Part TWo I want to touch briefly on X-Men 2 and why Logan's characterization was carried over into that film, as well as Jean's illuminated. But here, we're also going to discuss why Storm was characterized the way she was, treated as she was, and became what she is by the end of X2... but we'll do this within the context of not comics, but movies.
Now, we've alreayd discussed that all ensemble piecse need "anchors", characters that illuminate the themes of the film, have a rich character equation, and also can play off the other ensemble members in such a way as to illuminate them as well. We've seen how Logan fits this perfectly, being that with little change to his comic history, he can easily become a conflicting character that illuminates the dillemas of mutation, the dynamics of the X-Men institution, and the threat of Magneto. Rogue does as well, playing off themes of acceptance of one's self.
Now, as a note, I would also insert that Magneto is also a main character in both X-films on par, if not more, than Logan. But this is obvious.
So, to fast forward a bit, being that an X-Men film, due to its cinematic nature, almost demanded Logan as a anchor character, it would make no sense, and would actually be bad sequel form, to not continue the histories established in X1 in X2. Thus, Logan's history continues, which does put him in a anchor position again, however, again, he illuminates the current threat towards mutations (Stryker) while also illuminating other characters (Jean, Magneto, Xavier, Rogue, Pyro, and Iceman). OF course, in many ways, X2 is more severely a X-MAN TEAM film than X1 was by far. Logan only saves the X-Men ONCE, where as he is saved by Jean three times, Storm twice, Magneto twice, Iceman once, Pyro once. But, more on that later.
Storm's characterization is a great debate. A lot if may due with Singer's direction and Berry's actin, a lot of it actually. But let's discuss this "weak" idea we see. In X1, Storm makes the "I suppose, I'm afraid of them." comment. This is not a weak comment, this is a comment of strength. Unlike Magneto who hides his fear behind philosophies and violence, Storm admits it, and conquers it to serve a higher goal. That's what, within the context of this situation, Storm represents. Citing a particular comic book does no good. In Ultimate X-Men, Storm is a bit more unsure of her role in the world. In X-Treme X-Men, Storm actually branches of from Xavier, feeling that he's being too open with humanity. The entire concept of X-Men rests on fear. The X-Men move to stop Magneto, stop STryker, because they FEAR THE RESULT should they not. With such things as the Mutant Registration Act, and Dark Cerebro, what mutant isn't scared. Did you see Logan's reaction in the bar in X1 when the TV talked about mutants? That was shame and fear. Did you see all their responses in the forest in X2 when Magneto describes what Dark Cerebro could do? As Guard said, Storm fearing humanity -- as does Scott, Jean, and Xavier in their own ways -- is a perfrectly legitimate characterzation. However, once compared to her actions, her fear becomes noble, since Magneto and his fear has lead him down his path. Or like Mystique, who was afraid of to to school, and where her fear lead her. Storm rose above this. For those interested in characterization, this is there in the films.
But Storm didn't land in X1 in the snow. Okay. Yes, this could have been done. Great. But it wasn't. Why? Singer was lassoed by time and budget. Period. Two, he was focused on character -- and yes, he was focused on the characters of his ensemble anchors (Magneto, Logan, and Rogue) more than he was on the others. This is a perfectly valid and acceptable directorial practice. You prioritize. You can't play equal treatment and still make a good film. It'd either be generic or static. This is where the idea of rising above your own personal preferences comes into play. If you want to get mad at Singer, say he didn't use your favorite character, not that he didn't get the X-Men as if your one character was its core.
But in X2, Storm's transformation was amazing. She was a leader, leading the team to obtain Nightcrawler, to travel to Alkali Lake, to invade Alkali Lake, and to defeat Stryker. Um, and she has nothing to do? Please, what more? It borderlines on a Storm movie, if not a Logan movie.
But as someone said, Storm had to be rescued in Cerebro, saved by Jean, blah blah blah. Some have even said that in X1, her total ass-beating by Toad is a sign of weakness. Perhaps, so? But what is in our dramatic premise? Remember our character equations? As I said, sometimes ensemble films, even with anchors, take on a general character in the form of the group. This is the X-Men on Ellis Island in X1.
By this time, we need to see the dangers our heroes face in saving humanity. This is the groups dramatic desire, they need it to survive otherwise escalation will occur and because they are devoted to a dream. The danger is Magneto. However, we can't just have them waltz in and beat Toad and Mystique, this is much to simple and violates our cinematic demand and audience expecation of a type of danger. As also state, danger is also created through obstalces that are disadvantagous to our character or group. This can again be a barrier or simply a skill obstacle. For Storm's fight with toad, the danger exists in that Storm is not as good a hand-to-hand combatant as Toad is. She is one of many scenes in this sequence that shows the overall danger the X-Men face in the Statue of Liberty, and this in turn, when coupled with their dramatic desire, creates drama. When we see them defeated, we get discouraged becuase we have all sorts of personal attachemtns to them. However, when the audience sees them defeated (and alot of this rests on the fact that mass audiences make these movies bank) when they see them defeated, they feel suspense. They don't see them as being weak, they see our heroes as devoted and determined....why? Because they always get back up and kick ass! After your hero's been slapped around and thrown around in danger, it's time for the hero to conquer it. Storm does it. She rises and opens up a hurricane on Toad, displaying that when it comes to mutant powers, she is more masterful than Toad. The character overcomes the danger, which usually puts them at a disadvantage, by asserting their own advantage. Logan, after being defeated by Mystique, does much the same by "sniffing" her out. Also not, that Cyclops and Jean could not beat Toad. Only Storm could -- she saved their asses there as well.
But as numeroulsy noted, Storm is amazing in X2. She conjures several hurriances to cover their escape, single-handedly stops Cerebro from killing all of mankind, and organize the inflitration of Styrker's base. All the while, she deals with these ideas of anger versus fear -- and thus, it's almost noble. Yet, as I said, some say that she was then rescued by Jean and later, by Nightcrawler.
Oh, please. They are a team, they must work as one first off. But for a second, let's adhere to this logic. By this logic, everyone would lose their gripe that Logan is portrayed as a favorite, with his bad-ass, stop-all, save the X-Men style. For...Logan is saved by Iceman in the mansion scene, thus I guess nullfying his taking out the troops. He is saved by Pyro, during the house scene, and then saved by Jean and Storm as they pick them up fast in the X-Jet. He is saved by Storm as she conjures up the tornadoes, and later saved by Jean as she stops the missiles. He is then, soon after, saved by Magneto as he stops the plummeting X-Jet. Later, Magneto saves Logan by stopping Dark Cerebro. Later, in the base, after saving the X-men from drowning, he is saved by Rogue as she crash-lands the jet (oh, I suppose this would nullify Jean's acts in bringing Cyclops back and Storm's stopping of Cerebro) and then, again, he is saved by Jean. However, in comparison, LOGAN ONLY SAVES THE X-MEN WHEN HE CLOSES THE SPILLWAY DOORS. He saves the monce, compared to NINE TIMES they save him.
If, we go by your logic, Jean is the most central character of X2. She is saved by Storm once, Magneto once, and Logan once. However, she saves Logan twice, Magneto once (Cyclops blasting him), saves Cyclops, and saves the entire X-Men at the cost of her life. So, in by this logic we go, we find that Jean is the overused and Singer favorite of X2. But this is just using this logic.
The reason we can go back and forth like this is becasue SInger DID adhere to team dynamics. Everyone's doing something in these films. However, personal preferences and bias make fanboys want more and more and more, all the while ignoring the cinematic realities of SInge'rs choices and the way they were constructed. They want this to be a silver screen comic book, not realizing that such would violate the axioms of films that succeed in the market. It'd alienate mass audiences, fall to bring a franchise, and become at best, a cult classic later picked apart by fanboys mad about what STorm said in Act II.
The last note is on this term epic. It's too loose a word often thrown around by fanboys whenever they want to bring a sophistication to their favorite franchise. Stop it. Epics are not adventures alone. They are something more. Epics are long, teadious, heroic journeys (i.e. Star Wars, Matrix even, and Lord of the Rings). Batman Begins, Spider-Man 1 and 2, X-Men 1 and 2, and even X-Men 3 most likely, will not be epics. Epic does not simply mean big -- that is an improper use of the word.
And, to say Singer's films weren't big is a tad superficial. How does one define big? Well, let's start with the first thing that comes to mind -- a movie is "big" if its events are spectacular and impact a large group of people. Well, in X-Men 1, having all the world leaders mutated would surley cause some big problems. And in X2, well, I'd say killing off an entire section of humanity, or all of humans, would most certainly probably make it into the major events history textbooks in schools, whoever may be writing them.
However, its fanboys fickle use of the word epic that allows them to attempt to critique Singer on these grounds.
So, there you go. My Treatise on Singer's Cinematic Choices in the Construction of the X-Men Films and the Logical Fallacies of Fanboys Born from Biased and Uneducated Perceptions on Source Material.
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