the previous movie and fulfilled. My favorite moment was seeing Ice-man put the smack down on Pyro. That was one hell of a pay off.

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X-Men Trilogy (X-Men/ X2 - X-Men United/ X-Men - The Last Stand)