April 30, 2003

Whose X2 is it anyway?

Bryan Singer’s X2: X-Men United is a mutant leap forward in comic book filmmaking. It was not, for me, the best ever comic book movie.  But with this film, Singer has fulfilled the promise that his filmmaking voice offered when he hooked up with this franchise.  Singer makes human, dark, complex films.  And even with mutants flying through walls and making tornados and morphing left and right, he has brought that same quality to the X-Men franchise.

That said the question remains, is X2: X-Men United going to break out in a significantly bigger way than the original?  I have to say that he answer to that is, “no.”  And the reason for that is the same reason that this film is so good… Bryan Singer makes human, dark, complex films.

The most powerful addition to the new film is Alan Cumming’s Nightcrawler.  Cumming is, as always, terrific.  But more so, this character is the only character other than Wolverine who could really succeed in its own film.  It would be a smaller film… a straight drama with some comic overtones.  Every once in a while, he would have to “Bamf!” through a wall or something.  But it would be a modern day Kung Blue or Bamfing Tall… a man of peace, wandering through a world of brutality, trying to bring gentility until someone pushed him too far.  I would be thrilled to spend two hours with this character. 

But he’s not Spider-Man.  He’s not a dorky kid transformed into a super hero over night.  He is not a character that people would fantasize about becoming.  And, for a wider audience, that is a huge factor. 

Perhaps that explains why Wolverine has always been the most popular X-Man… he went through a transformation.  Yes, he had some mutant healing powers already.  But with claws at the ready, he is tortured by the changes that were forced on him.  He is a mystery, even to himself.

Speaking of Wolverine… he is one of the other major changes in the sequel.  Hugh Jackman is still a movie star and one of the most fortunate bits of last minute recasting ever.  Singer & Co. let Wolfie loose this time and he, at times, is a killing machine.  But unlike The Matrix Reloaded, which everyone always knew would be an R rated film, we don’t get the full impact because PG-13 rules the day.  Upside/Downside.

The other interesting transitional player is Rebecca Stamos’ Mystique, who gets used to much greater advantage without Toad and Sabretooth eating up screen time.  She is the best she has ever been… including Femme Fatale.  Because even though she is running around in little more than blue paint and some carefully applied scales, she is more than an object of lust.

So why am I dissing the financial upside of this picture?  Well, because it is a great movie for people who love the X-Men.  And it still doesn’t offer anything new to people who know nothing about X-Men.  The reason Spider-Man was so huge was not just the date or the hype.  The story had a light touch that all age ranges could connect with.  Why will older people come to X2?  Why will young girls show up?  (They will be at The Lizzie Maguire Movie in large numbers, though not nearly in the overall numbers that will line up all weekend for X2.) 

The trailer and TV spots for X-Men United are terrific… if you like X-Men.  But there is no “I’m king of the world!” There’s no mystery about what’s in the corn field or one of the world’s biggest stars to pull them in.  The comic book is not as rangy in audience as a Harry Potter.  There are no effects that scream out “First time I’ve seen that!!!” even if the “Bamph!” effect is new and brilliantly done.

Even Finding Nemo, theoretically a kid’s movie, launched its TV campaign on American Idol last night and expanded its base.  The spot featured a Men At Work song (“Land Down Under”) that appeals to boomers and also works for the commercial.  They have a stoner turtle.  They have slapstick.  And they established a certain lack of “cuteness” that could scare older kids away from animation.

The flipside is that the X2 commercial, which is very clever, relies on our relationship with Wolverine, with either a kitty licking his claws or a joke about being an art teacher.  Terrific!  But not built for a new, wider audience.  In 30 seconds, I knew more about Little Nemo than I have by watching every trailer and was more excited about seeing it.

Of course, all of this is a little insane.  X2 will make, I think, about $20 million more than the original domestically and create an even bigger increase overseas.  All this talk about Spider-Man numbers is just plain stupid.  Not only was Spider-Man the biggest opening ever by a long stretch, the record for the first weekend in May slot had previously been held by The Mummy Returns with $68 million, which Spider-Man beat by almost $47 million.  A $70 million start for X2 would be a massive success and deserves to be seen that way.  Anything over $60 million, which would beat the original by more than $5 million, should be seen as a success.  The $157 million domestic total for X-Men could push up into the $200 million range… we shall see.

About the movie…

* Storm’s hair is better.  They have given Halle more of an earth mother vibe, which is good.

* The “new” boys, Iceman & Pyro, are good.  They are good for some great moments, but I would have liked a little more character development, especially for Pyro.

* More Colossus, not just Piotr’s chest, please!!!

* Ian McKellen gets to stop the show again, with seeming effortlessness.

* The central storyline was interesting, but a little too epic to really comprehend.  It’s very comic book.  But as this movie proves so ably, movies are about individual personalities and major visual events.  The result of the still-unspoiled central story ends up looking like a one-minute-long clip from the old Star Trek series.

Enjoy the movie.  Let me know what you think when you see it.

READER OF THE DAY:  I AM TORONTO writes:  “Talk about a piracy crackdown...

At the X-2 presser in Toronto we first had to walk past the easel sign warning us about this and that...

...then the bag inspection...

...then metal detecting wand...

...and finally, we had a security guy in full night vision goggles walking up and down the aisles twice during the screening to see if he could detect cameras. His timing the first time was perfect...he came in just as the special ops troops were attacking the Xavier's school.

Crazy...”

E ME:  Are YOU going to stand on line this weekend?