For those of you wondering why I'm counting down the days (4) to a movie which I don't really expect to like all that much (X-Men: The Last Stand), it's like this: These mutants are a permanent part of my psyche. It all started at Christmas time in 1979 when there, next to my stocking filled with candy, fruit and other long forgotten knick-knacks, was issue #129 of "The Uncanny X-Men" (pictured to your left). I had read one previous issue purchased at a neighborhood Seven-Eleven (issue #125 I believe) and presumably somebody in my family noticed how thunderstruck I was reading it. And reading it. And reading it some more. There's a thrill that runs through my body while watching these movies that has nothing to do with the quality, whether they its tentative and serviceable (the first) or confident and exciting (the second) or --well the third movie can wait for its adjective. Storm, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Cyclops... they are as much a part of my biography as Madonna or Michelle Pfeiffer or any 80s cultural figure that I grew up with and became emotionally attached to. Seeing them come to life? Sweet.
But because of this I'll never be completely satisifed. The movie in my head will always be sharper, grander, more definitive and it will be undeterred by budgetary limitations or Hollywood's superhero formulas. And the casting?
Though they obviously done the world proud with Hugh Jackman (Ahhhh, Jackman) the ideal X-Men movie would cast each character as carefully. There would be no examples of "oops they played this character in a cameo so..." or "they have the physicality for it so who cares about the talent" and of course, no "bankability" concerns. For example: Storm. Halle Berry always was and always will be completely wrong for the part. I'm not saying this to offend anyone but I can only think it was a case of comicbook ignorance combined with racial myopia that got her the role. "Storm is black. Who is a famous and bankable black actress? Halle Berry! The part is yours, Ms. Berry, come on down."
It's as if box office and skin color were enough. Berry's movie star persona (consciously sexy, emotionally fragile, etc...) as compelling as it can be in the right role, is just about the polar opposite of Storm's persona in the comic book pages (regal, a born leader/teacher, completely unconcerned with her own hotness). If they thought that Angela Bassett or Lynn Whitfield or any other known actresses at the time were too old or not secure enough investments, they should have gone straight to an unknown. There are probably hundreds of virtually unknown talented and beautiful black actresses out there that would have done more with the role and become stars in the process. Look how well the larger casting net worked for Wolvie. While it's true that Dougray Scott originally had that role and was better known (at the time) than Hugh Jackman, the shift to unknown as centerpiece hardly hurt ticket sales.
So, yes, I'm counting down. How can I not? But the movie playing in my own head will always be the one and only X-Men: The (Masterpiece) Movie.
Another trip down memory lane? Here were my gushy thoughts preceding the original film's release way back in 2000. Now that I'm sufficiently embarrassed, talk amongst yourselves.
tags: movies, XMen, Comic Books, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, X-Men, Marvel
