Open Forum Friday: Can the X-Men Movie Franchise Still Be Salvaged?

Posted by on May 1st, 2009   Filed under: Open Forum Friday

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As people head out to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine this weekend, the question on a lot of people’s minds will no doubt be, how does it compare to the previous X-Men films? While I’m sure some will claim it is better than X-Men: The Last Stand, it’s still hard to get past the feeling that something is missing. It’s not quite an X-Men movie, even though it wants to be one. With Fox currently contemplating even more X-Men prequels and spin-offs, they run the risk of alienating their audience and watering down the X-Men name to the point of no return. Are they playing with fire?

Perhaps the question is irrelevant in this age of reboots, where studios can easily erase their past mistakes, but I do think the X-Men series is at an important crossroads here. There are a LOT of characters in the X-Men universe, but only a few that can support a standalone movie. Wolverine makes sense, but would a Magneto prequel really draw a crowd? What about the proposed X-Men: First Class spin-off for younger viewers? If you ask me, there are only so many new characters you can introduce before audiences get confused, and only so many times a movie series can change creative hands before audiences stop caring. At that point you just have to make a clean break and start over again from scratch.

What do you think? Do you like the idea of an unlimited stream of X-Men spin-offs from different directors? Would you prefer to see X-Men 4 or is that now impossible? Are all comic book movie franchises simply doomed to die after four installments? Give us your thoughts here on Open Forum Friday.



  • I found Wolverine Origins to be OK at best. Bunch of plot holes, poor story telling and changes things from X2. You are right, Sean, this wants to be an X-Men film and that is why it suffers. Instead of focusing on Wolverine, a bunch of characters are introduced with no development like Wade Wilson.

    I wished they went another few years without another X-Men related film. Last Stand left a bitter taste and Wolverine didn’t help to get it out, it made it worse. But doesn’t Fox have to make some sort of X-Men film every 4 years or they loose the rights?

  • I am a HUGE X-Men fan and after seeing Wolverine last night I kinda wish they would stop for now. They should give it some time and then try either a new X-men story continuing after The Last Stand (a long time after) so the characters can have time to mature, change, etc. Or just completely start over with a different establishing team. I could see a ‘first class’ film being cool only if they used the original mutants from the actual comics (Cyclops, Jean Grey, Angel, Beast and Iceman) and no Wolverine again for a while.

  • ShenEvil44

    FilmSpunk: The only plot holes I found were:
    1.) William Stryker’s son was called Bill in this film. In X-Men 2, his name was Jason.

    2.) William Stryker was NOT played by Brian Cox like in X-Men 2.(This one is a HUGE mistake)

    3.) Victor Creed(Sabertooth) was played by another actor in this film. I guess they couldn’t get the guy from X-Men 1.(Unless they are portraying him as a younger version BEFORE he grew bulkier with a lot of hair)

  • I wouldn’t call replacing actors plot holes. Stryker is younger, so it made since placing Cox’s and Tyler Mane wasn’t brought back because the guy doesn’t have acting chops.

    plot holes I found

    *spoiler*

    We find out that Sliverfox is alive at the end, but why didn’t Wolverine see through this? Did he not bury her? Did he just leave her body in the middle of the woods to rot? With Wolverine’s heightened senses, would he sense the blood is not hers?

    We find out that she faked her own death so that Stryker would leave her sister go. Sliverfox’s power is to make people do what she wants them to do, why didn’t she just use her power on Stryker to let her sister go?

    We don’t find out why Wade joined Weapon XI.

    ”1.) William Stryker’s son was called Bill in this film. In X-Men 2, his name was Jason”

    I didn’t catch that, but thats hilarious.

  • ShenEvil44

    Filmspunk: Actually, referring to that “Bill” error, it wasn’t a mistake. I rewatched it again with the workprint version and he was actually mentioning Stryker’s name. “Bill” is short for William. I got confused because of the way the actor pronounced the line.

    The error was mine on this one.

    As for Silverfox not being able to “persuade” Stryker to letting her sister go,he had Victor to keep her in check and as I recall, her powers don’t really work on him as we see in the film. Logan as well since they’re brothers.

    As for Wade becoming Weapon XI, they probably tricked him just as they were about to trick Logan and wipe his memory.

    The reason why he probably didn’t bury Silverfox after she “died”, is because he was so enraged and he had to chase after Victor’s trail. Otherwise,he would’ve lost his scent.

    Looks like I just closed up those plot holes for ya, lol.

  • von duvois jacobs

    what a mess I have been collecting comics since I was 14 I am now 36,
    X-3….
    Phpenix was raped of her character, Juggernaut pissed on, rogue ignored,,,,,storm de powered,,,,I mean i love to read the stories! they were so exciting,
    I mean Rachel , Cable,??????
    X-3 hurt so much,,,Psylocke IGNORED!
    Angel well what was the point!
    I enjoyed X-2 , I mean it was inviting , it had passion ,,,
    Comics have passion! In X-3, what I saw was a horrible thing to do to our childhood character,I mean movies are about passion , If they (brett ratner,Tim rothman)
    Would have had the balls to be passionate about , you would see it on screen.

    Hugh Jackman does it with his character you see he enjoys it!PASSION!
    Can you say the same thing for Cyclops, Jean Grey , Storm in X-3?(Claremonts Vision)was so interesting!
    I understand Comics films have to be open but if they stick to what the esscense is in the comics, the soul and spirit that keeps us coming back,(Rachel and her love for the x,men<Gambit an the Marauders,White queen an Cyclops
    Cmon,,,, iT worked for Iron Man,,,I blame Tim Rothman an Brett Ratner,
    Please dont even talk about Galactus in ff2?
    THEY ARE COMICS!!!!!
    peace all an thanks for letting me rant!

  • Goon

    I dont worry about it as a franchise because its 3 films and one supplemental in… find me other modern franchises that manage to still be okay/passable after a couple films, its not easy keeping it fresh or keeping the top talent on board and interested.

  • Bob The Slob

    to boil it down: ALL THE X MOVIES ARE BLAND. Plain and simple. Bland movies without any vision. Also…4 films and still, STILL, not a single ACTUAL berserker attack by Wolverine. (and no…that wussy crap in X2 doesnt count)

  • Hoop The Super-doop

    They definately weren’t bland to begin with. They were patient. Singer spent time developing a big, broad realistic world, one where we could believe mutation and how it would be percieved in a completely realistic way. Even viewed under a microscope the detail in the first two is superb. His eerie, nauseating version of Weapon X literally sends chills through the spine and the characters (if perhaps too few) had such depth…..Roll on Brett Ratner. Magneto’s reduced to a cackling effeminate “baddie”, Rogue(our central heroin from day 1)disappears. Xavier ‘sploded. Cyclops grew stubbled then died. Pyro’s subtle turn to the dark side turns into “Ice vs. Fire! whoosh effects!” The message of discrimination and prejudice is muddled with “Mutant-Friendly” White House with it’s token-Blue-guy played by staunch Bush supporter Kelsey Grammer.
    That film raped my childhood.
    And Wolverine? Well…that was just…a tad better. Like saying Batman:Forever was better than Batman and Robin really.

  • Maopheus

    X-Men will always be difficult to do because of it’s large cast of characters and long history. You can’t put everyone in, or else it will get overloaded and confusing, but if you leave certain characters out it will piss some people off. The question, of course, is what is the prospective maker(s) of the next X-Men film(s) trying to accomplish? I mean other than making money. What kind of story do they want to tell? At least with the mutant background, you know that there will always be an ongoing battle because the two sides are pretty dead set against each other and you can identify and sympathize with both viewpoints. It makes the story interesting because it’s not a straight-up good vs. evil thing even though Magneto calls his bunch the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
    But overall I don’t believe that franchises should last too long. 3-4 films max, and things tend to peter out. Eventually time go on, the main actors and creative people either demand too much money, get too bored, or too old.

  • Goon

    The phrase “raped my childhood” needs to die a fiery death.

    “Singer spent time developing a big, broad realistic world, one where we could believe mutation and how it would be percieved in a completely realistic way.”

    Lets be honest, X-Men 1 is mediocre at best and is really just a very good trailer for X2. I still think X-men 3 for all its flaws is actually better than the first movie. It’s at least more entertaining.

  • Goon

    “The message of discrimination and prejudice is muddled with “Mutant-Friendly” White House with it’s token-Blue-guy played by staunch Bush supporter Kelsey Grammer.”

    God so what if Grammer is a republican? Does him being a Republican make Sideshow Bob less great satire? No. Does Ed Asner being ultraliberal mean that every time he plays Santa Claus, Santa Claus is liberal? No. This sounds like the people complaining about Travolta being in Hairspray all over again.

  • BlackSmoke

    to be honest the whole x-men movies are mediocre. its like kiddy illogical stuffs going on in them movies. stick a blade in n no blood comes out? modern audiences are not easily impresses anymore by just cgi

  • Rick

    This conversation is about weather or not we the x men films should go on, or should the be done for good. Not the politics assosciatated with the individual characters.

    My problem with the movies is that the characters did not act like the x men i know. Scott (cyclops) is supossed to be the leader. Not this laid back quiet emo preppy boy. Wolverine did what he wanted and was a bad good guy, he wasn’t so polite about it. Storm wasn’t so quiet. rouge could fly, Where the hell is jubilee?

    I don’t know, i’m for letting the x men films end. If i’m bored and tired with them i’m sure there is alot of other people who are too. I went to the movie. it was ok. it was entertianing. but it wasn’t like, “wo that was fuckin awesome”! Ya know what i mean?

  • BlackSmoke

    the only worthy story left now is the alien Shia’ powerhouses and the Apocalypse. but i wouldnt want to see them being made if it meant more KIDDY LOGIC! they’d have to stick with the traits of the original characters in the comics. but it’d be a miracle if that happened. for example, magneto wos a bad ass old man with ultimate wargear armor, not a crippled old man with a funny helmet. n Gambit wos suppos to be like all French cool-dont-give-a-dam-dude not an americanised sissyboy!

    as the saying goes. better stop when you’re behind. or at least until a studio comes in and gets it right. wolverine was close, but no cigar.

  • Hoop the super doop

    I know the Republican jab was irreverent but it seemed indicative of the slide towards a more conservative agenda. Was I the only one to notice Magnetos brotherhood consisted almost entirely of vagabondish punks, black people and hispanics while our clean-cut white heroes stnad side by side wih the American military, the guys who invaded their school and stole their children only a few months before. No logic.
    The future of the series wouldn’t even be a question if Ratner hadn’t decimated half the cast because it was “cool”. Even Bryan Singer said he’d do another one if he had any X-Men left after X-Men3. There;s a hundred stories to be told but Ratner managed to scuttle the whole ship.
    IMHO the best screen adaptation to date has to be Hulk Vs. Wolverine. More gory than X-Men:Origins and Deadpool was bloody spot-on.

  • christopher

    First of all id like to say that i thought all three X-men films were the same. I was surprised Wolverine grossed out more on its first weekend than the first two X-men films but didnt out grossed X3. Wolverine was just as good as the X-men films but i wouldnt say it was far better. I hope there there be a X-men 4 etc. since they still have major baddies like Mr. Sinister and Apolcalypse, not to mention using the Sentinels as originally intended for X3. Id like to have future sequels get back to the basics. For Example, i can see how Cyclops and Jean were brought back as they’re DNA was used to make clones etc. but that would be unrealistic to me on film. Id like to see Storm take Cyclop’s place as team leader since she was 2nd in command and have Wolverine as her 2nd in command. Im lost for words about Rogue since supposely she gave up her powers and we all know she gets the rest of her powers from MS. Marvel in the comics so im not sure how you bring Rogue back even if bringing Ms. Marvel into the picture. All of the regular cast can return with Gambit involving a story where he needs the x-men’s help or somthing etc. Maybe have him reconize Wolverine and try to jog his memory. But if they were to make 3 more movies, id like to see them all connected closely as direct sequels which would lead up to the biggest finale of the X-men’s lives. But if you dont want to see that, i say just reboot the damn franchise because Makin X-men: First Class would be a bad a idea. Especially when Angel wasnt introduced until X3 and id think Iceman would be too young to be on the team after seeing how young he was in the first film not to mention he didnt become a member till the end of X2. So you’d have to replace those two to join Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Hank McCoy. Anyways, keep makin spin-offs till they drop or reboot the films.

  • dennis

    X2 had good action; X3 was no good, but I think all the movies can be tied together with the introduction of Sinister and Mutant Registration act:
    After the events from X3, President has no choice but to start the Mutant registration act. Those that aren’t registered are hunted down. Angel puts up a fight, is tangled up, takes a fall breaks his wings.
    Sinister offers to re-build him – Enter Arc-Angel.
    Sinister also finds cyclops near lake Accolade barely alive, convinces him Jean is still alive, offers to help him find her
    Sinster kidnaps the weakend P. Xavier and recruits a weakend Magneto.
    Sinister creates his 4 horsemen team through his genetic research. Turns out Sinister has been helping stryker with his genetic experiments all along.
    Leaves it up to the remaining Xmen to fight off the rise of Apolcypse.

  • Siruses

    Speaking of reviving, apparently they are finally going to reveal why they killed Cyclops in an interview with Simon Kinberg

    http://30ninjas.com/blog/interview-sherlock-holmes-and-x-men-writer-simon-kinberg-part-1

  • bob

    X-2 was the last good xmen movie. They are just riding the horse into the ground now…