August 24, 2004
X-Men
X-Men
I like comic books -- if you count Disney comics, Tintin and Asterix as comic books. If you are one who considers only superhero comics to pass muster, then I'm left out in the cold. I've never gotten into any of them, and my husband isn't really all that big a fan either, although he's read a lot more than I have and likes them more than I do. Still he wanted to watch the X-Men movies, and so I put my name on the library's hold list and waited for them to eventually get to me.
As with many movies we check out that hold no interest for me, I planned to just go to sleep while these were playing. Unfortunately for my intended night of rest, they turned out to be really engaging, fun films that I could enjoy watching even though I'd never read an X-Men comic in my life. It didn't hurt, of course, that Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) is quite easy on the eyes, but goofy as movies of this genre can be, I really liked these.
As I've heard everyone say, the second movie is a little better than the first -- more plot and action, but the first isn't a bad flick. I didn't feel like I'd wasted hours of my life watching either of them. And really any movie with Captain Picard and Gandalf in it can't be that bad.
I'm looking forward to X-Men 3 and maybe I'll even get around to seeing it in a more timely fashion. Who knows -- I might even consider going to see it in the theater!
There's always these, though I'd be surprised if your library had any of them:
http://imdb.com/find?tt=on;nm=on;mx=20;q=asterix
Caveat watcher - I've never seen any of them, including the live-action, Gerard Depardieux version.
Posted by: skinnydan at August 24, 2004 08:30 AMGandalf (Ian McKellen?) is also in my favorite all-time movie: _The Scarlet Pimpernel_. He plays an evil revolutionary/ Robespierre toady. Of course, the dashing Anthony Andrews makes for some pleasant scenery, and Jane Seymour is very good in it too. Which reminds me of Battlestar Galactica. Again!
Posted by: Lenise at August 24, 2004 08:34 AMMy favorite movie with Ian McKellen is Cold Comfort Farm (actually just one of my favorite movies period).
Posted by: Jordana at August 24, 2004 08:38 AMWow, who woulda thunk that you'd be a closet X-Men fan (well, no longer in the closet anymore)? I think the appeal for them is that we all have special talents and feel like we don't fit into this world, so we can identify with the mutants. Plus the special effects are pretty cool too.
Have you seen the Spiderman movies, and if not does the X-Men experience increase your curiousity for seeing them?
Posted by: MarcV at August 24, 2004 12:13 PMMarc, I have not seen the Spiderman movies. Justin has seen the first and plans to see the second eventually. He's already informed me that if I liked these I'll probably like Spidey too. Spiderman is the one superhero comic I tried to get into, but always failed, so it would be interesting to see if I liked the movies.
I slept through The Incredible Hulk, it did nothing for me.
Posted by: Jordana at August 24, 2004 01:33 PMBoth Spiderman movies are better than both X-Men movies, in my opinion, although both X-Men movies are good. I think the Spiderman movies are the best comic book adaptations to have ever been made (the second is the superior of the two). I have high hopes for the upcoming Batman, though.
The Hulk was interesting only to a comic book reader (which I was in a former life).
Posted by: Alan at August 24, 2004 09:26 PM
Jordana Adams, Chief Pontificator