Ideas and concepts that X3 borrowed, took, or stole from other movies

[ntcrawler]

I found some suspicious similarities of certain story elements in X3 that I've seen in other films and tv series in the past. Coincidence? Or did the writers watch those films too? You decide. Here are some that come to mind:

Concept: Jean/Phoenix's appearance (the dark veins on face)

Where from: Willow from Buffy


Concept: Jean/Phoenix's appearance (big, black eyes)

Where from: Lyta Alexander (what do you know, another telepath) from Babylon 5

(I'll be happy to provide photographic evidence for the above 2. They were already posted earlier in another thread"


Concept: An ultra-powerful telepath disintegrating people into sand/mush

Where from: Babylon 5 1st season episode Mind War. The character Jason Ironheart. What do you know? Another insanely powerful telepath with advanced TK abilities. He was experimented on by the Psi corps. "The experiments succeeded, but caused Ironheart's powers to increase to an uncontrollable level...Ironheart began to undergo destructive "mindquakes", releasing bursts of psychokinetic energy so powerful they threatened the station. As Ironheart realized that his abilities had grown too great to contain, he discorporated his physical form, but not before leaving Talia with a gift; enhanced telepathic shields, and even a bit of telekinesis of her own." (Wikipedia article on Jason Ironside). He also used his powers to - our favorite term - demolecularize Psi-corps agents in self defense. Sounds familiar?


Concept: Just before Xavier is about to be turned into oatmeal by Jean, he turns towards Logan, and smiles.

Where from: Star Wars: A New Hope. Just before Obi-wan is taken down by Vader, he pauses, turns towards Luke, and smiles.


Concept: An out of control telepath / TK wielder going completely berzerk, donning a red outfit or red cape, and causing all hell to break lose, indiscriminately unleashing destruction and death on everyone around him/her.

Where from: Akira, the 1987 movie. The character of Tetsuo. Who also was somewhat introverted through a difficult childhood and suddenly came upon advanced powers. He then accidentally absorbs and kills his girlfriend (familiar?). Towards the finality of the film, as he experiences a total mental breakdown, his powers turns destructive and he unleashes them on everyone around them, killing and maiming on a large scale. He also dons a large red cape around him to symbolize his newfound power and status as something greater than humanity

Coincidence? you decide

 

[triplefive]

I haven't read this post, but let me just say that in Hollywood, everybody steals/borrows from everyone else. What's "original" anymore these days, anyway?

 

[ntcrawler]

^^^ Hmm... Star Wars, Red Violin, Abyss, Predator, Terminator, Alien. All those were pretty original when they came out.

 

[Boba_Fett_123]

Star Wars wasn't original at all. It was a mashup of archetypes that had been seen a million times before. And of course, A New Hope is basically scene-for-scene Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress, but that's neither here nor there. t:

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

And of course, A New Hope is basically scene-for-scene Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress, but that's neither here nor there. t:

I was just gonna say that!

(I haven't seen The Hidden Fortress, but I remember my high school history teacher talking about how Star Wars was identical to Hidden Fortress)

 

[psyonic]

Willow from Buffy had the big black eyes as well, everytime she used her powers

 

[Cyclops]

I haven't read this post, but let me just say that in Hollywood, everybody steals/borrows from everyone else. What's "original" anymore these days, anyway?

Which, apparently, absolutely makes it a-okay.

 

[gambitfire]

Well even though i'm usually on any side that opposes X3 at this point lol

i must say nothing really is original many things are borrowed or influenced.

And to be fair, the telepath and telekenetic deal have been Jean's for over 30 years, it's how they went about using them i suppose.

but the willow deal deffinet rip-off.

 

[triplefive]

Which, apparently, absolutely makes it a-okay.

well whatever, i'm just saying, if you sat down and nitpicked every single movie that came out this year, there'd probably be a parallel here or there to anything that's come out in the past 50 years of the entertainment business.

 

[ntcrawler]

^^^ oh I'm not saying these guys deserve to be sued for plagiarism, just that it seems the concept of ultra-powerful telepaths with veins and black eyes is not entirely new or original. I'm willing to bet the guy who designed the effects for Phoenix in X3 didn't do it all on his own but may have borrowed a few things from, say, Babylon 5. I strongly suspect Penn and Kinberg did

 

[triplefive]

I'm not sure if the SFX concepts were done by the writers... that's more of a director's call, no?

But the ultra-powerful telepath/TK part is in line with the comics (she can like, eat a star).

 

[ntcrawler]

^^^ but if you watch that ep of B5 where the ultra-powerful telepath turns the bad guys into oatmeal, it looks suspiciously similar

If anything I suppose it's nice to know that telepaths and TK wielders are portrayed in a consistent manner, especially the ones that are ultra-powerful and way out of control

 

[Vilya]

Yeah i agree, alot of the effects in X3 were old stuff. Btw i'm fan of B5, i thought it was a very good show.

 

[Retroman]

Heres a few i've posted before in the past.

 

[Retroman]

 

[Retroman]

Not the most obvious for some but the scene in the Danger Room looks a lot like the war scenes in Terminator 2. I think a crew member has pointed out the similarity of the sets.

 

[Retroman]

The Kitty/Juggernaut chase sequence is based on Levi's tv commercial called 'The Odyssey'...

 

[ntcrawler]

Not the most obvious for some but the scene in the Danger Room looks a lot like the war scenes in Terminator 2. I think a crew member has pointed out the similarity of the sets.

I agree. This one has an uncanny resemblence to the terminator above

 

[triplefive]

I agree. This one has an uncanny resemblence to the terminator above

I feel like this one's more of an homage.

But that wall breakaway is so spot-on.

 

[Retroman]

I agree. This one has an uncanny resemblence to the terminator above

And Logan kind of resembles terminator when he's been fried by Phoenix.lol

 

[The Weather God]

When phoenix was about to destroy xavier it sure did look like she was about to do trinity's kick from matrix, especially when it slowed down.

 

[BMM]

Speaking of the Matrix, Jean's stopping the cure darts before demolecularizing her surroundings at Alcatraz is very Neo-esque (i.e. Neo freezing hundreds of bullets in place before they have a chance to hit him).

 

[La_She-Beast]

Yeah, the poor little guys depend so much on movies (what's worse, classic movies) than books. Kinda pathetic.

List of classic lines (that's to say, we've seen/heard it so many times we're just fed up):

Angel, to his father "No, it's what you want"
Phoenix, to Wolverine "You would die for them?" Wolverine, "No for you"
Xavier to Storm "You know how fast the weather changes" (it's just sooo obvious)
Wolverine, holding Jean "NOOOO!"
Mystique to Magneto "It was about time"
And so on. Sad IMO

 

[flavio_lebeau]

just dont blame the writers for the phoenix effects. Damn they wrote the firebird! lets make critics, but not crucify these writers...they didnt make the movie alone. Actually i think sometimes they are victims. But the movie does have cheesy/unoriginal lines and effects. Jean's flight is one of the worst of the trilogy, only tying with Storm's flight in X1. And the concepts of the phoenix have been seen.

i hate when people want to blame Kinberg and Penn even for global warming.

 

[chaseter]

If you try hard enough, you can find similarities in every movie.