X:Men Dark Phoenix, Author Intentions, SJWs and Guns

The early X-Men films are some of my favourite comic book films, especially X2 and Days of Future Past. While Logan was a great send-off for Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, Apocalypse left a bad taste in my mouth. Oscar Isaac was tragically wasted as the villain, due in large part to poor writing. Sophie Turner’s acting chops were suspect and many of the supporting villains were dull.

For those reasons, I am cautiously optimistic about Dark Phoenix. While the comic storyline has great potential, I am not sure if Turner has the range to pull this role off. Yes, I watch Game of Thrones, and I generally find her to be one of the weaker links on that show. I am also not a fan of Jennifer Lawrence so her presence as Mystique (which is overdone  due to her starpower) is another reason I have thought of skipping Dark Phoenix in theaters.

Now, I am not defending the writing or the acting in this clip. Lawrence sounds like she’s bored, and the writing is heavy-handed. However, complaints about “SJW” content do not concern the way messages are presented: People who complain about SJW content hate the message, or images, themselves.

Any image of strong women or POC can trigger the SJW detractors. I have seen someone call a scene with homosexuality “forced” because it involves a two-minute exchange with two women flirting with one another. For some people, ANY inclusion or mention of ANY ideas that are left of centre, is SJW.

I believe the above poster is one of these people. There is a tendency among people who cry “SJW” at everything to believe SJW content comes from a new generation of Hollywood execs. These right-wing zealots don’t realize that, sometimes, media just incorporates the messages from the original media. I remember people complaining about “liberal talking points” in The Punisher, even though those “liberal talking points” have been a part of the character for decades.

Likewise, the X-Men — a group of people hated by society because they were born different — have always been viewed as an allegory for discriminated groups, ranging from POC to LGBTQ+.

I never thought I’d see this but someone is actually arguing that the X-Men represent gun owners in America…you know, since they are persecuted and routinely threatened with deportation, extermination, violence etc.

I can agree that sometimes an author’s take on their material doesn’t have to be the only take. Sometimes, people can pick up on additional messages or allegories the author might not have intended. However, I don’t think an author’s take should be ignored, and replaced with a more asinine one (as is the case here). If this person thinks choosing to own a an assault rifle (remember, most gun control recommendations aren’t trying to outlaw all guns) and getting some skepticism for that, is the same as being discriminated against for genetic traits, then he has no idea what real discrimination is.

Jennifer Lawrence, Trump and Freedom of Speech

I first saw a trailer for Mother in front of It, and although the odd trailer grabbed my attention I had no interest in seeing it due to Jennifer Lawrence. I watched the first Hunger Games film and Silver Linings Playbook, which made me a fan. Then I saw her performance in the newer X-Men films and the spell wore off. The films became the Mystique show simply due to Lawrence’s status and she was the weakest link when compared to the performances from actors like Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy.

All of this to say, that I am not a Jennifer Lawrence fan. When ads for Mother popped up on my twitter feed my curiosity got the better of me and I scrolled through the comments on the ad, eager to see what other people thought of the upcoming film. Lo and behold, the comments were swarmed with people “boycotting” Lawrence for comments she apparently made about Hurricane Irma and Trump..

Although there are plenty of people saying Lawrence thinks Trump caused Hurricane Irma, that just demonstrates how bias and/or a lack of reading comprehension can lead to misinformation. During an interview Lawrence said that Irma is one example of “Mother Nature’s rage, or wrath”. She advised that there is scientific evidence to support the argument that humans contribute to climate change and she said voting is one way to influence action on climate change.

So for those with poor reading comprehension: She means that a candidate like Trump, who believes climate change is a hoax, will enact policies that will further contribute to climate change. Did she say he caused Hurricane Irma? No. Anyway, there lies the latest source of online rage directed toward “liberal Hollywood”. The thesis of most of these statements was that actors should stay out of politics. I wasn’t able to retrieve the thread I initially came across but the one below has more examples of the backlash I am discussing.

This isn’t a new phenomenon: It is one I most recently discussed after David Harbour received a wave of criticism for his Stranger Things SAG acceptance speech, where he indirectly criticized Trump. Similar to the Lawrence backlash, most of the negative comments I have seen express disgust at actors daring to have a political opinion.

Actors and actresses are not dolls assembled to perform, and then tucked away until their next performance. Although the adoration they receive might make us forget, they are real people too. They care about their values and ideologies as much as the regular person does. Does that mean they should make all their films revolve around their personal beliefs? No, but it does mean they should be allowed to discuss these issues on public forums, just like every other American citizen is allowed to. Yes, they have more clout than the average person and people like to argue that is why it is dangerous for them to express their ideas. With that said, let me get to the crux of my argument.

If an actor or actress expresses political views I don’t agree with, I don’t fault them for having an opinion. I fault them for the views themselves. I don’t say “Oh they should stay out of politics”, I say “It’s a shame they support that candidate’s views…”.  I like to think it is a less hypocritical approach, since I would not despise an actor if they expressed political views I agree with. Would these Trump supporters be upset if Lawrence had made comments about what a great president he is? The same freedom of speech that people use to defend marching Neo-Nazis is the same freedom of speech being stripped from an actress who says climate change is real.

Some of the Twitter comments openly criticize Lawrence for attacking Trump, and I can actually respect those comments. I don’t agree, but I am happy to see less hypocrisy. Maybe some of the comments criticizing Lawrence are from people who genuinely don’t like actors discussing politics, whether they support the same ideologies or not. However, I have a strong feeling most of these people telling Lawrence to “stick to acting” just don’t like seeing freedom of speech used against them. They prefer when it is used against immigrants, Muslims and other minorities.

X-Men Apocalypse Review

Rating: 7/10

Feel free to check out my video review.

The critical and commercial success of Days of Future Past made it clear to everyone that Apocalypse had a lot to live up to. After seeing the film yesterday, I have to say that Apocalypse does not exceed or meet its predecessor. That is not to say the film is downright bad, but it isn’t amazing either.

Apocalypse picks up with the new timeline, following the younger versions of the X-Men. Picking up ten years later, Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) now continues to grow the school with the help of Beast. Meanwhile, Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) now works to bring mutants to safety, through a sort of underground railroad for mutant misfits. Erik Lensherr now leads life with a new identity in his native Poland, along with his wife and daughter. With this backdrop, comes the introduction of new mutants such as Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) and a new threat.

After lying dormant for thousands of years, the world’s first mutant is revived and now seeks to create a new world order where only the strongest mutants survive.

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Firstly, I want to start off discussing the aspect of the film that bothered me most leading up to its release. The marketing emphasized Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique, depicting her as this figure Beast seeks out to lead the X-Men. Especially since her role in defeating Magneto in the last film has now made Mystique a revered figure among mutants. I did like this development but it did bother me that Mystique is actually shown in her blue form for a relatively small portion of her screen time The film’s explanation is that Mystique doesn’t feel like she can no longer represent “mutant and proud” since she doesn’t believe in it anymore. . It obviously makes sense for Mystique to stay hidden when in public, but even when other mutants surround her, it is still mostly Jlaw on screen. I could not help but think Jlaw’s star power contributed to that. This thought surfaces even more since Lawrence is one of the film’s most forgettable performances, being overshadowed by McAvoy, Fassbender, Evans, Isaac etc.

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Speaking of Oscar Isaac, the makeup could be better but I did enjoy his presence on screen. He was soothing when he needed to be, then menacing and vindictive when necessary. His dialogue was great and Oscar Isaac delivered a great performance, yet I feel like the character could have been fleshed out more. Which brings me to one of my biggest criticisms.

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One of my main criticisms brings up the issues of trying to introduce numerous new characters (or versions) of characters without any previous build up. I do hate the Marvel V DC talk, but Civil War does provide a good case study. Although some characters felt tacked on, like Spider-Man, many of them did not since they were already introduced through previous films. With Apocalypse, we get a younger version of Cyclops, Storm, Jean, Nightcrawler, as well as Angel, Psylocke and Apocalypse. This is in addition to building on previous characters and relationships. As a result, some characters suffer. Psylocke literally has less than ten lines. Her and Angel were both very forgettable, getting lost in the muddle of all the other characters and relationships the film wanted to introduce or flesh out. I would have liked to see more of the Xavier and Magneto relationship, which has always been a strength of this trilogy, but that had to get pushed aside to make more room for Apocalypse. He could have used some more development too but they also needed to develop the new heroes. This issue also leads to some pacing issues that hampered the film leading up to the third act.

 

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There are some truly great scenes and set pieces. Quicksilver steals the show again, in a scene that actually manages to outdo the kitchen scene in DOFP. The scene is a huge tonal shift, switching the film from dark, to light and then back again. Yet it still works so well.

 

There is also an Auschwitz scene that was stunning and one of the film’s most emotionally powerful scenes. The third act had its own set pieces but although there was a great war raging between mutants on the field, the best part of the third act is a mental battle between Charles and Apocalypse. Even though the mental battle is more muted and slower paced than the rest of the action, it was still more exciting for me; Probably because I cared about these characters the most and because they were some of the best actors.

 

Sophie Turner does a decent job as Jean Grey, but she came across as somewhat forgettable and replaceable. Cyclops and Nightcrawler were both great additions to the new X-Men team and I am looking forward to seeing more of their characters, but yet again, they weren’t developed that well. Of course there is more room for this in future movies, but I ultimately have to judge this film as a single unit. Alexandra Shipp actually plays Storm with an African accent, and maybe people will disagree, but the accent actually sounds good to me. I thought she was pretty good in the role, but yet again, limited lines, limited development.

To end on a more positive note, the ending was perfect. I can’t say much more than that without spoiling it.

Overall, I do believe Apocalypse is worth checking out in the theater and I am glad that I saw it. However, it falls short of the high bar set by DOFP.

 

 

 

Jennifer Lawrence- The Taylor Swift Effect and X-Men Apocalypse

After this latest trailer the Suicide Squad has quickly moved to the #2 spot of my most anticipated comic book film of 2016. Deadpool is still #1 and it comes out in less than a month so Suicide Squad will occupy my #1 spot for most of the year.

X-Men’s themes of discrimination and oppression have always resonated with me and I thought X-Men Apocalypse would easily beat out Suicide Squad. I was fine with less Wolverine, and I know that many viewers (even those who loved the films) still wished they focused on Wolverine less and let other characters shine. With the exception of X3 and the Wolverine solo films, the X-Men films are some of the best comic book films to date.

Which is why it was disappointing to see the first trailer for Apocalypse and realize that Jennifer Lawrence has apparently been given a bigger role. Step aside Wolverine, make way for Mystique. I used to like Jennifer Lawrence. I enjoyed the first Hunger Games film and also enjoyed her performance in Silver Linings Playbook. As time passed though, Lawrence quickly became the Taylor Swift of Hollywood: ridiculously overrated and overexposed (in my opinion). For that reason I refuse to watch any more of the Hunger Games films, American Hustle, Joy or any other films she will appear in.

Lawrence was already an A-lister and every teen girl’s idol when the script was originally written. Therefore, I do not think it is a coincidence that the most marketable actor in the film, now has a much bigger role. This would be understandable, if the move was really necessary. X-Men First Class still managed to make a decent profit, despite the absence of the franchise’s most marketable character and actor (Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine). Additionally, Apocalypse was in a position to build off the hype of Days of Future Past instead of pandering to one actor’s fan base.

Lawrence’s acting was a weak link in Days of Future Past and the few lines in the trailer make her sound like she’s half-asleep. Hopefully they sound better in context, but if Days of Future Past is any indication, they may not. What makes Lawrence’s position even more frustrating is the fact that her character does not have to be an important figure in this storyline. First Class revamped Mystique as a central heroic figure, as opposed to a super-villain. Days of Future Past transitioned her into an anti-hero and X-Men Apocalypse could have continued by having her as a periphery figure who is deciding which side to join (Apocalypse or the X-Men). Instead, Mystique will now replace Wolverine, wasting an opportunity to develop other characters. After the cyclops we had in the original trilogy, I was hoping this film would help to flesh Cyclops out more. Instead, that might be pushed aside for more Lawrence or more Sophie Turner (Jean Grey). Turner’s few lines in the trailer make it clear she has brought her whiny Sansa Stark voice over to this film, so my hopes are not too high for her performance. Then again, we will see. Perhaps I will be proven wrong: Turner and Lawrence will be great, and all of the characters will get their chance to shine. However, I doubt it.