Comics and Movies

[DallasEast]

Fox just proves why Disney bought them out. They stink at superhero flix.

Not sure why but your comment made me think of how I would assign old style school grades to the Marvel superhero movies distributed by Fox. No pluses or minuses either. Just straight:

A = 4
B = 3
C = 2
D = 1
F = 0​

--according to how I felt the movie matched the comic book material in my opinion. These would be my grades (provided I did not omit any the studio's films):

B X-Men (2000)
D Daredevil (2003)
B X2 (2003)
F Elektra (2005)
C Fantastic Four (2005)
F X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
C Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
D X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
A X-Men: First Class (2011)
C The Wolverine (2013)
B X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
F Fantastic Four (2015)
B Deadpool (2016)
C X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
A Logan (2017)
C Deadpool 2 (2018)
F X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
D The New Mutants (2020)

My overall grade would be 1.8, rounded off to a 2 or a C. That would match my blanket judgment of Fox's efforts. In other words, just average altogether.

Thinking about doing a report card for Disney and its MCU. Somehow I get the feeling my grade for them will not be quite as low as Fox's. As far as the X-Men films, I had the urge to re-post one of my favorite animated gifs I created concerning them too.

 

[VaqueroTD]

Not sure why but your comment made me think of how I would assign old style school grades to the Marvel superhero movies distributed by Fox. No pluses or minuses either. Just straight:

A = 4
B = 3
C = 2
D = 1
F = 0​

--according to how I felt the movie matched the comic book material in my opinion. These would be my grades (provided I did not omit any the studio's films):

B X-Men (2000)
D Daredevil (2003)
B X2 (2003)
F Elektra (2005)
C Fantastic Four (2005)
F X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
C Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
D X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
A X-Men: First Class (2011)
C The Wolverine (2013)
B X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
F Fantastic Four (2015)
B Deadpool (2016)
C X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
A Logan (2017)
C Deadpool 2 (2018)
F X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
D The New Mutants (2020)

My overall grade would be 1.8, rounded off to a 2 or a C. That would match my blanket judgment of Fox's efforts. In other words, just average altogether.

Thinking about doing a report card for Disney and its MCU. Somehow I get the feeling my grade for them will not be quite as low as Fox's. As far as the X-Men films, I had the urge to re-post one of my favorite animated gifs I created concerning them too.

Love the Deadpool movies. Funny as hell! A+. I fully expect the third one to bomb because it’s related to Fox and their up and down track record, as you demonstrate.

Agree that X-Men First Class is the best of the team movies. Second place goes to the second film, X2, and Days of Future Past. Look like we agree on that too.

Logan is decent but not a classic like everyone grades it. Not sure why I don’t find that film as epic as the critics. I have yet to see a Wolverine movie that blows me away, which is probably why Deadpool cracks me up even more with all the Hugh Jackman jokes. Everything left is watchable in varying degrees, but most of it is one time viewing, and gone forever, sometimes for the better.

 

[DallasEast]

Love the Deadpool movies. Funny as hell! A+. I fully expect the third one to bomb because it’s related to Fox and their up and down track record, as you demonstrate.

Agree that X-Men First Class is the best of the team movies. Second place goes to the second film, X2, and Days of Future Past. Look like we agree on that too.

Logan is decent but not a classic like everyone grades it. Not sure why I don’t find that film as epic as the critics. I have yet to see a Wolverine movie that blows me away, which is probably why Deadpool cracks me up even more with all the Hugh Jackman jokes. Everything left is watchable in varying degrees, but most of it is one time viewing, and gone forever, sometimes for the better.

I would not label Logan as a classic. For me, it is more how the character and his story was depicted on screen in relation to the Old Man Logan stories in the comics.

It was very well done in my opinion. Hugh Jackman had the opportunity of providing a very fitting end to a character Fox exploited too <expletive> much, which was a detriment to nearly its entire X-Men franchise in my book.

 

[Creeper]

Not sure why but your comment made me think of how I would assign old style school grades to the Marvel superhero movies distributed by Fox. No pluses or minuses either. Just straight:

A = 4
B = 3
C = 2
D = 1
F = 0​

--according to how I felt the movie matched the comic book material in my opinion. These would be my grades (provided I did not omit any the studio's films):

B X-Men (2000)
D Daredevil (2003)
B X2 (2003)
F Elektra (2005)
C Fantastic Four (2005)
F X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
C Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
D X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
A X-Men: First Class (2011)
C The Wolverine (2013)
B X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
F Fantastic Four (2015)
B Deadpool (2016)
C X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
A Logan (2017)
C Deadpool 2 (2018)
F X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
D The New Mutants (2020)

My overall grade would be 1.8, rounded off to a 2 or a C. That would match my blanket judgment of Fox's efforts. In other words, just average altogether.

Thinking about doing a report card for Disney and its MCU. Somehow I get the feeling my grade for them will not be quite as low as Fox's. As far as the X-Men films, I had the urge to re-post one of my favorite animated gifs I created concerning them too.

Can't disagree to much with this ratings but I think there is only so many X men movies you can make. It starts to look like the same movie after a while.

 

[DallasEast]

Can't disagree to much with this ratings but I think there is only so many X men movies you can make. It starts to look like the same movie after a while.

Perhaps a good bit of the similarity between X-Men movies can be attributed to Hugh Jackman overload. Fox was so eager and content with so often showcasing one of Marvel's top five marketable characters (if not top 3) that they ignored how really intricate mutant related stories are.

I was a big dummy thinking they finally caught on with the announcement of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Certainly, they would start out with Jackson but it would be the start of a series of movies focusing on OTHER team members also. The joke was on me.

News broke that X:FC would be followed up by the classic Days of Future's Past plot, one of writer Chris Claremont's most brilliant stories. I was left guessing how they would integrate Kitty Pryde, the central protagonist in Claremont's mini-epic, based on what I had seen in First Class. And who would be the young AND older actresses cast to play Kitty?

Truthfully, I was excited what was to come. X: FC was done really well, capturing the true essence of multiple "innocent" characters conflicting with an entire world destined to fear them as monsters. Then it was announced Bryan Singer would direct and that made me worry. THEN news came out his previous contributions would be meshed with the re-vamped franchise. Got a little sicker. THEN I sat down to watch the movie and there was Kitty, played again by Ellen Page, using her ability ON Wolverine to phase-shift his mind through time. Who the <expletive> thought that up? And so the movie became another Hugh Jackson production as primary character whom everyone else revolved around. Thanks Bryan.

In the end, Logan was both a pleasant and welcome surprise. First, I thought it was arguably the best mutant movie of them all. Second, it was the finale of overusing one actor in movies where an ensemble should shine as a group. Maybe not equally but each would contribute much more for the audience.

I will stop rambling now.

 

[Creeper]

Perhaps a good bit of the similarity between X-Men movies can be attributed to Hugh Jackman overload. Fox was so eager and content with so often showcasing one of Marvel's top five marketable characters (if not top 3) that they ignored how really intricate mutant related stories are.

I was a big dummy thinking they finally caught on with the announcement of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Certainly, they would start out with Jackson but it would be the start of a series of movies focusing on OTHER team members also. The joke was on me.

News broke that X:FC would be followed up by the classic Days of Future's Past plot, one of writer Chris Claremont's most brilliant stories. I was left guessing how they would integrate Kitty Pryde, the central protagonist in Claremont's mini-epic, based on what I had seen in First Class. And who would be the young AND older actresses cast to play Kitty?

Truthfully, I was excited what was to come. X: FC was done really well, capturing the true essence of multiple "innocent" characters conflicting with an entire world destined to fear them as monsters. Then it was announced Bryan Singer would direct and that made me worry. THEN news came out his previous contributions would be meshed with the re-vamped franchise. Got a little sicker. THEN I sat down to watch the movie and there was Kitty, played again by Ellen Page, using her ability ON Wolverine to phase-shift his mind through time. Who the <expletive> thought that up? And so the movie became another Hugh Jackson production as primary character whom everyone else revolved around. Thanks Bryan.

In the end, Logan was both a pleasant and welcome surprise. First, I thought it was arguably the best mutant movie of them all. Second, it was the finale of overusing one actor in movies where an ensemble should shine as a group. Maybe not equally but each would contribute much more for the audience.

I will stop rambling now.

On the one hand having Hugh Jackman in so many movies might be overuse on the other changing actors can be a huge risk. For example, using Sophie Turner to play a young Famke Janssen/Jean Grey was a disaster IMO. I think they tried to exploit her "fame" for her role in Game of Thrones but she was not one of the better actors in GoT and she brought that the the X-Men movies.

 

[DallasEast]

On the one hand having Hugh Jackman in so many movies might be overuse on the other changing actors can be a huge risk. For example, using Sophie Turner to play a young Famke Janssen/Jean Grey was a disaster IMO. I think they tried to exploit her "fame" for her role in Game of Thrones but she was not one of the better actors in GoT and she brought that the the X-Men movies.

I see your point but disagree with Turner's casting. The goal were young fresh faces for Jean, Scott Summers/Cyclops and Ororo Munroe/Storm and they achieved it mostly (in my opinion) by adding Turner, Tye Sheridan and Alexandra Shipp. All three played their roles well in my book.

Where I would agree is in Ben Hardy poor casting as Warren Worthington/Angel. And a more well-known actress in Olivia Munn, for me, looked absolutely perfect for the role of Psylocke but conveyed very little depth for the character on-screen. I thought neither added strong enough chemistry within the acting mix.

 

[DallasEast]

I try to forget that whole Dark Phoenix movie ever happened, that was one of my favorite Marvel comics stories..... and well........

The Dark Phoenix Saga was another work of brilliance by Chris Claremont.

Rant time.

Simon Kinberg co-wrote X-Men: The Last Stand. He directed Dark Phoenix. Just HOW the bleepy-bleep-bleep does ONE guy mess up a classic, widely read, decades-old comic book story TWICE?

 

[DallasEast]

My apologies fellow comic book fans. I suddenly realized I have mentioned Claremont a few times recently without including John Bryne co-writing and SUPERB artwork in their mutual endeavors. It came to me while thinking of the legendary book covers Bryne drew for the Phoenix Saga. I feel so ashamed for omitting him. Please do not flog me.

 

[Roadtrip635]

My apologies fellow comic book fans. I suddenly realized I have mentioned Claremont a few times recently without including John Bryne co-writing and SUPERB artwork in their mutual endeavors. It came to me while thinking of the legendary book covers Bryne drew for the Phoenix Saga. I feel so ashamed for omitting him. Please do not flog me.

Yep, you really can't mention Claremont without including Byrne, they were THE team and the comic I waited impatiently for every month(and Frank Miller's Daredevil)

 

[Runwildboys]

My apologies fellow comic book fans. I suddenly realized I have mentioned Claremont a few times recently without including John Bryne co-writing and SUPERB artwork in their mutual endeavors. It came to me while thinking of the legendary book covers Bryne drew for the Phoenix Saga. I feel so ashamed for omitting him. Please do not flog me.

You should be apologizing to rest of us...Nerd.

 

[Stash]

My apologies fellow comic book fans. I suddenly realized I have mentioned Claremont a few times recently without including John Bryne co-writing and SUPERB artwork in their mutual endeavors. It came to me while thinking of the legendary book covers Bryne drew for the Phoenix Saga. I feel so ashamed for omitting him. Please do not flog me.

Have you ever seen the documentary piece on Claremont’s X-Men run?

 

[DallasEast]

Have you ever seen the documentary piece on Claremont’s X-Men run?

I think so. The one I remember included many of his co-workers at Marvel in particular, including Jim Shooter.

 

[DallasEast]

This will be my final off-topic nerd out (keep your fingers crossed ). Everyone blame @Runwildboys for inspiring me. The following comic book issues comprises the genius of Chris Claremont and John Bryne' The Dark Phoenix Saga:

Man. It's been a looooooooooong time since I saw those prices.

 

[VaqueroTD]

This will be my final off-topic nerd out (keep your fingers crossed ). Everyone blame @Runwildboys for inspiring me. The following comic book issues comprises the genius of Chris Claremont and John Bryne' The Dark Phoenix Saga:

Man. It's been a looooooooooong time since I saw those prices.

That’s sad too. Same for baseball cards.

When I was a kid I could scrounge up enough cash to ride my bike to the local store and grab a pile of comics or several sports card packs.

I don’t know how kids today do it with a comic probably at least $5 and all these fancy collectors sets for trading cards.

Who am I fooling? Kids don’t care about anything anymore that isn’t digital. They just go online and pirate it.

 

[nobody]

Not sure why but your comment made me think of how I would assign old style school grades to the Marvel superhero movies distributed by Fox. No pluses or minuses either. Just straight:

A = 4
B = 3
C = 2
D = 1
F = 0​

--according to how I felt the movie matched the comic book material in my opinion. These would be my grades (provided I did not omit any the studio's films):

B X-Men (2000)
D Daredevil (2003)
B X2 (2003)
F Elektra (2005)
C Fantastic Four (2005)
F X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
C Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
D X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
A X-Men: First Class (2011)
C The Wolverine (2013)
B X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
F Fantastic Four (2015)
B Deadpool (2016)
C X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
A Logan (2017)
C Deadpool 2 (2018)
F X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
D The New Mutants (2020)

I disagree with a few. I think you were overly-generous with some and a little more critical of others...but for the most part you got it right. Here's how I'd grade them(But adding + and - to some grades when a full grade bump or demotion isn't quite called for). If grading were based on only comic accuracy, most of these would get a flat F. So entertainment value and how interesting they made the plot and characters helps with the grades. Some deserve worse than an F, which is impossible, but they are that bad:

B X-Men (2000)
D- Daredevil (2003)
B- X2 (2003)
F Elektra (2005)
D Fantastic Four (2005) (They got Doctor Doom SO WRONG)
F X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
D Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) (The did a tiny bit better with Doom, but still wasn't great. And the cloud Galactus was lame.)
F X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) (This was a terrible terrible movie that didn't even deserve a D. )
A X-Men: First Class (2011) (Probably the best ensemble X-Men film of them all (even if it wasn't the real first class comic-wise)
C- The Wolverine (2013)
B+ X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
F Fantastic Four (2015)
A Deadpool (2016)
D X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
A Logan (2017)
B Deadpool 2 (2018)
F X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
(I) The New Mutants (2020) (I can't grade this as I haven't seen it)

 

[DallasEast]

D Fantastic Four (2005) (They got Doctor Doom SO WRONG)

Agreed. The 'Americanization' of Doom was one strike for me. Another strike was portraying him as a super genius but then having him be largely dependent on his 'Lightning Lad' powers and utter lack of technical detail on his armored suit. Then again, why have an armor suit when his skin was morphing into metal? I do credit Julian McMahon for delivering Victor Von Doom's superior arrogance and sense of malevolence.

Wrong does not stop with Doom though. The Invisible Woman nosebleeds and underpowering her character was not necessary in my opinion. I had zero expectation The Thing would be anything like The Hulk but they shorted the character with half of his rocky bulk. It looked like Ben Grimm's mutant body had been on a year long Slim Fast regiment.

I cut them some slack with Mr. Fantastic's stretching abilities. The CGI may have not been quite up to the task in the mid-2000's. The Ben/Reed fight scene, where Reed made himself into straitjacket to settle Ben down looked too cartoony though. It reminded me of Johnny Knoxville's two-headed character from Men In Black 2 when Reed's head found it positioned over Ben's shoulder.

One thing I had zero problems with was Johnny Storm. The Human Torch CGI was perfect. Chris Evans played Johnny perfectly as well.

(I) The New Mutants (2020) (I can't grade this as I haven't seen it)

I would not recommend it unless you want to settle any curiosity. The movie was fair. There were a couple of things I enjoyed. Anya Taylor-Joy and Blu Hunt brought good energy and distinctiveness to the screen as Illyana Rasputin/Magik and Dani Moonstar/Mirage with not great but pretty good CGI mixed in.

Once again, I thought another director did not utilize Alice Braga to her full potential on screen. I think she is an underrated actress. That said, I think she pulled off both the Dr. Celicia Reyes character and usage of her force field powers well during limited screen time.

 

[DallasEast]

2022 MCU Phase 4 Schedule

Movies

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, May 6, 2022
Thor: Love and Thunder, July 8, 2022
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, November 11, 2022

Television

Moon Knight
Ms. Marvel
She-Hulk
I Am Groot (described as a series of shorts instead of regular episodes)

TV Special

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

 

[nobody]

2022 MCU Phase 4 Schedule

Movies

Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, May 6, 2022
Thor: Love and Thunder, July 8, 2022
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, November 11, 2022

Television

Moon Knight
Ms. Marvel
She-Hulk
I Am Groot (described as a series of shorts instead of regular episodes)

TV Special

Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

My tickets are purchased for Doctor Strange.

 

[Runwildboys]

My tickets are purchased for Doctor Strange.

Last time I went to the movies, I went with my nephew, his gf, his kid, and a friend of his. Next day he called me to tell me three of them had that which we're not supposed to mention in any but one specific thread. I don't think I got it, but I'm a little nervous about taking chances now.