What was the last film you watched?

[Mel O'Drama]

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

My first time watching. I've never felt particularly interested in watching since I'm not a particular fan of either the character or Hugh Jackman.

Liev Schreiber's another matter. I find him a very watchable actor and he made a great Sabretooth. A vast improvement on Tyler Mane. Other than Jackman and Liev Schreiber I had no idea who would be in this, so it was a surprise to see Gambit and Deadpool. I remember reading that young Ororo had a cameo which was cut, which was a shame. Young Scott looked nothing like older Scott and even less like new young Scott from more recent films. I think I spotted Quicksilver being held at the facility in a shot or two. Best of all for me was seeing the Blob make it onto live action, since he was prevalent in all three iterations of the Brotherhood I read at the time I first discovered the X-Men in various comics (current and reprint) circa 1983. Charles's cameo was a nice touch as well.

With this being shot down under, it was a treat so see some familiar faces from Aussie TV. Shane from Neighbours played Wolverine's father, while Kerry Armstrong's mum from Bed Of Roses appeared as a very peculiar interpretation of Heather Hudson. They turned Heather and James MacDonald into Martha and Jonathan Kent. Or perhaps Aunt May and Uncle Ben, but since I didn't pick up on their names until I read the credits they still worked well for me.

My heart sank when I saw will.i.am's name in the credits. Rappers turned actors can bring films down for me. As it turned out he was tolerable enough.

While it makes sense that Stryker would be recast, it's a shame to know that Brian Cox was unsuccessful in his bid to reprise the role hoping they could use de-ageing technology to make it possible.

As a solo character, Wolverine holds little interest for me, but I was pleasantly surprised how quickly the time went and how much I enjoyed the film. The scenery was beautiful. The initial arc with Logan and his girlfriend and their inevitable shattered idyll reminded me very much of David Banner and his wife from the pilot of The Incredible Hulk series. I even enjoyed the twist that came towards film's end with this particular arc. The fights seemed kind of pointless since both Wolverine and Sabretooth are pretty much invulnerable, but I'm glad it felt quite like a Bondian action film rather than a CGI-heavy superhero film.​

 

[Angela Channing]

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

I watched Captain America: The First Avenger when it was first released and loved it but never got around to watching the sequels. Inspired again by @Mel O'Drama's Watching The Marvel Cinematic Universe From The Beginning I thought it was about time to change that so I watched Civil War. I mistakenly thought Civil War was the second Captain America film and I hate watching films out of sequence and that did affect my enjoyment of the film to some extent. When characters referred to events of which I wasn't previously aware, I just assumed it was something that occurred in another Marvel film which I hadn't seen (and not the first Captain America sequel) which is often the case when I have watched films in this franchise.

The film itself isn't a Captain America film, it's more of an Avengers film. I think Tony Stark probably get more screen time Captain America and there is a lot Avengers plot development that wasn't directly relevant to Captain America such as Peter Parker meeting Tony Stark and becoming an Avenger. The action sequences, fight scenes and the special effects were very good but I would have preferred a greater focus on Captain America as I was really impressed with Captain America: The First Avenger. Overall, it's a good film but it's not Captain America.

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

I watched Captain America: The First Avenger when it was first released and loved it but never got around to watching the sequels. Inspired again by @Mel O'Drama's Watching The Marvel Cinematic Universe From The Beginning I thought it was about time to change that so I watched Civil War. I mistakenly thought Civil War was the second Captain America film and I hate watching films out of sequence and that did affect my enjoyment of the film to some extent. When characters referred to events of which I wasn't previously aware, I just assumed it was something that occurred in another Marvel film which I hadn't seen (and not the first Captain America sequel) which is often the case when I have watched films in this franchise.

The film itself isn't a Captain America film, it's more of an Avengers film. I think Tony Stark probably get more screen time Captain America and there is a lot Avengers plot development that wasn't directly relevant to Captain America such as Peter Parker meeting Tony Stark and becoming an Avenger. The action sequences, fight scenes and the special effects were very good but I would have preferred a greater focus on Captain America as I was really impressed with Captain America: The First Avenger. Overall, it's a good film but it's not Captain America.

Civil War was based on a Marvel comics ongoing story, and that series was so impactful and compelling that the movie adaptation was a little
disappointing for me. Maybe it would have been too difficult to do it with all the same characters as in the comics, with the absence of the Fantastic Four in the Movie
being a big disadvantage. Anyway, I would suggest that the graphic novel which encompasses the story would be a thought-provoking, enjoyable read.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I watched Captain America: The First Avenger when it was first released and loved it but never got around to watching the sequels. Inspired again by @Mel O'Drama's Watching The Marvel Cinematic Universe From The Beginning I thought it was about time to change that so I watched Civil War. I mistakenly thought Civil War was the second Captain America film and I hate watching films out of sequence and that did affect my enjoyment of the film to some extent.

Oh, that would affect my enjoyment as well, but I'm glad you found things to enjoy about it.

The film itself isn't a Captain America film, it's more of an Avengers film. I think Tony Stark probably get more screen time Captain America and there is a lot Avengers plot development that wasn't directly relevant to Captain America such as Peter Parker meeting Tony Stark and becoming an Avenger.

You possibly know this already, but I've ranked the MCU films as I watched, and the top three positions are all Captain America films.

Civil War is my #1, but it was a really tough call between both sequels for first place. In the end, I went with Civil War because I felt it embodied the MCU really well, I liked the balance of action and character-driven plot and it overcame my lack of enjoyment for the earlier team films. However, I think the first sequel - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - is probably the better film, and it's definitely the better pure Captain America film. It's one that I really want to revisit to see if it's as good as I remember.

The action sequences, fight scenes and the special effects were very good but I would have preferred a greater focus on Captain America as I was really impressed with Captain America: The First Avenger. Overall, it's a good film but it's not Captain America.

These are all reasons why I hope you watch Captain America: The Winter Soldier at some point (even though you may not want to now you've seen the follow-up). Based on what you've said I think it would be everything you'd want from a Captain America film.

 

[Angela Channing]

Civil War was based on a Marvel comics ongoing story, and that series was so impactful and compelling that the movie adaptation was a little
disappointing for me. Maybe it would have been too difficult to do it with all the same characters as in the comics, with the absence of the Fantastic Four in the Movie
being a big disadvantage. Anyway, I would suggest that the graphic novel which encompasses the story would be a thought-provoking, enjoyable read.

I sometimes forget that some of these stories aren't original screenplays but are adapted from stories that appeared in the comics.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Civil War was based on a Marvel comics ongoing story, and that series was so impactful and compelling that the movie adaptation was a little
disappointing for me. Maybe it would have been too difficult to do it with all the same characters as in the comics, with the absence of the Fantastic Four in the Movie
being a big disadvantage. Anyway, I would suggest that the graphic novel which encompasses the story would be a thought-provoking, enjoyable read.

I sometimes forget that some of these stories aren't original screenplays but are adapted from stories that appeared in the comics.

I feel quite lucky I wasn't overly familiar with the Civil War storyline (other than Spider-Man revealing his secret identity which was huge news and enticed me to buy my first comic in many a year). But I can certainly relate to that feeling. There are many comics that I'm really familiar with and love, and invariably the films don't live up to that (I've experienced that with the X-Men films posted above, and I'm sure will continue to do so).

If I'm unfamiliar with a storyline or character I usually count my blessings as it allows me to go in with a neutral viewpoint. Usually the ones I enjoy most are the ones where I know very little or they use all new material.

 

[Angela Channing]

You possibly know this already, but I've ranked the MCU films as I watched, and the top three positions are all Captain America films.

Civil War is my #1, but it was a really tough call between both sequels for first place. In the end, I went with Civil War because I felt it embodied the MCU really well, I liked the balance of action and character-driven plot and it overcame my lack of enjoyment for the earlier team films. However, I think the first sequel - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - is probably the better film, and it's definitely the better pure Captain America film. It's one that I really want to revisit to see if it's as good as I remember.

I've not seen anywhere as near as many MCU films as you but of those I have seen, Captain America: The First Avenger is one of my favourites. As much as I like action and fight scenes which is a major requisite of a superhero film, I also like to see a strong plot and character development. I think the first Captain America film had all that, as did Ant-Man which I recently watched, which is why I rate The First Avenger highly.

These are all reasons why I hope you watch Captain America: The Winter Soldier at some point (even though you may not want to now you've seen the follow-up). Based on what you've said I think it would be everything you'd want from a Captain America film.

I do plan to watch Winter Soldier but I'm going to leave it for a while so the events of Civil War aren't as fresh in my mind.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I've not seen anywhere as near as many MCU films as you but of those I have seen, Captain America: The First Avenger is one of my favourites.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed it as I wasn't a particular fan of the character in the comics, but in hindsight I think that helped. The period setting was wonderful as well.

As much as I like action and fight scenes which is a major requisite of a superhero film, I also like to see a strong plot and character development.

As @Crimson will tell you, I struggled with the action and fight sequences in so many of the MCU films - especially early on. For a while I thought I wasn't going to get over it, but I think the Marvel films got really good at doing the action in ways that created interest. That's part of the reason why I loved The Winter Soldier so much. It had the plot and character development you mentioned, but it was possibly the first MCU film where I actually enjoyed the action sequences as much as the bits in between. It was as close as the series got to Bond/Bourne/Mission Impossible which is the kind of action I enjoy.

I do plan to watch Winter Soldier but I'm going to leave it for a while so the events of Civil War aren't as fresh in my mind.

That's probably a good idea. Although it continues from the first film, it also stands on its own and without too many complexities from other films so it's easy to enjoy as a standalone film.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

X-Men: First Class (2011)

Well, this was a curate's egg when I watched in 2011 and it's a curate's egg for me in 2022.

There are some things about the film that I love: The Sixties setting with the Cold War backdrop that, sadly, feels eerily familiar and relevant given current world events; The gorgeous locations; Henry Jackman's rousing score. I'd forgotten that the film opened in the concentration camp as in the original and that's a choice I thoroughly applaud.

But there's also much that I greatly dislike. My intial disappointment came from seeing it wasn't actually the original team of X-Men (Cyclops; Iceman; Angel; Beast, Marvel Girl), but even getting past this much of my problem has to do with anachronisms, curious continuity and off-putting choices for some characterisations. This is definitely one film where familiarity with the source material was most unhelpful, because it took a hell of a lot of of liberties.

The Hellfire Club kind of fitted into the Sixties setting given there's always been that kind of vibe to them even though they debuted much later than that, but I felt the casting was off. Tall, slim Kevin Bacon doesn't feel quite right as Sebastian Shaw to me. And while January Jones looks OK-ish as Emma Frost she lacked any sense of authority and this Emma - with her constantly bored look and vocal fry - felt too California laid-back and didn't feel classy enough. Emma may dress to show off her body, but it's her education, strong mind and air of superiority that makes her powerful and intimidating. These were all lacking.

As far as new X-Men used, many felt like they were out of the Marvel bargain bin: Darwin; Angel Jones; Riptide. I hadn't heard of any of them and nothing I saw made me want to know any more about them.

Of the new younger characters introduced to this iteration of the team (bearing in mind we've met Beast twice before) Banshee and Havok are the two I was most excited about seeing, and they kind of feel like appropriate choices given they interacted with the original team before All New, All Different. But they're also the most disappointing. There's the tricky matter of Havok - Cyclops's younger brother - being part of the team in the Sixties. Why have him at all if Cyclops isn't present. Banshee felt way too young compared with any version of the character we've seen. And his accent leads me on to another problem.

Where was Banshee's trademark Irish brogue. He sounded American. So too did Moira, and that felt so very wrong. Meanwhile, Scottish James McAvoy used contemporary RP for Charles as opposed to Patrick Stewart's mid-Atlantic accent. This had the effect of making Charles's Americanisms ("gotten", "go see", etc.) sound a little jarring despite the character being firmly established as an American. He's still a nice choice for the role, though.

Michael Fassbender was great for most of the film. His performance matched up with Ian McKellen's version and he's certainly very easy on the eye. But from his final confrontation with Shaw onwards I picked up a really curious accent which sounded like the kind of terrible pseudo American accent I'd hear in the playground at school, which mostly consisted of over-rhoticity ("You killed my motherrrrrrrrr"). It reminded me of the accent Ben Kingsley used as Trevor Slattery playing the Mandarin, but that accent made sense since Slattery - as it turned out - was meant to be a terrible actor presumably doing a terrible accent. I hadn't noticed Fassbender's accent at all until then and it continued to the very final scene. This made me wonder if the final scenes had been shot earlier, before he had dialect coach. Or perhaps I just missed it. A quick run in a search engine revealed that the accent had been quite the talking point as there are many articles discussing it, including Fassbender's own take on it. I really hope it doesn't continue into future films as it's horrible. His performance, on the other hand, lived up to the film's name.

This is the most recent of X-Films I've previously watched. Everything after this will be new to me.​

 

[Angela Channing]

Well, this was a curate's egg when I watched in 2011 and it's a curate's egg for me in 2022.

I know what you mean but maybe for different reasons or maybe the same, I'm not sure. This was also the last X-Men film I watched in the original run and I bailed on anything that came later because I just didn't like the shift to younger actors, especially for Magneto and Xavier. I normally like Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy, and it's not like they are bad in this film, but neither have the screen presence of Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen and they just came across to me as second rate substitutes. That said, if I had to choose younger actors to play the part, I would be hard pushed to pick better ones for the characters but I just couldn't buy into a prequel after becoming so attached to the original cast. The story itself, and the film overall, wasn't bad.

 

[Angela Channing]

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

I loved Spider-Man: Far From Home so it was always going to be difficult for a sequel to top it but they pulled it off. It's hard to say much about this film without giving away spoilers so I'll just make general comments as I don't think it's been discussed yet on the Watching The Marvel Cinematic Universe From The Beginning .

This film grabbed my attention from the opening scene and kept me throughout its 2½ hours. I'm more of a fan of plot and characters over action sequences but this film had a good balance of both. I'll make one exception to what I said about giving no spoilers because it's now widely known and discussed that it's no longer a secret that Tobey McGuire and Andrew Garfield reprise their roles as past incarnations of Spiderman/Spider-man. It's done in a high concept way but I bought into it immediately as it was told in a credible way. There was an interesting scene when the 3 Spidey's were on a rooftop comparing experiences and it was fascinating to compare how each of them brought something different to the role even though they were all playing the same character. I also noticed that it was the first Marvel film I watched that didn't have a Stan Lee cameo, there are probably others but this was the first time I acknowledged he was gone.

The film is not without flaws, I think there were too many villains so it became difficult to understand all their motivations and on several occasions I thought the CGI looked too much like a cartoon but they're a minor gripes on what was a great film.

I've not seen the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse but as the multiverse was a feature of No Way Home, I'm now keen to see it.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

This was also the last X-Men film I watched in the original run and I bailed on anything that came later because I just didn't like the shift to younger actors, especially for Magneto and Xavier.

It sounds as though you may have struggled with the younger Xavier and Magneto a little more than I did. I agree they didn't have the magnetic (pun sort of unintended) chemistry that Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen had, but I thought they worked really well and gave wonderful performances. This scene made the film for me:

First time round the young Mystique didn't work for me, and while I still prefer Rebecca Romijn's version I found Jennifer Lawrence grew on me this time. It was a nice touch that Rebecca had a cameo when Raven shape-shifted briefly into an older version of herself in an attempt to turn Magneto on in bed.

That said, I really struggled with the sibling thing between Charles and Mystique. because it's so far removed from their relationship in either the comic or the earlier X-films.

The story itself, and the film overall, wasn't bad.

Yes, and watching it in 2022, some of the cold war iconography and friction between nations was really chilling. Sadly, current events have brought some of these things to life all over again.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I loved Spider-Man: Far From Home so it was always going to be difficult for a sequel to top it but they pulled it off.

That's good, and it seems to be the consensus of everyone who's seen it.

I don't think it's been discussed yet on the Watching The Marvel Cinematic Universe From The Beginning .

Sadly, Disney+ doesn't have any of the Spider-Man films because of the rights issues that are still a bit messy. I'm hoping it's resolved soon, but if not I'm sure it will show up elsewhere sooner or later.

it's no longer a secret that Tobey McGuire and Andrew Garfield reprise their roles as past incarnations of Spiderman/Spider-man. It's done in a high concept way but I bought into it immediately as it was told in a credible way. There was an interesting scene when the 3 Spidey's were on a rooftop comparing experiences and it was fascinating to compare how each of them brought something different to the role even though they were all playing the same character.

I'm looking forward to seeing that. I like them all in different ways, so I'm curious to see how they interact and contrast/complement.

I also noticed that it was the first Marvel film I watched that didn't have a Stan Lee cameo, there are probably others but this was the first time I acknowledged he was gone.

While it was less of a thing in the X-Men films than the MCU proper, he also wasn't in First Class which I watched last night. The reason given was that it was shot too far away for Stan to comfortably appear, but you'd think there'd have been a way to have him in a studio doing something with a green screen.

I've not seen the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse but as the multiverse was a feature of No Way Home, I'm now keen to see it.

That's on my viewing wish list as well.

 

[Angela Channing]

It sounds as though you may have struggled with the younger Xavier and Magneto a little more than I did. I agree they didn't have the magnetic (pun sort of unintended) chemistry that Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen had, but I thought they worked really well and gave wonderful performances. This scene made the film for me:

I just found the original casting to be spot on and anyone stepping into those roles would be hard for me to accept (and I'm the man who didn't mind Donna Reed taking over as Miss Ellie!) I agree they both gave good performances but I didn't want to see them, I wanted McKellen and Stewart and any substitute was always going to be inferior for me. I also wasn't ready for a prequel because by this stage there had been a relatively long run of X-Men films and it might have worked better for me if they rested the franchise for a few years before making this one.

First time round the young Mystique didn't work for me, and while I still prefer Rebecca Romijn's version I found Jennifer Lawrence grew on me this time. It was a nice touch that Rebecca had a cameo when Raven shape-shifted briefly into an older version of herself in an attempt to turn Magneto on in bed.

That said, I really struggled with the sibling thing between Charles and Mystique. because it's so far removed from their relationship in either the comic or the earlier X-films.

I had big problems with Mystique. Again, I like Jennifer Lawrence, and there was nothing wrong with her performance, but I wasn't ready to accept a different actor in the role. I think if I re-watched the film now I might feel differently about it because the original cast is not as firmly etched in my memory so I would be more open to seeing different actors take on the main roles.

Yes, and watching it in 2022, some of the cold war iconography and friction between nations was really chilling. Sadly, current events have brought some of these things to life all over again.

I hate that made a spelling mistake (wrong word typed) and you quoted it. I'm too embarrassed to say anything further.

 

[Angela Channing]

While it was less of a thing in the X-Men films than the MCU proper, he also wasn't in First Class which I watched last night. The reason given was that it was shot too far away for Stan to comfortably appear, but you'd think there'd have been a way to have him in a studio doing something with a green screen.

I thought they could have put a photo of him in a newspaper article or to illustrate a story in a TV or some other creative way to include him in the film. I guess they thought it was time to move on.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I just found the original casting to be spot on and anyone stepping into those roles would be hard for me to accept (and I'm the man who didn't mind Donna Reed taking over as Miss Ellie!)

Ha ha. And I can understand that.

I agree they both gave good performances but I didn't want to see them, I wanted McKellen and Stewart and any substitute was always going to be inferior for me.

From what I know, the later X-Men films feature all four actors and tie up the continuity between the two timelines. I'm hoping that it will enrich things and perhaps even make me fonder of First Class. At the very least it will be a novelty so I'm looking forward to seeing it play out.

I hate that made a spelling mistake (wrong word typed) and you quoted it. I'm too embarrassed to say anything further.

Oh - I hadn't even noticed. But I've now changed the quote to match your edit as I know how that frustration feels. If you want to edit again to remove any reference to it I can do the same. It'll be the perfect crime.

I thought they could have put a photo of him in a newspaper article or to illustrate a story in a TV or some other creative way to include him in the film.

Yes. That would have been good.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The Wolverine (2013)

I had no idea of The Wolverine's premise, plot or cast which is the most enjoyable way to go into a film for me. Obviously, Hugh Jackman was here, and it turned out he's the only actor I recognise by name, although there were a couple of faces I may have recognised from other things.

Back in the early Eighties I read Chris Claremont and Frank Miller's acclaimed Wolverine solo series and found myself enjoying it. I know I've previously mentioned that Wolverine isn't a character I particularly care for, but that limited series was just so darned good I quickly overcame that. Early on in this film I was pleasantly surprised to recognise the scene with the Grizzly Bear lifted almost directly from the comic. Before long Yukio appeared. Then Mariko. Then the Yakuza, and I knew this was the Wolverine I wanted to see.

Essentially, this feels like Marvel's version of what Christopher Nolan had just finished doing with DC's Batman: going back to a comics to give us a more in-depth character study. It works well. The film looks great, is nicely written and is very easy to watch. It captures the familiar essence of the character while forging an identity that sets it apart from the earlier X-Men films. Mariko and Yukio feel different to how I know them from the comics, but they quickly grew on me. The fight scenes are mostly watchable as well. The bullet train fight was effective enough. The background of Nagasaki's atomic bombing also added a depth to the film.

It's not perfect, though. Some of the Silver Samurai scenes looked a bit too CGI and in this context couldn't help feeling like an Iron Man rip-off, but once the action got going it didn't matter and I was invested. The film's Achilles' Heel was the character of Viper, who was essentially an original creation and bore no resemblance to the comics' Viper. The forked tongue, venom spitting and skin shedding was cartoony and silly and the actress's performance was terrible: clunky, unsubtle and arch. It felt malapropos in a film that was otherwise gritty and nuanced.

It's very obvious that the mid-credits scene was heavily influenced by the MCU. X-Men: The Last Stand had a post-credits scene which gave a little teaser, but it was very oblique. This one felt more surefooted and clearly part of a bigger picture, and certainly piqued my interest in Days Of Future Past. Besides, it was very impressive to have the two biggest names among X-Men actors for a huge reveal in what is essentially a cameo appearance.​

Speaking of X-Men returnees, I thought Jean Grey's incorporation into The Wolverine was really well done. With this medium being devoid of thought bubbles, this was a great way to explore the psyche of this loner who internalises his thoughts and feelings.

I'm not formally ranking the films as I go, but if I were this would be a Top Three, along with the first two X-Men films. It's head and shoulders above The Last Stand and First Class, and better than the first Wolverine film.

 

[Angela Channing]

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)

Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker meet, marry and start a TV ministry before Jim starts dipping his hands into donations to enrich himself and pay off a blackmailer who threatens to expose his infidelities. Jessica Chastain is amazing in this film as Tammy Faye and Andrew Garfield also put in a top class performance. I was about a quarter the way into the film before I realised they weren't using another actor to play the younger Tammy Faye because I didn't recognise Jessica Chastain under all the prosthetics she was wearing to become her character. I can't image how long she must have been in the make up chair every day to become Tammy Faye. It is a totally compelling film that held my attention from the outset.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014)

I wasn't looking forward to this film. The story on which it's based is one that's really special to me. Back in 1983 it was the first "All New, All Different" X-Men story I read. Even at less than a year old it was considered fairly important and within a short time it was cemented as one of the all-time classic X-Men stories.

I lost interest in this film even before release when it became clear it would take a very different approach from the original story with (sigh) Wolverine at the centre of things yet again. All of which reminded me of The Dark Phoenix Saga being ruined in The Last Stand. A direct adaption does have potential to invite unfavourable comparisons, but a film wildly doing its own thing using a classic story as inspiration turned me right off the X-films sixteen years ago.

As it turns out, going in a different direction for Days Of Future Past works. It feels very much as though the structure of the film is designed to make sense of a franchise which had become discombobulated and messy. Taking full advantage of the concept of changing history, the time travel element was used not only to make the confusing chronology more linear, but also to retcon (in canon) The Last Stand's arrogant recklessness. What's more, knowing that history is going to change, Future Past gets to have its cake and eat it by going to similar extremes, safe in the knowledge that it can be undone.

What stuck out to me is that the film and comic versions have very different vantage point. The original 1981 story has the future X-Men (2013 seemed so very far away when I read this as a nipper) sending one of their minds back in time to the present time of 1980. The film's future, however, seems pretty close to the continuity of the original trilogy (bearing in mind the first film established the time as the near future anyway), and sends Wolverine's mind back to the post First Class era of 1973. The original story's novelty came firstly from getting a glimpse into the future and secondly from the Freaky Friday element of seeing a fortysomething woman's mind transplanted into a thirteen year old girl.

The reasoning in this film seems well thought out. As much as I didn't like the idea of Wolverine taking Kitty's place as the key player, given the fact that he doesn't age, was still an adult in 1973 and also has the ability to heal from being wrenched from one era to another it all makes sense. Less clear is why Kitty would play the Rachel Summers role in helping his mind transfer, but no matter.

I will also add that Hugh Jackman's Wolverine has grown on me in watching his six films up to this point. Yes, he's far too tall and all that, but that's all quickly forgotten because the characterisation is near enough spot on. It's taken me over two decades to decide, but he really is (or was) the most perfect actor to play this role at this moment in time.

It's wonderful to see Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen back once again. They get better and better. Halle Berry's look as Storm also gets better with each passing film but - again - it felt like she didn't have very much to say or do. It feels wrong that her most memorable dialogue was delivering Xavier's eulogy in The Last Stand, but I honestly can't remember a thing she said in Days Of Future Past just last night.

I'm delighted to say that Michael Fassbender's bizarre First Class accent was sorted out in this film. Gone are the strange rhoticisms, and he sounded so much like Ian McKellen that at times I actually wondered if Ian was dubbing some of the lines. Conversely, Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy being in the same film highlighted for me how different the latter feels as Xavier. It wasn't helped by the plot of the younger Xavier being drugged up and with long, lank hair, but I didn't care for McAvoy at all in this film.

Many questions were answered or loose ends tied up: even Wolverine's cameo in First Class got a mention. The biggest omission for me was Xavier's "resurrection". It was hinted towards at the end of The Last Stand and even more so in the mid-credits scene from The Wolverine, but I don't recall the whys and wherefores even getting a mention here.

Other than that, I was pretty satisfied with the whole film. And you could say I'm a tough crowd.​

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Deadpool (2016)

I knew little about this film other than the tone being offbeat and the film being R-rated. On these bases it could have gone either way.

It fell down on the side of simply not being my thing. It raised a couple of weak smiles and small titters, but the humour was typically unsubtle American gross-out stuff that clubs one around the head and feels tedious rather than shocking. The fruity language was so overdone in the first ten or fifteen minutes it felt as though it was there simply to ensure the film got its adult rating and appeal to those who may be insecure about seeing a lower-rated film because it's not adult enough. There's also the fact that the irreverent tone makes it feel rather like a poor man's Guardians Of The Galaxy.

On the plus side, I found the second two-thirds of the film a little more watchable (I considered aborting my viewing early on as it was boring me). It was good to finally see a cinematic Colossus with a Russian accent. And Negasonic's costume feels as close as we've come to seeing the classic X-uniform brought to life.

I'll probably watch the sequel in due course for completion, but I wouldn't feel particularly deprived if I didn't.​