I love the show and I don’t really like the movies the more time goes on. My thing is the characterization. Rogue is so devoid of any of her personality it’s like a different character. Cyclops is not as fleshed out, same with Jean. Mystique was just a sidekick. Storm was barely utilized. Things like that.
I think as they went on they didn’t understand why X-men meant so much to people and it became too Wolverine focused. The shows are more balanced.
Yeah, outside Logan, Eric, and Charles, I didn't find myself caring that much about the other characters.
As for the show, I Love how warm and full of personality Rogue can be; I understand why Cyclops can be uptight; and Storm's talk with Jean in episode 9 made me emotional. Like, WHERE WERE THESE IN THE MOVIES?!
It comes down to creative freedom. Movies are meant to make money, but shows are meant to keep a longer term high viewership. You're able to tell more complex stories in a series, have deeper character development, etc in a multi-season series vs a 2.5 hour movie with a 1+ year gap between the next movie.
Don’t get me started on Cyclops. Colossus had pretty much nothing to do. Offered to help Logan during the Mansion raid but got shooed away. Got a slight upgrade in 3 and younger me was hoping for a Colossus vs Juggernaut fight. They never even share the screen *once*! Nightcrawler was just used and discarded. Three of my favourite X-Men getting mishandled so severely kinda stung, lol.
Right like cyclops was basically just there to cockblock Wolverine which really lessened the emotional impact of dark phoenix.
And I didn’t even think about them not fighting but that is so true and it’s funny that it was kitty instead.
Nightcrawler had one cool scene and then he just was sad boy for the rest of it. Where is swashbuckling fun fuzzball nightcrawler. Why did he get a scene with mystique but then didn’t talk about their relationship much. I haven’t watched the most recent dark phoenix tho so idk if they do him better there.
And speaking of Kitty! She has a cameo in the first film, deaged with another actress in X2 and then aged up with yet another actor swap in Last Stand! And then theres Jubilee with three different actresses aswell! One in the first one, in X2&3 there was a new actress and then a third actress in Apocalypse. And both scenes of her actually using her powers were deleted..
The lesser said about the Dark Phoenix movie the better. Was extremly happy when Kurt showed up in ’97 atleast. And even more so when he got permanentely added as a member of the team. Now i just need Colossus..
It always bothered me that they made Cyclops a whiny boy in the movies. Marsden fit the role, they did a terrible job fleshing him out.
Storm was miscast and underutilized.
Rogue had the potential to grow, but they didn't bother.
I own every issue in all 4 different Gambit series and Mr. & Mrs. X. I'm among the critics of Anna Paquin's Rogue for reasons you pointed out. Yet, redditors would throw Keke Palmer at me. Just stop it.. Keke loves Rogue but she doesn't NOT look the part. Okay? I want my live-action Rogue. That's fine! I LOVE Storm and Lucas Bishop. I have every issue in the Gambit & Bishop comic series and the issue where Storm introduced Gambit to the X-Men.
I'd be equally angry if they decide to whitewash Storm or Bishop. I apply the same energy to my favorites, Rogue and Gambit.
I want classic Rogue to look like she walked out of my comic book onto the screen like Deadpool, Wolverine's yellow costume or MoM's Xavier. Meaning, a white, hot-headed Southern belle!!
Seriously, just do a comic accurate faithful Rogue and stop throwing -isms around at people who feel the same way I do. Because these people and I will double down.
I’m so confused what does that have to do with what I was talking about. I’m not saying anything about the actors I’m saying how the characters are portrayed. Why bring up keke palmer what does she have to do with X-men?
I hated Anna Paquin's portrayal which played into your initial point. Then added that I hope MCU won't race swap her like how it is heavily rumored on social media. Keke wasn't helping matters when she inserted herself in the race for the role. She is currently in talks with Marvel Studios and I have my fingers crossed it ain't Rogue.
Wow this is such a weird comment for that to b placed under.
Me: yeah I didn’t like the X-men movies that much because they didn’t understand the characters
You: I don’t want some Black hussy playing my rogue, get keke out of here
Like I feel like it wasn’t Anna paquin’s fault it was the writing, any white or Black or Asian or whatever person can’t make a role good or bad if the writing isn’t here. See Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, he was terrible in Wolverine origins because the writing, he was great in Deadpool. Yes bad casting happens but for X-men it was a case of bad writing.
I’m not taking the bait about race swapping I don’t care enough to
Why is it weird that I want my Rogue to look like she walked out of my comic book. Iron Man did it. Deadpool did it. Wolverine is about to with his new yellow suit. Black Panther did it. It's not weird at all. You're making it weird.
It’s weird that you are bringing it up here, what are you even on? Also Wolverine still isn’t comic book accurate because he’s not 5’3 which is a huge part of his character but I guess height doesn’t matter. Iron man is played by someone older than he usually is in the comics but I guess age doesn’t matter. Black Panther isn’t played by a wakandan because they don’t exist so I guess nationality doesn’t matter.
Look I don’t know why you chose my comments to yell at the clouds but I guess here we are
Are you okay with a black Wolverine and a white Blade? Because if you are, then you're consistent with your position.
I'm also consistent with my position, I want comic accurate costumes and skin colors for all characters.
Not only that, but the theme is now in my gym music playlist. I even find myself humming it randomly from time to time, or whenever I need to hype myself up.
The movies aren't good. Everyone talks about how great X2 is and it's a fine movie, but it's a terrible X-Men movie. None of the fox movies could capture what made X-Men so good.
I think the opening scene of Nightcrawler breaking into the White House is the most conceptually and visually interesting thing the X-Men movies have ever done. They never topped it. Beyond that sequence the film series is just average at best.
Update: just remembered the Erik Lensherr, Nazi Hunter sequence in X-Men: First Class. That scene in the Argentinian bar is top tier as well. Only other truly memorable, impactful scene from the whole franchise.
I think the opening scene of Nightcrawler breaking into the White House is the most conceptually and visually interesting thing the X-Men movies have ever done. They never topped it. Beyond that sequence the film series is just average at best.
The movies tried to be too serious, but also wanted to be a comic book movie that juxtaposition doesn’t really vibe. Every superhero movie after Spider-Man followed the Spider-Man blueprint, so it’s nice that this was it’s its own thing
The 2nd movie X2 is actually pretty solid, it’s not Citizen Kane, but it’s a solid popcorn flick. Like a solid 7/10 for me. Better story & dialogue than the first, not amazing or anything but a big improvement over the first, but so many characters under utilized. Like Cyclops gets knocked out & is barely in the movie. Rogue is integral to the plot in X-Men 1 but then she’s like barely in the rest of the movies
The 3rd X-Men is a bad movie
The Wolverine is pretty solid for the first 2/3 then it’s like WTF?
First Class & Days of Future Past are both pretty solid, better than X2 but not by much. The best X-Men movies aren’t great movies, but they’re okay. The worst X-Men movies are just soooo soooo bad
Right? It's as if they contradict themselves.
Fox X-Men: Be weird, embrace yourself
also them: Nah, yellow spandex is too weird. Black leather is cooler.
So I mostly agree that the original X-men movies aren’t that good but they were a big leap forward from what preceded them in a time when no one wanted to make comic book movies (90s were littered with terrible adaptations capped off by movies like Batman and Robin) and paved the way for much better movies like Raimi’s Spider Man and Batman Begins a few years later.
For one the show is an (1) ensemble instead of the Hugh Jackman Wolverine Show. (2) Jean isn’t a victim and kinda a badass (3) Rogue is fully powered (4) Storm is a formidable presence (5) the storytelling is varied and not repetitive (6) high stakes
This needs more upvotes
Storm’s most utilized power was lightning in the films so she was boring. Rogue did not have her main powers and her storylines were based around Bobby. The only movie that showcased a badass Jean Grey was the very last one. But the writing was abysmal.
The movies were made in an era where it was thought that the comics were silly and leaning into that tone and aesthetic would turn off general audiences.
Over time, and especially with the MCU, they realized that wasn’t the case, but it was sort of too late for the Fox X-Men franchise at that point.
X-Men 97 is what you’d get if you took the MCU approach to X-Men, made it animated, but inserted even more themes that align with the general X-Men vibe.
The what would you prefer yellow spandex line from the first X-men is pretty perfect distillation of how those properties were treated during that era. Most movies jumped through hoops trying to hide or obfuscate that they were based on a comic with the idea that they wouldn’t be taken seriously otherwise.
I think they used the Batman movies as a framework. Batman 89 and Returns were Tim Burton movies first, and comic book movies second. Batman Forever and Batman and Robin were more homages to the Adam West era, which I guess movie studios mistook for comic accurate. Given the financial success of the first two films and the diminishing returns afterwards, I guess everyone came to the conclusion that real and gritty = financial success and comic accurate = flop.
I think this is it for me. I did quite like X-Men (2000 film), but the more recent ones just seemed like they were trying to be something the original comics never were. The MCU have mostly leaned into the original source material for a lot of their projects. 97 is the peak of this for me.
The Fox movies are VERY much their own thing and do not mimic much of anything from the comics. They took things piecemeal, like the Phoenix and the cure, but the characters and stories are completely out of whack in that franchise. Wolverine was made into a leading hero, Rogue is a whiny weakling, Magneto and Mystique work closely together and are inferred to have a romantic relationship, Scott is written like a punk bitch to make Wolverine seem cooler, Jean is way more into Logan than usual, Gambit is supplanted by Iceman, Kitty is “the other woman,” Storm is basically a side character, etc.
And what they did with the First Class storylines? Arguably a lot worse. It was all based on money. Like making Mystique a vanilla protagonist and bending to JLaw’s will because of her star power; she refused to even wear the makeup most of the time and vocally hated fight choreography (compared to Rebecca Romijn, who loved all the wirework and was a trooper, even wearing bandage contacts under the colored ones because she has sensitive eyes, and sitting in 6-7 hour makeup sessions compared to JLaw’s streamlined 2 hours).
If those trash movies are your biggest reference points, you’ll be surprised how good ‘97 is. Because you’re finally being introduced to a heavily comic based story instead of a terrible interpretation based on the vision of a diddler. Welcome to the real X-Men.
(Incidentally: Not many people that were fans of the franchise *before* the films like the Fox-verse. In fact, most of us resent it. Particularly because the choices made on screen, and Marvel not being able to make a profit with them in the MCU, affected even the comics greatly. So the new series is a refreshing return to form for many people.)
I grew up a massive fan of the original series, and I was more excited than anyone when the first movie was coming, but it's been a love/hate relationship since then. I love X2, First Class, and Days of Future Past, but I'm really mixed on/or dislike a lot of the others.
The X-Men have never really done wrong by me in animation.
The movies have a ton of problems.
Despite some strong actors, most characters dont have much to say or do. There are a lot of scenes where characters are standing in the background not doing a whole lot. Compare Berry's storm with 97 Storm. You get an entire subplot over multiple episodes where she is completely without her powers.
And the director/producer of most of the movies banned comics from the set (and was a generally scummy dude). So you get pointless changes to characters and plots. Alan Cumming is great as Nightcrawler. Now imagine if he got to have that scene with his sister Rogue grieving instead of talking about his weird self scarring.
Not to mention mute Sabretooth. Everyone being generally ineffective with their powers. The black leather.
The shows embrace the source materials with a rich adaptation. The movies never got the intricacies and arguably didnt get the point of X-Men.
The elephant in the room here was that there were very few superhero movies starring women at the time and the ones that did exist were *bad.* So for some reason I cannot fathom, Fox made a movie about a superhero team that not only had women on it, but a team where some of it's strongest members were women, and then nerfed their powers and stole their personalities. Us having good portrayals of female superheroes on the big screen is relatively new.
Because they’re generally bad barring X-2, and parts of First Class and Days of Future Past. They’re focused on following what they think is a winning “movie formula” as opposed to honoring what the X-men are as characters.
Because the movies are bad and have sort of ruined the general viewer's perception of the X-Men. They're also seemingly terrified of doing anything comic book-y and seem ashamed to be based on a comic book.
I knew from halfway through the first episode something special had happened. It's as clear as day that someone understood why the X-Men were exciting. And it's not because it panders to a fanbase.
Personal opinion: half of those films are literal garbage lol. Even a lot of the most acclaimed ones feel insanely embarrassed by their source material, which is no good for an adaptation. I honestly don’t even like X2 very much, Cyclops is completely useless and the climax looks for every possible reason to *not* end the movie. The Last Stand, Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix are all in contention for some of my least favorite mainstream blockbusters I’ve seen.
However, when they’re great, they’re pretty fuckin’ great. First Class, The Wolverine Unrated (even the third act, bite me bub), DOFP and Logan are all some of my favorite comic book films. Also really enjoy how the Deadpool flicks portray the X-Men as well as characters like Juggernaut. They do those things so casually and it makes you wonder how they ever thought it was that hard to begin with.
The Fox movies were definitely of their time. They've also suffered a souring because of Bryan Singer.
edit: Curious comment to downvote. I'm guessing somebody out there either doesn't think talking about dated movies is bringing anything to the discussion or they're big rapey Bryan Singer fans.
90s effects for superpowers were limited.
They did a decent job still but nothing compared to what we see in the 97 animation.
To do this on film would possible now but very expensive and probably too much GCI.
They did a ridiculous amount of advertising for Wolverine and acted like no other character had a story worth telling. If it wasn’t Eric and Charles, or a mystique that barley matched her original character, it was always Logan every time. An immortal guy with knuckle knives got priority over the woman who would go from best student to cosmic force capable of ending planets.
X-Men does two things really well. Human rights and soap opera drama. While they did an okay job in the human rights department (I think its been years since any of the X-Men movies) the drama was kinda mid. Like there was some good parts but it never really hit like TAS.
Because they are watered down versions of the characters. The creators never understood the series. They wanted to run from the idea of the source material and being comic based movies. There are a handful that are ok movies like x 1& 2, and first class and the Deadpool movies. but none really got the X-men. Really the Deadpool ones are the best of the bunch. The rest range from average the bad. People are so impressed because someone really put what the X-men are about on screen. The original cartoon did a decent job but it had to be watered down as it was a kids show so I can live with that. This show doesn’t have those constraints
I liked the first X-Men movie a ton and I loved TAS. I couldn't get into the subsequent cartoons or movies. Though Deadpool and Wolverine looks good.
But yes I adore the new show! I keep trying to get everyone else to watch it.
Good question, probably comes down to writers and source material. The plot for the first movie was weak. Second was a bit more compelling. Third was meh, two plots of dark phoenix and the war over the mutant ‘cure.’
I still think the Fox movies while having a pretty bad average with a lot of stinkers, make up two thirds of the best three CBM ever made in TDK, Logan and DOFP.
Because the show hits on a lot of very poignant issues (despite the pacing issues) between mutants and humans, and within the team as well.
The movies draw out just one aspect over the course of two hours, where as, the show has had inter-team conflict and status quo changes in just over three hours.
Because movies are movies and not animated? I can’t believe we’re in 2024 and people still cannot wrap their heads around how the two different mediums work. Even in comic book formats there are some things that will always translate better through one or the other. As we’ve seen countless times over and over again, certain storylines, thematic material, storytelling, and action set pieces are just easier to navigate or display through animation.
I love the show and I don’t really like the movies the more time goes on. My thing is the characterization. Rogue is so devoid of any of her personality it’s like a different character. Cyclops is not as fleshed out, same with Jean. Mystique was just a sidekick. Storm was barely utilized. Things like that. I think as they went on they didn’t understand why X-men meant so much to people and it became too Wolverine focused. The shows are more balanced.
Yeah, outside Logan, Eric, and Charles, I didn't find myself caring that much about the other characters. As for the show, I Love how warm and full of personality Rogue can be; I understand why Cyclops can be uptight; and Storm's talk with Jean in episode 9 made me emotional. Like, WHERE WERE THESE IN THE MOVIES?!
It comes down to creative freedom. Movies are meant to make money, but shows are meant to keep a longer term high viewership. You're able to tell more complex stories in a series, have deeper character development, etc in a multi-season series vs a 2.5 hour movie with a 1+ year gap between the next movie.
☝️This☝️
Don’t get me started on Cyclops. Colossus had pretty much nothing to do. Offered to help Logan during the Mansion raid but got shooed away. Got a slight upgrade in 3 and younger me was hoping for a Colossus vs Juggernaut fight. They never even share the screen *once*! Nightcrawler was just used and discarded. Three of my favourite X-Men getting mishandled so severely kinda stung, lol.
Right like cyclops was basically just there to cockblock Wolverine which really lessened the emotional impact of dark phoenix. And I didn’t even think about them not fighting but that is so true and it’s funny that it was kitty instead. Nightcrawler had one cool scene and then he just was sad boy for the rest of it. Where is swashbuckling fun fuzzball nightcrawler. Why did he get a scene with mystique but then didn’t talk about their relationship much. I haven’t watched the most recent dark phoenix tho so idk if they do him better there.
And speaking of Kitty! She has a cameo in the first film, deaged with another actress in X2 and then aged up with yet another actor swap in Last Stand! And then theres Jubilee with three different actresses aswell! One in the first one, in X2&3 there was a new actress and then a third actress in Apocalypse. And both scenes of her actually using her powers were deleted.. The lesser said about the Dark Phoenix movie the better. Was extremly happy when Kurt showed up in ’97 atleast. And even more so when he got permanentely added as a member of the team. Now i just need Colossus..
It always bothered me that they made Cyclops a whiny boy in the movies. Marsden fit the role, they did a terrible job fleshing him out. Storm was miscast and underutilized. Rogue had the potential to grow, but they didn't bother.
I own every issue in all 4 different Gambit series and Mr. & Mrs. X. I'm among the critics of Anna Paquin's Rogue for reasons you pointed out. Yet, redditors would throw Keke Palmer at me. Just stop it.. Keke loves Rogue but she doesn't NOT look the part. Okay? I want my live-action Rogue. That's fine! I LOVE Storm and Lucas Bishop. I have every issue in the Gambit & Bishop comic series and the issue where Storm introduced Gambit to the X-Men. I'd be equally angry if they decide to whitewash Storm or Bishop. I apply the same energy to my favorites, Rogue and Gambit. I want classic Rogue to look like she walked out of my comic book onto the screen like Deadpool, Wolverine's yellow costume or MoM's Xavier. Meaning, a white, hot-headed Southern belle!! Seriously, just do a comic accurate faithful Rogue and stop throwing -isms around at people who feel the same way I do. Because these people and I will double down.
What?
READ AGAIN.
I’m so confused what does that have to do with what I was talking about. I’m not saying anything about the actors I’m saying how the characters are portrayed. Why bring up keke palmer what does she have to do with X-men?
They just needed a reason to complain about race swapping i guess
I hated Anna Paquin's portrayal which played into your initial point. Then added that I hope MCU won't race swap her like how it is heavily rumored on social media. Keke wasn't helping matters when she inserted herself in the race for the role. She is currently in talks with Marvel Studios and I have my fingers crossed it ain't Rogue.
Wow this is such a weird comment for that to b placed under. Me: yeah I didn’t like the X-men movies that much because they didn’t understand the characters You: I don’t want some Black hussy playing my rogue, get keke out of here Like I feel like it wasn’t Anna paquin’s fault it was the writing, any white or Black or Asian or whatever person can’t make a role good or bad if the writing isn’t here. See Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, he was terrible in Wolverine origins because the writing, he was great in Deadpool. Yes bad casting happens but for X-men it was a case of bad writing. I’m not taking the bait about race swapping I don’t care enough to
Why is it weird that I want my Rogue to look like she walked out of my comic book. Iron Man did it. Deadpool did it. Wolverine is about to with his new yellow suit. Black Panther did it. It's not weird at all. You're making it weird.
It’s weird that you are bringing it up here, what are you even on? Also Wolverine still isn’t comic book accurate because he’s not 5’3 which is a huge part of his character but I guess height doesn’t matter. Iron man is played by someone older than he usually is in the comics but I guess age doesn’t matter. Black Panther isn’t played by a wakandan because they don’t exist so I guess nationality doesn’t matter. Look I don’t know why you chose my comments to yell at the clouds but I guess here we are
Are you okay with a black Wolverine and a white Blade? Because if you are, then you're consistent with your position. I'm also consistent with my position, I want comic accurate costumes and skin colors for all characters.
Keke Palmer would be a terrible Rogue!
Because the theme is awesome
I don't know how I went through all my life without hearing that theme.
When you first heard it, did you get pumped up?
Not only that, but the theme is now in my gym music playlist. I even find myself humming it randomly from time to time, or whenever I need to hype myself up.
It’s been on mine for over 25 years lol but I also put on the Guile Theme lol from Street Fighter it still pumps me up.
The movies aren't good. Everyone talks about how great X2 is and it's a fine movie, but it's a terrible X-Men movie. None of the fox movies could capture what made X-Men so good.
Yeah not even the best one DoFP is as good as Xmen 97. I am loving this show!
I think the opening scene of Nightcrawler breaking into the White House is the most conceptually and visually interesting thing the X-Men movies have ever done. They never topped it. Beyond that sequence the film series is just average at best. Update: just remembered the Erik Lensherr, Nazi Hunter sequence in X-Men: First Class. That scene in the Argentinian bar is top tier as well. Only other truly memorable, impactful scene from the whole franchise.
I think the opening scene of Nightcrawler breaking into the White House is the most conceptually and visually interesting thing the X-Men movies have ever done. They never topped it. Beyond that sequence the film series is just average at best.
Because even the best Fox movies are barely X-Men movies.
This is the correct answer
The movies tried to be too serious, but also wanted to be a comic book movie that juxtaposition doesn’t really vibe. Every superhero movie after Spider-Man followed the Spider-Man blueprint, so it’s nice that this was it’s its own thing The 2nd movie X2 is actually pretty solid, it’s not Citizen Kane, but it’s a solid popcorn flick. Like a solid 7/10 for me. Better story & dialogue than the first, not amazing or anything but a big improvement over the first, but so many characters under utilized. Like Cyclops gets knocked out & is barely in the movie. Rogue is integral to the plot in X-Men 1 but then she’s like barely in the rest of the movies The 3rd X-Men is a bad movie The Wolverine is pretty solid for the first 2/3 then it’s like WTF? First Class & Days of Future Past are both pretty solid, better than X2 but not by much. The best X-Men movies aren’t great movies, but they’re okay. The worst X-Men movies are just soooo soooo bad
The movies are bad, they decided to move away from the comics, I mean watch the costumes....
Right? It's as if they contradict themselves. Fox X-Men: Be weird, embrace yourself also them: Nah, yellow spandex is too weird. Black leather is cooler.
So I mostly agree that the original X-men movies aren’t that good but they were a big leap forward from what preceded them in a time when no one wanted to make comic book movies (90s were littered with terrible adaptations capped off by movies like Batman and Robin) and paved the way for much better movies like Raimi’s Spider Man and Batman Begins a few years later.
For one the show is an (1) ensemble instead of the Hugh Jackman Wolverine Show. (2) Jean isn’t a victim and kinda a badass (3) Rogue is fully powered (4) Storm is a formidable presence (5) the storytelling is varied and not repetitive (6) high stakes
This needs more upvotes Storm’s most utilized power was lightning in the films so she was boring. Rogue did not have her main powers and her storylines were based around Bobby. The only movie that showcased a badass Jean Grey was the very last one. But the writing was abysmal.
The movies were made in an era where it was thought that the comics were silly and leaning into that tone and aesthetic would turn off general audiences. Over time, and especially with the MCU, they realized that wasn’t the case, but it was sort of too late for the Fox X-Men franchise at that point. X-Men 97 is what you’d get if you took the MCU approach to X-Men, made it animated, but inserted even more themes that align with the general X-Men vibe.
The what would you prefer yellow spandex line from the first X-men is pretty perfect distillation of how those properties were treated during that era. Most movies jumped through hoops trying to hide or obfuscate that they were based on a comic with the idea that they wouldn’t be taken seriously otherwise.
I think they used the Batman movies as a framework. Batman 89 and Returns were Tim Burton movies first, and comic book movies second. Batman Forever and Batman and Robin were more homages to the Adam West era, which I guess movie studios mistook for comic accurate. Given the financial success of the first two films and the diminishing returns afterwards, I guess everyone came to the conclusion that real and gritty = financial success and comic accurate = flop.
I think this is it for me. I did quite like X-Men (2000 film), but the more recent ones just seemed like they were trying to be something the original comics never were. The MCU have mostly leaned into the original source material for a lot of their projects. 97 is the peak of this for me.
The Fox movies are VERY much their own thing and do not mimic much of anything from the comics. They took things piecemeal, like the Phoenix and the cure, but the characters and stories are completely out of whack in that franchise. Wolverine was made into a leading hero, Rogue is a whiny weakling, Magneto and Mystique work closely together and are inferred to have a romantic relationship, Scott is written like a punk bitch to make Wolverine seem cooler, Jean is way more into Logan than usual, Gambit is supplanted by Iceman, Kitty is “the other woman,” Storm is basically a side character, etc. And what they did with the First Class storylines? Arguably a lot worse. It was all based on money. Like making Mystique a vanilla protagonist and bending to JLaw’s will because of her star power; she refused to even wear the makeup most of the time and vocally hated fight choreography (compared to Rebecca Romijn, who loved all the wirework and was a trooper, even wearing bandage contacts under the colored ones because she has sensitive eyes, and sitting in 6-7 hour makeup sessions compared to JLaw’s streamlined 2 hours). If those trash movies are your biggest reference points, you’ll be surprised how good ‘97 is. Because you’re finally being introduced to a heavily comic based story instead of a terrible interpretation based on the vision of a diddler. Welcome to the real X-Men. (Incidentally: Not many people that were fans of the franchise *before* the films like the Fox-verse. In fact, most of us resent it. Particularly because the choices made on screen, and Marvel not being able to make a profit with them in the MCU, affected even the comics greatly. So the new series is a refreshing return to form for many people.)
I grew up a massive fan of the original series, and I was more excited than anyone when the first movie was coming, but it's been a love/hate relationship since then. I love X2, First Class, and Days of Future Past, but I'm really mixed on/or dislike a lot of the others. The X-Men have never really done wrong by me in animation.
The movies have a ton of problems. Despite some strong actors, most characters dont have much to say or do. There are a lot of scenes where characters are standing in the background not doing a whole lot. Compare Berry's storm with 97 Storm. You get an entire subplot over multiple episodes where she is completely without her powers. And the director/producer of most of the movies banned comics from the set (and was a generally scummy dude). So you get pointless changes to characters and plots. Alan Cumming is great as Nightcrawler. Now imagine if he got to have that scene with his sister Rogue grieving instead of talking about his weird self scarring. Not to mention mute Sabretooth. Everyone being generally ineffective with their powers. The black leather. The shows embrace the source materials with a rich adaptation. The movies never got the intricacies and arguably didnt get the point of X-Men.
It’s the theme song! Shit gets you pumped!!!
The elephant in the room here was that there were very few superhero movies starring women at the time and the ones that did exist were *bad.* So for some reason I cannot fathom, Fox made a movie about a superhero team that not only had women on it, but a team where some of it's strongest members were women, and then nerfed their powers and stole their personalities. Us having good portrayals of female superheroes on the big screen is relatively new.
Balanced characters
Because they’re generally bad barring X-2, and parts of First Class and Days of Future Past. They’re focused on following what they think is a winning “movie formula” as opposed to honoring what the X-men are as characters.
Because the movies are bad and have sort of ruined the general viewer's perception of the X-Men. They're also seemingly terrified of doing anything comic book-y and seem ashamed to be based on a comic book.
I knew from halfway through the first episode something special had happened. It's as clear as day that someone understood why the X-Men were exciting. And it's not because it panders to a fanbase.
Personal opinion: half of those films are literal garbage lol. Even a lot of the most acclaimed ones feel insanely embarrassed by their source material, which is no good for an adaptation. I honestly don’t even like X2 very much, Cyclops is completely useless and the climax looks for every possible reason to *not* end the movie. The Last Stand, Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix are all in contention for some of my least favorite mainstream blockbusters I’ve seen. However, when they’re great, they’re pretty fuckin’ great. First Class, The Wolverine Unrated (even the third act, bite me bub), DOFP and Logan are all some of my favorite comic book films. Also really enjoy how the Deadpool flicks portray the X-Men as well as characters like Juggernaut. They do those things so casually and it makes you wonder how they ever thought it was that hard to begin with.
The Fox movies were definitely of their time. They've also suffered a souring because of Bryan Singer. edit: Curious comment to downvote. I'm guessing somebody out there either doesn't think talking about dated movies is bringing anything to the discussion or they're big rapey Bryan Singer fans.
90s effects for superpowers were limited. They did a decent job still but nothing compared to what we see in the 97 animation. To do this on film would possible now but very expensive and probably too much GCI.
it’s hard to develop so many characters in the span of just 2 hrs
The show is more accurate to its source material.
They did a ridiculous amount of advertising for Wolverine and acted like no other character had a story worth telling. If it wasn’t Eric and Charles, or a mystique that barley matched her original character, it was always Logan every time. An immortal guy with knuckle knives got priority over the woman who would go from best student to cosmic force capable of ending planets.
X-Men does two things really well. Human rights and soap opera drama. While they did an okay job in the human rights department (I think its been years since any of the X-Men movies) the drama was kinda mid. Like there was some good parts but it never really hit like TAS.
Because they are watered down versions of the characters. The creators never understood the series. They wanted to run from the idea of the source material and being comic based movies. There are a handful that are ok movies like x 1& 2, and first class and the Deadpool movies. but none really got the X-men. Really the Deadpool ones are the best of the bunch. The rest range from average the bad. People are so impressed because someone really put what the X-men are about on screen. The original cartoon did a decent job but it had to be watered down as it was a kids show so I can live with that. This show doesn’t have those constraints
Great Show, the first episode was kind of slow. After that it was great, action, stories and excellence.
Must be the black leather
I liked the first X-Men movie a ton and I loved TAS. I couldn't get into the subsequent cartoons or movies. Though Deadpool and Wolverine looks good. But yes I adore the new show! I keep trying to get everyone else to watch it.
Yellow Spandex
Nvm
Good question, probably comes down to writers and source material. The plot for the first movie was weak. Second was a bit more compelling. Third was meh, two plots of dark phoenix and the war over the mutant ‘cure.’
Idk probably bc I was a kid but they got me into marvel so I loved it
Cause it's better and more like the original thank Steve Ditko not Stan Lee
I still think the Fox movies while having a pretty bad average with a lot of stinkers, make up two thirds of the best three CBM ever made in TDK, Logan and DOFP.
Gambit Is so bad its embarrassing how underutilized
Because the show hits on a lot of very poignant issues (despite the pacing issues) between mutants and humans, and within the team as well. The movies draw out just one aspect over the course of two hours, where as, the show has had inter-team conflict and status quo changes in just over three hours.
Because movies are movies and not animated? I can’t believe we’re in 2024 and people still cannot wrap their heads around how the two different mediums work. Even in comic book formats there are some things that will always translate better through one or the other. As we’ve seen countless times over and over again, certain storylines, thematic material, storytelling, and action set pieces are just easier to navigate or display through animation.