X-Men - Fatigued franchise?

[cheebacheeba]

...or is it just me?

I quite liked the X-men films.
Sure they weren't always accurate in terms of character and timeline - but for a franchise that, it would seem, tried to stand apart while giving respect to their source material, they were a pretty decent version of their comic counterpart.

At least, they were at first...then you got X-Men 3 which, for all the mutants it threw into the picture seemed a bit of a sloppy, erratic film - especially right after X2 which is arguably one of the best.

Then along came "first class", and I liked it. What a comeback move.
"Fresh" faces, a reasonably powerhouse villain, and really well written and played young versions of Charles and Erik...the addition to the lore and again standing on it's own version...it was enjoyable, in fact I hold it up there with the top x-men films.
One thing I liked was that it *almost* worked a bit like X-MEN/Generation X, even though it was in one version of the past, having the class of young "new" X-men brought a different feel to it. It was refreshing.

Then, for me...was where it kind of went downhill again...Days of Future Past really should have been split across two movies...it was a decent attempt but so much more they could have done, and it was just impossibly compressed.
I guess it was nice to bring cast-A and cast-B together.
Just, for as interesting as I thought it would be...didn't really do half what the movie prior did for me...and I've not watched it again since.

I've also watched all the Wolverine films - and in my mind they've yet to make a really good wolverine movie.
I get it. People like LOGAN...while I think it was a well made movie that did in fact bring a tone and quality to the series we hadn't really seen before...but for me? It was ok. Still not the movie to do Wolverine justice in my mind.

So... X-Men Apocalypse.
I always found this villain to be one of the most interesting ones.
In some ways essentially (loophole) unbeatable.
Big threat that messes up minds and relationships too, and some of the most interesting battles and story arcs I've ever read have been to do with this character and his history(and future) tampering background.
You'd think as a comic fan that this would have me sweating to see it...
With all of this?
I have purchased, but never turned on this movie.

Now there's another coming out "Dark Phoenix", another storyline I don't think can/should be contained to one film, but it is what it is.
...though...I just have no inclination whatsoever to check this out.

It's kind of disappointing...and I don't know...does the film look shitty? I'm not sure if I can tell any more. Just, zero interest.

Is it just...too much?
Fatigue?

Anyone else?

[Sculpt]

I have similar thoughts. Even though it seems like a long time since Apocalypse, it's too soon for the Dark Phoenix story, because it's too much like Apocalypse. They need a small cast story. Or a little crossover with superhero group outside the Xmen, like Namor, the Human Torch, or forward timeline to Daredevil, Fantastic 4, Blade, one or all of the Defenders: Namor, Hulk, Dr Strange; or Spiderman. Or do Gambit, or another character.

Xmen 1 was refreshing, had a realistic feel to it.
Xmen 2 lost that a bit, but the story and action were excellent.
Xmen 3 went all-out with a million characters, and obviously the worst.
X-Men: First Class was a breath of fresh air, nicely done and focused.

I thought the Wolverine films were pretty forgettable. Wasn't a fan of the Logan film.

X-Men: Days of Future Past I thought was really good, though, like you said, had too many unnecessary side stories. It's still one of my favorites.

Apocalypse was just ok, again, too many characters, and I was a bit tired of the team-up against the super bad guy thing. I suppose they wanted to keep Apocalypse as larger than life, but he had plenty of small-guy scenes meeting up with soon-to-be Storm. I wished they would have created a real 3-dimensional character in Apoc as a person, complete with his inner thoughts and motivations, rather than visually bringing him in close and personal, but not delivering the goods.

I think they should have focused on flashing back to his Day One beginning, upbringing, who he was as a young man, displaying why he began stealing others' mutant powers... really explain what makes him tick.

[Morningriser]

I've been quite bored all along honestly about it all. I watched the first original one and found it incredibly bland with cheesy jokes and writing. I watched the second one at a friend's house after it came out on DVD and don't even remember most of it because it was so forgettable and the third I watched on TV and didn't like it at all. Days of Future Past was alright but as far as the Wolverine solo movies and apocalypse, I don't see what's so special about it. The Deadpool and Avengers stories that are going on are so much better in my opinion. The old cartoon series from the early 90s is a totally different story though.

[Sculpt]

I've been quite bored all along honestly about it all. I watched the first original one and found it incredibly bland with cheesy jokes and writing. I watched the second one at a friend's house after it came out on DVD and don't even remember most of it because it was so forgettable and the third I watched on TV and didn't like it at all. Days of Future Past was alright but as far as the Wolverine solo movies and apocalypse, I don't see what's so special about it. The Deadpool and Avengers stories that are going on are so much better in my opinion. The old cartoon series from the early 90s is a totally different story though.
Did you like the 90's cartoon series?

I really liked the 2 seasons of Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2010-11). It follows the original comic stories with some detail, good and creative action, and cracked me up a few times, wasn't kiddie with dialogue or goofiness. Most other sup-cartoons I've tried are too kiddie for me.

[Morningriser]

Yeah I loved the cartoon series. I didn't like it as much as Batman the Animated Series but it was still one of my go to S around the time it was on. I don't remember a whole lot from it since it's been so long but I do remember them doing the Cable story.

[Morningriser]

I'm not sure why but that posted twice.

[cheebacheeba]

I really liked the 2 seasons of Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2010-11). It follows the original comic stories with some detail, good and creative action, and cracked me up a few times, wasn't kiddie with dialogue or goofiness. Most other sup-cartoons I've tried are too kiddie for me

Agreed. I quite liked it.
I don't like *most* Marvel cartoons but they've had some gold.
Most of the Spider-Man ones are pretty decent...the 90's one at least had good storylines if not action scenes.
The two that came out around the same time
~Spectacular Spider-Man
~Wolverine & the X-men
were both excellent, but like so many Marvel cartoons, cut short.
I also loved the 3d kinda MTV Spider-Man series that loosely followed the Raimi films.

[Sculpt]

speaking of animated x-men, did you ever see Joss Whedon's animated Astonishing X-Men? Was pretty good, 100% adult. Saw it on netflix, I think, as one series, but I see the release was 2009-2012. Rather unique looking animation they call motion comics. I may have just seen "Gifted".

4UPWMQj7Q_s

[Morningriser]

I haven't seen it, but I watch some of the video and I'm not sure it's something I would be into or not. Next time I get Netflix back for a month or two I will give it a chance though.

[cheebacheeba]

speaking of animated x-men, did you ever see Joss Whedon's animated Astonishing X-Men? Was pretty good, 100% adult. Saw it on netflix, I think, as one series, but I see the release was 2009-2012. Rather unique looking animation they call motion comics. I may have just seen "Gifted".

4UPWMQj7Q_s


Yeah, the kind of motion comic one?
I'd love to see so many more arcs make it via this format when they don't make it to series/movies.
The comic run (and show) were really some of the best x-men stuff in years. Now I can barely ready the 50 fucking x titles. I liked that this one stood on it's own.

[Sculpt]

I haven't seen it, but I watch some of the video and I'm not sure it's something I would be into or not. Next time I get Netflix back for a month or two I will give it a chance though.
It's more adult, adding romantic relations as a part of it, and the plot is more complex especially as they relate to relationships. It's no mystery why the Avengers movie made the relationships compelling.

Apparently you can watch this Gifted series on youtube, that was the link. Each ep is short, like 10 mins or so.

Yeah, the kind of motion comic one?
I'd love to see so many more arcs make it via this format when they don't make it to series/movies.
The comic run (and show) were really some of the best x-men stuff in years. Now I can barely ready the 50 fucking x titles. I liked that this one stood on it's own.
Since I enjoyed Gifted, I'll have to see if I saw the other three series or not, maybe on youtube.

Did you ever see Ironman: Extremis? I saw it on netflix or hulu, which has this same motion comic and adult graphic novel style, but not from Whedon. It was interesting, but seemed a bit nihilistically gritty, where I was beginning to not care where it was going. I liked Gifted much better.

[Morningriser]

Aside from X-Men, I've never really been a big fan of animated Marvel movies or serieses. I have always been more of a DC fan as far as that goes. Although I think it's strange that they added prologue to the story, I thought the Killing Joke movie was great! I also like a lot of the Justice League animated movies and even justice league dark was fucking awesome!

[Sculpt]

Aside from X-Men, I've never really been a big fan of animated Marvel movies or serieses. I have always been more of a DC fan as far as that goes. Although I think it's strange that they added prologue to the story, I thought the Killing Joke movie was great! I also like a lot of the Justice League animated movies and even justice league dark was fucking awesome!
Flash is my fav hero, always like Man-thing, I liked The Flashpoint Paradox movie, and I think Superman 78 is the best SH film, but I prefer Marvel. What was that recent animated Justice League movie where Batman kept on his computer a way to kill all the other Justice League members?

I liked the 70's Super Friends cartoon, and Batman is one of the best SH ever created, but I'm not a fan of any of the new live-action DC films so far.

Never heard of killing joke, but I read it was a good graphic novel, but poorly received movie 39% RT.

Whats the general gist of the justice league dark? I'm kinda burnt out on this stuff. ::roll eyes::

[Morningriser]

That was Justice League Doom. That was a pretty good one. As far as the live-action movies go, the old school Superman movies with Christopher Reeve we're all right but kind of cheesy and a way. My favorite superhero was always Batman and Batman 89 is one of my favorites oh, but the Dark Knight trilogy, especially the Dark Knight was great as well! As for these newer DC movies, I just can't get into them. Man of Steel is all right and I actually loved Batman versus Superman, despite all that hate it gets, but Justice League was a complete let down and I felt like all the years I waited for that movie to come out, it was a disaster. I haven't even bothered with Aquaman because I picture at being boring and bland as hell.

Justice league dark is a whole other branch of the Justice League. It consists of Constantine, Swamp Thing, Zatanna and others. They deal with the more Supernatural and the likes. Batman put them together because he has very weird conflictions about the existence of demons and spirits and anything's that justice league dark wood handle. They all live in a house together kind of like Professor X's mansion. The house is actually alive and can think for itself and shapeshift and even teleport. It's really interesting and something different. It also has a lot of horror elements as well.

[cheebacheeba]

Aside from X-Men, I've never really been a big fan of animated Marvel movies or serieses. I have always been more of a DC fan as far as that goes. Although I think it's strange that they added prologue to the story, I thought the Killing Joke movie was great! I also like a lot of the Justice League animated movies and even justice league dark was fucking awesome!

DC is miles ahead with their animated features.
I particularly liked "under the red hood"...in fact I think that's one of the best Batman movies hands down...
"Justice League - New Frontier" was very cool to see in modern animation, and The flashpoint paradox one, and Superman Unbound (if that was the Braniac one) was cool too.
I've yet to watch the batman samurai one or gotham by gaslight, but I'll likely be grabbing those.

Yknow what I'd love to see them do though?
The 2003 series of the "Dial H for HERO" property, "H.E.R.O".
Ridiculous concept spawned from a fan competition of all things in its original iteration...but, this comic? Amazing. Super dark stuff...and barely touched the rest of the DCU, great self contained story.