Benz Eye View: Overall Update on Previous Marvel Films/Movies (including Once Upon A Deadpool)

Welcome back to the Marvel Movies Marathon where I revisit many of the previous Marvel Movies I reviewed before I started this marathon. From the looks of it, all of them are 20th Century Fox Marvel movies except for an animated Sony Marvel film. Has my opinion of these movies changed, or did they remain the same after rewatching them? Let’s find out starting with the infamous Fantastic Four (2015).

Say what you want about the previous Fantastic Four movies, but this reboot back in 2015 is an atrocity compared to its predecessors. Ignoring that this movie was made just for 20th Century Fox to keep the Fantastic Four license, this darker interpretation of the superhero team was terrible and insulting. Nothing about it worked from its writing to its acting, even if the very few good does not save it. Whether it is the director, Josh Trank, or the studio’s fault is not important, these four superheroes in this movie are not fantastic, they are unremarkable.

1/10

20th Century Fox originally did not want to make this movie, but because of test footage being leaked, they finally decided to make the movie. I may not love it like so many people since the main plot is pretty generic, but the big saving grace is Deadpool (played by Ryan Reynolds) himself. He is one of the funniest and crudest superheroes in the Marvel Universe, and he does not hold back from his witty comedy to his violent actions. He is one of the saving graces in the X-Men universe and hopefully the MCU.

7/10

It is amazing that after the excellent X-Men: Days of Future Past, the next movie screwed up like many of its predecessors. If I have to sum up what is wrong with this movie, the scene when Apocalypse (played by Oscar Isaac) possesses Professor Xavier (played by James McAvoy) to possess soldiers from around the world to launch nuclear missiles…into space. There are too many plot lines, many characters that serve little purpose like Moira MacTaggert (played by Rose Byrne) and Jubilee (played by Lana Condor), the new Four Horsemen have little reason to join Apocalypse, and Apocalypse himself could have been an interesting villain instead of a mediocre first mutant with a god complex that makes impressive speeches. This movie was wasted potential and it did not feel like an apocalypse. Also, why did the movie bother to include Jubilee when she has very little reason to exist, especially since she never uses her powers except in a deleted scene and a promo?

4/10

This is not only the best Wolverine, X-Men, and one of the best Marvel films to date, but also one of the best superhero films ever made. It has an emotional and complex story of Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman) who is down further than he has ever been alongside Professor X (played by Patrick Stewart). The few action scenes are bloody and gory in the right ways, making full use of Wolverine’s violent nature. The relationship between Wolverine and Laura a.k.a. X-23 (played by Dafne Keen) is heartfelt and heartbreaking. This is also one of those films where you must pay attention to the subtle backstories that the film does not outright say. The only issues I have are that the villains are not interesting and the adamantium bullet that killed X-24 (also played by Hugh Jackman) should not kill him since that did not kill Wolverine in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (though that movie sucks, so I will let that pass).

This is a proper farewell and closing arc to the character (until Deadpool & Wolverine).

9/10

For this review, I will explain the Super Duper Cut that adds more scenes, jokes, lines, and songs alongside different edits to the movie. This movie is not as good as the first, but the Super Duper Cut improves on it slightly with added context through new scenes and some more funny jokes. It is hilarious, but some of those jokes are bogged down since they only make sense if you have watched the movies and heard the songs (the first movie did not suffer that problem since those jokes are mainly about the X-Men). Add that the writing is subpar and many plot points are convenient (i.e., Domino’s (played by Zazie Beetz) involvement), and I found the movie slightly disappointing. The Super Duper Cut of Deadpool 2 improves a bit, but I believe only Deadpool fans will love it more than others.

6/10

Some of you might be thinking, “What is this?” This is supposed to be a PG-13 version of Deadpool 2; this was meant to be a test run for the character when 20th Century Fox was bought by Disney. The filmmakers wanted to see if Deadpool could be slightly more family-friendly and make it work. That ended up being pointless considering the next Deadpool film in the MCU. Since this is the same movie with different scenes here and there, I might as well make this an overall review rather than a full-fledged review.

There is little to say here since this is just Deadpool 2 but censored. The ADR is slightly obvious at times, and covering up the gore and more sexual innuendos weakens the jokes and scenes sometimes. For example, one change is that Deadpool (played by Ryan Reynolds) gets shot in the hand during his attempted rescue of Russell Collins a.k.a. Firefist (played by Julian Dennison), except the hand is censored where he does not get the bullet hole, and suddenly has that hole in later scenes. The only reason to watch it is the addition of the Fred Savage (played by himself) scenes that are pretty funny (especially when he points out the writing issues in the movie). However, you should stick to the original Deadpool 2 (or the Super Duper Cut) instead.

6/10

When I initially watched this film, I liked it, but I did not love it. Over multiple viewings later, I realized why so many people love it more than I thought. The animation is unique and fantastic with each Spider-Men being different in terms of animation (i.e., anime, cartoon, 30 FPS, comic book animation, etc.). The story is fantastic as a pass-the-torch narrative for Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) as he learns from multiple Spider-Men. I did not like that three of those Spider-Men barely got much screen time and the villains are underwhelming despite a clear and understandable motivation like Wilson Fisk a.k.a. the Kingpin (voiced by Liev Schreiber). However, with such a great amount of detail of how this Earth is different than the one we know (i.e., numerous ads and signs), it is clear that the filmmakers poured their hearts into this.

This even worked towards Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and hopefully Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. Spider-Man’s legacy lives on in live-action and animation.

9/10

A movie that is technically the last X-Men movie, this is worse than I remembered. While I was rewatching this, the one I thought I had in my head was that it was clear that the cast and (maybe) the crew were not trying anymore. Ignoring that these characters should start looking like their older counterparts, there are so many character assassinations from Charles Xavier (played by James McAvoy) being an arrogant prick like Peter Parker did in Spider-Man 3 to Dr. Hank McCoy a.k.a. Beast (played by Nicholas Hoult) betraying the X-Men for an extreme reason. It also says plenty when I do not recall the D’Bari that just appear out of nowhere and barely play a role until the final act (fun fact: it was originally going to be the Skrulls, but Marvel Studios was already using them in Captain Marvel). The special effects and the last-act fights are cool, but they are not enough to save the movie.

How this movie fits into the new timeline after X-Men: Days of Future Past is beyond me. Even X-Men Origins: Wolverine had more energy and a better story than this movie. This is what happens when 20th Century Fox hires Simon Kinberg as the director who also wrote for X-Men: The Last Stand, making him screw up the Dark Phoenix saga again. This movie is not resurrecting any time soon, and other than one more attempt, this is the end of 20th Century Fox’s X-Men movies.

2/10

This movie is One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, but it is a horror superhero movie that nobody cares about, especially since it was delayed four times from 2018 to 2020. It does have an interesting premise: a hospital that is haunted by something that is possibly supernatural that the remaining mutants have to deal with since it is using their trauma and fears. The problems are that the characters are very passive, none of them are interesting (though I slightly like Samuel “Sam” Guthrie a.k.a. Cannonball (played by Charlie Heaton)), the movie (alongside X-Men: Apocalypse and Deadpool 2) attempted to build up Mr. Sinister with no payoff since this is the last X-Men movie, and the main conflict is easily resolved. If I have to say one nice thing about this, it is better than Dark Phoenix. We will see if Deadpool & Wolverine can revive the interest in the X-Men in movies once they enter the MCU, but this movie is a disappointing end to these new mutants.

3/10

Benz Eye View: X-Men: Days of Future Past -The Rogue Cut-

Welcome back once again to Marvel Movies Marathon where we look at the X-Men film that fully revitalized interest in this superhero team and fixed many of the mistakes in some of their past movies (until they screwed it up again later). Let’s look at this new X-Men film that is more or less a crossover of the past and present X-Men team: X-Men: Days of Future Past.

For the purpose of this review, I am going to talk about The Rogue Cut version of this film. It adds 17 minutes to the runtime which includes a subplot involving Rogue (played by Anna Paquin) and alters a few scenes that fit that subplot.

Pros:

1.) I might as well get this out of the way first: how does The Rogue Cut compare to the original? It makes the film much better because it adds more dimension and layers to the plot and characters even if they are not necessary. Many examples include the remaining X-Men discussing the consequences of changing the past may end up erasing some of their existence, a rekindling romance between Hank McCoy a.k.a. Beast (played by Nicholas Hoult) and Raven a.k.a. Mystique (played by Jennifer Lawrence), an explanation of how the Sentinels found the remaining X-Men in the last act, and the biggest change of all: having Rogue be more involved in the story instead of being seen in a cameo in the original cut. While her role makes a slightly small impact on the main plot and I understand why the filmmakers had to cut it originally, it was nice to see her again.

2.) The writing is absolutely fantastic. Ignoring many some of the small nitpicks and obvious continuity issues, the mutants becoming extinct is already a big conflict, so what is left of the X-Men has to go back to the past by sending Logan a.k.a. Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman) to his younger body and stop Mystique from killing Bolivar Trask (played by Peter Dinklage) by getting help from a younger Charles Xavier a.k.a. Professor X (played by James McAvoy) and a younger Erik Lehnsherr a.k.a. Magneto (played by Michael Fassbender). It is not as simple as it gets since Xavier is a complete drunk, Magento is in jail for apparently killing President John F. Kennedy, and Mystique is determined to kill Trask even if it means screwing over Xavier and Magneto since her Brotherhood of Mutants got killed. Their arcs are all fantastic from Xavier learning to let go of the loss and learn from Wolverine to Magneto further realizing that mutants must take control of their future by stopping humanity to Mystique learning to let go of her prejudices thanks to his stepbrother. Even the main villain, Bolivar Trask is not some evil human who hates mutants; he respects them to the point where he wants to use them as research and keep the human race from extinction. Most of the characters are fantastic (even the minor mutant characters from the future thanks to The Rogue Cut), and they make the audience care what is happening…

3.) …The biggest reason for that is the film does a fantastic job of giving tension and high stakes. The future Sentinels are no joke: no matter how hard the mutants fight and manage to slow them down, these robots cannot be stopped and that is established at the beginning of the film.

With the worst of humanity taking control of these monsters and wanting to see mutant-kind extinct, these Sentinels clearly symbolize all of humanity’s hatred. When the climax comes in, and the Sentinels find and kill the remaining X-Men while Wolverine is trying to stop the past from getting worse despite the limited time remaining, that is an example of heightened tensions reaching their limits.

This is so good that this film might as well be the X-Men film equivalent of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. I want to say that this film is perfect, it is not, but it is so close to being one.

Cons:

1.) As much as I love this film, I have to acknowledge the typical continuity issues in the X-Men films:

a.) The events of X-Men: The Last Stand where humans and mutants achieve peace is pointless considering where X-Men: Days of Future Past leads.

b.) Bolivar Trask changed from being a black man originally played by Bill Duke to a short white man played by Peter Dinklage. It is a great casting choice, but that is certainly questionable.

c.) Wolverine somehow got his adamantium claws back despite losing them in The Wolverine.

d.) How did Kitty Pryde (played by formerly Ellen Page) get time-traveling powers? Her powers are phasing, so I have no idea how it also upgraded into sending people through time.

e.) Charles Xavier mentioned that Mystique was captured during the Paris Peace Accords when she murdered Trask, but I guess she somehow escaped so the first three X-Men films can happen.

f.) Wolverine was not in the Vietnam War or with William Stryker (played by Josh Helman) (and he looked much younger in this film) in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but he is with some lady in New York City.

g.) Toad (played by Evan Jonigkeit) is in the film, but he looks much different from the first film.

I feel like at this point, the filmmakers just do not care about changing characters and events unless it is the more important plot points.

2.) I have some nitpicks on the film as a whole:

a.) Remember some of the mutants from X-Men: First Class like Azazel, Emma Frost, and Banshee? They are killed off-screen and you see some of their bodies when Mystique investigates Trask’s office. Their potential has certainly been wasted.

b.) Peter Maximoff a.k.a. Quicksilver (played by Evan Peters) is in this film, and he is cool. However, he is not in the film for long; when Magneto gets rescued by Wolverine, Xavier, and him, that is basically the last time we see Quicksilver. He could have been a great help in stopping Mystique from murdering Trask with his super speed.

c.) The one change I did not like in The Rogue Cut is after Xavier encountered Mystique in the airport via Cerebro, he had no idea where she was going. In the original cut, he figured it out by observing the plane ticket that Mystique had. He could have read her mind to learn her destination at least, but that would have made sense.

d.) Alex Summers a.k.a. Havok (played by Lucas Till) is in the film, but his only role is that he got rescued by Mystique in Vietnam and was transported back to the United States. We will never see him again until X-Men: Apocalypse.

e.) I am not exactly sure how the effects of time traveling work. Kitty Pryde sends a person back through time via their younger bodies, and after warning of the events of the future, the timeline that Kitty is in suddenly disappears. That must be slightly complicated when Wolverine goes back in time because the people disappearing in the future timeline do not take effect until Mystique decides to not kill Trask instead of Wolverine, Xavier, Beast, and Magneto interfering in Mystique’s attempted murder. At least Avengers: Endgame‘s explanation of time traveling makes more sense.

f.) A wasted character in this film is Bishop (played by Omar Sy). He was a big deal in the comics during the Days of Future Past, and he is only regulated as a side character. He gets a little more screen time in The Rogue Cut, but he should have a bigger role at the very least.

I love this film, but I have to acknowledge the few flaws I noticed.

Overall:

The Days of Future Past is a bleak future where the hatred against mutants has increased immensely to the point of being an apocalyptic future (not to be confused with a certain mutant) of Sentinels hunting what is left of the mutant race. It has gotten so bad that Kitty Pryde has to go back to the past to prevent the event that started it: the murder of Senator Kelly. While there are plenty of changes in the film adaptation (i.e., Wolverine is the one who goes back in time), the main concept is the same. You might have thought I may not like this film because of the glaring writing flaws and continuity issues, but the truth of the matter is that I love this film. The tensions between mutants and humans have never been any higher thanks to the Sentinels, mutants dying with very little of them remaining, and it takes a long time for the main conflict to be resolved especially when the threat of an even worse future is possible. I can forgive the few writing and continuity issues; this film is that great.

The Rogue Cut also enhances the film in a similar vein as the extended version of The Lord of the Rings: it may not be necessary, but I prefer that over the original (for the most part). This is the best X-Men film ever made (besides Logan), and I highly recommend this version of the film to any X-Men fan. The future glows bright in this film and the filmmakers prevented the X-Men series from going into obscurity (until they screw it up again).

9/10

I do wonder about this: since the X-Men are coming to the MCU, how is the TVA going to explain all of what happened in this film and the Deadpool films? We will just have to wait and hope that Marvel Studios does not screw this up like they have been lately.

Benz Eye View: The Wolverine

Welcome back once again to Marvel Movies Marathon where Wolverine gets his own movie…again. Will it work better than the last time this character got his own spin-off movie, or will it suffer the same fate as that terrible movie? Let’s find out with the second movie of our favorite X-Man himself: The Wolverine.

Pros:

1.) One of the big plot points of this movie is that Logan a.k.a. Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman) loses his healing factor, making it hard to fight anyone. This puts tension and danger in this character like never before (and will be used again in Logan), so he cannot always go berserk against those who stand in his way or he will surely die. I wish this movie took full advantage of it (and the franchise eventually will in Logan) since this is rarely explored and eventually resolved in a slightly predictable manner. I still like this idea, and I will explore this a little further when I do an Overall Previous Marvel Movies review on Logan later.

2.) I like the change of scenery and setting. Japan feels like a different sense of fresh air with its culture, environment, and people. From the yakuza to the samurai, it is nice to see something new in terms of an area to explore. One great example is when Wolverine fights Shingen (played by Hiroyuki Sanada) which is similar to a samurai battle, but Wolverine uses his adamantium claws instead of a sword. Japan is a great change of scenery, but this may be a bias since I enjoy Japanese culture anyway.

3.) The first act of the movie is not too bad. From Wolverine being imprisoned in Japan during World War II to his time being isolated due to his guilt for killing Jean Grey (played by Famke Janssen), it is easy to care what is happening to him since we have seen and understand what he has went through in the previous films. His arc is decent as well since he avoids becoming the Wolverine for the already-mentioned reasons. Not a bad start to his arc as well as the writing…

Cons:

1.) …However, I will not go as far as to say that the writing is decent nor will I say it is terrible. There are problems with it and I will list them here:

a.) The last time we saw Wolverine in X-Men: The Last Stand, he seemed content and happy since the mutants were living in peace, but this movie suddenly shows that he is now sheltered and alone. It makes sense why he is like that, but it is not consistent with the last time we saw him in the previous chronological movie (it would make more sense if they included that deleted ending scene from X-Men: The Last Stand where he left the X-Men).

b.) It is a little convenient when two Japanese characters usually speak to each other in English instead of Japanese. It strikes me as odd and lazy for writers to make an excuse for audience members to not read the subtitles.

c.) Wolverine getting Yukio’s (played by Rila Fukushima) prediction of his death wrong is so predictable that the writing poorly gives any tension to it.

d.) I do not understand how Ichiro Yashida a.k.a. the Silver Samurai (played by Haruhiko Yamanouchi) is absorbing Logan’s agelessness into his own.

e.) Yukio joins Wolverine by the end of the movie, but it goes absolutely nowhere, especially since the mid-credits scene shows Wolverine on his own two years later with no mention of what happened to Yukio (especially since she gets retconned and recast in Deadpool 2).

f.) Charles Xavier (played by Patrick Stewart) is alive as seen in the end credits scene in X-Men: The Last Stand, but how did he get his own body back when he transferred his mind to some random guy’s body the last time we saw him?

These issues do not ruin the movie…

2.) …But what does not help at all is that I found many of these characters uninteresting. At best, they are cliched characters that could have potential, but they are not explored enough to be given a chance. The only reason I somewhat care at all is that their actors did a great job in the performances, or in the case of Mariko (played by Tao Okamoto), she is very attractive. Ichiro Yashida wants to leave a legacy by living forever, Mariko does not want to be the head of her grandfather’s company, Shingen hates his father and daughter since he wants the company, Viper (played by Svetlana Khodchenkova) is an evil mutant scientist who wants money and power (I think), Noburo (played by Brian Tee) is a corrupt minister of justice, and Yukio is loyal to the Yashida family that adopted her (especially Mariko). Once again, there is not much depth to them when I can see an attempt for it.

3.) The only remaining problem I have with this movie is many of the nitpick changes they made from their comic book counterparts:

a.) Viper is a mutant in this movie, but in the comics, she is not only a human but a Hydra agent. In fact, one of her nicknames is Madame Hydra; you can see a version of that character in Season 4 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

b.) The Silver Samurai is a mutant, not a mech in this movie…

c.) …In fact, Ichiro Yashida is not supposed to be the Silver Samurai. It is supposed to be either Shingen Yashida or Kenuichio Harada (played by Will Yun Lee) since both of them became the Silver Samurai in the comics.

It is not that big of a deal since some changes from the comics to movies/TV shows are fine, but these small changes did bother me slightly.

Overall:

With Wolverine getting another run of his own movie (and it is definitely not going to be the last), I can definitely say that The Wolverine is a big improvement over X-Men Origins: Wolverine, but not enough to say that it is great. If I have to describe this movie, think of it as a Yakuza (or Like A Dragon) movie, but nowhere as intriguing as in those games. There was some potential, but it certainly did not hit a home run. At the very least, there are no visible continuity issues that this movie has over its predecessors, but if you want a fantastic Wolverine movie, then Logan is a great choice for you. The Wolverine did overcome the errors of its predecessor, but not enough to make a fantastic ronin in the land of the rising sun.

6/10

Benz Eye View: X-Men: First Class

Welcome back to Marvel Movies Marathon where we will review another X-Men film that explores the origin of this mutant team. Will it repeat the same mistakes that X-Men Origins: Wolverine did, or will it revive the interest in these mutants once again? Let’s find out in the next X-Men film: X-Men: First Class.

Pros:

1.) In the previous X-Men films, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen as Charles Xavier a.k.a. Professor X and Erik Lehnsherr a.k.a. Magneto respectively were fantastic casting choices. In this film, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as their younger counterparts were amazing in their roles. Their performances and chemistry carry the entire film and you can buy that these two were close friends until their unfortunate divided beliefs. I will credit whoever chose these two actors because they are amazing choices as the younger versions of these popular mutant characters.

2.) While Charles Xavier was excellent in this film, it is clear that the main character is Magneto himself. He wants to kill Sebastian Shaw (played by Kevin Bacon) for killing his mother and torturing him with experiments, but he meets Xavier who wants him to be the better man. Despite that, his eventual downfall is that he kills Shaw and agrees with him that humans are inferior and mutants are the superior race. His character arc is tragic; he was alone with vengeance in his mind until he met Xavier, a positive influence on Erik, but he let his flaws get to him and grew to be a worse mutant as a result. This is a great arc for one of Marvel’s most memorable villains.

3.) It goes without saying that the writing is excellent. While there are a few flaws that I will get to in the cons, they are not enough to deter this film. From the main plot to the character arcs, this is a fantastic prequel to the X-Men series that heightens the originals (for the most part) and gives a better understanding and more depth to characters like Professor X and Magneto.

Cons:

1.) As I said, the writing is not perfect. For starters, let’s get to the continuity issues.

a.) Xavier and Raven a.k.a. Mystique (played by Jennifer Lawrence) are step-siblings and have known each other since they were children. That is pretty odd considering that the first X-Men film shows Mystique poisoning Xavier when using Cerebro, and he never brought up this important detail about Mystique being his step-sister to any of the X-Men.

b.) Emma Frost (played by January Jones) is in this film, but not the same one in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

c.) Moira MacTaggert (played by Rose Byrne) is also in this film, but she is now a CIA agent instead of a nurse in X-Men: The Last Stand.

d.) Mystique and Hank McCoy a.k.a. Beast (played by Nicholas Hoult) were romantically involved, and this detail was never brought up in X-Men: The Last Stand, though I can forgive this one since this is probably a little too personal.

e.) Beast created Cerebro instead of Xavier and Magneto as mentioned in the first X-Men film.

f.) In the first X-Men film, Xavier said that his first students were Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Storm, but this film shows that his actual first students were Beast, Alex Summers a.k.a. Havoc (played by Lucas Till), and Cassidy a.k.a. Banshee (played by Caleb Landry Jones).

g.) When recruiting other mutants, Xavier and Magneto attempted to recruit Logan a.k.a. Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman) which he “politely” turned down. I can understand Wolverine not recognizing them later down the line since they got older and he would eventually lose his memories, but Xavier and Magento should recognize him. It is even pointed out in X-Men: Day of Future Past that young Xavier recognized Wolverine.

While not as numerous as X-Men Origins: Wolverine‘s continuity issues, they are more forgivable considering that the writing is great.

2.) If I had to pick one actor who I thought was the weakest of them all, it is January Jones as Emma Frost. To put it simply, she looked bored. I think what she was trying to do is look intimidating while confident knowing she can read and control an individual’s mind, but she looks so uninterested except when Shaw compliments her appearance. This is a complicated character in the comics who looks like she can be on your side or her own side (think Catwoman with her complicated relationship with Batman), and this version is clearly on Shaw’s side, but Jones’s performance makes it look like she is just tagging along because why not. Hopefully, if she ever appears again at some point, they get a different actress, or January Jones should improve her acting at least.

3.) As I said before, the writing is not perfect, so here are a few issues I have with it:

a.) We learn more about Mystique and what led her to join Magneto in his cause. This is a double-edged sword issue. On the one hand, this gives the character a little more depth to the cold exterior that we have seen in previous films. On the other hand, this also may ruin what we knew about her in those films and question how she is that cold when she was not always like that. When she leaves Xavier to be with Magneto at the end of the film, it just makes her look like a douchebag for leaving her kind and loving step-brother for little reason. This is not exactly the best origin with her character.

b.) There are a few moments where the humans show their hatred against the mutants and it feels a little forced. Unlike the previous X-Men films, this prejudice is barely acknowledged, and very rarely it seemed genuine and earned like when both the United States and the Soviet Union launched missiles against the mutants when they saw them as a threat. Examples like when the human CIA agents protecting the mutants make fun of them for some stupid reason just feels like they are adding prejudiced elements for the sake of it.

c.) Armando Muñoz a.k.a. Darwin (played by Edi Gathegi) gets killed by Sebastian Shaw by using one of Havoc’s energy attacks and shoves it down his throat. Considering his power is adaptability, that should not kill him. In the comics, something similar happened to him, but he survived by becoming a form of energy. This is just a complete waste of a character here.

d.) This one is not a writing issue, but I do not know where else to put it: I am not a fan of Beast’s appearance here. Compared to his appearance in X-Men: The Last Stand, he looks like a weird human and animal amalgamation that resembles Beast from The Beauty and the Beast, but his face came out wrong. It will eventually improve in later films, but why couldn’t the filmmakers learn from Beast’s appearance the last time he was seen?

Overall:

The risk with prequels is that it tells backstories that are not always needed. X-Men Origins: Wolverine is an example of how it made Wolverine less interesting to the point where none of the other X-Men films acknowledged it ever again. This film is an example of how to make prequels right by making the main characters just as compelling as their older counterparts with a story that gives them a fantastic arc. While there are a few issues that still hold it back from perfection like the ever-present continuity issues, X-Men: First Class is a great film that any fan of the Children of the Atom will appreciate and enjoy these characters and their backstories.

8/10

Benz Eye View: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Welcome back to Marvel Movies Marathon with another X-Men movie focusing on the short-lived Origins series starting with Wolverine. This movie is considered the worst of the X-Men movies (I have seen some argue that Dark Phoenix is the worst one, but I will decide if I agree in time), but has that statement held up, or were the audience right on the money? Let’s find out in the next review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Pros:

1.) I like to say that the opening credits are pretty cool. The montage of Logan a.k.a. Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman) and Victor Creed a.k.a. Sabretooth (played by Liev Schreiber) fighting from the American Civil War to the Vietnam War shows how much the only thing they know is fighting and how Sabretooth is slowly getting obsessed with it.

There are some pretty cool shots, action moments, and transitions in between wars that I argue that this is the best sequence in the movie. The only thing slightly ruining it is the pauses that show off the names of the cast and crew since some of those shots look a little awkward. Overall, it is not a bad start despite how many issues this movie has.

2.) I will not say this is perfect, but I think Logan and Victor’s relationship as half-brothers is decent. The chemistry between the two is good enough that you buy that these two are brothers despite how shaky their relationship is. Think of their relationship like Thor and Loki; these two will fight each other but you are not surprised considering how much you have known them. However, there is a sense that they do get along which is evident when the two fight Wade Wilson a.k.a. Deadpool (played by Ryan Reynolds), though that is mainly because Victor wants to kill Logan himself. There are plenty of issues with this, but its execution was not too horrible.

3.) Hugh Jackman as Wolverine did the best he could with this movie despite its glaring issues. If a fantastic actor like him can still deliver his performance well despite being in a bad movie, he at least deserves some credit.

Cons:

1.) This movie (and future X-Men movies after this) is the start of so many continuity issues. I do not know who is in charge of the X-Men Bible, but that person is doing a terrible job pointing out many of the inconsistencies that appear from this point onward. In this movie’s case, there are plenty, so here are some that I spotted:

a.) Logan apparently got the name Wolverine when he first got his adamantium instead of being called that long before he got his metal claws.

b.) Logan and Victor Creed are half-brothers and have known each other for a long time despite that fact never being acknowledged in the first film, and Victor’s vow to watch out for him does not age well considering that this is the last time we see him (unless if you count X-Men: The Official Game and a reference in a deleted scene from Logan).

c.) When Logan got shot in the head after receiving adamantium, he recovered pretty quickly despite having a similar gunshot to the head that temporarily killed him in X2.

d.) Logan’s flashbacks in X2 do not match what is seen in this movie.

e.) Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops (played by Tim Pocock) is a high school student in 1979. This is odd considering that it means the first time we meet him in the first film, you should be in around his forties despite looking like he may be in his late twenties at least.

f.) Cyclops has optic blasts, not laser vision as this movie has depicted.

g.) Emma Frost (played by Tahyna Tozzi) is in this movie, and she (alongside other mutants like Cyclops) was rescued by Charles Xavier (played by Patrick Stewart). Despite that, she was never mentioned or seen in any of the previous X-Men films. She will be an antagonist in the next X-Men film, but that has its own can of worms that I will get to eventually.

h.) Logan lost his memories by being shot in the head with adamantium bullets instead of the adamantium bonding process.

i.) William Stryker’s (played by Danny Huston) crimes should not grant him access to the White House years later in X2.

There are probably some more continuity issues I have missed, but you get the idea. This will be an ongoing problem in the X-Men films to the point where even Deadpool has to point it out.

2.) Not only are the continuity issues a problem, but the writing is pretty bad. I will once again point out some writing issues here:

a.) One of the fan-favorite X-Men characters, Remy LeBeau a.k.a. Gambit (played by Taylor Kitsch) is completely wasted here since he does little in this movie.

b.) The filmmakers had the indecency to change Deadpool from the Merc with a Mouth to Barakapool (or Weapon XI). This was so ludicrous that it was eventually redeemed with the Deadpool films.

c.) One line from William Stryker is among one of the worst lines I have ever heard in movie history. “We’re going to make you indestructible, but first, we’re going to have to destroy you.” Who says that?

d.) Kayla Silverfox’s (played by Lynn Collins) powers are tactile hypnosis, in which she can control people via touch. Apparently, that conveniently does not work with Sabretooth…somehow.

e.) The movie tries too hard to compare Wolverine and Sabretooth as monsters, but it does not work when we see more of a monster on Sabretooth than Wolverine. In fact, when the two worked alongside William Stryker and his band of mutants, Wolverine just stood and watched, only to interfere when they were killing innocent people. He did kill people during the many wars that he was in, but that is war; it is not the same thing, especially when the movie does not show him doing any terrible things other than fighting alongside his fellow soldiers.

There are other issues like the couple that took care of Wolverine after escaping from Stryker was pointless and the small appearance from Charles Xavier was unproductive in terms of the story, but the main takeaway of all of this is that this movie is completely ineffective. None of this will ever be brought up, so this was just a complete waste of time and money.

3.) The CG is absolutely rough in many scenes. From Wolverine checking out his adamantium claws for the first time to Charles Xavier’s “young” face to many obvious green screen effects like the captured mutants running toward Xavier, this movie did not need more problems. If you have seen this movie, you will definitely know when the CG is either unfinished or not polished enough. I will leave a video from the Corridor Crew to explain this better, but to put it simply, the movie definitely did not win any CG awards.

Overall:

I remember 20th Century Fox was planning to do prequel movies with many of the X-Men characters starting with Wolverine and continuing with others like Magneto, thus birthing the short-lived Origins series based on the comics. Those plans quickly died out when this movie came out because this was awful. As much as Hugh Jackman tried to carry this movie, it is not enough when it has severe continuity issues (and that was just the beginning), bad writing, and rough CG and green screen effects. It says plenty when the video game adaptation is much better than the actual movie (at least from what I have heard). This movie did such a disservice that it made Wolverine less interesting and by the looks of things, it was never acknowledged again. Wolverine deserved better than this, but he will be in due time.

3/10

Benz Eye View: X-Men: The Last Stand

Welcome back to Marvel Movies Marathon with the third X-Men movie, and the worst movie of the trilogy according to fans and critics. Was the negative reaction overblown like the mutant cure that this movie has, or was the reaction justified? Let’s find out in this movie: X-Men: The Last Stand.

Pros:

1.) While many actors did a great job in their roles, the one actor who stood out to me is Famke Janssen as Jean Grey a.k.a. the Phoenix. She manages to switch roles easily from the Phoenix to Jean Grey: from a monstrous personality that will tear anyone apart to a scared woman realizing she has no control over herself anymore. Her acting was great, and it especially helps that the Phoenix is scary with her ghost-like appearance.

I wish they got the Phoenix correct (which they eventually will…in a terrible movie), but I will give Famke Janssen credit for her great acting.

2.) The tension has gotten higher since the last film; while there are some improvements in the relationship between humans and mutants, there are still those who want war with each other, particularly on the mutant side. From Erik Lehnsherr a.k.a. Magneto (played by Ian McKellan) to John Allerdyce a.k.a. Pyro (played by Aaron Stanford), they believe mutants are superior to humans, and they are fueling many mutants to fight for their cause, especially with the introduction of a mutant cure (more on that later). The X-Men are concerned about him (and the Phoenix), so they must deal with them while proving to the world that mutants can co-exist with humans. Say what you want with this movie, but at least it is a good progression to the continuing story…

3.) …One element that makes this story more compelling is the introduction of a mutant cure. This is what causes the mutant uprising and protests that make many mutants question what they will do about it. On the one hand, the man who made the cure, Warren Worthington II (played by Michael Murphy) wants to help the mutant race, and many like Marie a.k.a. Rogue (played by Anna Paquin) want the cure for their own reasons like escaping prejudice. On the other hand, plenty of mutants even among the X-Men like Ororo Monroe a.k.a. Storm (played by Halle Berry) do not see themselves as a disease and are fine being mutants. This plot leads to some interesting questions about some mutants seeing themselves as fine while others want to seek help despite that. It could have been delivered better, but it is a good idea.

Cons:

1.) The writing leaves plenty to be desired. For starters, characters make some dumb illogical choices that are questionable at best. Here are a few I will point here:

a.) Professor X (played by Patrick Stewart) has the bright idea of helping Jean Grey by pointing out that she killed Cyclops (played by James Marsden) which provokes her to attack.

b.) Storm is chosen as the leader of the X-Men despite not showing much proof that she is a worthy leader even though I do like her.

c.) Magneto takes Jean Grey in as part of the Brotherhood of Mutants even though she clearly does not care and she is willing to tear the Brotherhood and him apart.

d.) Storm believes that Jean Grey made a choice to join Magneto and kill Professor X even though her Phoenix personality is the one making that choice.

e.) Why not just have Jimmy a.k.a. Leech (played by Cameron Bright) just go near Phoenix when she is not looking so her powers can be deactivated and she does not have to die?

Add that the Dark Phoenix arc is barely a factor in Magneto’s battle against the humans, and there are plenty of things wrong with the writing here.

2.) Not only is the writing pretty weak, but there are some questions are raised and are not answered here, and some questionable plot choices:

a.) Why is Warren Worthington III a.k.a. Angel (played by Ben Foster) even in this movie? He has little reason to exist other than being the motivator for Warren Worthington II to make the mutant cure, and to have all of the original members of the X-Men (Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Iceman, Angel, and Professor X) in this movie.

b.) It is a huge tease that the movie only shows the head of a Sentinel during the X-Men’s Danger Room training, and Bolivar Trask (played by Bill Duke), the creator of the Sentinels, is seen in the movie frequently when he could have been any typical politician with the little he did here.

c.) Unless I missed something, how did Logan a.k.a. Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman) know where Jean Grey was in the forest with the Brotherhood of Mutants? Maybe during Jean’s hijack in Logan’s head, she probably told him, so this might as well be a small nitpick.

d.) Is this President of the United States (played by Josef Sommer) the same President in the last film except he was recast, or is this a different President?

e.) Despite having an interesting arc in this movie, Rogue had little to do here to the point I was not surprised that Bobby Drake a.k.a. Iceman (played by Shawn Ashmore) ended up with Kitty Pryde (played by former Ellen Page) later down the line.

f.) The Dark Phoenix can instantly tear people into pieces yet she cannot do the same thing with Wolverine. I know Wolverine has a healing factor, but I am sure that she can destroy him faster than he can heal. I guess you can call that plot armor.

g.) Hank McCoy a.k.a. Beast (played by Kelsey Grammer) was actually first seen in the last film in a brief televised debate, but he looked human. How is it that he suddenly turned it a blue and hairy mutant the next time we saw him in this movie?

h.) It is cool to see new members of the X-Men like Beast, Kitty Pryde, and Peter Rasputin a.k.a. Colossus (played by Daniel Cudmore), but other than Beast, there is not much depth to these new characters.

i.) Having Cyclops get killed off early into the movie is such a waste of a character considering his role in the comics was huge during the Dark Phoenix saga, and it would unfortunately make his character pathetic in the process.

j.) The biggest question of this movie is this: where in the world is Nightcrawler? He completely disappeared from the last film, and he was never mentioned in this movie. There are two reasons why. In terms of story, Nightcrawler was getting tired of all the fighting, so he eventually left; I know this because I played the tie-in video game X-Men: The Offical Game a long time ago, and it takes place in between X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand.

As for the behind-the-scenes reasoning, Alan Cumming enjoyed playing the character, but he did not like going under heavy makeup for hours. When 20th Century Fox learned that Nightcrawler was going to have a small role in X-Men: The Last Stand, they used that as an excuse to have him not come back. It is unfortunate, but I do wish he came back.

This could have been the same con as the last one, but I decided to separate the two, because the first con is about the bad writing and the second con is about questionable plot choices that seem more like pointless fanservice and/or little reason for other characters to exist like Cain Marko a.k.a. the Juggernaut (played by Vinnie Jones) (who is not even a mutant in the comics).

3.) I am not too impressed with the action scenes. Certain moments are impressive like Magneto lifting the Golden Gate Bridge and Jean Grey tearing people and places apart with her powers, but the action scenes leave plenty to be desired just like the writing. Some of the shots are a little too close to the point where we do not exactly see their hits land sometimes, the choreography is not the best (especially when the deleted fight scenes look a little better), and one big issue is that Storm is not using her full potential. This really bothers me considering that her power is all about weather manipulation, and she barely uses it. I have seen much worse action scenes, but it is a disappointing downgrade compared to the last two X-Men films.

Overall:

With the last two films’ director, Bryan Singer leaving the franchise to work on Superman Returns, X-Men: The Last Stand ended up being directed by Brett Ratner of Rush Hour fame. In this case, the filmmakers probably should have picked a better director, because the third movie of the trilogy was disappointing. Fans were not happy with this movie, but I do not personally hate it despite its faults. While I do like some aspects of the movie, there are plenty that hold it back with wasted potential like the misuse of the Dark Phoenix, lackluster action scenes, and questionable writing and plot choices. There are certainly better X-Men films than this, but it is not the worst one ever (like the next X-Men movie I am going to review). The X-Men made their stand and barely got out of it unscathed.

5/10

Benz Eye View: X2

Welcome back to Marvel Movies Marathon with the next X-Men film: X2. This next X-Men film made the X-Men more popular than ever, but does it hold up today? Let’s find out if these mutants are still welcomed in these Marvel Movies or if they will die out.

Pros:

1.) The stakes are much higher in this film than the last. Instead of Magneto (played by Ian McKellen) going after humanity for mutant-kind, a human named William Stryker (played by Brian Cox) wants to kill all the mutants for the protection of mankind and personal reasons. The situation has gotten so bad that the X-Men are forced to work with their worst enemy, Magneto, to stop him. If this is not dealt with, the human race will see the mutants as a threat, not to mention that the X-Men have to keep an eye on Magneto and Mystique (played by Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) due to their own mutant agendas. This is how you elevate from the last film in terms of plot.

2.) I mentioned in the last film that it felt mostly about Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman) and Rogue (played by Anna Paquin) with the X-Men tagging along. The sequel actually utilizes the X-Men as a whole despite Wolverine clearly being the main character. Jean Grey (played by Famke Janssen) is struggling with her powers that are starting to grow out of her control, Storm (played by Halle Berry) comforts Nightcrawler (played by Alan Cumming) (who also looks fantastic in his appearance alongside Mystique) when he struggles with his Catholic faith and guilt after William Stryker’s control, Rogue and Iceman (played by Shawn Ashmore) are showing signs of a struggling relationship, and even Magneto and Mystique show interest in Pyro (played by Aaron Stanford) when he is not following the X-Men’s orders. Nearly everyone has a role to fill in this film, making it an actual X-Men film.

3.) Speaking of Wolverine, there is a reason why he is the most popular out of all the X-Men. Despite not remembering who he was, his past finally caught up with him via William Stryker, making his plot line the most personal out of all the other X-Men characters. There are still shades of mystery with this character since the film still makes it unclear on the actual events of his past, but you still learn enough that makes the character compelling (something that 20th Century Fox will screw up in his prequel movie, but I will get to that soon). Add that Hugh Jackman is a fantastic actor, Wolverine is still one of Marvel’s best superheroes, and this film reinforces that.

Cons:

1.) There are a few lost opportunities that occur more often in later movies, but let’s focus on X2. The reason I say this is because there are plenty of compelling plotlines and character backgrounds in the comics that are either removed or barely acknowledged in the X-Men films. In this case, Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike’s (played by Kelly Hu) hateful and toxic relationship is not acknowledged despite a pretty good fight scene between the two. Cyclops (played by James Marsden) is reduced to being a puppet to William Stryker (and he would get screwed over in the next movie, but I will get to that). While William Stryker being the cause of the Weapon X program was nice, it would have been cool to include the actual creators of Weapon X like Professor Andre Thorton, and mention other Weapon X members like Sabretooth. This is not too big of a deal (I even have a few minor ones like no acknowledgment between Mystique and Nightcrawler as mother and son), but it will grow in later movies.

Overall:

With the success of the X-Men film, there was going to be a sequel three years later. As much as I liked the first one, the second one is much better. From making the entire X-Men have a big role to play to rising tensions between humans and mutants, X2 did what any great sequel did: have big stakes, contain a better story and characters, and manage these large numbers of characters almost equally. If you liked the first one, this will satisfy your love for the mutant gene pool.

9/10

Benz Eye View: X-Men

It has been slow with movies in 2024, so I decided to revisit Marvel Movies Marathon and look at the X-Men films (mainly thanks to the Deadpool & Wolverine teaser). They are surely starting to become part of the MCU with hints being shown off in many of the MCU movies and TV shows (the question is whether the audience will be interested or not considering the MCU’s decreasing popularity). Let’s dive into Marvel Movies Marathon with these mutants’ first film: X-Men. 

Pros:

1.) The idea of a world where mutants are born alongside the human race is a cool one. The mutants gain their powers (usually through puberty) because they are born with them, and they could be considered a threat to the world, especially depending on what types of powers they receive. Those powers can be anything from reading minds to accelerated healing; that is a fascinating concept for a superhero genre. The only issue is that this can be seen as a convenient way to receive powers instead of the typical spider bite or cosmic cloud (not to mention that scientists are baffled by how exactly these types of genetics work), but this idea was cool in the comics and it is still cool in these films as well. 

2.) Many of these characters are so compelling to watch. From Logan a.k.a. Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman) to Charles Xavier a.k.a. Professor X (played by Patrick Stewart) to Erik Lehnsherr a.k.a. Magneto (played by Ian McKellen), they have such compelling backgrounds and motivations to their roles from wanting to protect humans despite their hatred for mutants to hating humans and believing mutants are superior. It also helps that these people are played by fantastic actors. This pro is one of the reasons why the X-Men film franchise did pretty well. 

3.) This is how you do a film about intolerance and prejudice without being preachy. Unlike certain recent MCU movies (and even many current movies these days), the first X-Men film manages to look at both sides of the argument about helping/killing humans without shoving the message down your throat or being completely one-sided. While it is not the best film with that type of message, the X-Men series (whether films or comics) usually have that type of subject, and I am glad that this film did a decent job at it. 

Cons:

1.) Compared to the main theme in the sequel and later movies, the music in this film is forgettable. Maybe there are one or two decent themes, but considering the sequel’s music (as well as the X-Men: The Animated Series theme), it is easy to forget there is even music. This is very nitpicky, but I do want to acknowledge this since it does get better over time. 

2.) A few of the visual effects have not aged well over time. Not all of them are bad like Wolverine’s claws and Cyclops’ (played by James Marsden) optic blasts, but a few like Wolverine saving himself on top of the Statue of Liberty and Wolverine riding Cyclops’ motorcycle at high-speed look rough. Again, it does get better over time, but just remember that this film was released in 2000. 

3.) As much as this is called the X-Men, the film is more focused on Wolverine and Rogue (played by Anna Paquin). The X-Men are more tagging along rather than being the main focus. It is fine in this case since this is a film introduction to this superhero group alongside the mutants, and the two are catalysts to two sides fighting against prejudice in their own ways, but it is a little disappointing that the X-Men (other than arguably Professor X and Jean Grey (played by Famke Janssen)) do not get equal or similar screen time. 

Overall:

The X-Men has been one of the most popular superhero groups of all time. It is no surprise that these guys would eventually get their own film, and their introduction was a good one despite its age. The world of mutants is compelling (if a little absurd), the characters are fascinating, and its messaging is what many current filmmakers try to do but fail miserably. This Marvel film series would get better over time and is one of the precursors for the MCU, so you have this series to thank for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The X-Men have been accepted into film culture back in 2000, and it is just the beginning. 

8/10

Benz Eye View: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

With the surprising success of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, a sequel was going to be made a few years later. Does this sequel carry the torch just like its predecessor, or should you just watch the live-action Spider-Man films instead? Let’s find out in the Marvel Movies Marathon with the next animated Spider-Man film: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Pros:

1.) Just like the last film, the animation is superb. This is no typical animation style; there are multiple ways that this film was animated from comic-book style to anime to any other types of animation that animation experts would know more than me. This is best represented by the other Spider-Men and their worlds (i.e., Earth-65: Gwen’s Earth, even though that Earth gets a little pretentious in terms of the art). There is even some mixture of live-action characters as though the Spider-Verse does not have any limits. The filmmakers went further beyond what they did in the last film, and they seriously went all out in their animation.

2.) There are so many Spider-Man Easter Eggs and cameos that it is insane that the filmmakers fit many of them here without feeling forced. I cannot tell you any of them, because many of them are surprises that the marketing did not mention or show, and I congratulate that team for holding back a bit. Just know that there is a reason why this film is called Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

3.) I do enjoy the story of this film, especially considering that it fits alongside the visuals and the fan service. Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) struggles to be Spider-Man while balancing his personal life as well as missing his friends, especially Gwen Stacy (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld). When he learns that there are more Spider-People throughout the multiverse, he is ecstatic, until he learns something that makes him change his mind. His conflicts as Spider-Man and Miles Morales are reflected in the writing and through the animation, and the filmmakers did a fantastic job blending that.

Cons:

1.) The action scenes in the first half of the film moves so fast and quickly that I would not be surprised if a person with epilepsy issues may not like this film. Not only do they move fast, but it is so flashy that it can hurt your eyes like I have when I left the theater. Thankfully, the second half of the film has better and more controlled action scenes, but the first half of the action needs to learn to calm down a bit and be under better supervision.

2.) As mentioned before, the action scenes move fast due to their pacing. So much happens on the screen that it is hard to absorb everything at first, especially when each of the Spider-Men kept making banters that got a little annoying after a while. As a result, I appreciated the slow and quiet moments throughout the film more than the first half of the action scenes. As mentioned in the last con, the filmmakers needed to calm down and not overstuff the action.

3.) There are a couple of criticisms I have with the writing. The first problem is the same problem that the film has inherited from its predecessor: just like Kingpin, the antagonists have little depth. They do have backstories that help you understand their motivations and actions, but little else. One of the reasons why is that they have little screen time which barely makes you care about them as much as Miles Morales. The second problem is that the story feels incomplete. There is a reason why, but I will save you from the spoilers (if you are curious, watch the First Look trailer of this film).

The story is still great, but these two issues do hold it back from being perfect…for a reason.

Overall:

In case you do not know, Spider-Man is my favorite Marvel superhero of all time. From the first Spider-Man film with Tobey Maguire to the latest MCU Spider-Man film with Tom Holland, I am a huge fan of the Wall Crawler through and through. When I watched Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, I admitted to liking it but not as much as everyone at first, but I started to share the same views after multiple rewatches. With its sequel now released, does it do as well as its predecessor? My answer is yes…and no. It is a fantastic film with unique animation and a great story, but it does feel unfinished (and for a good reason). I cannot wait to see what comes next after this, and I hope it pays off. This Spider-Verse clearly has more to show, and many others and I are awaiting the time when our Spider-Senses start tingling for the next Spider-Verse film.

8/10

Benz Eye View: Big Hero 6

This technically should not count, but considering this is based on a Marvel superhero group, I am counting it anyway. Welcome back to Marvel Movies Marathon with the only animated film in this marathon (actually two more with one receiving an overall update and another coming soon) based on a Japanese superhero group: Big Hero 6.

Pros:

1.) Once again, I can point out that this movie was made by Walt Disney Animation Studios and leave it at that, but I like to comment on two things that stood out to me: Baymax and the microbots. Baymax (played by Scott Adsit) looks like an adorable plushy marshmallow of a robot that anyone would love, and he is animated like a human-like balloon. The microbots look especially amazing with tiny miniatures forming big shapes; something I think animation people would love to make. Those are the animation areas that stood out to me the most, but since this movie is made by Walt Disney Animation Studios, it should not be a surprise.

2.) The movie depicts intelligence well. You have characters who work in their own areas of expertise like robotics or chemistry, and you see them working themselves hard to figure out many intellectual problems alongside emotional ones. The best part showing intelligence is the scene where Hiro (played by Ryan Potter) watches a video by Baymax showing Tadashi (played by Daniel Henney) attempting to create Baymax multiple times until he got it right.

That is intelligence: if something does not succeed, try again. I like this movie shows that hard work does pay off if you just keep trying.

3.) The fight scenes are pretty cool due to how fast-paced they can be. These characters move quickly to the point where even some of the superheroes in the MCU and other Marvel properties do not move that fast. The advantage is that this is an animated movie, so they can move more fluidly and quickly than live-action characters (unless they are CG characters, but that depends on the character). Fast-paced action is good if done right, and this movie does the job.

Cons:

1.) While the writing is fine as a whole, there is nothing that imaginative or new about it. The story is about Hiro losing his brother from an explosion, and he, alongside five others, has to stop a villain from using the technology that Hiro made. That is not an original or compelling story idea since that has been done before. While it is decently executed, it does not avoid the fact that the story is predictable as a result. A loved one dies trying to save someone, which is typical in both Marvel and Disney movies. They form a team to stop the big baddie (i.e., Fantastic Four, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers), they remember the loved one who died (i.e., Frozen, Moana, Encanto), something happens that makes the team divided (i.e., Avengers: Age of Ultron, X-Men), and something miraculous happens that makes a loved one come back to life (what do you expect from Disney?).

The movie even tries to pull the twist that the main villain is not who they think, but considering that it pointed the cliche out, the twist is easy to predict. While the world is admittedly creative due to the writing, its story on the other hand leaves plenty to be desired, even if Fred (played by T.J. Miller) points out the cliches and story beats.

2.) The characters are not the most memorable as well. Many of their members: Fred, Go Go (played by Jamie Chung), Wasabi (played by Damon Wayans Jr.), and Honey Lemon (played by Genesis Rodriguez) are just intelligent versions of their stereotypes: geek/stoner, tomboy, neat freak/obedient man, excited girl. There are moments where they slightly do more than just their stereotypical nature, but not enough to stand out. The other two members: Hiro and Baymax stand out a bit more since they are the main leads, but even their types have been done before in other movies (though Baymax does stand out a bit more). Even the villain, Robert Callaghan (played by James Cromwell) is not that creative since his main motivation is that he wants revenge for his daughter’s disappearance (Killmonger, Zemo, and New Goblin want to talk to you). Their costume designs are decent, but it is easy to say that you have seen better heroes before.

3.) This is a nitpick, but how in the world does Hiro manage to create such a high-tech material? I can understand the other members since they are funded by their college, but Hiro can somehow create advanced technology from his garage, and he lives with his Aunt Cass (played by Maya Rudolph) who does not strike me as a rich woman. I highly doubt that these materials are cheap, so I refuse to buy that. You may say that you probably should not think about it since this is just a movie, and I am willing to an extent, but it still bothers me considering these people are not Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne in terms of wealth (Fred does not count).

Overall:

Loosely based on the Marvel superhero group, Big Hero 6 is much different than its comic book counterpart since it is a Japanese superhero group led by Silver Samurai while the movie version is a more diverse group led by an intelligent fourteen-year-old boy. Despite those changes, I thought this movie was good, but it does not stand out as one of Marvel’s best superhero movies let alone one of Disney Animation’s best. It is fantastic with its animation (duh), intelligence, fight scenes, and Baymax himself, but everything else is generic at best. It is worth a watch, but I am sure there are movies that are worth your intelligence (or emotional investment).

7/10

A couple more things before I end this review. There was an animated TV show and a Baymax short film that was released after this movie, but I have not seen either of them. There is a level in Kingdom Hearts III that I consider to be one of the better levels of the game despite its big issues. The movie did leave some impact, so I do wonder if at some point if they end up in the MCU; it would either be this version or the actual comic book accurate version. Who knows? It would be interesting to see, though I would be excited about a comic book accurate version.