Why the "X-Men: The Dark Phoenix" - the finale a bright pale franchise
Educational Program Cinema / / December 19, 2019
Screens out the film "X-Men: The Dark Phoenix" - the latest chapter of the franchise, which gave a start when the vast world of superheroes on the big screens. Next year, perhaps there will be more "New Mutants" and there are options for continuing the "Deadpool". Yet they kept aloof from the major paintings.
So we can assume that the global nineteen story ends now. And it is very sad that the final will be too pale and secondary, as if the years of making movies about mutants, the authors exhausted and lost all the enthusiasm that was once allowed to develop industry kinokomiks. It's a shame that the franchise, without which it would probably not appear in either kinovselennaya MarvelNor many other blockbusters, will go with almost guaranteed failure.
Yet out "Dark Phoenix" - an excellent opportunity to recall the history of screen X-Men. Well, finally, of course, to talk about her finals.
Background - the decline kinokomiks
The first "X-Men" was released in 2000. And it was a real bomb for the geek culture. To understand the significance of this film, you need to understand what has been the industry kinokomiks to the beginning of the XXI century. Easier to say that it was not at all.
All successful projects were in the distant seventies and eighties. In the nineties in Marvel fell through, "Captain America" in 1990 and "Fantastic Four" in 1994 did not come out in theaters. Franchise of the Incredible Hulk was on its last legs. The studio was on the verge of bankruptcy and sold the rights to the film adaptation of his comic books. That's what 20th Century Fox and got a chance to make a film about the X-Men.
In a series of DC films BatmanThat once started, Tim Burton, over the infamous "Batman and Robin" - a picture barely repulsed the budget at the box office and received ten nominations for the "Golden Raspberry".
George Clooney announced the worst performer of the role of the Dark Knight's of all time (he still holds the "title"). A "Steel" with Shaquille O'Neill will not pay even a tenth of the budget.
Successful was only a movie "Blade" about the little-known fighter with vampires from the comics Marvel, but difficult to put on a par with traditional stories of superheroes.
Before the release of "Spider-Man" Sam Raimi were still two years before the start of the history of Batman Christopher Nolan - 5 years, before the advent of the first film kinovselennoy the Marvel - 8 years.
And Fox was a very bold step to start expensive superhero project with love at once with many characters.
Initially planned to appoint a director Brett Ratner or Robert Rodriguez. But as a result of future start kinovselennoy entrusted Bryan Singer - it has not yet worked on blockbusters, but has already earned acclaim for "The Usual Suspects." Singer did not like comics X-Men, but he became interested in the topic of discrimination that is very close to reality.
The project decided to invite the bright and textured, but not the "worn-out" in the blockbuster actors - they cost less, and has not become boring to the viewer. Legend "Star Trek" Patrick Stewart got the role of Charles Xavier aka Professor X, Ian McKellenTo which Singer was working in "Apt Pupil", offered to play the villain Eric Lensherra, aka Magneto.
Also, there are gaining popularity Halle Berry and Anna Paquin, and changes the appearance of Mystique has tried model Rebecca Romijn - its character had to keep walking almost naked and completely painted in blue Colour.
There remained only the question about the main character. The plot of the film decided to build around a favorite of fans of comics Logan, aka Wolverine. Initially invited to the role of Russell Crowe and Scott Dyugreya, but both stars refused. And three weeks before filming began authors settled on a little-known actor of romantic comedies Hugh Jackman. And this almost accidental meeting was the key to success.
The success of "X-Men" and the first trilogy
The film, though not set records at the box office, but has been very successful and caused a real delight of the spectators. Here it played a role by several factors.
The authors decided to abandon the classic images of mutants from the comics, making them more modern and alive. Wolverine was not wearing his traditional yellow suit, and walked in the usual jeans and a jacket, and the shape of the X-Men became more restrained. This would eliminate the cartoon comic inherent in previous films about superheroes, and shift the focus on more serious matters.
In "X-Men" were felt unambiguous hints on the topic of discrimination and social outcasts. It is no coincidence important character Rogue did that because of the forces can neither touch someone.
In addition, the authors did not show the standard "origin" - the story of the origin of the characters. The main plot is dedicated to already established teams of mutants.
History complemented cool special effects and actors played so well that virtually every one of the basic structure after the film woke up a star.
The success of "X-Men" opened the way for a sequel. The second part called the short and recognizable - «X2», which means that the interpretation of "multiply by two." Exactly and entered Singer: I did not come up with something completely new, but merely added action and developed favorite topics viewers: peaceful mutants attempts to find common language with people, as well as the fight against Magneto. A final, which was lost Jean Gray (Famke Janssen), clearly alluding to the imminent end of the story.
The third part, subtitled "The Last Stand" has directed the Brett Ratner, once refused to work on the first film. The thing is that Singer at this time decided to restart the on-screen comics DC and took the disastrous "Superman Returns."
To complete the history of the X-Men have chosen one of the most famous arches of comics - "Dark Phoenix Saga" (yes, it still just remade in the new film). The fact is that in classic comic books very rarely come across really gloomy scenes with the death of heroes. And "Dark Phoenix" was an exception.
The authors have changed the concept, showing the Phoenix is not a product of cosmic forces, but simply hidden energy of Jean Gray. But in the drama they have succeeded. The third film was the most grim: it perished important characters, and the final scene with Jean and Wolverine became one of the most tragic interchanges in kinokomiks.
After that, the main franchise seems to be over and went to the well-deserved break. Meanwhile, the well-trodden road, one after another began to emerge movies stories Marvel and DC.
Spin-off "X-Men. Start: Wolverine "and incomplete restarts
Of course, Fox Studios did not want to let go of the popular theme. Even during the filming of "The Last Battle" decided to create a series of prequels of popular mutants. It was the first, all the same Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman.
Under the guidance already new directors and screenwriters past hero disclosed in more detail based on the comic book "Weapon X". But there have already begun inconsistencies. Biography Wolverine is not very similar to that shown in the previous films, and the creators have managed altogether strange to the secondary characters.
Eternal enemy Sabretooth hero suddenly found his brother, and talkative mercenary Deadpool, who wanted to play for years to come Ryan Reynolds, Stitched mouth and turned that into a horrible creature.
Though the film and grossed a good cashier, he was treated very skeptically: scolded hackneyed clichés in the script and unintelligible plot twists. It has buried plans to remove the spin-off of the Cyclops and Gambit permanently frozen history by Channing Tatum (A picture of it, it seems, did not come out) and Deadpool.
After that, the franchise decided to restart and still show the love story of Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherra and appearance of the first X-Men. Bryan Singer came up with the script, but by the time the shooting was too busy. And then it took action master Matthew Vaughn, has declared itself an unusual superhero movie "Kick-Ass".
The director did not even too tried to link his film with the previous - in it is easy to find many inconsistencies in the history of the universe and the nature of the character. But all conquered a new cast member.
Instead, the audience favorite Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen took no less spectacular new generation of actors: James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. On the role of Mystique invited rising star Jennifer Lawrence, and the Beast, this time played by Nicholas Hoult.
These actors and determine the future of the franchise, and perhaps with this and began a gradual decline of the world of X-Men. Himself "first class" was a good and strong "origin", which the audience liked. Matthew Vaughn is partly returned to the classics not only the plot, but also visually: yellow suits and bright makeup Some mutants clearly refers to comics, though this is what he wanted to avoid in the first Singer films. All about understand that the history of friendship over hatred, and because the story immediately hinted at the tragic finale.
And then the franchise was split in two.
"Days of Future Past" and drop blockbusters
After the release of "First Class" Matthew Vaughn wanted to run his own trilogy and finally move away from the reference to the previous pictures. He came up with the plot of the film "Days of Future Past," where Wolverine falls in the past and trying to change reality, to escape mutants death.
On the role of the younger Logan director planned to invite Tom HardyAnd in the final link two timelines together.
Studio approved script, but chose to return the reins to Brian Singer and leave only performer Jackman as Wolverine. The popularity of Jennifer Lawrence at a young audience made Mystic push to the fore, turning it from an assistant chief villain in a positive character.
At the same time, the actress started having problems with the skin due to the application of blue make-up, and because of its character are increasingly showing a simple human form.
The core team of X-Men returned to the screen in 2014. And "Days of Future Past" Singer became the biggest crossover franchise. Characters classic trilogy here together and "First Class."
Despite another part restarting, the authors successfully played on the nostalgia. While the familiar characters from the first films were fighting for survival in the future, Wolverine saved the world with new characters in the past.
Yet this idea was a dead end in the development of the plot. Refusal of Vaughn plans are not allowed to continue the story, and the next major release of "X-Men: Apocalypse" was another partial restart.
McAvoy, Fassbender, Lawrence and other new stars have returned to their roles. And if we consider the history of the "Days of Future Past", these are the same characters that were at the beginning. But the story of the Storm, Cyclops, Nightcrawler and others have changed again. If you watch all the pictures in a row, you can get lost in the origin of this or that character, and only about changing the actors and can not speak.
As a result, the picture held only on special effects and new lines such as hints on the next appearance of the Dark Phoenix - this time the role of Jean Gray got a star "The game of thrones"Sophie Turner. Viewers of habit went to the continuation of the familiar story, but the film still quarrel. Already then it was clear that the franchise fizzled, but Fox wanted a decent finish.
In addition, the audience at that time very fond of author's projects of the same universe.
"Deadpool" and "Logan" - the success of adult films
After the release of "First Class" was developed and solo story Logan "Wolverine: The Immortal." In contrast to the relatively bright light and the latest films launched darker and adult story, dedicated to the life of Wolverine after the "final battle." It was originally planned that the work will undertake Darren Aronofsky, but then shoot entrusted James Mangold.
The result left both entertaining and insightful film about the already aging hero who can not find their place in life and struggling with the ghosts of the past. For fear is not to collect audience picture still left "child" age rating, but the brutality and darkness in it enough. And success has shown that audiences are ready to such stories.
A parallel Ryan Reynolds tried to push a solo film about Deadpool, which would correct the disastrous image of a mercenary from a picture of Wolverine. Actor every effort to persuade the producers to make a rating of "18 +", to the writers and director had the opportunity to show the crude humor of the original comics. Reynolds even gave up part of the fee to reduce the budget picture.
As a result, ideas approved and the film became a major box-office success of Fox. "Deadpool" was released the same year as "Apocalypse" and grossed $ 200 million more on troektratno smaller investments.
Everything was just - the audience missed the bright humor in the spirit of the militants of the nineties, with crude jokes and hypertrophied cruelty. Already developed and capture all the screens kinovselennaya Marvel has set for all pictures of "children's" standards and "Deadpool" in all its simplicity and cheapness was just a breath of fresh air. The film openly mocked and kinokomiks above stereotypes, and on previous installments of the franchise "X-Men".
Popularity and charges are not only provided a picture of the guaranteed continuation, in which the authors simply added more more jokes, action and colorful characters, but also paved the way for the main serious projects throughout kinovselennoy - "Logan".
If the "Wolverine: The Immortal" only leads to the idea that a superhero can grow old and tired of his life, the "Logan" is the same James Mangold has created a real drama of the lost people. Wolverine and almost senile Charles Xavier live out their days in poverty and oblivion, but they have for the last time to return to rescue mutants. They help the young girl Laura, is very similar to most of Logan, to escape from pursuing her gang.
Mangold, Jackman and Stewart managed stunningly emotional goodbye to their favorite characters, showing that old age superhero is no different from the old age of the person - it's the disease, survival and the inevitable oblivion.
Logan went beautifully, with tears actors and spectators, with a box office success and admiration of critics. Which, alas, can not be said about the other X-Men.
"Dark Phoenix" - the completion of the legendary history of sluggish
Already while working on "Dark Phoenix", which hinted at the start of the ending of "Apocalypse", it was announced that Disney bought 20th Century Fox, and "X-Men" will come under the management of Kevin Faig. This meant that the history of mutants will be completed in this picture.
It seems that the creators of "Dark Phoenix" wanted to show the corrected version of the story - the closer to the original than "The Last Stand." But something went wrong even on the script level.
Of course, the "X-Men" for his idea to follow social topics, talking about inequality. But the final reason that brought to the fore exclusively female characters: Charles Xavier from the defender mutants become a narcissistic egotist, but Mystic has become a major supplier of morality.
As a result, the entire movie was a drama about the problems of Jean Gray in which the conversations much more than action. Particularly acute is felt in all compared with the same "Last Stand", where the girl with the Phoenix Force is easily broken down and people, and mutants. Now Jin simply tormented by his helplessness and harms others almost by accident, because of which suffered even more.
As a result, the film has not even left a luster and scale blockbuster, which drew in the "Apocalypse", and to the sincerity of "Logan", the authors and have not reached. The plot again went to the cliché: the film begins with the stereotypical car accident scene and ends with a clear copy of one of Nolan's paintings.
Action is impressive only in the final, but he does not correct all unreasonably prolonged conversations about deception and loneliness, which handled the story.
"Dark Phoenix" just once again proved that the franchise's time to retire. It has fulfilled its role and must either shut down or restart from scratch with new characters.
The weakness of the final does not negate the achievements of all previous franchise. The audience remains the first trilogy, cheerful Deadpool (which probably will be back), touching care of Logan. Just a bit of a pity that the global history, which lasted for almost two decades, leaving a devastating article critics. It might be a little early to stop.
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