Why does X-Men mean a lot to me? I loved the cartoon growing up. The characters were all really exciting and interesting. My favorite character was Cyclops. He was the leader and didn't take crap from anybody.
Even the guy that could stab his face off!
Even though the third film disappointed me, I still maintain that it's only half bad. It's two movies that they tried to make into one film and that is what hurt it. Well, either way, the first three movies are crucial to the comic book movie industry. The first film showed us that comic book movies could be taken seriously, the second one expanded on that story, and the third one is a cautionary tale.
Cautionary tale times two . . .
This list is meant to celebrate my favorite moments from the original X-Men films. On a later date, I'll share my favorites from the other films. For now, this list is devoted to X-Men, X2, and X-Men: the Last Stand. Here are the TOP 10 MOMENTS FROM THE X-MEN TRILOGY:
WOLVERINE vs DEATHSTRYKE in X2: X-MEN UNITED:
Right off the bat, I'm gonna warn you all that the majority of this list is filled up with Wolverine vs Someone (because they're awesome moments). I give this one special mention due to the fact that Wolverine says what the audience is thinking. He snikts his claws, ready for a fight and then this unassuming woman releases her secret weapon - she has ten claws that extend out of her fingers. Logan's reaction, "Holy shit." The fight that follows is really great and one of the best parts of the movie. Logan is looking for the secrets to his past and instead finds that Stryker has continued his experiments on mutants. Logan wants his revenge on Stryker but he has to go through his assistant first. It's a great fight scene and Logan wins in a very "the hero doesn't always get his way" way. It sort of sells the whole idea that mutants vs mutants isn't the way to go. Stryker is no better than Magneto.
ANGEL TAKES FLIGHT in X-MEN: THE LAST STAND:
Say what you will about X-Men: the Last Stand but it does have some great moments. One of the best moments is when Warren Worthington III decides that living in his father's shadow isn't the way he wants to live. Ben Foster is a great actor and he plays this scene very well. He shows us that he's scared but then turns that into confidence in a moment's notice. Like I said, X-Men: the Last Stand is trying to be two movies but fails at being both. The movie about the Cure is actually really well done. This scene perfectly says everything we need to know about the Cure. It's being forced on the mutants. They're told not to accept who they are and be like everyone else. Warren realizes this at the last minute and defies his father in the only way he knows how - by flying away. It's a great moment considering earlier in the film he was willing to cut off his wings just so his father wouldn't hate him. It's a great lesson to teach our next generation - be who you want to be, not who your parents want you to be.
MAGNETO STANDS UP FOR CHARLES in X-MEN: THE LAST STAND:
What the heck am I talking about? I'm talking about this quote, "Charles Xavier did more for mutants than you will ever know. My single greatest regret is that he had to die for our dream to live." Magneto says that to Pyro after Xavier has died. This one line speaks volumes of the respect that Erik maintained for Charles despite the fact that they were enemies for many years. They started off as friends and, deep down, they always considered themselves friends. Both men had a lot of respect for each other. It was a bromance before we even knew what a bromance was. Real friendships never die and Erik and Charles are a good example of that. They may not have agreed on how mutants should exist with humans, but they both understood the other's point of view. That's realistic storytelling.
WOLVERINE vs SABRETOOTH in X-MEN:
Between this and the Mystique fight in X-Men film, Wolverine had his work cut out for him. Clearly, he was willing to do more than the the other X-Men. He could cross a line that they were, so far, unwilling to cross. His fights with the Brotherhood and any "evil" mutants can be a little more brutal. Wolverine doesn't hold back. I remember watching this as a kid and thinking how awesome it was that Wolverine could be WOLVERINE. He could actually use his claws as weapons, instead of just a cool visual. Also, isn't that part where where he flips around one of Lady Liberty's crown points awesome? I don't know if they're called crown points or not, but it's irrelevant. It's an awesome moment and Wolverine kicks some serious ass in this scene.
MAGENTO ESCAPES PRISON in X2: X-MEN UNITED:
It's probably not a good thing that the main villain from the first film escapes from a maximum security prison but this scene is so true to character. That little smile that Magneto has when he senses the extra Iron in Mr. Laurio's blood is so great. He knows that Mystique has finally come through for him and he's more than ready to bust out. Plus, given that moment earlier where Laurio and Stryker beat him up, it's nice to see Magneto get a little revenge. He may not be the good guy, but he is one of the best characters in just about any comic book movie.
WOLVERINE POPS HIS CLAWS FOR THE FIRST TIME in X-MEN:
Wolverine popped his clawed like every two seconds on X-Men: the Animated Series. It was a little annoying. However, I won't lie when I say that I had high hopes for what it would look like in live action. Damn, they delivered. They got the freakin' "snikt" sound right. Plus, the special effects still hold up. That may not mean much but if you watch X-Men Origins: Wolverine the CGI is terrible. Which is weird because that movie came out 9 years later. Logan is threatened by some random punk that looks like Steve Austin (pretty sure it was him). Logan unleashes his claws and then slices the bartender's gun in half. He growls and leaves. It's Wolverine folks. No doubt about it! And it was an awesome moment.
Wolverine popped his clawed like every two seconds on X-Men: the Animated Series. It was a little annoying. However, I won't lie when I say that I had high hopes for what it would look like in live action. Damn, they delivered. They got the freakin' "snikt" sound right. Plus, the special effects still hold up. That may not mean much but if you watch X-Men Origins: Wolverine the CGI is terrible. Which is weird because that movie came out 9 years later. Logan is threatened by some random punk that looks like Steve Austin (pretty sure it was him). Logan unleashes his claws and then slices the bartender's gun in half. He growls and leaves. It's Wolverine folks. No doubt about it! And it was an awesome moment.
BEAST in X-MEN: THE LAST STAND:
Yes this is a major cheat because it's not a moment, but an actor. Well, it's my list and I can do whatever I want with it! Beast is one of my favorite X-characters. I just thought the image of this blue monster that was actually an intellectual AND a good guy was really cool. When Kelsey Grammar was announced, I was ecstatic. Grammar was perfect in the role. I've already discussed this at length before but it's worth noting that despite the third X-Men film being not so great, Grammar makes it worth watching for me. He perfectly captures what makes Hank McCoy such a compelling character. From his first moment hanging from the ceiling, reading a book, to the fight at the end of the film, Grammar nailed it. It's just a shame that he didn't get more screen time in X-Men: Days of Future Past.
WOLVERINE VS STRYKER'S GOONS in X2: X-MEN UNITED:
Here it is! The moment we were all waiting for. Wolverine could finally pop his claws and kick some major ass. Yeah he got a couple moments in the first film but not like this. This was Wolverine. He's not toned down for a children's program or held back due to a small budget. He can let loose all his berserker rage on Stryker's men. Jackman totally nailed this scene. It's a lot of screaming, running, and stabbing. But that's what Wolverine would look like when he lets go of his inhibitions. He's gonna be an unstoppable killing machine, protecting as many of the children as possible. He's the best there is, and here he proved it.
NIGHTCRAWLER IN THE WHITE HOUSE in X2: X-MEN UNITED:
You saw this movie right? What a hell of an opening scene? Right off the bat, we knew we were in for a bigger, better movie than the first X-Men film. Of course the real Nightcrawler would never attack anyone, let alone the President of the United States, like this but it doesn't stop it from being an awesome action scene. From the special effects, to the stunts, to the perfect sounding sound effect of Nightcrawler's "Bamf!" this scene was perfect. This scene, coupled with Alan Cumming's performance, showed us that we were in for a real treat with Nightcrawler. His teleporting looked great and they kept the tail! I mean that may not seem like a big deal but details like that require like 30 meetings with the studio. No joke . . . It's a bit ridiculous. But at the end of the day we got a kick ass Nightcrawler in a great film, so it all worked out.
"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" in X-MEN:
When each of the characters got their moment to shine in the first film, I was super excited. Cyclops had his eye lasers, Storm could control the weather, Jean could lift stuff with her mind, and Wolverine had his claws. But what about Professor X? Truth be told, he was my least favorite character in the cartoon and comics. Then Patrick Stewart brought him to life and he made Xavier a bad ass. The first time Wolverine is walking, lost through the X-Men's secret base, he hears a voice calling out to him. "Where are you going?" the voice asks. Logan hides, thinking he's being followed. He makes his way upstairs and finds the source of the voice - a bald teacher in a wheelchair. Probably not at all what he was expecting. Xavier is the most powerful mutant in the X-Men universe, but he only uses his power for good. However, I think sometimes he likes to have a little fun. James McAvoy as Xavier in X-Men: First Class shows us that he isn't above using his power to pick up women. Many years later, he still likes to use his power to mess with people. He's not being malicious toward Logan, but he is playing with him just a little. It's a great scene and showcases Xavier's power in a really creative way. I loved this scene when I was a kid. I knew exactly what was going on and I loved it! Fifteen years later and this scene is still my favorite in the original X-Men movies.
HONORABLE MENTION:
WOLVERINE GIVES THE MIDDLE FINGER WITH HIS CLAW in X-MEN:
As I've said, the first X-Men film helped show audiences that comic book movies could be taken seriously. But that doesn't mean there couldn't be some fun moments in the films too! This little bit in the film never failed to get a laugh out of the audience. I still laugh at it to this day.
These are my favorite moments in the original X-Men films. I still hold these movies in high regard and I'm very much looking forward to the future of the franchise with X-Men: Apocalypse, Gambit, and yes even Deadpool.
Yes this is a major cheat because it's not a moment, but an actor. Well, it's my list and I can do whatever I want with it! Beast is one of my favorite X-characters. I just thought the image of this blue monster that was actually an intellectual AND a good guy was really cool. When Kelsey Grammar was announced, I was ecstatic. Grammar was perfect in the role. I've already discussed this at length before but it's worth noting that despite the third X-Men film being not so great, Grammar makes it worth watching for me. He perfectly captures what makes Hank McCoy such a compelling character. From his first moment hanging from the ceiling, reading a book, to the fight at the end of the film, Grammar nailed it. It's just a shame that he didn't get more screen time in X-Men: Days of Future Past.
WOLVERINE VS STRYKER'S GOONS in X2: X-MEN UNITED:
Here it is! The moment we were all waiting for. Wolverine could finally pop his claws and kick some major ass. Yeah he got a couple moments in the first film but not like this. This was Wolverine. He's not toned down for a children's program or held back due to a small budget. He can let loose all his berserker rage on Stryker's men. Jackman totally nailed this scene. It's a lot of screaming, running, and stabbing. But that's what Wolverine would look like when he lets go of his inhibitions. He's gonna be an unstoppable killing machine, protecting as many of the children as possible. He's the best there is, and here he proved it.
NIGHTCRAWLER IN THE WHITE HOUSE in X2: X-MEN UNITED:
You saw this movie right? What a hell of an opening scene? Right off the bat, we knew we were in for a bigger, better movie than the first X-Men film. Of course the real Nightcrawler would never attack anyone, let alone the President of the United States, like this but it doesn't stop it from being an awesome action scene. From the special effects, to the stunts, to the perfect sounding sound effect of Nightcrawler's "Bamf!" this scene was perfect. This scene, coupled with Alan Cumming's performance, showed us that we were in for a real treat with Nightcrawler. His teleporting looked great and they kept the tail! I mean that may not seem like a big deal but details like that require like 30 meetings with the studio. No joke . . . It's a bit ridiculous. But at the end of the day we got a kick ass Nightcrawler in a great film, so it all worked out.
"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" in X-MEN:
When each of the characters got their moment to shine in the first film, I was super excited. Cyclops had his eye lasers, Storm could control the weather, Jean could lift stuff with her mind, and Wolverine had his claws. But what about Professor X? Truth be told, he was my least favorite character in the cartoon and comics. Then Patrick Stewart brought him to life and he made Xavier a bad ass. The first time Wolverine is walking, lost through the X-Men's secret base, he hears a voice calling out to him. "Where are you going?" the voice asks. Logan hides, thinking he's being followed. He makes his way upstairs and finds the source of the voice - a bald teacher in a wheelchair. Probably not at all what he was expecting. Xavier is the most powerful mutant in the X-Men universe, but he only uses his power for good. However, I think sometimes he likes to have a little fun. James McAvoy as Xavier in X-Men: First Class shows us that he isn't above using his power to pick up women. Many years later, he still likes to use his power to mess with people. He's not being malicious toward Logan, but he is playing with him just a little. It's a great scene and showcases Xavier's power in a really creative way. I loved this scene when I was a kid. I knew exactly what was going on and I loved it! Fifteen years later and this scene is still my favorite in the original X-Men movies.
HONORABLE MENTION:
WOLVERINE GIVES THE MIDDLE FINGER WITH HIS CLAW in X-MEN:
As I've said, the first X-Men film helped show audiences that comic book movies could be taken seriously. But that doesn't mean there couldn't be some fun moments in the films too! This little bit in the film never failed to get a laugh out of the audience. I still laugh at it to this day.
These are my favorite moments in the original X-Men films. I still hold these movies in high regard and I'm very much looking forward to the future of the franchise with X-Men: Apocalypse, Gambit, and yes even Deadpool.
You'll probably win me over you smug bastard!
X-Men: Days of Future Past gave us the biggest, most epic X-film to date. I'm definitely looking forward to more films that help capture the spirit and fun of the X-Men comic books. And if that TV show gets picked up, then maybe we'll get to see awesome X-adventures on a weekly basis!
Till neXt time!
JJ - The Comic Junkie
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