Saw the film only 23 hours and 45 minutes after the first time I watched, this time with somewhat lowered and reasonable expectations regarding the future portions and deleted scenes as my attachment to them took away from being able to objectively analyze the film. I think following the movie so intensely from preproduction to release has sort of made me craft my ideal version of the film inside my head and so when I didn't get what I wanted, I felt disappointed, when in reality I was just had too many unrealistic expectations and didn't really watch and understand the film as it was. It even took away from the incredibly strong moments of the film as well.
The second viewing changed all that as I was completely able immerse myself in the film and look at the film for what it is and not for what it could've been. And damn, what a film it was.
The opening fight sequence between Kitty and the new mutants was absolutely spectacular and I felt like the whole first act of the film (up to Paris) was pretty expertly planned out and executed without fault. There wasn't really the nagging sense that something was lacking or changed during production to accommodate someone. It felt very whole and complete.
I know some people mentioned how Xavier's monologues just pounds exposition into you but I think Singer and co. did a pretty good job of setting the tone and establishing certain things in the film so it could get off and running pretty quickly. The first time I watched I thought it was incredibly rushed but the second time I thought it was paced really well.
The second act of the film was where the highly talked about Rogue rescue would've taken place probably and while I do feel like a minor action beat with the uncut future cast would've helped things from dragging a bit in this portion of the film, I think in order to fully realize McAvoy's character arc the unyielding focus on him and the past was necessary. The conversation between the two Xavier's is an incredible moment within the film just one of those great superhero moments like Aunt May's speech in Spider-Man 2. It's just one of those great character moments that sets up the philosophical backbone of the character's future behavior and it's really great to see how Xavier changes from here on out to the end of the film and I'm sure we'll see him embody that endless compassion Xavier shows in the OT.
I've read some opinions where Fassneto seems shoehorned in and in my first viewing I also thought that he was just went full blown CBM villain for the sake of being villainous but Singer and co. did make it a point to show us that Erik was trying to strike first against Trask and the Sentinels before they could unleash their true fury. Whether it was sufficient is definitely subjective but I think it's clear at this point that Fassbender's Magneto is on his well on his way to embodying the full villainy of McKellen's Magneto and is thus a bit more static compared to FC, which is fine since this is young Charles's film.
The one gripe about this whole film (and a minor one at that) is that Mystique's scene in the hospital is so well done and Lawrence pulls of Mystique's pain so well that when the nurse wonders if Mystique has a family it could've been a perfect time to introduce Azazel and Nightcrawler. I think it would've added more depth to Mystique's motives which felt a bit lacking at times to me. I feel like there was supposed to be a connection between Azazel/Nightcrawler and Mystique's revenge plot in this film and it was cut, though we got the Saigon scene to sorta establish her motives and what she's doing I felt like had we gotten a reference to Azazel, his murder and how Raven basically lost her entire family in the past decade it would've just been incredible. Then Charles's could've learned that Mystique's basically lost her entire family and that would've caused him to realize that he can't control her anymore and lets her go.
The finale of the entire film was probably the strongest film. The juxtaposition of Magneto's speech about mutants and humans with the deaths of everyone in the future was superb and the last bit where Kitty, Erik, and Charles surround Logan's body as Raven in the past teeters between herself and Mystique was just powerful and is really one of the strongest third acts in any superhero film we've seen thus far. I like how they ended the film with a McAvoy voiceover, it really conveys the sense of passing the torch between the two casts and I love how uncertain the future is with Mystique now in possession of Logan's body.
General comments about the film:
. I really loved Newton Thomas Siegel's cinematography in this film. The fixed future scenes were so warm, considerably more visually appealing than how the school looked in the OT. The Himalayan monastery was so ornate, I really loved the set design. Plus there is a real sense of visual continuity between FC and the 70s scenes. Good job there. I feel like Singer has significantly upped his camera game in the last decade because the camerawork here in this film is phenomenal.
. I think the future mutants could've benefited so much by just 2-3 more minutes of screen time fighting or something. Just to see a bit more of them not getting totally owned by the future sentinels.
. I really have to applaud LSD and co. for their casting of the future mutants.. Omar Sy kills it in the short moments he gets as Bishop, Fan Bingbing is by far the most visually interesting of the bunch, Booboo Stewart IS Warpath. I'm astounded at how they could find literally the most perfect guy needed to be Warpath. Adan Canto's fire powers were sick as hell to watch and I'm glad they casted a hispanic actor! I hope all of them return in the future. (But especially Sy, Bingbing and Booboo. Booboo in X-Force please!!)
. Hugh has never been better as Wolverine. There is something inherently poetic and poignant that Logan is the one who goes back in time to change the future. The franchise opened with him and getting saved by Xavier and it is so fitting that he is the one to close this great, 14 year saga by going back in time and returning the favor. The way everything comes full circle, I get chills from thinking about it. He looks more like the Wolverine than ever and is reinvigorated about the franchise. If he's willing to wake up at 4 am and not eat sweets, I say keep him.
. McAvoy, Fassbender, Lawrence. Enough praise can't be given to those three. I don't know how Vaughn and LSD did it, but getting these three to play such iconic characters for cheap before they all hit it big (particularly JLaw and Fassy) is incredible. DOFP wouldn't have been possible had Vaughn not created such a great film in FC and he deserves just as much credit for giving Singer the pieces to craft DOFP. These three are the new backbone of the franchise that Hugh has shouldered for so long. These three (and Hugh and the OT if they're up for more) can go toe to toe with any superhero cast really and I hope LSD and co. can keep up their awesome casting game with Apocalypse. Fassbender's Magneto brings the ferocity and tenacity that McKellen's Magneto lacked, McAvoy's Xavier brings personality that Stewart's Xavier lacked and Lawrence breathes life and humanity into a Mystique that was previously devoid of one. (Though not at any fault of Romaijn, it was just how Mystique was written at the time)
. I feel like this is the most Famke has ever looked like Jean....ever. I think Cyclops' new visor looks much to big on Marsden's face. They just look really funky on Marsden's nearly Greek sculpture like bone structure. Also the hair was bad. But maybe he was filming The Butler? He was playing JFK in that film and Scott traditionally has long-ish hair so. Also nice to see KG back as Beast. He is Beast and I'm glad they kept him and Ellen around.
. En Sabah Nur looked like a very faithful adaptation. The Horsemen were a nice touch for sure. I don't know how they'll adapt the alien technology from the Sentinels, but I hope we get a larger than life Apocalypse!
Overall, I think this is one of the best superhero movies ever and maybe even sci-fi films ever created. It's not a higher cinematic experience like The Dark Knight, which changed my life, nor is it one that transcends the genre, but rather a film that finally openly embraces the genre and the possibility it offers while still keep the depth and sophistication that made Singer's film so good in the first place.
The opening fight sequence between Kitty and the new mutants was absolutely spectacular and I felt like the whole first act of the film (up to Paris) was pretty expertly planned out and executed without fault. There wasn't really the nagging sense that something was lacking or changed during production to accommodate someone. It felt very whole and complete.
I know some people mentioned how Xavier's monologues just pounds exposition into you but I think Singer and co. did a pretty good job of setting the tone and establishing certain things in the film so it could get off and running pretty quickly. The first time I watched I thought it was incredibly rushed but the second time I thought it was paced really well.
The second act of the film was where the highly talked about Rogue rescue would've taken place probably and while I do feel like a minor action beat with the uncut future cast would've helped things from dragging a bit in this portion of the film, I think in order to fully realize McAvoy's character arc the unyielding focus on him and the past was necessary. The conversation between the two Xavier's is an incredible moment within the film just one of those great superhero moments like Aunt May's speech in Spider-Man 2. It's just one of those great character moments that sets up the philosophical backbone of the character's future behavior and it's really great to see how Xavier changes from here on out to the end of the film and I'm sure we'll see him embody that endless compassion Xavier shows in the OT.
I've read some opinions where Fassneto seems shoehorned in and in my first viewing I also thought that he was just went full blown CBM villain for the sake of being villainous but Singer and co. did make it a point to show us that Erik was trying to strike first against Trask and the Sentinels before they could unleash their true fury. Whether it was sufficient is definitely subjective but I think it's clear at this point that Fassbender's Magneto is on his well on his way to embodying the full villainy of McKellen's Magneto and is thus a bit more static compared to FC, which is fine since this is young Charles's film.
The one gripe about this whole film (and a minor one at that) is that Mystique's scene in the hospital is so well done and Lawrence pulls of Mystique's pain so well that when the nurse wonders if Mystique has a family it could've been a perfect time to introduce Azazel and Nightcrawler. I think it would've added more depth to Mystique's motives which felt a bit lacking at times to me. I feel like there was supposed to be a connection between Azazel/Nightcrawler and Mystique's revenge plot in this film and it was cut, though we got the Saigon scene to sorta establish her motives and what she's doing I felt like had we gotten a reference to Azazel, his murder and how Raven basically lost her entire family in the past decade it would've just been incredible. Then Charles's could've learned that Mystique's basically lost her entire family and that would've caused him to realize that he can't control her anymore and lets her go.
The finale of the entire film was probably the strongest film. The juxtaposition of Magneto's speech about mutants and humans with the deaths of everyone in the future was superb and the last bit where Kitty, Erik, and Charles surround Logan's body as Raven in the past teeters between herself and Mystique was just powerful and is really one of the strongest third acts in any superhero film we've seen thus far. I like how they ended the film with a McAvoy voiceover, it really conveys the sense of passing the torch between the two casts and I love how uncertain the future is with Mystique now in possession of Logan's body.
General comments about the film:
. I really loved Newton Thomas Siegel's cinematography in this film. The fixed future scenes were so warm, considerably more visually appealing than how the school looked in the OT. The Himalayan monastery was so ornate, I really loved the set design. Plus there is a real sense of visual continuity between FC and the 70s scenes. Good job there. I feel like Singer has significantly upped his camera game in the last decade because the camerawork here in this film is phenomenal.
. I think the future mutants could've benefited so much by just 2-3 more minutes of screen time fighting or something. Just to see a bit more of them not getting totally owned by the future sentinels.
. I really have to applaud LSD and co. for their casting of the future mutants.. Omar Sy kills it in the short moments he gets as Bishop, Fan Bingbing is by far the most visually interesting of the bunch, Booboo Stewart IS Warpath. I'm astounded at how they could find literally the most perfect guy needed to be Warpath. Adan Canto's fire powers were sick as hell to watch and I'm glad they casted a hispanic actor! I hope all of them return in the future. (But especially Sy, Bingbing and Booboo. Booboo in X-Force please!!)
. Hugh has never been better as Wolverine. There is something inherently poetic and poignant that Logan is the one who goes back in time to change the future. The franchise opened with him and getting saved by Xavier and it is so fitting that he is the one to close this great, 14 year saga by going back in time and returning the favor. The way everything comes full circle, I get chills from thinking about it. He looks more like the Wolverine than ever and is reinvigorated about the franchise. If he's willing to wake up at 4 am and not eat sweets, I say keep him.
. McAvoy, Fassbender, Lawrence. Enough praise can't be given to those three. I don't know how Vaughn and LSD did it, but getting these three to play such iconic characters for cheap before they all hit it big (particularly JLaw and Fassy) is incredible. DOFP wouldn't have been possible had Vaughn not created such a great film in FC and he deserves just as much credit for giving Singer the pieces to craft DOFP. These three are the new backbone of the franchise that Hugh has shouldered for so long. These three (and Hugh and the OT if they're up for more) can go toe to toe with any superhero cast really and I hope LSD and co. can keep up their awesome casting game with Apocalypse. Fassbender's Magneto brings the ferocity and tenacity that McKellen's Magneto lacked, McAvoy's Xavier brings personality that Stewart's Xavier lacked and Lawrence breathes life and humanity into a Mystique that was previously devoid of one. (Though not at any fault of Romaijn, it was just how Mystique was written at the time)
. I feel like this is the most Famke has ever looked like Jean....ever. I think Cyclops' new visor looks much to big on Marsden's face. They just look really funky on Marsden's nearly Greek sculpture like bone structure. Also the hair was bad. But maybe he was filming The Butler? He was playing JFK in that film and Scott traditionally has long-ish hair so. Also nice to see KG back as Beast. He is Beast and I'm glad they kept him and Ellen around.
. En Sabah Nur looked like a very faithful adaptation. The Horsemen were a nice touch for sure. I don't know how they'll adapt the alien technology from the Sentinels, but I hope we get a larger than life Apocalypse!
Overall, I think this is one of the best superhero movies ever and maybe even sci-fi films ever created. It's not a higher cinematic experience like The Dark Knight, which changed my life, nor is it one that transcends the genre, but rather a film that finally openly embraces the genre and the possibility it offers while still keep the depth and sophistication that made Singer's film so good in the first place.
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