Sequels Singer's X-Men 3?

[iamlegend]

C'mon folks, Singer bailed so late that the script wouldn't have been all that different. There would have been a few changes, but it still would have been basically what we got with Ratner.

Besides, Singer's X2 was lame.

 

[BMM]

C'mon folks, Singer bailed so late that the script wouldn't have been all that different. There would have been a few changes, but it still would have been basically what we got with Ratner.

It would have been a completely different script written by completely different people. The cure wasn't even introduced in the comic books yet.

 

[psyonic]

C'mon folks, Singer bailed so late that the script wouldn't have been all that different. There would have been a few changes, but it still would have been basically what we got with Ratner.

Besides, Singer's X2 was lame.

Off with his head!

 

[Rac]

I haven't seen this brought up...if it has please close it...or redirect me to it...

There's zillions of threads for this...

 

[javphonic]

Off with his head!

lol I agree, OFF!

 

[Hellion]

C'mon folks, Singer bailed so late that the script wouldn't have been all that different. There would have been a few changes, but it still would have been basically what we got with Ratner.

Besides, Singer's X2 was lame.

X2...Lame...really...


I respect your opinion...could you elaborate on why you think X2 is lame?

 

[X-Maniac]

X2...Lame...really...


I respect your opinion...could you elaborate on why you think X2 is lame?

I'm not the person this is addressed to, but I thought about this earlier.

I actually made a list of the scenes/sequences I liked, or found exciting or memorable, in each of the X movies. X3 had most, then X1, then X2.

X2 has some great moments for sure, but to my amazement i found fewer than in X1. They always say X2 has more of everything than X1, including action and excitement, but my analysis showed this isn't the case - at least from my own perspective, which is subjective of course.

I think the lower quota of action is why the critics like X2 and also SR. They want less superhero stuff in a superhero movie! But there's no point having people with superpowers unless they display those powers. I don't want wall-to-wall action and things constantly going boom and kapow, but dynamic action is part of a sci-fi superhero movie.

Much like SR, X2 has a climax based more on emotion than on frenetic action or a one-on-one showdown. Superman lifts an island and plunges to earth, Phoenix stops a wave and then collapses beneath the water. Within movie structure, it is usual to have 'rising action' where the intensity of action gets more towards the epic climax. An emotion-based climax of a character vs something inanimate (island, wave) is not going to have this same seat-gripping, blood-pumping intensity.

I'm not saying it's wrong to have an emotion/character-based climax, but it can have the feeling of making the movie fall a little flat. Hence the most exciting Superman sequence is deemed to be the plane rescue earlier in the movie, and in X2 the excitement is also at an earlier plane sequence. This is atypical of movie/story structure... it's not usual for action not to reach a peak at the end of the movie.

 

[flavio_lebeau]

The peak of X2 can be considered the Logan/DeathStryke fight, Storm stopping Cerebro and the X-Men runnign away, which happens to be the offical climax...though the unexpected climax comes when Jean dies. We're expecting the X-Men to just fly home after Cerebro is stopped, but then BAM, the hard reality of facts make them still fight and lose Jean...that's my opinion.

 

[X-Maniac]

The peak of X2 can be considered the Logan/DeathStryke fight, Storm stopping Cerebro and the X-Men runnign away, which happens to be the offical climax...though the unexpected climax comes when Jean dies. We're expecting the X-Men to just fly home after Cerebro is stopped, but then BAM, the hard reality of facts make them still fight and lose Jean...that's my opinion.

Yes, that's about right. Wolverine vs Deathstrike isn't really part of the climax though, it's an action sequence leading up to it. The official climax is Dark Cerebro targeting the world's humans and being stopped by Storm... although it is a passive action sequence as there is no 'fighting' (I'm also not that keen on the Storm part, the arctic winds seem a bit weedy, could have been made more powerful looking...but that's just my view). The surprise climax is indeed when the dam breaks and Jean stops the water and then sacrifices herself.

As I said, there is nothing wrong with those things in themselves, but the structure of the final part of the movie does tend to ramble around a bit - lots of wandering around in the dam, people fighting separately, some reviews said it fell flat at the final part. You can almost feel the lack of the Sentinels that were supposed to come alive under the dam, where they were destroyed by Phoenix in a firebird explosion. But it worked out pretty well anyway.

 

[sevinw0rds]

Yes, that's about right. Wolverine vs Deathstrike isn't really part of the climax though, it's an action sequence leading up to it. The official climax is Dark Cerebro targeting the world's humans and being stopped by Storm... although it is a passive action sequence as there is no 'fighting' (I'm also not that keen on the Storm part, the arctic winds seem a bit weedy, could have been made more powerful looking...but that's just my view). The surprise climax is indeed when the dam breaks and Jean stops the water and then sacrifices herself.

As I said, there is nothing wrong with those things in themselves, but the structure of the final part of the movie does tend to ramble around a bit - lots of wandering around in the dam, people fighting separately, some reviews said it fell flat at the final part. You can almost feel the lack of the Sentinels that were supposed to come alive under the dam, where they were destroyed by Phoenix in a firebird explosion. But it worked out pretty well anyway.

To a certain extent I agree that the action sequences in his movies leave something to be desired...heck, I still can't pay full attention to the Wolvie vs. SabreTooth fight on the Statue of Liberty in the first film. Singer's true dynamic talent though, at least in my opinion, is how well he engages the audience with the human connection, and that's where his films soar above many others in this genre. He goes for the heart in his endings, and the promise of things to come. It wasn't too obvious in SR, but it certainly got most of us out of our seats when we saw the image of the phoenix just under the water before the credits rolled. And he loves exposition, so if anything, his curse is that he has too much story to tell...whereas most filmmakers nowadays dont have nearly enough.

I agree that this topic is a dead one, but I don't blame the original poster one bit for indulging in the "what if?" factor at all.

 

[usagicassidy]

X-Manic, if you don't mind listing your "memorable moments", I'd love to see them. I, for one, find many more memorable moments in the 2nd film than either the 3rd or the 1st, so it'd be interesting to see from another person's standpoint.

 

[X-Maniac]

X-Manic, if you don't mind listing your "memorable moments", I'd love to see them. I, for one, find many more memorable moments in the 2nd film than either the 3rd or the 1st, so it'd be interesting to see from another person's standpoint.

Well, you could always put your lists on here as well. I don't claim mine are definitive by any means.

 

[Mr. Socko]

I loved X2: X-Men United, I thought Bryan did a wonderful job bringing the X-Men to screen. Nothing would have been better than him staying on and making X3, I would have loved to see his version and sure it would have been far, far greater than what Rattner made.

But Singer dropped out, thus leading to the X-Men series burning down to flames as far as artistic and cinematic quality is concerned. Then he had to go on to make Superman Returns which just didn't strike a cord with me.

I feel like crying myself a river.

 

[Iceburgeruk]

Singer`s x-men 3 would prob have been a disappointment but for different reasons...

• It would still have been wolvie centered as that is the direction singer took with the first two.
• The action would have been a let down. You can`t fault ratner`s x-3 on fights. Singer on the other hand. X1 & X2 Never seem like 75-80 mill dollar movies i`ve seen 10 mill moves with more punch to them.
• The deaths might have remained. I mean singer never went out of his way to build up scott or xavier`s characters. And singer was happy to kill off comic characters for no reason. I mean henry gyrich is killed offscreen in x1!

There might have been some positives though...

• Singer was going to stretch the story out and his x-3 was planned to be half the cost of the rushed ratner x-3.
• He was going to have the hellfire club in it. The x-men trilogy as it stands is nice but seems limited compared to everyother superhero franchise out there. FF in two movies has had dr doom, silver surfer and galactus. Spidey has had venom, sandman, doc ock, gg and gg2. Although there are some lower down ones like toad, sabretooth and juggernaut, in terms of main villains we have gotten stryker and magneto. With magneto coming out as the real main one. Going with the hellfire club would have made the x-movie world seem a little larger. It would have seemed fresh and new as opposed to ratner`s x-3 which was "oh jeez its magneto and his brotherhood again. except the brotherhood ones i recognize like toad and sabretooth aren`t even in it. wowee."
• Even though he didn`t do much with him i doubt singer would have killed cyclops. I`ve put this in both positives and negatives becuase i really don`t know whetehr he would have killed the character to allow his precious jean-logan love story to thrive. But i`m assuming he prob wouldn`t have killed him.
• Rogue wouldn`t have wussed out and depowered herself.

All in all though it would prob have been just as annoying as ratner`s x-3 just for different reasons.

 

[xmenfilesfan05]

I loved X2: X-Men United, I thought Bryan did a wonderful job bringing the X-Men to screen. Nothing would have been better than him staying on and making X3, I would have loved to see his version and sure it would have been far, far greater than what Rattner made.

But Singer dropped out, thus leading to the X-Men series burning down to flames as far as artistic and cinematic quality is concerned. Then he had to go on to make Superman Returns which just didn't strike a cord with me.

I feel like crying myself a river.

Agreed

 

[psyonic]

double post

 

[psyonic]

Singer`s x-men 3 would prob have been a disappointment but for different reasons...

• It would still have been wolvie centered as that is the direction singer took with the first two.
• The action would have been a let down. You can`t fault ratner`s x-3 on fights. Singer on the other hand. X1 & X2 Never seem like 75-80 mill dollar movies i`ve seen 10 mill moves with more punch to them.
• The deaths might have remained. I mean singer never went out of his way to build up scott or xavier`s characters. And singer was happy to kill off comic characters for no reason. I mean henry gyrich is killed offscreen in x1!

There might have been some positives though...

• Singer was going to stretch the story out and his x-3 was planned to be half the cost of the rushed ratner x-3.
• He was going to have the hellfire club in it. The x-men trilogy as it stands is nice but seems limited compared to everyother superhero franchise out there. FF in two movies has had dr doom, silver surfer and galactus. Spidey has had venom, sandman, doc ock, gg and gg2. Although there are some lower down ones like toad, sabretooth and juggernaut, in terms of main villains we have gotten stryker and magneto. With magneto coming out as the real main one. Going with the hellfire club would have made the x-movie world seem a little larger. It would have seemed fresh and new as opposed to ratner`s x-3 which was "oh jeez its magneto and his brotherhood again. except the brotherhood ones i recognize like toad and sabretooth aren`t even in it. wowee."
• Even though he didn`t do much with him i doubt singer would have killed cyclops. I`ve put this in both positives and negatives becuase i really don`t know whetehr he would have killed the character to allow his precious jean-logan love story to thrive. But i`m assuming he prob wouldn`t have killed him.
• Rogue wouldn`t have wussed out and depowered herself.

All in all though it would prob have been just as annoying as ratner`s x-3 just for different reasons.

Are you kidding me? Cyclops would have a larger role since X3 and X4 would have been centered around Phoenix becoming Dark Phoenix. That there would have made the movie worth watching. Instead we got this piece of shti X3 from Ratner. Too me, the whole Wolverine - Jean romance was dealt with in X2 when Jean told Logan that she loved Scott (underneath the X-jet), it was illogical for the writers to rehatch that plot. They really fckued up X3 and badly too. Rogue had so much potential as well. FCKU YOU RATNER! FCKU YOU FOX!

It's been more than a year since the movie's release and when I think of it, it still really pisses me off what they did to the franchise.

I still think X1 and X2 had more memorable action sequences than X3 i.e Storm's tornado jet scene, Deathstrike's brutal assault on Logan.

 

[Iceburgeruk]

Are you kidding me? Cyclops would have a larger role since X3 and X4 would have been centered around Phoenix becoming Dark Phoenix. That there would have made the movie worth watching. Instead we got this piece of shti X3 from Ratner. Too me, the whole Wolverine - Jean romance was dealt with in X2 when Jean told Logan that she loved Scott (underneath the X-jet), it was illogical for the writers to rehatch that plot. They really fckued up X3 and badly too. Rogue had so much potential as well. FCKU YOU RATNER! FCKU YOU FOX!

It's been more than a year since the movie's release and when I think of it, it still really pisses me off what they did to the franchise.

I still think X1 and X2 had more memorable action sequences than X3 i.e Storm's tornado jet scene, Deathstrike's brutal assault on Logan.

I`m not saying that X3 was perfect or that things wouldn`t have been different if Singer had been in charge but singer`s X3 wouldn`t have been the perfect adaption of the material that everyone seems to be deluding themselves that it would have been. X1 and X2 were both basically wolverine movies. X3 would have been the same. Maybe singer wouldn`t have killed off cyclops but i seriously doubt he would have had cyclops as the main character like in the dark phionex saga in the comics. I think singer would have replaced cyclops with wolverine as well. I just think he prob wouldn`t have killed cyclops off to do it.

Singer isn`t the perfect x-men director. He can`t direct action. He can`t direct a team of people, he inevitably ends up focusing on what rogue, wolverine and maybe if we`re lucky storm. He isn`t a big fan of the comics, in x-men 1 he killed off senator kelly and henry gyrich with considering where those characters could go. I mean thats like having green goblin kills off j jonah jameson.
And he can`t even get the themes right. People say he works well as a character director but he plays the x-world as if it is our world which makes it ineffective. The X-Men protect a world which hates and fears them BUT in the x-movies what evidence is there that anyone actually hates mutants? The person who attacks wolvie in the bar was primarily angry he lost the fight. The bar owner was tossing wolvie out like he would some guy who pulled a knife on a customer. Senator kelly hates mutants but he is seen mostly in isolation. In X2 you have an evil general and his troops. In X3 you have people trying to cure mutants. There isn`t much evidence of prejudice which makes bith the x-men and magneto `s causes less powerful because the only evidence we see that people don`t like mutants is a couple of signs. For me to feel that the x-men have to hide in that mansion i have to feel that if they lived in a normal towwn or city they would get strung up. Its like making a holocaust movie and tip toeing around the idea of genocide.

 

[X-Maniac]

I would have liked to see some anti-mutant violence, a scene of a mutant being beaten up. Just to drive home the issue of deep prejudice. In fact, there is such a scene in my X4, tied into the plot of course!

 

[Hellion]

I would have liked to see some anti-mutant violence, a scene of a mutant being beaten up. Just to drive home the issue of deep prejudice. In fact, there is such a scene in my X4, tied into the plot of course!

Hey...X-Maniac...do you wanna elaborate on your X4-X5?...I'm still working on mine?...and want to know what ideas others coming up with? What characters they wanna introduce? Story?

 

[X-Maniac]

Hey...X-Maniac...do you wanna elaborate on your X4-X5?...I'm still working on mine?...and want to know what ideas others coming up with? What characters they wanna introduce? Story?

I'm not sure I want to elaborate further at this early stage. Ideas are precious! Also, it will change further as I write it and it will also change according to what others might also be thinking and writing, as I want mine to be an original scenario. Characters have come and gone already from my cast list, depending on whether they served the story. It's just impossible to include everyone people want and make them a main character with tons of screentime.

The important thing is a good solid story that will satisfy the mainstream who have seen the previous movies as well as satisfy the fans (as much as it is possible to satify fans!).

 

[Phoenix_Flare]

I do agree with you all that the "prejudice" of story was left out...but I don't think Singer would've made his X3 Logan centered...I mean the love triangle prolly would been back n better dealing with Jean's return n Phoenix abilities...I like that Jean was comin on to Logan In TLS, so maybe she could do that in Singer's version...u kno sumtimes that happens in life you think you're over sum1 and the came bak in2 ur life, so its a them that SInger would have explored with Scott n Logan

 

[calibud]

This is long, I'm sorry. For the record, I didn't HATE X3, just disappointed especially after seeing SR (yes, I liked that movie more than X3) and considering what Singer could've done with the third (final?) entry in the series. If X2 was his Wrath of Khan, he likely planned (as was rumored during the very early pre-prod news) to shoot X3 and X4 back to back to conclude the series properly, going off of how Spock's arc was handled in the first four Trek flicks. X3 just felt a bit blocky to me, with cheap characterization, muted new characters (Angel & Colossus) which contrasted with Nightcrawler in X2, it barely slid by with a B- for me. There were just as many things wrong for me as there were right, which I can't say for the first two films. Enough of that though, ever since X3's credits rolled I wondered what could have been if Singer had kept the project...

• I still think Singer was foreshadowing in X2 with the Cyclops/Phoenix fight. He knew with that two second shot of Jean's reaction after the mutation machine thing was destroyed in X1 exactly where he wanted the story to go. Cyclops under Stryker's influence attacks Jean, in Singer's X3 we probably would've seen the same scene flipped but more tragic and intense as it wouldn't have ended as well. Jean is now Dark Phoenix and Scott takes it upon himself to stop her, ending with both or just Jean dying. I don't know if Scott would really be capable of this but we don't know how Singer would have realized Jean's Dark Phoenix power on screen. However, I think with the liberties they took with her powers in Ratner's X3 it only made sense for Wolverine to stop her.
  
• Prof. X may have died, judging by that line Scott had in X1, though it was probably just to show his devotion to the Prof. more than foreshadowing his death.
  
• Sentinels would definitely have been in this one, as well as the Danger Room, though not just ONE weird looking sentinel in a lame Danger Room session (not counting the setting which was a nice nod to Days of Future Past). Both (as I recall from the X1.5 DVD stuff) had been intended to be on film since the first film but correct me if I'm wrong. No doubt with the budget this flick would've been given, there would have been a really great Danger Room session and possibly a fleet of Sentinels.
  
• I think there would've been a lot more Wolverine and Scott interaction considering Jean taking center stage as the antagonist. Some above said Singer's X3 would've been Wolvie-centric again, but Ratner did the same thing! There was just so much filler but it really did continue Logan/Jean's story. I think even after the apparent resolution of Logan's story arc in X2, it'd be too much of a risk to remove the focus from the character through whose eyes the audience had been seeing the story unfold since X1.

Overall I think it's safe to say Singer's X3 would've had more action than X2, would have included Beast (again going off of scrapped plans from X1.5 & X2 DVD stuff)as the only new addition aside from picking out screen-worthy mutants from those cute little cameos throughout the first two, a beefed up role for Scott (Singer obviously loves and trusts James Marsden, just look at Superman Returns) but yet another Wolverine centered story. X2 was Singer's Phoenix tease, X3 would've been full-blown fiery ***** from hell. That brilliant little cliffhanger with Phoenix's outline in Alkali Lake was cheapened by what we got in Ratner's X3. It's really unlikely, but I really hope they release some sort of alternate X3 comic series or something with Singer writing. Even an interview would be nice just to know what we (that is, those of us dissatisfied) missed. *sigh* what could have been...

 

[X-Maniac]

This is long, I'm sorry. For the record, I didn't HATE X3, just disappointed especially after seeing SR (yes, I liked that movie more than X3) and considering what Singer could've done with the third (final?) entry in the series. If X2 was his Wrath of Khan, he likely planned (as was rumored during the very early pre-prod news) to shoot X3 and X4 back to back to conclude the series properly, going off of how Spock's arc was handled in the first four Trek flicks. X3 just felt a bit blocky to me, with cheap characterization, muted new characters (Angel & Colossus) which contrasted with Nightcrawler in X2, it barely slid by with a B- for me. There were just as many things wrong for me as there were right, which I can't say for the first two films. Enough of that though, ever since X3's credits rolled I wondered what could have been if Singer had kept the project...

• I still think Singer was foreshadowing in X2 with the Cyclops/Phoenix fight. He knew with that two second shot of Jean's reaction after the mutation machine thing was destroyed in X1 exactly where he wanted the story to go. Cyclops under Stryker's influence attacks Jean, in Singer's X3 we probably would've seen the same scene flipped but more tragic and intense as it wouldn't have ended as well. Jean is now Dark Phoenix and Scott takes it upon himself to stop her, ending with both or just Jean dying. I don't know if Scott would really be capable of this but we don't know how Singer would have realized Jean's Dark Phoenix power on screen. However, I think with the liberties they took with her powers in Ratner's X3 it only made sense for Wolverine to stop her.
  
• Prof. X may have died, judging by that line Scott had in X1, though it was probably just to show his devotion to the Prof. more than foreshadowing his death.
  
• Sentinels would definitely have been in this one, as well as the Danger Room, though not just ONE weird looking sentinel in a lame Danger Room session (not counting the setting which was a nice nod to Days of Future Past). Both (as I recall from the X1.5 DVD stuff) had been intended to be on film since the first film but correct me if I'm wrong. No doubt with the budget this flick would've been given, there would have been a really great Danger Room session and possibly a fleet of Sentinels.
  
• I think there would've been a lot more Wolverine and Scott interaction considering Jean taking center stage as the antagonist. Some above said Singer's X3 would've been Wolvie-centric again, but Ratner did the same thing! There was just so much filler but it really did continue Logan/Jean's story. I think even after the apparent resolution of Logan's story arc in X2, it'd be too much of a risk to remove the focus from the character through whose eyes the audience had been seeing the story unfold since X1.

Overall I think it's safe to say Singer's X3 would've had more action than X2, would have included Beast (again going off of scrapped plans from X1.5 & X2 DVD stuff)as the only new addition aside from picking out screen-worthy mutants from those cute little cameos throughout the first two, a beefed up role for Scott (Singer obviously loves and trusts James Marsden, just look at Superman Returns) but yet another Wolverine centered story. X2 was Singer's Phoenix tease, X3 would've been full-blown fiery ***** from hell. That brilliant little cliffhanger with Phoenix's outline in Alkali Lake was cheapened by what we got in Ratner's X3. It's really unlikely, but I really hope they release some sort of alternate X3 comic series or something with Singer writing. Even an interview would be nice just to know what we (that is, those of us dissatisfied) missed. *sigh* what could have been...

Well, it's all guesswork really.

But, obviously, if Singer hadn't left, then Marsden wouldn't have left, so Cyclops would probably have been given a stronger role in Singer's X3. But there are no guarantees. Fox put far too many demands on the X-movies, which led to it deviating from the themes and roles of the original material. The deviations got bigger with each movie. Unfortunately, studio accountants believe they know better than creative storytellers about what will work and bring in the money.

 

[Abaddon]

This is long, I'm sorry. For the record, I didn't HATE X3, just disappointed especially after seeing SR (yes, I liked that movie more than X3) and considering what Singer could've done with the third (final?) entry in the series. If X2 was his Wrath of Khan, he likely planned (as was rumored during the very early pre-prod news) to shoot X3 and X4 back to back to conclude the series properly, going off of how Spock's arc was handled in the first four Trek flicks. X3 just felt a bit blocky to me, with cheap characterization, muted new characters (Angel & Colossus) which contrasted with Nightcrawler in X2, it barely slid by with a B- for me. There were just as many things wrong for me as there were right, which I can't say for the first two films. Enough of that though, ever since X3's credits rolled I wondered what could have been if Singer had kept the project...

• I still think Singer was foreshadowing in X2 with the Cyclops/Phoenix fight. He knew with that two second shot of Jean's reaction after the mutation machine thing was destroyed in X1 exactly where he wanted the story to go. Cyclops under Stryker's influence attacks Jean, in Singer's X3 we probably would've seen the same scene flipped but more tragic and intense as it wouldn't have ended as well. Jean is now Dark Phoenix and Scott takes it upon himself to stop her, ending with both or just Jean dying. I don't know if Scott would really be capable of this but we don't know how Singer would have realized Jean's Dark Phoenix power on screen. However, I think with the liberties they took with her powers in Ratner's X3 it only made sense for Wolverine to stop her.
  
• Prof. X may have died, judging by that line Scott had in X1, though it was probably just to show his devotion to the Prof. more than foreshadowing his death.
  
• Sentinels would definitely have been in this one, as well as the Danger Room, though not just ONE weird looking sentinel in a lame Danger Room session (not counting the setting which was a nice nod to Days of Future Past). Both (as I recall from the X1.5 DVD stuff) had been intended to be on film since the first film but correct me if I'm wrong. No doubt with the budget this flick would've been given, there would have been a really great Danger Room session and possibly a fleet of Sentinels.
  
• I think there would've been a lot more Wolverine and Scott interaction considering Jean taking center stage as the antagonist. Some above said Singer's X3 would've been Wolvie-centric again, but Ratner did the same thing! There was just so much filler but it really did continue Logan/Jean's story. I think even after the apparent resolution of Logan's story arc in X2, it'd be too much of a risk to remove the focus from the character through whose eyes the audience had been seeing the story unfold since X1.

Overall I think it's safe to say Singer's X3 would've had more action than X2, would have included Beast (again going off of scrapped plans from X1.5 & X2 DVD stuff)as the only new addition aside from picking out screen-worthy mutants from those cute little cameos throughout the first two, a beefed up role for Scott (Singer obviously loves and trusts James Marsden, just look at Superman Returns) but yet another Wolverine centered story. X2 was Singer's Phoenix tease, X3 would've been full-blown fiery ***** from hell. That brilliant little cliffhanger with Phoenix's outline in Alkali Lake was cheapened by what we got in Ratner's X3. It's really unlikely, but I really hope they release some sort of alternate X3 comic series or something with Singer writing. Even an interview would be nice just to know what we (that is, those of us dissatisfied) missed. *sigh* what could have been...

you really can't state any of this with any kind of certainty. Often times directors plans change, and they have to give into studio demands. There's no guarantee we would've seen Sentinels, Beast, etc. Especially when you compare what the initial budget was to what they ended up with.