X-MEN TRILOGY ON BLU-RAY | REWINE | REVIEWS | DONNE TEMPO
X-Men Trilogy returns in high definition
(Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. $79.98 for Blu-ray)By Jacquie Kubin and Cornelius Crimple
When X-Men the Movie came out in 2000, it set my standard for the 21st century comic book films. And while I adore Spider-Man (2002, 2004, & 2007) his tale of personal discovery in no way compares to Bryan Singer’s film of interpersonal strife, racial intolerance and bigotry due to fear.
The X-Men’s story is one of conflict – conflict between the “mutants” and humans. Mutants have strange powers that allow them to fly, morph through walls, and manipulate metal, electricity and the weather. They are stronger, faster, and physically and mentally superior to humans.
In interviews with creator Stan Lee he spoke of the conflicts of the 1960’s and their influence on his books. At that time, as now, minority groups including Jews, African-Americans and Gay-Lesbian persons found themselves living in conflict – as outsiders within America.
The X-Men comic books over the last 45 years continued to explore issues of diversity and human rights and the characters in the books and movies share a range of unique issues.
The film introduces some of those core characters including Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart).
Restricted to his wheelchair, Professor X has extraordinary telepathic abilities that allow him to read and manipulate the minds of others. Professor X leads the X-Men in his idealized dream for peaceful coexistence between mutants and man.
The Yang to Professor X’s Ying, is, Erik Lensherr, a.k.a. Magneto (Ian McKellen). As a child he watched his parents disappear into WWII concentration camps, a scene powerfully shown in the films opening sequence.
Magneto’s powers include the ability to manipulate metal and an advanced understanding of how to manipulate human genes. The wounds of being persecuted during World War II for his heritage are left raw and bleeding by his continued persecution as a Mutant.
Once an allies of Xavier’s, Magneto is now on the other side of the struggle between the mutants who wish to pursue peaceful measures and those that want to take what they feel their superior abilities entitle them to.
Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is a Canadian who nothing less than belligerent. A loner he has no memory of who he is, or what he is. His mutant powers include “claws” that extend from between his knuckles and his ability to rapidly heal from any injury.
Somewhere in Wolverine’s past, his skeleton was encased in a powerful metal called adamantium, rendering his claws into razor sharp knives and his body virtually indestructible.
Rogue, or Marie (Anna Paquin) comes into her power as a teen when she shares a first kiss with her boyfriend – absorbing his life energy and putting him into a coma.
She runs away from her native New Orleans, meeting Wolverine in Northern Alberta, Canada in a bar, the only open “business” in a very small town. Recognizing that he too has “powers” she attaches herself to the brutish, but oh so handsome stranger.
They are quickly attacked by Sabertooth, or Victor Creed (Shawn Ashmore) who has been sent by Magneto to apprehend the mutants.
Enter Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops (James Marsden) for the red laser beam of absolute power that shoots from his eyes and Ororo Munroe, or Storm (Halley Berry) a young women from Kenya who is able to manipulate the weather, and who rescue Rogue and Wolverine returning them to Professor X’s West Chester New York mansion that serves as a school for gifted children, or mutants.
And this is all in the opening minutes of the film.
From the top of this roller coaster the ride is very, very fast and furious as director Singer opens our eyes and consciousness to the concept of being different than mainstream middle-America society, and the pain that comes with it.
It’s pretty deep stuff for a comic book movie.
The films is filled with plenty of action as the school is attacked under the command of Lieutenant Colonial William Stryker, the man behind the government’s Weapon X program and Wolverine’s sharp blades, while Magneto is planning the genetic alteration of World Leaders meeting for an Ellis Island summit.
Magneto’s henchmen, in addition to Sabertooth, include the beautiful, blue shape-shifter Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stammos) and Toad (Ray Park) and agile mutant capable of jumping long distances, using his whiplash –prehensile tongue with deadly force and the ability to spit a slimy goop that hardens over the face of adversary, causing them to suffocate.
The final showdown between the X-Men and Magneto’s Brotherhood happens at the Statue of Liberty, which Magneto tells a young Rogue he first saw when he came to America as a child, seeking a land of tolerance.
It may have only been a comic book movie, but nine years later it holds up as a powerful statement of the bias that is inherent in our society.
X2: X-Men United. Clocking in at 134 minutes, the best of the trilogy offers a familiar X-Men team out to stop one of Wolverine's maniacal mentors William Stryker from eliminating the mutant menace.
Not only is Hugh Jackman ferocious as Logan but Magento's escape from prison is just spectacular. The addition of actor Alan Cummings as the hyper religious Nightcrawler takes the movie to new emotional levels.
I also like the introduction of stronger themes of racism and discrimination by Mr. Singer and his writers.
It gives a welcomed nod to the original source material and took the film above the summer popcorn munching movie fodder.
X-Men: Last Stand. The best looking of the three films, and in high definition, finds Brett Ratner in the director's chair while Bryan Singer was off trying to resurrect the Superman film franchise for Warner Bros.
The mutant versus human war is rages on after Magneto finds out a pharmaceutical company has created a supposed cure to suppress the Homo Superior gene.
Mr. Ratner not only delivers a pretty intense movie offering, he also rings out plenty of emotional turmoil for the team thanks to the death of core members and a gut wrenching finale between Wolverine and Jean Grey.
When I saw the film in theaters, I had wished it was longer than the minutes but this time around, it felt just right.
Note worthy X-Men additions to this final film include a feisty Kitty Pride (played by "Juno" star Ellen Page) and the Beast comes to life courtesy of heavy blue make-up effects and Kelsey Grammar.
However, the furry Frasier has no where the impact that Nightcrawler had in X2.
Note: All three movies come with a third disc holding the coveted digital copy of the film. Let me remind folks that I would rather stick one of Wolverine's claws in my eye than watch any of these big budgeted action films on an iPod.
BEST X-MEN EXTRAS ON THE BLU-RAY
There is lots of stuff to look at over two
discs. Unfortunately not much is memorable.
Movie fans that already own the X-Men 1.5 DVD set will experience a bit of déjà vu as the Trilogy edition content is the same. However, worth watching are the the massive Evolution X marketing documentary (over two hours long) for those unaware of the film’s genesis and an optional commentary track with Mr. Singer and Brian Peck.
Movie fans that already own the X-Men 1.5 DVD set will experience a bit of déjà vu as the Trilogy edition content is the same. However, worth watching are the the massive Evolution X marketing documentary (over two hours long) for those unaware of the film’s genesis and an optional commentary track with Mr. Singer and Brian Peck.
BEST X2: X-MEN UNITED EXTRAS ON THE BLU-RAY
Nothing innovative her folks, just plenty of
production featurettes culled from the Special
DVD release from 2003.
Viewers will find interest in a pair of optional commentary tracks (the one with Bryan Singer stands out) and an awfully inadequate, 15-minute "Origin of the X-Men" documentary that, despite Stan Lee and Chris Claremont's appearance does not pay justice to this comic book franchise.
Viewers will find interest in a pair of optional commentary tracks (the one with Bryan Singer stands out) and an awfully inadequate, 15-minute "Origin of the X-Men" documentary that, despite Stan Lee and Chris Claremont's appearance does not pay justice to this comic book franchise.
BEST X-MEN: THE LAST STAND EXTRAS ON THE BLU-RAY
A pair of throwaway commentary tracks are not
required listening. First screenwriters Zack
Penn and Simon Kinberg along with Mr. Ratner
hit new levels of banality.
Only Mr. Penn has anything worth saying and most of which should appeal more to the X-Men comic book fan than average viewer. The second features a geyser of adoration from the producers.
However, amongst the generous list of featurettes, "Generation X: Comic Book History" really delivers the goods with an hour-long look at the new, multicultural X-team that hit stands in the mid 1970s and continued to evolve.
Writer Chris Claremont anchors the informative flow of memories with help from heavyweights such as Len (co-creator of Wolverine) Wein, editor Louise Simonson, Jim Lee, and Dave Cockrum and Mark Millar.
Only Mr. Penn has anything worth saying and most of which should appeal more to the X-Men comic book fan than average viewer. The second features a geyser of adoration from the producers.
However, amongst the generous list of featurettes, "Generation X: Comic Book History" really delivers the goods with an hour-long look at the new, multicultural X-team that hit stands in the mid 1970s and continued to evolve.
Writer Chris Claremont anchors the informative flow of memories with help from heavyweights such as Len (co-creator of Wolverine) Wein, editor Louise Simonson, Jim Lee, and Dave Cockrum and Mark Millar.
FOOD TO VIEW BY - Cheesy Beef and Macaroni Casserole
Professor X’s Cheesy Beef and Macaroni Casserole
This casserole is a favorite of Professor X’s because he can keep his eyes, and mind, focused while eating from just one bowl. Add a piece of crusty garlic bread and you have a meal to make any mutant happy.Casseroles are easy to make however when making a cheesy dish such as this, it is so important to not over cook the casserole.
Ingredients:
* 8 ounces elbow macaroni, uncooked
* Salt
* 1/4 cup chopped onion
* 1 medium green pepper, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/4-cup butter
* 1/2-teaspoon pepper
* 1-pound ground beef (preferably organic, ground sirloin)
* 1 medium bay leaf
* 1 can (14.5) ounces stewed tomatoes
* 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Method:
Cook macaroni in boiling salted water according to package directions. In a large saucepan (may be done the day ahead of time.)
Combine 1/4-teaspoon salt, onion, garlic, butter, pepper, diced green pepper and the bay leaf into a large pan and cook until the onion become translucent. Remove the bay leaf and add the ground beef and brown, breaking the pieces up uniformly. Drain any excess grease however if you use a lean sirloin, this step should be unnecessary.
When fully cooked, add the stewed tomatoes and cook until any liquid has evaporated.
When fully cooked, stir in 1 1/2 cups of the Cheddar cheese. Spoon about half of the macaroni into a buttered 2-quart casserole. Top with cooked meat mixture then remaining macaroni and reserved cheese.
Bake beef macaroni casserole, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes.
Beef Macaroni Casserole serves 6.