The reason why many people hate this film

[SpandexFan]

Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 50%.

That means it's not a lousy film, just a movie that everyone can't universally agree was a great flick.

It had me going up until Charles Xavier's death. That's the kind of death you save until the end of the movie.

That's where I'm going with this. We all know the X-Men comics are full of death and pestilence. Nothing is worse than being a mutant. The problem is this happens over a period of years and years. When you try and fit all the tragedies of mutant-kind into one two hour movie... well, you can have problems.

If you watch some of the classic team action buster movies -- The Dirty Dozen, The Magnificent Seven -- and so on, you'll notice one thing..... most of the heroes died in the first film!

And that is why so many critics hate this film. Star Trek only killed Spock after a bazillion TV shows and a few movies. They also brought him back. X-Men was headed that way. Then they killed Mystique (for all intents and purposes), then the audience finds out Cyclops is dead, then Professor X blows up in a million tiny shards.... regardless of what happens next, you've already lost half the audience.

Fair or not, peeps expect a popcorn summer flick. They want action, but they want consistency. You can't start killing off mutant after mutant like they were only five minute cameo appearances when the franchise has already established many of these actors and actresses and their portrayals in the hearts and minds of cinema goers everywhere. No matter what the story, you lose the fanbase.

Hugh Jackman was right. This really is the last film. After eliminating so many of our favorite mutants, they can't just up and start a sequel. This was the official suicide of the X-Men movie franchise. Sorry true believers, but you can't convince me there is a future for the X-Men after this armageddon.

So anyways, those are my thoughts on why X-Men 3 hasn't been as well received as the past two films. It's not the director. I think Ratner used several clever tricks in filming this sequel and personally feel Singer would have brought nothing more to the table unless he was a better writer. I believe it's the screenplay. Blame the director for signing off on it I guess, but this movie is simply trying to compress two, three, maybe even four decades of mutant tragedy into one two hour film.

 

[kah]

I wouldn't mind all the deaths if there seemed to a point to them. They all seem rather pointless.

 

[The Kid]

the bazillions it's making tells me many people don't exactly hate it, nor do I, it's just not very good like it could have been given more time to be made.

 

[Psionic Force]

And that is why so many critics hate this film.

The only critics I see not liking this seem to be the ones online. Ebert & Roeper gave it 2 thumbs up and others have praised it as well. Not sure why people seem to forget that there have been many critics that do like this movie.

I think they only thing that any of us can agree on is to disagree and just let it go.

 

[iBatman]

The only complaint I have is the secret scene. If you have no plans to make an X Men 4, then why do this to the fans? Even the Magneto/chess scene. Same deal. If you are going to end the franchise, end it. Don't play with our heads.

 

[XCharlieX]

Actually i thought that was rather nice of them to give a bone to the comic fans. They really couldve left magneto without powers and xavier dead.

 

[Psionic Force]

I too thought that it was the end of all the movies for X-Men until I started reading more and more that the emphasis is more on the fact that this is the end of this story, this trilogy. And that there is nothing more they can do with that story. But they seem to be leaving it open for new stories to be created, therefore a different focus on the X-Men. So with Xavier and Magneto and how things ended in TLS, there still might be a chance we will see them on the big screen again.

 

[the_scream]

People hate the film because it is bad. Period.

 

[WorthyStevens]

People hate the film because it is bad. Period.

People hate it cause they think it's bad.

People love it cause they think it's good.

Just agree to disagree.

 

[The Original Bamfer]

Xavier's death pushed the story so far... I'm glad it happened. It didn't support the cure storyline, but impacted the Phoenix one immensely! It showed both how powerful she was, and also supports the theme of too much power, etc... it was necessary. Scott's presumed 'death' was too, for it was the breaking point of Jean's mind. Albeit, it would have been better for him to ahve retruned at the end... ah well.

 

[Kurosawa]

People hate the film because it is bad. Period.

One thumbs up for each of the original 5, the real X-Men.

 

[DACrowe]

The deaths were done for shock value with the only one carrying ANY weight whatsoever being Xavier, but even that was rushed.

That I agree upon, but I would say this is the lightest of the three X-Men movies. Though with the most death and arguably the most violent (with real life consequences of death anyway), it is the most campy and light hearted. It is the most like a breezy summer movie (just with a lot of deaeth).

I think people hate this movie because it is rushed, poorly written, poorly directed, fails to live up to the first two, ruins character arcs, ruins characters (just from a filmmaking stand point and as a sequel to the storylines Singer had set up like Mystique/Magneto, Jean/Scott and Logan/Rogue) and was very unfaithful to the comics and a rushed unsatisfying climax.

At the same time some appreciate the upped action and the heavy drama (I call it soap opera and felt Singer did more with less in subtelty but whatever).

So that is taste, it is also the least faithful to the comics which explains why the backlash from the fans is far more vile than anyone else. It isn't particularly well made, which explains the critics' backlash and while eye candy it doesn't leave much of the impression which is why it got enthusastic immeadiete responses from the general moviegoers but did not get enough to expect more than a high drop.

But for this board all I have to say is Cyclops. And Mystique. And Magneto. And Jean/PHeonex. And Rogue. And....

 

[DACrowe]

P.S. I felt it falling apart after Cyclops died. But for a breezy summer movie it still stayed in pretty good shape until after Xavier died. At that point it needed to sloww down and have time for reflection but other than a half second of ice skating it rushed straight to the next fight sequence pretty much and the movie just kind of rambles until "the final showdown" which I did not care for.

 

[Lightning Strykez!]

Fair or not, peeps expect a popcorn summer flick. They want action, but they want consistency. You can't start killing off mutant after mutant like they were only five minute cameo appearances when the franchise has already established many of these actors and actresses and their portrayals in the hearts and minds of cinema goers everywhere. No matter what the story, you lose the fanbase.

Huh?

This is a war. People lose their lives in war. And only in the fairy tale world do only the bad guys die. In REAL life--yes the "realistic world" that Bryan Singer created--good guys pass away as well.

As far as deaths, technically speaking, we only have one truth death:

Scott Summers: He isn't shown being "ashed"/demolecularized the same way Xavier, the soldiers, Brotherhood members and...well everything else is. He is shown being drained, much the same way Rogue affects those whose powers she "borrows". In addition, Xavier never went to Cerebro to "confirm" his obliteration. Even Jean's flashback was inconclusive. Verdict: He's missing.

Charles Xavier: Transferred his essence to a derilect body. Case closed: Verdict: He's fine.

Magneto: The Cure is already wearing off. Verdict: He's fine.

Mystique: The Cure is already wearing off. Verdict: She's fine.

That leaves us with Dark Phoenix. She is the only one that the writers and director left no true "out" for. Or did they? According to myth and the comic cannon, the Phoenix always arises again, more vindictive and destructive than before. And if Xavier can transfer consciousness, who is to say a mutant that outclasses him on every level can't do the same? Verdict: She's missing.

Now, what were you saying about consistency?

 

[SpandexFan]

Huh?

This is a war. People lose their lives in war. And only in the fairy tale world do only the bad guys die. In REAL life--yes the "realistic world" that Bryan Singer created--good guys pass away as well.

If peeps wanted true war, they would enlist and fight in Iraq.

Movies are a way to escape the tragedy of life. Especially the summer popcorn fluff movies.

Won't disagree with what happens later in the story to others, I just thought it left an initial sour taste in the critics' mouths.

 

[XCharlieX]

That leaves us with Dark Phoenix. She is the only one that the writers and director left no true "out" for. Or did they? According to myth and the comic cannon, the Phoenix always arises again, more vindictive and destructive than before.

And next time will be completely cartoonish. You cant get crazier than that without doing stuff that ends up looking like a spoof. Thats another reason why i say films such as these need to keep many of these casualties dead.

 

[fallenAngel]

I disagree, with the X4 part.

If they were totally sure this was the last one, I don't think they would have bothered killing/getting rid of all these different characters. At least the quick and pointless way they did so.

They needed to open up more room for other mutants/actors. Fox is cheep and they don't want to keep paying actors again and again as their salaries get higher.

 

[Saint]

Actually, the reason I hated it was because it was crap.

 

[TrailerMusic]

the bazillions it's making tells me many people don't exactly hate it

This Movie is making bazillions weird. The Box Office for this Movie is dropping as fast as the Box Office for The Hulk did

 

[XCharlieX]

If peeps wanted true war, they would enlist and fight in Iraq.

Movies are a way to escape the tragedy of life. Especially the summer popcorn fluff movies.

But then there are other directors that have a style that deviates from this expected mold called realistic style. People that look at it that way tend to not enjoy those types of films but more like Star Wars or Fantastic 4.

 

[Lightning Strykez!]

If peeps wanted true war, they would enlist and fight in Iraq.

Movies are a way to escape the tragedy of life. Especially the summer popcorn fluff movies.

Won't disagree with what happens later in the story to others, I just thought it left an initial sour taste in the critics' mouths.

You cited a 50% rating at Rotten Tomatoes, correct? That indicates that literally about half of the critical base loved it, and half did not. What does that mean? It means the reaction was mixed... I've seen the film 3 times; each time audiences around me seemed to genuinely eat it up.

And to be totally frank, the critics "bashing" the film only seem to be focusing on comparing it to its predecessors. The "Heavyweight" critics however, scored it highly and in general it's rating appears to be a B+ with fans. That's hardly mediocre.

That's not to say that some don't care for it--or even have this "sour taste" in their mouths that you speak of. But I also don't sense this "universal" hatred that some here are insinuating exists.

 

[Lightning Strykez!]

This Movie is making bazillions weird. The Box Office for this Movie is dropping as fast as the Box Office for The Hulk did

What are you referring to? Unless I'm mistaken, this weekend's box office receipts are not tallied yet. Mid-week numbers are always lower than the weekend's cap-offs; people have to work and children have school, etc.

So what "Hulkish" drop-off are you talking about?

 

[TrailerMusic]

From what has happened so far to me is "The Hulk" like drop offs. Sure it can pick up I never said it didnt. But not many do

 

[Lightning Strykez!]

From what has happened so far to me is "The Hulk" like drop offs. Sure it can pick up I never said it didnt. But not many do

Maybe we should wait for the weekend numbers. While I agree with you that the potential is there, we must also realize the film has made well over $200 million in just six days.

 

[WorthyStevens]

From what has happened so far to me is "The Hulk" like drop offs. Sure it can pick up I never said it didnt. But not many do

Good grief, it's been out for only a week so far.