Author Archives: Joe

July 9, 2011

X-Men Season 3 (Part 1)

By Joe

Season 3 of X-Men is where things started to get murky in regards to what constitutes a season.  Many episodes were aired out of order, and some didn’t appear on television until season 4 started airing.  There was also more of a focus on mini series and two-parters with one-shot episodes mixed in.  There was less obvious continuity for these one-shots and most functioned as stand alone tales, with some referencing older episodes (such as the return of Morph in “Courage,” for example).  I personally felt a drop-off in terms of quality as there seemed to be less focus among the writing team.  Some episodes were character driven, some action, and some just served to show us an animated take on a comic book plot.  That said, on to the episodes!

Out of the Past (Part 1 and 2)

Season 3 began with a bang on prime time television with this episode.  I’m unsure of how much the episode draws from the comic books as the main villain here is an alien entity called the Spirit Drinker.  Whether he first appeared in the comics or was made up for the show, I cannot say.  I’m not even certain it has a gender, or a body.  It looks like it’s made up of light and is mostly transparent.  Kind of a bizarre villain.

The main attraction for viewers was the television debut of Lady Deathstrike.  Her origin was altered slightly to give her and Wolverine a romantic past (as if the guy didn’t have enough heart ache) but for the most part she’s the same as her comic counterpart, just with less cleavage (this is a kid’s show, after all).

Lady Deathstrike. The censors forced the animators to give her a white shirt to cover up that plunging v-neck.

The animation is different, though it did not pose a preview of things to come as this animation house was used sparingly by the series.  The colors are richer and there’s more motion from the characters, some needless, but overall it’s an improvement over the usual stiff animation present in the rest of the series.  Some coloring errors are made, such as Gambit’s cowl in the first part.  Wolverine looks especially bad ass and is practically a Jim Lee picture come to life.  It’s too bad the majority of the series couldn’t have a similar look.

Plot wise, the episodes are just okay.  As I mentioned, the Spirit Drinker is the main foe so while Deathstrike wants Wolverine’s head they have to do the classic unlikely allies routine to save the Morlocks.  The Spirit Drinker is freed from an alien spaceship by Wolverine and proceeds to eat the souls of the Morlocks and Deathstrike’s Reavers, before getting Jubilee as well.  Xavier has some sort of psychic meltdown that leads to him being able to read the alien writing on the ship to discover it’s actually a prison ship.  There’s a rather humorous scene where Xavier screams and just sounds rather odd doing so.

In the end, the X-Men work together and find a way to both hurt and kill the Spirit Drinker, while Xavier warns of the visions he received from the space craft and we’re left with an image of a burning earth with the phrase “Coming Soon – The Phoenix Saga!”

The Phoenix Saga (Parts 1 through 5)

A month after part 2 of “Out of the Past” aired, the promised Phoenix Saga debuted on week day afternoon television.  This was much appreciated as the saga is 5 episodes long, and waiting a week between episodes would have proved torturous.  That is, they would have if the saga was any good.

I never really liked the stories where the X-Men go cosmic.  Writer Cris Claremont on the other hand, loved that stuff and he was responsible for the arc in the comics.  “The Phoenix Saga” has always been less celebrated than it’s follow-up, “The Dark Phoenix Saga,” and with good reason.  This one is just less interesting.  We see the power of The Phoenix inhabit Jean early on after the X-Men return from a space mission (the sequence of the X-Men breaking into NASA is very reminiscent from their adventure in “Night of the Sentinels”) that Xavier sent them on for an unknown reason (even to him).  Phoenix seems pretty cool, but Jean soon passes out and we have to wait until the end of episode 3 to see her do anything again.

The TV audience gets introduced to some new faces from the comics in this series, mainly the Shi’ar.  Xavier meets his soul mate of sorts, Lilandra, and we also get to meet Banshee who’s now dating Moira.  Other cameos include Black Tom and the Shi’ar Imperial Guard, of which only Gladiator stands out.  He’s his usual mohawked, Superman knock-off self and is basically there to show us how powerful he is (by throwing the Juggernaut across the Atlantic) and then to show us how powerful Phoenix is (when she tosses him into orbit).

Probably the most interesting part of the arc occurs when the X-Men meet the Starjammers.  The space pirates are lead by Corsair, whom Jean discovers is actually Christopher Summers, the father of Cyclops.  Corsair is an interesting character because he’s easy to relate to.  The Shi’ar emperor murdered his wife, and he’ll risk the whole fate of the universe for revenge.

Cyclops is rounding first and heading for second!

Shi’ar Emperor D’Ken is the main antogonist.  He wants the sacred M’Kraan Crystal to unlock its powers and grant him immortality.  The Crystal, once unlocked, will destroy the universe but like most villains, D’Ken doesn’t seem to care about that minor technicality.  In atypical fashion though, D’Ken succeeds and gets all that he wanted and more.  In order to stop the Crystal from sucking the whole universe into its being, the Phoenix must seal it and bury it within the heart of the sun so that no mortal may ever reach it.  Doing so will apparently destroy Jean (even though Phoenix appears to be the embodiment of flame, but whatever), so we get a very teary farewell that also feels rather rushed.  It’s kind of odd that the conclusion of a plot that took up 5 episodes would be rushed, but just watch it.  Cyclops proves inconsolable back on earth once everything is wrapped up, and Lilandra is set to be crowned empress now that her brother D’Ken is gone, trapped within the M’Kraan Crystal for all eternity.  Xavier gives us a piece of foreshadowing when he reminds Cyclops that the Phoenix is known for rising from the ashes anew.  Wolverine says “Jean!” and cries, by now we’re all sick of hearing him say that.

Basically, I don’t care much for this saga.  The plot is just too “out there” for me and what could have been a great moment for the show (the death of Jean) was botched.  It didn’t help that hardly any of the future episodes dealt with Jean’s absence.  One would think losing someone like her would cast a black cloud over the team for at least a few episodes, but no.  And the one that dealt with this the most, “No Mutant is an Island,” was delayed until season 4!

No Mutant is an Island

This is that episode that was meant to deal with the fall out from The Phoenix Saga, but as I also mentioned, it wasn’t shown until season 4.  I don’t really know why, production delays are the given excuse, but it’s too bad as by the time it hit television it was both confusing and without impact.

Remember how I mentioned Cyclops, who didn’t get his own origin tale in season 2 like a lot of the X-Men did, would get his due in later seasons?  This is one of them.  In this episode Cyclops returns to the orphanage he was adopted from after leaving the X-Men.  His grief over Jean’s death has left him unfit to command (in his eyes) and this is where his heart takes him.  He reconnects with an old friend, Sarah, who is now in charge of the orphanage.  Sarah is teased as a potential love interest for Cyke, and if this show were made for adults it’s likely the two would have had at least a one-night stand where Cyclops seeks the comfort of an old friend in his time of need.

Sarah informs him that a wealthy local man has adopted all of the mutant children, and Cyclops meets the last of them, Rusty.  Cyclops doesn’t trust the motives of this gentleman, and of course, he’s proven right when it’s discovered the kids are being programmed to hate all humans by some crazed purple-skinned guy.

The plot kind of loses me once the kids take over.  It seems the episode would have been stronger had it focused solely on Cyclops but I understand the writers needed to put him in danger to prove the character could still function as a leader.  It works to some degree, though the main foe was pretty lame and seemed like a pretty weak threat.  At the end of the episode Cyclops, predictably, returns to the X-Men where he finds out that Xavier has found Jean, alive and on earth.

Obsession

Archangel will even risk destruction of the Statue of Liberty to get at Apocalypse.

Archangel returns for this one-shot.  We hadn’t heard from Warren Worthington since season 1 when Rogue freed him from Apocalypse’s control by sucking the evil out of him with her powers.  Here, as the title implies, we see an obsessive Archangel franticly searching for a way to destroy Apocalypse.  His researchers discover a lone scroll that indicates Apocalypse has a point of weakness on his back that Archangel eagerly sets out to exploit.  His tangles with Apocalypse gets the attention of the X-Men, who step in and prevent Apocalypse from destroying the blue-skinned mutant and take him back to the mansion.

Archangel is something less than grascious and he soon takes off to resume his fight, with Rogue in tow.  Rogue understands his pain because of the experiences she felt when touching him, and decides she has to help.  The four boys of the X-Men take off in pursuit as well, and the plot takes them to the ship of Apocalypse.  Beast establishes some weird bond with the ship’s AI, who assists him in setting a trap for Apocalypse.

Such a thing is impossible though, as Apocalypse proves he’s one step ahead by issuing an override command that forces the ship to abandon the trap.  He also reveals he planted that scroll for Archangel’s researchers to find, apparently just to screw with him.  Archangel goes ballistic, and the only casualty ends up being the ship leaving Beast in an odd state of mourning.  Archangel is still consumed with rage, and once Rogue insists it’s not the way for him to live, he feels abandoned and takes off.  The episode offers a welcome glimpse into the mind of the Archangel character.  At the end it made me wish we saw more from him, but alas, he goes into hiding until season 5.

Longshot

Another episode that got pushed to season 4, this was also another done by the Philippines animation studio that handled “Out of the Past.”  As a result, it looks great (though Wolverine’s hair is a bit outlandish), but the episode is a true dud.  Mojo’s episode in season 2 was one of my least favorites, and this one is no better.  Longshot, trying to escape from Mojo, ends up on earth.  He encounters Wolverine and Jubilee, who develops a crush on him (apparently she digs mullets) and gets herself involved in the conflict between he and Mojo.

The rest of the episode plays out like some bad reality TV game show, where the X-Men once again have to tangle with Mojo’s men in order to win the game and save the girl.  The predictable happens, and the less said the better.  Thankfully, this is the last we see of both Longshot and Mojo.

Cold Comfort

More awesome animation from the Philippines, and this time they get to animate for a story worth seeing.  I’ll admit, I’m biased towards this episode because Iceman was my favorite member of the X-Men growing up, so when the title of this episode displayed on the screen I geeked out like crazy.  It just had to refer to Iceman, and sure enough, within moments he makes his presence felt.

Here's Bobby!

Iceman is faithfully portrayed as a cocksure prick, and that’s why us Iceman fans love him.  He attacks some government base, which attracts the attention of the X-Men due to his mutant signature.  Xavier, Cyclops, Wolverine, and Beast go off to confront him, which leads to Iceman’s capture.  We get a nice piece of backstory, and the show acknowledges for the first time that the original X-Men consisted of Cyclops, Jean, Angel, Beast, and Iceman.  They also throw in Lorna Dane, aka Polaris, for the sake of the plot as we learn she and Iceman left the team to be together.  They also left because Iceman couldn’t get along with Cyclops and Xavier as their respective personalities clashed in a big way.  Iceman was the youngest and most chid-like of the group, and Xavier was unable to reach him.

Jubilee learns all of this, and then overhears Iceman telling Beast he’s just trying to find Lorna, who disappeared not long ago leaving behind a trashed house.  Iceman fears the worst, but Beast and the X-Men won’t let him go until they know more.  Jubilee is sympathetic and springs him loose, she also has a crush on him (probably a good thing that this episode and “Longshot” aired out of order given the overlap in plot) and tags along as they go after another government building.

Here they meet X-Factor; Havok, Strong Guy, Wolfsbane, Quicksilver, and Multiple Man.  The boys show up and we get a little X-Men vs X-Factor action where the X-Men demonstrate their superior tactical abilities.  Forge soon shows himself and explains to Xavier that he set this whole thing up as a means of testing his new team.  X-Factor is a mutant super group formed by the government to deal with mutant issues.  Lorna also shows up and we find out she left Iceman of her own will, and has also fallen in love with Havok.  The writers also teased the audience by showing how Havok and Cyclops are immune to each other’s powers.  That’s a trait common to mutant siblings, but apparently the two of them are unable to put two and two together.

In the end, like most cameo characters, Iceman is offered a place on the team but declines.  At least his reasons are mostly logical when he remarks he’d just piss everyone off within an hour (not his actual words).  Jubilee is bummed, and so am I, as Iceman rides off into the sunset.  Unfortunately, “Cold Comfort” would be the only episode to feature the arctic mutant but it’s one more than Thunderbird got!

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July 9, 2011

The Wolverine

By Joe

There was a period of time, probably begun somewhere in the 80’s and carried through all or most of the 90’s, where arguably the most popular character in comics was Wolverine. While the big franchises like Batman and Superman faded from the public spotlight and before Spider-Man broke through to the mainstream, Wolverine was featured all across Marvel and his likeness plastered everywhere comic books were featured.  True he never quite burst through the way the previously mentioned heroes either did or would to the point where any person walking the streets of America could identify him, but he came close.

For my generation, he was probably the most popular superhero of my youth.  I find it curious that he came to occupy such a place.  Wolverine couldn’t fly, stick to walls, or shoot lasers out of his eyes.  He wasn’t a vigilante out fighting for justice like many other heroes, didn’t have an alter-ego, or a ton of money.  He’s a guy with blades extending from his fists.  Sure he’s more complex than that, but show someone an image of Wolverine and that’s what they see.  They don’t know about the regenerative capabilities, the bad ass nature, the unbreakable skeleton.  They just see a guy in brightly colored spandex with some knives attached to his gloves.

Wolverine's first appearance from 1974.

Originally, that’s all Wolverine really was.  Debuting in the pages of The Incredible Hulk, Wolverine was a pest the Hulk had to deal with.  Sporting yellow and blue, he came at the Hulk with some savagery but ultimately was bested.  Somehow, what probably was intended as a mostly one-off character would find himself re-designed and re-imagined.  The following year, he was brought back only this time to join the X-Men in the infamous Giant Sized issue from 1975.  It wasn’t until here that his character began to develop beyond what the reader had seen.  Eventually he would be revealed as an older guy with a brooding personality unafraid of using lethal means when tackling a villain.  His claws were unbreakable and part of his body, not his gloves, and his origins a mystery to not only his teammates, but himself.  Frank Miller would get a chance to further refine the character in a mini series in the early 1980’s.  His portrayal of Wolverine was so popular that a lot of the characteristics he brought to the table would find themselves in his future Batman books.  Soon every superhero was a brooding anti-hero prone to moments of violence.

It’s rather amazing that this character’s humble beginnings could lead this far.  Surely creators Len Wein and John Romita Sr. never envisioned he’d end up this big, but Wolverine would become an example of how good character development is paramount in comic books.  The powers and abilities of a super hero are often times the focus, but a cool power or even a cool costume can only take one so far.  Wolverine’s original look was kind of lame.  The whiskers on the mask especially, and were quickly removed for his X-Men appearance.  The mask itself is iconic now, with those big “horns” coming off the eyes the main characteristic.  The colors have changed from time to time, though yellow and blue, and tan and brown, remain his best looks.  I personally prefer the tan and brown John Byrne costume, just because it’s a little less traditional than the yellow and further differentiates him from the rest of the X-Men.

My preferred look for Wolverine.

What probably attracted me to Wolverine at first was his attitude.  My first introduction to the character was through the 1990’s X-Men cartoon (my season 3 posts are coming!) where it was established early on that Wolverine has his own set of rules.  He doesn’t like taking orders, goes where he wants to go, and is even prone to wild mood swings.  He’s also fiercely loyal to his friends and their cause and is sometimes seen in a protector mode, though he’d probably be loathe to admit it.  And even though the censors presented an obvious obstacle, the writers and directors of the show were able to portray him as a savage brawler when provoked.

That’s all well and good, but without something more I doubt I’d have seen Wolverine as anything but a complementary piece to the X-Men.  His back story was what was most intriguing.  The secretive Weapon X project that grafted the unbreakable adamantium to his bones was revealed early on.  After that, it was all a mystery.  Wolverine not only had no idea where he came from, he didn’t even know his own age or what his birth name was.  He went by Logan, though how he came upon that was also a mystery, and was plagued by visions of the past that were either real or imaginary.  He had lots of old foes, some of whom he couldn’t even remember why he hated.  He thinks Sabretooth, for example, killed an old lover but he was never certain.  Tragedy would also prove to be close at his heels at every step, his old lovers often found themselves dead, like the ill-fated Mariko.  And there was his pursuit of teammate Jean Grey, always doomed to fail, but I think most readers were like me and rooted for Wolverine over the dull Cyclops.

Since the 90’s, Wolverine’s origins have mostly been revealed.  I always felt this was a huge mistake and actually have never read the series Wolverine Origins.  He also became way over-exposed leading to a backlash of sorts.  At some point, everyone stopped saying Wolverine was their favorite character and changing their tune, because it wasn’t “cool” to like what everyone liked.  Marvel (and soon Fox) forced him down everyone’s throat and his presence dominated the X-Men books.  In a truly unwise move a few years ago, Marvel even made him leader of the X-Men for a television show titled Wolverine and the X-Men which left many fans gagging.

As for me, Wolverine was never my favorite but I did like him.  I suppose he was my favorite member of the cartoon X-Men, but I’ve always liked him for what he was.  He’s a great addition to an ensemble like the X-Men and serves a vital role.  The other aspects of his origins add depth and were always a good “rainy day” plot device if nothing else was going on in the books or show.  It’s rather unfortunate that modern day writers and business types have forgotten how best to utilize him, especially his rather heroic movie portrayals, but that’s what happens when money is involved.  Wolverine’s success is both unlikely and typical, a product of his times.

1 Comment | posted in Comics

July 4, 2011

The Legend of Zelda – A Retrospective

By Joe

In playing the recently released Ocarina of Time 3D, I began to reflect on The Legend of Zelda series as a whole.  I was initially going to post a review and impressions of the game, but there’s lots of places to find that (and if you really want my opinion, it’s good) and I thought looking at the series as a whole would be more interesting.  It’s often said that Ocarina of Time is not just the best in the series, but the best game of all time.  I tend to shy away from anointing anything the best ever and just stick to favorites.  In that regard, no Zelda title is my all-time favorite (a post for a later day) but there are a few among my favorites.

If Mario is Nintendo’s official mascot, then Link is its most professional.  Mario finds himself in many 5 star games, but he also shows up in lots of junk as well.  Link, and the Zelda franchise as a whole, is remarkably consistent in terms of quality (ignoring those regrettable CD-I games) and each Nintendo console’s best game is often times a Zelda title.  A retrospective on the topic is only as good as its author, unfortunately, this author hasn’t played every Zelda game under the sun.  I’ve played all of the core titles in some part (and I’ll note which ones I never finished), but a lot of the handhelds have been ignored by me for one reason or another (the number one reason being I don’t play a lot of handheld games).

Where it all started...

It almost seems unfair to compare the original Legend of Zelda with the more modern titles.  After all, it’s an 8-bit game that’s over 20 years old at this point, so only the most devoted nostalgic gamers would cite it as the best in the series.  It did, however, lay the ground work for just about every title that has followed.  Whether that title made use of the overhead perspective, or just the dungeon crawl and find various items component.  Really, no Zelda title has followed a different path and if there’s one major criticism that can be laid at the franchise’s feet it’s that the basic gameplay has not changed in 25 years.  That’s both a criticism and a testament for just how good the original game was that it’s still relevant.  And the original is still remarkably playable.  Some NES games have suffered terribly over the years but I like to believe that young gamers today could still play the original Zelda and find some enjoyment.

This just didn't feel right.

Zelda II was and is still the black sheep of the franchise.  The full title was Zelda II:  The Adventure of Link, and as the title implies, it focused mostly on the series’ protagonist, Link.  The story line picked up right where the first game left off, and now Zelda is in a coma of some sort and Link needs to wake her.  I don’t remember much else about the plot, save that Ganon is involved and he taunts you from the “Game Over” screen, which you will see, a lot.  It’s a side scrolling action-adventure RPG.  Link moves from left to right (save for an overworld map screen) and can jump around.  As he defeats enemies he gains experience points and levels up, where the player can choose what abilities to upgrade; health, magic, and attack.  This game is easily the hardest in the series.  Link has this puny little sword which means he needs to get close to enemies to attack.  At full health, he can shoot beams from it but once damage is sustained that feature is disabled.  Some enemies can only be attacked from a standing or crouching position too, and switching between the two is cumbersome.  I never liked this game much as a kid, and never progressed very far in it.  Whenever I played it I always ended up being reminded of how much I liked the first game.

It makes sense then to learn that I loved the next game in the franchise, A Link to the Past.  Released for the Super Nintendo in 1992 (1991 in Japan), A Link to the Past brought the series back to its roots.  Gone was the side-scrolling, jumping, experience points dribble of Zelda II and back was the overhead, sword slashing, bomb dropping, awesomeness of the original.  With the move to the SNES, the game was obviously much prettier to look at.  Link could do more things like run and magically traverse worlds.  The game was difficult as well, but not frustratingly so, especially if you found the various heart containers strewn about the world to increase Link’s health.  Again, the plot was rather ho-hum, but it did serve as a prequel to the original which was kind of neat.  Almost everything introduced in this game has been carried forward such as multi-level dungeons, the master sword, hookshot, and musical instrument concept.  The parallel world concept also makes frequent appearances in future titles as well.

Ahh, much better.

A Link to the Past is one of the best games on the Super Nintendo and in the running as for my affections as favorite title.  I’ve played and re-played this game more times than I can count and am always entertained.  It’s one of the few titles to receive a direct sequel as well, the Gameboy’s Link’s Awakening takes place following A Link to the Past.  I mentioned in an earlier post that I never played that game when it first came out or even when it was re-released for the Gameboy Color, but I do have it on my 3DS.  I haven’t finished it yet but from what I’ve played it’s an excellent little game.  It maintains the same basic approach to gameplay as ALTTP but introduces some new stuff such as a couple of side-scrolling screens and the ability to jump on command, two things unique to this game and Zelda II.  It remains the only portable-only Zelda title I’ve played extensively.  My experience with the DS games was only for a short burst and neither really appealed to me, Spirit Tracks and Phantom Hourglass.  I found them a little too gimmicky but admittedly did not give either a chance.  The whole train thing of Spirit Tracks conjured up bad memories of Wind Waker’s sailing sessions and was an instant turn-off.  Like Link’s Awakening, I probably should not have ignored the other Gameboy titles Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, as I’ve heard nothing but good things.  The lone Gameboy Advance title, The Minish Cap, was positively received but I just never got around to playing it.  Maybe some day.

A whole new perspective on life.

After that handheld tangent, the next game in the series to grace a home console is the now infamous Ocarina of Time.  Released originally for the Nintendo 64 in 1998, it was an instant classic with many review outlets giving it a perfect score.  Gameplay-wise, it took the basic formula of ALTTP and switched it to 3D.  Link still traveled around the world of Hyrule entering dungeons and collecting many familiar items while solving puzzles along the way all in an effort to save the kingdom and defeat Ganon (now called Ganondorf).  The two-world concept was even brought back as there’s a past world and a future, semi-apocalyptic Hyrule where the player plays as an adult Link.  Young Link and adult Link played the same, but certain items were unique and usable to each.  It didn’t make much sense in the game why adult Link couldn’t use a boomerang, but he had the hookshot to make up for it so no one really cared.

Visually is where the game differed most from its predecessor.  Now in full 3D, the camera is positioned behind Link for the majority of the experience.  To make combat easier, Nintendo came up with the Z-targeting feature that would appear in numerous copy-cat games where pressing the trigger underneath the N64’s controller caused Link to lock-on to an opponent.  When locked on, he would focus on that enemy making attacking much easier.  Also, other enemies will not attack Link while he’s locked onto an enemy.  Unrealistic?  Of course, but good for gameplay.  Link could still perform his spin attack from ALTTP, but now he also had a jump attack that did major damage when compared with his normal sword strikes.  Multiple items could be mapped to the C buttons making switching between them much easier than in previous titles.  To further keep things simple, Nintendo opted to go for an auto-jump as opposed to making a jump button.  It works, for the most part, though there are times when you wish Link was a little less inhibited.

So what did the game introduce as new?  Lots, really.  Many things were mostly expanded upon, such as the fishing game from Link’s Awakening, and Hyrule was now much bigger with more places to explore.  The Zora race of fish folk were expanded upon and brought into the story.  Link gets a horse to ride around on.  And the musical instrument concept was greatly expanded upon as the game’s title suggests.  Link could learn multiple songs on his Ocarina that all had different functions.  Some transported him to places, others turned night into day, and so forth.  It’s a fun mechanic that has shown up in later titles.  The 3D perspective has proven to be quite popular and has been the go-to method of display ever since for major console releases.

The praise heaped on OOT has been well placed.  It’s a great game, nearly flawless.  If I had one major complaint with the title it’s with the annoying companion character.  Yes, I’m talking about Navi.  Navi is a fairy that follows Link around and offers advice, unfortunately, that advice is often not wanted and far too obvious to be useful.  And when she wants to be heard an annoying “Hey!” sound byte is played.  She’s even more annoying in the new 3DS version of the game as she’ll pop in to suggest the player take a break after a half hour or so of gaming.  Nintendo, stubborn as always, has refused to make her optional and every time I hear that annoying high-pitched voice I want to throw my 3DS across the room.

This is what we thought Wind Waker would look like...

Ocarina of Time was a tough act to follow.  When Nintendo introduced its next console, the Gamecube, to the masses it was accompanied with a high-res demo of Link battling Ganondorf that left everyone’s mouth agape.  We all thought this was a preview of what the next Zelda title would look like, and we were all fooled.  Wind Waker was announced roughly a year later and it looked nothing like OOT.  Everything was now cartoony, and Link was sporting big goofy eyes and a tuft of blond hair.  Everyone was pissed.  When the game finally came out in 2002 it became obvious that the game was actually quite the visual spectacle.  Animations were smooth and the frame-rate crisp.  While many still could not love the style of the visuals, they were at least forced to admit it was a pretty impressive title.

...and this is what we got instead.

While the visuals were easily forgiven, gameplay could not be.  Wind Waker is probably the easiest and most accessible Zelda title ever released.  OOT wasn’t brutally difficult by any means (even the Master Quest version can’t compare with Zelda II in terms of difficulty) it was still challenging.  Wind Waker was pathetically easy, to the point of boredom.  Compounding this boredom was the new sailing mechanic that had Link traveling across this flooded Hyrule via boat.  One section of the game requires a ton of sailing, and that’s the part where I basically checked out.  I never finished this one.  While I didn’t hate it, I certainly didn’t like it.  I didn’t find the dungeons to be an improvement over OOT and the gameplay was so simple I found myself getting tired while playing it.  Next to Zelda II, this is my least favorite in the series.  It was still well-received by critics, but it’s my opinion that was a combination of reputation and over-compensation for the visuals.  Many reviewers wanted to tell the reader to look past the visual style.  I did, and I didn’t find much beneath them.

I realize I skipped Majora’s Mask.  Not intentionally, but probably because that title has always felt like a side-story to me and not a full-fledged Zelda title.  It was the direct sequel to OOT and featured a new gameplay mechanic, masks.  Link would acquire new masks throughout the game that granted him different abilities.  The backdrop to the story was that the moon was going to obliterate the land of Termina in a couple of days, and Link needs to save the day with his trusty ocarina and new masks.  The player has to constantly play with time as the game takes place over 72 hours, jumping back and forth to avoid armageddon.  It’s a pretty cool approach and definitely changes things up from OOT.  It does get understandably tedious at times, especially when you’re close to completing an objective but run out of time and have to start all over again.  I never played the game on N64 and had to download it for the Wii.  I like the game, but I don’t love it.  As a result, I’ve yet to beat it despite having it for 2 years now though I do intend to return to it, some day.

Following the backlash Nintendo received over Wind Waker’s visual style, Nintendo returned the series to a more realistic look with 2006’s Twilight Princess.  Developed for the Gamecube and released on the Wii as well, Twilight Princess was the visual treat many fans had wanted.  Gameplay wise, it was mostly an OOT re-tread which seemed okay for most fans and reviewers.  Instead of the ocarina mechanic, Link now could transform into a wolf and enter a spirit world called the Twilight Realm.  Unfortunately, this felt kind of gimmicky and the wolf parts of the game weren’t nearly as interesting as the traditional stuff, though not painfully so.

Wolf Link in the Twilight Realm. Kind of trippy.

The rest of the game would have felt ho-hum, but the visual approach did a lot to add weight to the series.  Navi’s replacement Midna actually had some personality and was an enjoyable plot component as opposed to a nuisance.  The darker tone the series undertook earned the series it’s first ever Teen rating and added a sense of dread.  Truthfully, it’s a very enjoyable game and in many ways improves upon OOT, it just wasn’t the same leap forward as ALTTP and OOT were when jumping to a new system.  The Wii controls worked for the most part, but weren’t as immersive as Nintendo seemed to promise.  Some even prefer the more traditional control scheme found on the Gamecube version.

I don’t know which Zelda title is my favorite, but it’s obviously between A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time.  My nostalgic core likely prefers ALTTP, but I can’t ignore the brilliance of OOT.  It doesn’t matter much in the end, both are deserving of the praise they receive.  I’m hopeful that this fall’s Skyward Sword is the leap forward Twilight Princess was not.  With true one to one motion controls, it could be pretty cool to swing Link’s sword around but if it’s the same basic experience I’ll be a little disappointed.  I’m ready for Zelda to tread new ground but am also confident that Nintendo will provide a worthwhile experience.  It will either be a great game or an all-time classic, and neither sound bad to me.

Leave a comment | posted in Video Games

June 27, 2011

A Game of Thrones

By Joe

***WARNING***

SPOILERS AHEAD – IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK OR SEEN ALL OF SEASON 1 OF THE TELEVISION SERIES YOU MAY NOT WISH TO READ FURTHER.  DON’T SAY I DIDN’T WARN YOU.

The cover of the book, A Game of Thrones.

I recognize this post doesn’t necessarily fit my nostalgia theme, but I could probably say that about nearly half of my entries.  In truth, I’ve always had a love for epic fantasy set in a medieval setting since I was young.  I’m not sure when I was first introduced to the setting, if it as a movie, video game, or book, but it seems only natural that I have found enjoyment in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series of books.

I will shamelessly admit that I had no knowledge of the series until HBO began airing its show, Game of Thrones, this past winter.  And even then, it was thru word of mouth and encouragement from friends and co-workers that I check it out for I’m too cheap to spring for HBO as part of my cable package.

It turns out it was with good reason I was encouraged to partake of the series for I’ve enjoyed my time in the fictitious Westeros and parts beyond thus far.  I decided I’d rather experience the book before viewing the show and purchased the four volume set off of amazon.com with due haste.  I plowed through the first book, A Game of Thrones, in a weekend and have since completed reading A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords.  To say I’m hooked would be an understatement.  I have also viewed most of the first season for GOT with the exception of the final two episodes.  I’m in no hurry to see them, since I know what happens, and I have enjoyed reading the reactions viewers had to a certain even that took place in episode 9.

Veterans of the series no doubt know exactly what scene I speak of.  That would be the be-heading of the likable Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark, the perceived main character of the first book and television show.  Those caught unaware have reacted with a range of emotions, mostly shock and disbelief, with a vocal minority expressing outrage and refusing to watch another minute (an empty threat, as it turns out, for the following episode was the most watched episode of the season).

I admit, I was pretty shocked when I read that fateful chapter myself.  The book strongly hinted at it early on when the characters encountered a dead dire wolf, the sigil of House Stark, slain when the antlers of a stag caught it in the throat.  The stag is the sigil of House Baratheon, the house of King Robert, who summons Ned to court  to take on the responsibilities as hand of the king.  Ned helped Robert win the crown and as an act of friendship accepts the offer, for he fears the king’s life is in danger.  This would prove true when Robert would end up skewered by a boar on a hunting expedition.  It looked like an accident, but the devious House Lannister was behind a plot to get the king so drunk he’d never stand a chance against a wild boar.

Sean Bean as Eddard Stark.

No matter, the issue of Stark’s death is the one I want to focus on.  I noted the obvious piece of foreshadowing, one even the characters note for the reader, and still the act of Ned’s death is a shock.  Before Ned is executed he is lead to believe he will be spared if he begs the newly crowned King Joffrey for mercy and admits his crime (of which he committed no crime when speaking out against Joffrey, for Joffrey was not the true heir to the throne).  Before that though, we were shown how cruel and merciless Joffrey is, a truly wretched child with no redeeming qualities.  There was no way he would spare poor old Ned, and predictably, after Ned confessed to false crimes Joffrey ordered the be-heading take place.

There’s more though!  Shortly before Ned is arrested a conversation takes place between Ned and the queen Cersei in which the fateful line is spoken by the queen, “When you play the game of thrones you win or you die.”  By now we have seen what is needed to win:  treachery, deceit, dishonor, cunning – all traits not possessed by Ned Stark.  In fact, all of the things he stands against.  When Robert’s youngest brother Renly approaches him shortly after the king’s death about supporting his claim to the throne, Ned refuses instead telling him that the next in line is Renly’s older brother, Stannis, thus losing a valuable ally.  Stannis had long since fled King’s Landing and was of no use to Ned at that moment.  Had he accepted Renly’s offer much would have been averted.  Had he the stomach to tell Robert while he was on his death-bed that Joffrey was not his true son (all of Robert’s children were the product of incest between his queen and her twin brother Jaime, a fact which Ned had recently uncovered) Cersei and her children would have been executed or banished.  Ned would not dishonor his friend on his deathbed, instead choosing to record the king’s last will and testament and putting in the phrase “rightful heir” in place of Joffrey’s name.

In an environment such as King’s Landing, a piece of paper is only useful to wipe one’s ass with.  It did Ned little good and he found himself arrested for treason when he proclaimed Joffrey was not the rightful heir.  So why then, are we as readers and viewers shocked when Ned dies?

It’s strictly a case of blind faith.  Martin, up to this point, has portrayed Ned as the central figure of the story even though several other characters are granted their own chapters.  Ned doesn’t even get the first chapter of the book to himself, but his presence soon dominated the story.  HBO also used the likeness of Ned’s actor Sean Bean, in virtually all of its promotion for the series.  No author would kill off the story’s main character, especially not in the first book.

It’s this devotion that kept me wondering how Ned was going to get out of it even as his head separated from his body.  It’s a harsh lesson for all as we quickly realize honor and decency will get you no where in this fictitious world and that no man (or woman) is safe.

The following books remind us of that again and again.  Though nothing is quite as impactful as the death of Ned, there are moments that come close.  I won’t spoil them, but I will say there are also moments of triumph to follow as well.  Martin successfully puts doubt into the mind of the reader that their favorite character will make it out alive making each turn of the page both exciting and dreadful.  Ned’s death was necessary to set the tone for the series and those hooked before his death should not abandon the series (and as I mentioned earlier, it appears few have).  Digest what happened, take some time to cool off if need be, and return when ready.  There are many months before season 2 begins where a great many characters will experience victory and death.  Such is the way of the world.

Leave a comment | posted in Books, Television

June 20, 2011

In Flames – Sounds of a Playground Fading

By Joe

In Flames - Sounds of a Playground Fading (2011)

Nothing destroys credibility as quickly as popularity.  In Flames emerged from the Swedish metal scene as pioneers of the melodic metal sound.  After screwing around with lineups for a few years and recording a couple EP’s, the band put it all together and gained notoriety with 1995’s The Jester Race.  Their breakout, Whoracle, followed in 1997 containing memorable tracks such as “Episode 666” and “The Hive.”  1999’s Colony further refined their sound and cemented the band at the top of the extreme metal hierarchy.  The bands blend of crushing death metal with Iron Maiden inspired riffing and guitar harmonies were the next big thing in the European metal scene.

Of course, this type of sound has never played all that well in America, but around the same time nu-metal bands like Slipknot suddenly made it okay for a vocalist to sing with a rasp on mainstream radio.  It’s not surprising that the next album from In Flames, Clayman, would contain some influence of that style.  The harshness of the vocals was toned down and some “bouncy” riffs were thrown in.  The band opted to shift its focus away from the twin guitar attack of founding member and principle song writer Jesper Stromblad and Bjorn Gelotte and instead focus on crafting a catchy chorus.  Vocalist Anders Friden went with more of a rasp as opposed to a death grunt for the majority of his vocals and even worked in more “clean” vocals than he had done in the past.  His lyrics also strayed from the more abstract and towards more personal, everyday kind of emotions that listeners could better identify with.  The result was In Flames’ most accessible album.  The songs were undeniably catchy, though longtime fans felt like a part of the band’s core sound had been lost.

The band has often felt a little disconnected ever since.  The follow-up to Clayman, Reroute to Remain, stands as the band’s most experimental record.  The production was slick, almost too polished, and the band explored more vocal effects for a lot of the album’s choruses.  The album that followed, Soundtrack to Your Escape, is considered by most fans to be the band’s worst.  Uninspired riffs and bland production marred the release as almost all semblance of what In Flames pioneered in the 90’s was removed.

Thankfully, the band came back strong in 2006 with Come Clarity.  That album has become a polarizing one with many long-time fans dismissing it, but for my money, it brought back enough of the band’s old sound while moving everything forward.  Unfortunately the follow-up, A Sense of Purpose, was too conservative and ended up sounding like a collection of leftovers from the Come Clarity sessions.

Which brings us to today, the eve for the release of In Flames’ latest record Sounds of a Playground Fading.  The album’s title evokes bad memories of lousy Korn records, but after a few listens I can at least safely say there’s little Korn found on this one.  That’s not to say all semblance of that bouncy, new millennium In Flames sound is gone, but the album is not an embarrassment.  The fans that left with Clayman and Reroute aren’t going to be brought back though, as the sound In Flames is going with definitely trends modern.

Sounds of a Playground Fading is not without merit.  It strikes me as the band’s most experimental since Reroute.  Some of the production techniques the band picked up there are employed here but with more subtlety so as not to over-indulge.  This is the band’s first record without Stromblad so there was a lot to be concerned with going in but I think they did well by their old mate.

The opening track has a nice acoustic intro.  I expected it to explode into a monster riff but the song mostly eases the listener into a quick, jerky one.  Anders’ vocals are pretty consistent with what he’s done on the last few albums.  They’re at their best when they have a ferocity to him, usually obtained with slight distortion and some layering.  Longtime fans will probably mostly agree that “The Puzzle” is the album’s best track as it captures the most of the old death metal sound.  The vocals on the chorus are intense and there’s a nice bridge section for the guitars to show off a bit.  Gelotte handles most of the lead work, I’m unsure how much new/old comer Nicolas Engelin contributed there or if he mostly handled rhythm duties, but there are some nice harmonies mixed in.  Mostly they’re just for show and nothing really approaches the complexity of the old stuff.  One of the other standout tracks, “A New Dawn,” is a good example of the band trying new sounds as the song successfully brings in string instruments to accentuate the chorus.

There are some dull tracks that could be classified as typical newer In Flames.  The first single, “Deliver Us,” is one of those tracks that just doesn’t do a whole lot.  The chorus is catchy enough, but not more so than some of their more modern tracks. “All for Me” has a disjointed melody that just doesn’t work for me.  “The Attic” is less a song and more an intermission, and the album’s closer “Liberation” will be a polarizing one.  I read one listener describe it as reggae but I wouldn’t go that far.  It does contain perhaps Ander’s most natural sounding vocals when compared with any other track.  I honestly can’t decide if like it or not, but I suppose I don’t hate it and for curiosity’s sake alone it’s better than the last few In Flames album closers.  It’s also not the worst track, as that title goes to “The Jester’s Door,” some sort of spoken-word thing that degenerates into a Nine Inch Nails knock-off.

In the end I think the fan-base for In Flames will remain divided.  Fans that enjoyed the last few albums will probably enjoy Sounds of a Playground Fading while those who only care for the band’s more extreme sound will find little to enjoy outside of a track or two.  Those types will especially find tracks such as “Where the Dead Ships Dwell” off-putting because it’s almost pop rock melody.  The newness of the album is still very strong so it’s hard to say where it will fit in ultimately with the rest of the band’s catalogue.  The first half of the album is definitely stronger as I find myself losing focus during the second half.  I feel comfortable saying it’s at least better than A Sense of Purpose but won’t threaten to overtake any of the band’s best works, Come Clarity included.

Top Tracks

  • The Puzzle
  • Fear is the Weakness
  • A New Dawn

Leave a comment | posted in Music

June 16, 2011

Nintendo 3DS – 3 Months Later

By Joe

It was nearly 3 months ago that Nintendo released its latest handheld, the 3DS, a more powerful version of their Nintendo DS with all new stereoscopic 3D capabilities.  I’m no techie, but I’d say graphically the system is on par with the Wii, perhaps better, which is what drew me in and I was able to convince myself that I needed to buy this thing.

I picked up Super Street Fighter 4 with my shiny new 3DS and looked forward to what the system had in store for me.  I wasn’t real excited to be picking up another copy of SF4, but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit.  I logged a fair amount of hours with it during my morning and evening commutes and found the portable take to be pretty satisfying.  I never did venture online, as that would most likely lead to frustration, and stuck with the single player experience.  The 3D offered nothing, even made the game worse, but I’m of the rare sort that didn’t pick up the system for its 3D capabilities.

I did tire of SF4 roughly after a month’s use and found myself ready for a new game.  Unfortunately, the 3DS library thus far has been putrid.  This is often the fate of early adopters but the 3DS seems especially barren when it comes to games.  Making things worse, the Nintendo eShop wasn’t ready at launch so there wasn’t even anything interesting to download.

It's been a long wait, but the wait is over June 19th.

Thankfully, this drought appears to be nearing an end.  The eShop finally launched this month with a free version of an enhanced port of the NES classic Excitebike.  I downloaded and can confirm it plays just as well as it always has but with some slight visual enhancements to the color palette.  The 3D effects are even adequate which is a nice surprise.  At the end of the day though, it’s still Excitebike, a 20 year old game that’s free for a reason.  Released shortly thereafter for the price of $5.99 was The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX which I also snatched up.  I had never played the Gameboy or Gameboy Color edition of the game (I have no idea why) so I was actually pretty eager to check it out.  It looks and plays the same, but has picked up a handy save state feature which makes it even more convenient, and offers a quirky off-beat adventure when compared with other Zelda games.  I’m not too deep into it, but so far I’m liking it.

The big game on the horizon, set for release this Sunday, is the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, arguably the finest video game ever crafted and the inspiration for this post.  I plan on sinking my teeth into that one and expect it will be an improvement over the Nintendo 64 original, I just hope I don’t suffer any Zelda burn-out by playing Link’s Awakening and Ocarina of Time so close together.  It’s the game that pushed over the edge when trying to make a purchasing decision on the 3DS and it’s been a long wait.

If that was the only game to look forward to though then things wouldn’t be much better.  The eShop is likely to continue to see enhanced remakes of classic games but that can’t sustain a system.  Thankfully, last week’s Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) had a lot to reveal about the 3DS, and these are the games I’ll be keeping an eye on in 2011 and beyond:

Star Fox 64 3D – Sure it’s another remake of an N64 game, but like Ocarina of Time, it’s a beloved game.  It’s also one I missed the first time around so I have some extra interest in it.  Unlike with most 3DS games, I can see the 3D effect actually adding something to the gameplay.  The very nature of the game makes it a good candidate for a portable system, and it promises to have enhanced visuals while retaining the tried and true gameplay.

Paper Mario 3DS – I haven’t been able to confirm if this one is a new game or a remake too, but from the little I’ve seen it looks all new.  The first two Paper Mario games, spiritual successors to the excellent Super Nintendo game Super Mario RPG, were addictive and unique RPG experiences.  Paper Mario 2 was a game I could not put down.  Super Paper Mario for the Wii, and the Mario & Luigi titles for the Gameboy Advance and DS, both have their merits but neither has been able to eclipse the original Paper Mario games.  The unique visual style could also make for an interesting 3D experience.

Resident Evil: Revelations – The first 3DS title from the Resident Evil franchise arrives this summer and is based on The Mercenaries mini game from the last few Resident Evil titles.  I never cared for them, or for Resident Evil 5 for that matter, because it focuses too much on action.  I like the methodical pace and creep factor of the original Resident Evil titles.  Resident Evil 4, probably the best in the franchise, struck a nice balance between action and survival horror.  Revelations looks to bring the series back to its roots with Resident Evil veteran Jill Valentine back in the lead role.  Can survival horror work on a portable?  We’ll find out, though probably not until 2012.

Kid Icarus Uprising – I don’t really know what to expect from this game, other than it’s the first Kid Icarus game since the NES days and that alone makes it intriguing.  The game looks gorgeous and has been in development for quite some time so there are no worries about a rush job.  It will likely offer a rich experience that combines traditional platforming with some on rails type of flying levels mixed in.

Super Mario 3D – It’s kind of a given that Mario will show up on a new Nintendo

Tanooki Mario is coming back!

console at some point.  It’s also kind of sad he’s rarely available for a system launch anymore.  Nintendo aims to make up for Mario’s March absence this fall with an all-new Mario adventure.  Super Mario 3D will attempt to combine the gameplay and presentation of the excellent Super Mario Galaxy franchise with old school Mario gameplay.  Look no further for evidence of that than with the return of the Tanooki suit from Super Mario Bros. 3.  The levels are also shorter with a clear path and all end with the familiar flag-pole leap.  It’s Mario, so it’s bound to be good.

Luigi’s Mansion 2 – Not to be outdone by his more famous brother, Luigi returns in his ghost-sucking franchise and was one of the surprises at E3.  Luigi once again finds himself in a haunted mansion and armed with his ghost vac and flashlight.  The cowardly plumber will also have some sort of Ghostbusters-like lightning attack to hold ghosts in place so he can suck them up.  Traditional Mario gameplay meets Ghostbusters?  I’m on board!

And that’s not all.  There’s also versions of Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. on the way.  There will probably be some Mario sports titles as well and maybe even a new entry in the New Super Mario Bros franchise at some point.  Best of all, most of these games are arriving in 2011 giving the 3DS one of the best lineups of any system this fall.  And the 3DS needs it because Sony’s PSP Vita is hot on its heels with some impressive hardware and software due for that one.  The spring has been lousy, but this summer and fall look to make up for it.

Leave a comment | posted in Video Games

June 12, 2011

X-Men Season 2 (Part 3)

By Joe

In the previous entry I said I was in no rush to finish these, but I’m feeling inspired today so I’m posting this just one day after the last.  This also is the final entry for season 2.  After this season, the show becomes a little less focused and some production delays screw up the continuity, but that’s all stuff reserved for future posts.

Beauty and The Beast

Beast with his beloved Carly.

This is the last episode for season 2 that deals specifically with one character.  While the other episodes in this format mostly gave us origin tales, this one chooses to focus on how difficult it is to be a mutant with a physical abnormality.  This one, as the titles alludes, is about Beast.  At this time in the series, Beast was still kind of an unknown character for a lot of viewers due to his incarceration for the majority of season 1.  He had some lines in previous season 2 episodes but was always more of a background character.  This episode shows that Beast is more than just the smart, fuzzy one.  His mutant powers made him one of the more boring X-Men, but this episode proves there’s a lot of depth hidden under that blue exterior.

Beast is also the only member of the team who has a job beyond being a member of the X-Men.  He’s a doctor, and a surgeon apparently, and he’s been working on a cure for a type of blindness at a local hospital.  The patient about to undergo his experimental procedure is a woman by the name of Carly.  The show is not so subtle in showing us that there’s a mutual affection shared between the two characters and we worry for Beast and how Carly may receive him once her vision is restored.

The Friends of Humanity, finding out a mutant works at the hospital, stage a violent protest outside forcing Beast to intervene and save Carly.  This gets the attention of the X-Men and Wolverine, in particular.  He lets Cyclops know that he’ll handle the FoH “delicately” and takes off.  Meanwhile, back at the hospital, we find out Carly’s father is a bigot and demands Beast be kept away from his daughter.  Beast reluctantly agrees though Carly is heart-broken.  If the episode has one fault, it’s that Carly’s father is portrayed a little too over the top.  We could empathize with him since Beast’s mere presence does put Carly in danger, but his complaints to the hospital staff are more of the “he’s a filthy mutant” variety.

Following Beast’s removal from the surgery, we get a look at him in a vulnerable state.  Jean tries to console him, but he can’t be reached.  Throughout the series Beast is portrayed as a good-natured and easy-going individual.  The insults his appearance attracts are always brushed aside and even in combat he appears rather gentle.  Here he’s down and laments the unfairness his appearance brings and is even moved to tears.  He confirms his love for Carly to Jean and the viewing audience, and vows to protect her by staying away, to which Jean responds “Maybe you should let her decide.”

After his self-confidence returns, Beast shows up at the hospital to see the results of Carly’s surgery.  It was a success, and she is delighted to finally see her beloved Hank but her father soon ruins everything.  As Beast takes his leave, the FoH strike and abduct Carly sending Beast into a rage.  He leaves, not before scolding Carly’s father, and tells him he’s going after her and he better come with him if he wants to see her alive again.

Creed's a jerk.

Meanwhile, Wolverine has gone undercover as John Logan to infiltrate the FoH base we saw back in the first episode of season 2.  Sporting an A’s cap (I’m not sure if this means Wolverine is a fan of the A’s or that A’s fans hate mutants), Wolverine makes it look like a mutant beat him up and left him for dead outside the building.  The FoH, naturally, take him in where he plays up his hatred of mutants for their leader, Graydon Creed.  Wolverine apparently feels like he knows Creed, and says he may have worked with his old man mining in Kentucky, to which Creed responds by informing him his family all lived in Canada.  “So was I, bub,” is Wolverine’s remark to himself as the scene changes.

The X-Men have been summoned by Beast to help him deal with the FoH, Wolverine also requests they bring the portable Cerebro projector.  Wolverine reveals himself to Creed and frees Carly, while Beast arrives and goes on a rampage that leaves him in a sad state, forcing Wolverine to haul him out in a visually amusing way.  Just as things look bleak, Cyclops, Jean, and Jubilee arrive with the projector that projects a holographic image of Sabretooth with a narrated biography.  Creed loses it, as everyone is informed of Sabretooth’s birth name; Graydon Creed Senior (I can forgive the writers for changing Sabretooth’s name from Victor to Graydon for the ease of simplicity).  Upon hearing this stunning news, the FoH back off and leave Creed to his own madness.

Beast and Carly then have a teary farewell.  Despite Jean’s suggestion to let Carly decide what to do, Beast takes it upon himself to inform her it’s too dangerous for them to be together, and reluctantly, she goes along with it.  Her father shows up again but this time to shake Beast’s hand and thank him for all that he’s done for his daughter.  This, in a way, closes the book on the mutants rights angle of the show as the FoH would only reappear one more time in a much later season.  It’s too bad, because I always felt that was a strength of the program but maybe the writers felt they could never top this episode, and there’s a good chance they were right.  “Beauty and The Beast” may be a bit melodramatic, but it’s very good at what it does.  One of the show’s best.

Mojovision

Perhaps the writers felt the last two episodes were a bit too weighty and needed to lighten the mood.  Enter Mojo, the X-Men’s outer-dimensional slapstick villain.  Mojo is a television producer from another world with a grotesque appearance and a thirst for ratings.  Feeling his current show starring Longshot (with an odd cameo from Psylocke) is slipping, Mojo seeks new stars which leads him to earth and the X-Men.

The bulbous one himself, Mojo.

While shopping for a new TV, the X-Men are soon graced by Mojo’s appearance who offers them a show on his network.  The X-Men are appropriately confused and uninterested, which just pisses Mojo off and he sends the six-armed Spiral to retrieve the mutants.  Six X-Men are brought to Mojo’s universe:  Cyclops, Jean, Wolverine, Beast, Rogue, and Storm.  Jubilee is shown in at least one shot but that appears to be just a continuity error.  The X-Men are then inserted into Mojo’s television products where they battle with some androids in a danger room like arena.  Cyclops and Storm are up first as they find themselves in a Miami Vice type setting, only without the pastels.  They get overwhelmed and then Beast and Rogue are tossed into a spaceship that ends up getting sent into the sun.  Jean and Wolverine are thrown into a city battling with more droids where Jean uses her telekinetic powers to overtake the controls and free the X-Men.  Mojo throws a tantrum, and the X-Men escape.  We get a couple of lessons about how violence should not be a form of entertainment, but it sounds rather hollow coming from a super hero action cartoon that certainly makes use of some violence to stay popular.

I’ve never liked Mojo, so I’m biased going into this episode.  I prefer the real world setting for the X-Men, and this is anything but that.  I’m just glad it was only a one-shot, but it does derail some of season 2’s momentum, even though another Xavier/Magneto snippet is included at the end as the two witness the power of Sauron.  At least it’s more entertaining than “Whatever It Takes.”

Reunion (Parts 1 and 2)

After giving us bits and pieces of Xavier and Magneto in the Savage Land and teasing more encounters with Sinister, everything comes to a head in this two-part season finale.  Magneto and Xavier did well to avoid the mutates for this long, but eventually find themselves captured when they team up with a local named Ka-Zar to free his people.  Ka-Zar does not have any love for Magneto, and blames him for the Savage Land’s state as we learn he created the mutates long ago.  They raid his former citadel, but Xavier and Magneto get captured and Ka-Zar is forced to flee.

Meet Ka-Zar, he's anything but bashful.

Meanwhile, the Cyclops, Jean, and Wolverine are off looking for Morph following a distressful sounding voice message from the shape-shifter.  Wolverine vows to bring him home and hurt whomever is after Morph.  They find him working in a one-man play of Jekyll and Hyde where his mutant powers create a stirring performance.  The X-Men confront him after the show, and after playing dumb a moment, he warns them to stay away because “He” is always watching.  Morph’s warnings end up being not without merit, as Sinister and the Nasty Boys strike leading to the capture of Jean Grey.  Morph slips into his evil Morph persona and departs with Sinister.

Back at the Savage Land, it’s revealed that Sinister is whom the mutates have been referring to as Master.  This comes as something less than a shock but it’s appropriate.  He reveals his machine that enhances mutant powers by taking from others.  He uses the machine to amplify Vertigo’s powers via Magneto.  Sauron then shows up and uses his hypnotic powers to coerce Xavier into sending a false distress call to the X-Men to lure them into a trap.  The X-Men aren’t dumb though, and can tell something is wrong, but they head off anyway, all except Jubilee.

As part 2 begins, the X-Men arrive in the Savage Land and find that they’re without powers.  The mutates attack almost immediately along with the Nasty Boys and are able to overwhelm the powerless X-Men rather easily.  Only Wolverine is able to escape, as he is quick to point out there’s nothing mutant about his adamantium claws, though how he survives a tumble down a waterfall is anyone’s guess.

Much to no one's surprise, it turns out that the Master is actually Mr. Sinister.

As a result of the confrontation, it falls on Wolverine to same his comrades and he soon comes in contact with Ka-Zar.  The two decide to team up, after fighting a little, and head for the citadel.  The predictable happens and in a way it mirrors the conclusion of “Till Death Do Us Part 2” in that the X-Men tangle with the bad guys, and Morph overcomes Sinister’s control when someone tells him he’s still a member of the X-Men.  Sinister gets blown into a million pieces and tossed into the sea.  This isn’t enough to kill him, but it should keep him out of commission for a while.

Magneto and Charles bid farewell, and we find out that Xavier intends to remove the device Sinister implanted within Morph though he warns that the psychological damage could take years to undo.  This is code for “don’t expect to see Morph a member of the team going forward” much to everyone’s chagrin.

In the end, it’s a satisfying way to wrap up a season-long plot, though some of it did feel a little too similar to the previous season finale and the events of the season’s opening plot.  It’s a good action packed finale though, and following it we would see very little of both Magneto and Mr. Sinister going forward.  This makes sense with Magneto considering the human/mutant conflict would be de-emphasized making his character unnecessary as a villain.  The writers must have just felt burnt out with Sinister, as his future appearances are mostly of the henchman variety.

I’ve said it a few times now, but I’ll say it once more:  season 2 is either the best season for the show or the runner-up to season 1.  It’s quite good as a character study.  It’s less action oriented than other seasons but there’s a lot of depth here that’s uncommon for a kid’s show.  Even today when I watch these episodes I’m left with a sense of satisfaction at their conclusion.  Since the show was so limited in what it could in regards to fight scenes, it made a lot of sense for the writers to focus on character development over intense battles.  There’s a lot of good stuff in later seasons, but this was undeniably the show’s peak and one of the best comic to TV adaptations ever.

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June 11, 2011

X-Men Season 2 (Part 2)

By Joe

Hopefully there aren’t people out there eagerly anticipating my reviews for the X-Men animated series because I’m sure taking my time in making these entries.  It’s been almost a month since my last entry on the subject, but I’m in no rush.  This entry continues on with the next few episodes of season 2, one of the shows strongest seasons it would have.  The further into the season the show travels, the more character specific the episodes get.  This next one deals with everyone’s favorite Canadian:

Repo Man

Vindicator (also known as Guardian in the comics) and Alpha Flight make their first and only appearance of the series in "Repo Man."

Wolverine’s past catches up with him a lot, as it did in the previous episode “Red Dawn,” but here the show gives the viewers its first glimpse into Wolverine’s origin.  Early in the episode, Wolverine is set up in the Canadian wilderness into thinking he’s to meet a friend named Heather only to be ambushed by Alpha Flight.  Alpha Flight was never a popular comic for Marvel, so to put it simply, Alpha Flight is the Canadian version of the Avengers.  We find out Wolverine was once a member and that the team seeks to bring him back.  Lead by Vindicator, the team attacks Wolverine only to find him a more than formidable match.  Once the word “lab” is mentioned, a flashback is triggered showing us how Wolverine came to possess his adamantium skeleton.

The flashback gives us as much detail as can be permitted on a Saturday morning cartoon.  Anyone who read the “Weapon X” one-shot knows that it was originally filled with a brutal and bloody rampage by Wolverine that obviously can’t be depicted here.  Wolverine was also naked and feral and here he’s shown a little more aware of what’s going on, though still pretty pissed off.  It accomplishes the same goal.

Wolverine is eventually subdued by Alpha Flight (not even Wolverine can take on a whole squad of super heroes) and we find out Department H (the organization behind Alpha Flight) is after Wolverine’s skeleton.  We then get introduced to the Heather character, wife of Vindicator (James), and treated to another flashback from when Wolverine came upon the couple after escaping the lab.  While the two tag a deer, Wolverine attacks but gets a couple of rounds of tranquilizers (Fox wasn’t going to permit shotguns for obvious reasons) imbedded in his shoulder and as he goes down we get a montage of Wolverine gaining his sanity.  We then see him putting on the yellow and blue for the first time and taking the name Wolverine.

Apparently everyone at Department H is still sore about Wolverine’s defection.  The rest of the team is well-meaning and was lead to believe Wolverine was going to re-join the team.  The man in charge though, Jason,  intends to extract his skeleton by any means necessary in order to find out how the procedure could be duplicated.  Obviously, this would mean the end for old Wolverine and most everyone comes to their senses and helps Wolverine off the carving station.  Vindicator never comes around, but when Wolverine has him pinned and readies a killing blow he relents as a favor to Heather.  He closes by letting everyone else know they’re not friends and that he’s never coming back.  Hard to blame the guy for being rubbed the wrong way.

Overall, this is an effective way to tell Wolverine’s tale.  It also keeps the other X-Men out of the story so that they continue to remain in the dark about what he’s been through in his past.  As a result, we don’t see much of the others save for one brief scene and a little snippet of Magneto and Xavier as they escape from the mutate Vertigo.  This is also a good Wolverine episode as he’s portrayed in a manner I think most people prefer.  That is as a gruff and tough fighter with a couple of good one-liners.  This would also be Alpha Flight’s only appearance on the show, which is probably a good thing.

X-Ternally Yours

It’s kind of surprising that the creators of the show would give the two biggest fan favorites back to back episodes.  I’m of course referring to Wolverine and Gambit, and after getting Wolverine’s back story in the previous episode we’re treated to Gambit’s here.  Though I’m not sure treated is the right word.

The inspiration for this episode undoubtedly came from the plot contained in this book but was altered severely to fit the Saturday morning guidelines.

The episode begins well enough with Gambit getting a cryptic phone call that spooks him so much he accidentally lets Cyclops get wasted in the Danger Room.  He informs the team he has to leave because someone is going to kill his brother.  Rogue, Jean, and Wolverine end up giving chase and Gambit’s trail leads them down into the Louisiana bayou.  Here a battle has been waging for years between the Thieves and Assassins guilds.  Apparently, Gambit is a former member of the Thieves Guild and at one time was engaged to the assassin, Bella Donna.  Bella Donna trades Gambit’s brother Bobby for Gambit’s hand in marriage, which of course is not what it seems.  When Gambit places the wedding band on his finger, he finds that Bella Donna holds some power over it that’s able to subdue him.  The members of the X-Men that went after him arrive and tangle with some thieves and we get a cool shot of Wolverine wedging a thief’s head between two claws in a threatening manner.

Unfortunately, from here things get kind of silly.  The assassins and thieves pay tribute to some god-like entity by presenting it with a tithe every ten years.  This being bestows powers on the guild that honors it in the most appropriate way.  Break the covenant, and lose your life.  Bella Donna sets up the thieves with a fake tithe and intends to get the thieves exterminated.  The X-Men are able to foil the plot when Jean reveals the double cross to the External using her telepathic powers and Bella Donna is stripped of her powers, her life spared at the request of Gambit.

I rarely like it when the X-Men goes too sci-fi with its plots, and this is a case of that.  This plot with the being the External, to my knowledge, has no basis in the comic canon and I’m not certain where the idea sprung from.  The writers clearly felt the guild wars as they appeared in the comic were too violent for Saturday morning and needed a new plot device, but I think they could have done better.  It’s not season two’s worst episode, but it’s in the conversation.

Time Fugitives (Parts 1 and 2)

“Time Fugitives” brings back everyone’s favorite time traveling mutant from season one, Bishop, and also gives us a more comic accurate depiction of the mutant Cable.  It’s a two-parter (come to think of it, I don’t think Bishop has any one-shots) where the first part is Cable watching the events of the first episode, and in the second he tries to rectify it.

The basic plot is that Bishop returned to the future following “Days of Future Past” to find it unchanged.  The Sentinels were no longer in power, but a mutant plague is affecting the population and killing millions.  Forge sends Bishop back to find out its origins and put a stop to it.

The plague is depicted in a similar visual fashion to Apocalypse's techno-organic virus from the comics, though its properties are different.

In the present, the plague is just starting to show itself and the Friends of Humanity are claiming mutants carry the plague and must be quarantined.  The X-Men’s resident chemist Beast, is asked to speak on the subject at a hearing where Graydon Creed intends to infect Beast with the plague, only to get stopped by Bishop.  In order to put on a spectacle for the television cameras, Creed infects himself and flees the scene.  The X-Men are able to pick up on this while watching a taping of the event, and follow Creed to a hideout where the true cause of the plague is revealed:  Apocalypse.

His motives are not entirely clear, but Apocalypse has long sought the destruction of all humankind so a fatal disease is within the realm of plausibility for the character.  Creed is disheartened to learn he was duped by a mutant, to which Apocalypse gives us this great quote, “I am as far beyond mutants, as they are beyond you!”

The X-Men destroy his plague, but an angry Apocalypse ends up destroying the X-Men.  This causes a temporal storm, which is displayed as a bunch of tornadoes in Cable’s time that will re-write history.  Cable possesses some kind of omniscient computer that looks like a piece of quartz that tells him all of this, and episode one ends with him struggling with the notion that in order to save his world, he has to help Apocalypse destroy a past one.

"The name's Cable - remember it!"

Episode two takes Cable and inserts him into the events of episode one.  Initially, it is suggested by his computer that killing Bishop will accomplish his goal, but Cable is reluctant to kill someone he considers a good man.  He tries reasoning, but Bishop isn’t buying it, and soon shows up at the hearing where Beast is attacked.  Before this, he’s shown going through some files on the X-Men (he notes that he’s familiar with Cyclops and Jean Grey), and has the computer stop on Wolverine for an unannounced reason.  At the hearing, he makes a B-line for Wolverine and teleports the two out of there.  The same events unfold as the previous episode with the X-Men stumbling upon Apocalypse’s lab.  This time Cable and Wolverine show up and Cable allows Wolverine to get infected with the plague virus.  Bishop is shown enraged, thinking Cable just killed him, but Wolverine’s healing powers soon cure him.  Cable informs Apocalypse that they now have the anti-bodies to cure his plague, frustrated, Apocalypse leaves as the X-Men destroy the lab.

As I mentioned in the first paragraph, I like that this episode gives us a more comic accurate portrait of Cable.  He’s first shown fighting Apocalypse in the distant future, and while in the past it’s revealed the Cable is the son of Cyclops and Jean.  The show never explains how Cable came to exist, in this episode or any future ones, but at least it is no longer ignoring the character’s back story like it did in season one.  Bishop proves once again to be a fun character, he’s a well-meaning hot head whose a little bit of a screw up.  I’m in favor of any episode that works in the Friends of Humanity, and the writers prove once again that they have a good grasp on the Apocalypse character.  If I have one complaint, it’s that Apocalypse just kind of gives up and leaves at the end of part 2 with no explanation put forth as to why he wouldn’t simply take out the X-Men as he had in part 1.  Regardless, this is another good time travel tale that rivals the first.

A Rogue’s Tale

After taking a few episodes off, Sinister once again makes his presence felt by setting up the events in "A Rogue's Tale."

After taking a bit of a diversion with the “Time Fugitives” two-parter, season 2 returns to the character study format and gives us this episode which details Rogue’s back story.  Mystique is seen early on meeting with a shadowed Mr. Sinister who reveals to her Xavier’s absence allowing her an opening to take back her daughter.  This leads to a confrontation between the X-Men and Mystique’s New Brotherhood, where a chance encounter with a blond girl sends Rogue into a frenzy.

Tormented by visions of this girl, Rogue goes berserk back at the mansion.  The specter claims she took her life and informs Rogue where she can find her and silence her.  Rogue soon ends up at a hospital and finds the girl in a coma.  No one knows her identity.  Mystique is there to torment Rogue further, and at her encouragement, Rogue absorbs her powers and memories triggering a flashback.

Poor Ms. Marvel...

In the flashback, we find out how Rogue came to know Mystique.  After taking in the runaway, Mystique exploited Rogue’s powers in a confrontation with the heroine Ms. Marvel.  The flying and seemingly indestructible Ms. Marvel found herself locked in Rogue’s energy draining grasp.  At Mystique’s command, Rogue was ordered not to let go despite her pleas to do otherwise, and the end result left Ms. Marvel in a coma and Rogue with her powers permanently.  Ms. Marvel’s persona was also trapped in Rogue’s mind, and seeing that Mystique could not help her, she fled and soon found Charles Xavier who would help seal away Ms. Marvel and put an end to Rogue’s torment.

Now, as a result of Mystique’s mind games, Ms. Marvel’s persona was free and with Mystique’s shape-changing powers now absorbed by Rogue, her persona is able to take full control of body and mind.  Jean intervenes, and together the two battle in Rogue’s mind.  The viewer is left with a series of conflicted emotions.  The heroine Ms. Marvel was only doing her duty when she first encountered a young Rogue, and the fate that befell her was unfortunate and unjust.  However, we’ve come to know Rogue to be a hero herself and it’s tough to root against her.  Ms. Marvel (revealed to be Carol Danvers), is shown as both angry and sad as she screams at Rogue “You stole my life!” with tears streaming down her face.  She wants revenge, and justifiably so, and when Jean’s attempts to calm her spirit prove ineffective, she and Rogue find a way to seal her away once again.

Rogue is understandably torn up, and tells Mystique she’ll never be her daughter again.  Despite her villainous ways, it’s hard not to feel some sympathy for Mystique as Rogue flies off and leaves her behind once more.  In the end, Rogue is shown visiting the still comatose Ms. Marvel at the hospital and informs a nurse that her name is Carol Danvers.  As Rogue departs, a tiny smile creases the face of Ms. Danvers just before the credits roll on an extremely satisfying episode of X-Men.

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June 4, 2011

X-Men in Film – Epilogue

By Joe

I ran through the three core X-Men films earlier this year.  To summarize, I found the first was okay, the second good, and the third poor.  And even though I more or less enjoyed the first two, I was never comfortable with the setting or the approach taken by director Bryan Singer.  In my lead-in, I mentioned I wanted to post my own thoughts on how I feel the studio should have gone about in bringing the franchise to the big screen.  Considering this weekend is the opening weekend for the Matthew Vaughn directed X-Men: First Class, it seems like now is a good time to do this entry.

First off, I did not make an entry for the X-Men spin-off X-Men Origins: Wolverine and that’s because I never saw it.  Not only did it look poor, but the plot also sounded bland.  It was not well-received by critics or by friends of mine whose opinions I trust so I saw no reason to see it.  And the suggestions to follow in regards to how I would have approached the series do not mean I think I could do better.  Far from it, I am no director and I’ve never had anything published.  I’m just a jaded fan.  And for the most part, I think die hard fans are bad for this sort of exercise.  They tend to be more rigid and regimented and incapable of distinguishing what’s important from what isn’t where a plot or character is concerned.  A neutral party is better able to look at the source material and identify the key components that makes the franchise important and bring those components out within the new medium.  Unfortunately, I think those who handled the X-Men did a poor job of that and even though I’m a fan I’m going to try to be objective.  Below are the components I believe would make for a good X-Men film:

Civil Rights – At it’s core the X-Men represent a civil rights story, and Bryan Singer and Fox acknowledge this.  One of the core conflicts is Professor X as a Martin Luther King Jr. figure to Magneto’s Malcolm X.  Both have the same goal but aspire to reach that goal through very different means.  The other conflict is human society vs mutants, what the canon refers to as homo sapiens and homo superior (a term coined by Magneto).  In the first film, the conflict outside of the good guys vs the bad guys is the Mutant Registration Act, a bill introduced by Senator Robert Kelly.  Kelly mistrusts mutants and wants to see each one register with the federal government so that the government knows what each mutant is capable of and where they are at all times, similar with sex offenders and common criminals.  Law abiding mutants of course bristle at this as it forces them out of the closet, so to speak, when some would rather live quiet lives and keep their mutant abilities private.

Graydon Creed worked so well for the animated series, it's hard to imagine him not working for a film franchise.

This a solid starting point for the franchise, but the initial plot gets lost in Magneto’s hijinks.  Kelly is removed from the picture early on negating his influence on the bill and it doesn’t pass, though that is irrelevant.  What Singer and company failed to do was create a hostile environment for mutants.  At no point do we get a sense of the contempt and fear humans have towards them.  We get a taste of it in X2 when Bobby Drake “comes out” to his family, but little else.  I wanted to see more fear from the general populace and from the government as well.  That’s why I think the films should have looked closer at the 1990’s animated series for inspiration.  Henry Guyrich and Bolivar Trask would have made for good secondary characters.  Perhaps the sentinel project could have been referenced in the first and carried over into the second film.  The sentinels from the comics likely wouldn’t have worked on film, but a military styled task force charged with controlling mutants could have stood in.  The Friends of Humanity could have also been used to give us the extreme end of the spectrum from the societal perspective.  Graydon Creed is a great character and one that’s easy to hate for audiences.  The villain of X2, William Stryker, could have been incorporated into the FoH as well in his priest persona as opposed to a military one.  Ultimately this would have better portrayed the X-Men as selfless heroes protecting a society that hates and fears them, as the main antagonist would still have been Magneto and his Brotherhood.

Small Squad – Another aspect the existing films recognized was the need to keep the X-Men small.  In the 90’s, the team became bloated and trying to carry that over to the films would have proved impossible.  The films reduced the X-Men to four actual team members; Cyclops, Jean, Storm, and Wolverine with Xavier and Rogue also in roles requiring extensive character development.  And while I think this is a solid foundation, the ball was still dropped in terms of developing these characters.  Wolverine was the obvious focus for character development as he’s been the most popular character for a long time now.  Jean exists as the strong female lead and to get between Cyclops and Wolverine.  The Wolverine character was handled mostly well (though I feel strongly a short actor should have played him) but Cyclops was butchered.  He comes across as the jealous, petty boyfriend rather than the victim.  Cyclops should be strong and honor bound where his duty is concerned, the obvious good guy where as Wolverine is a villain who happens to be fighting for the good guys.  Perhaps I’m in the minority, but I got the sense that the films wanted us to root for Wolverine to win the girl and to dislike, and even distrust, Cyclops.  Storm wasn’t developed hardly at all, and only once Halle Berry won an Academy Award did the writers see fit to give her more screen time.  Storm has an interesting back story in that she was perceived by her people as a goddess and perhaps would have worked better as a character recruited by Xavier, rather than just a secondary female member of the team.

I love you Beast but you just don't work on screen.

I have always felt Beast should have been included.  He is a good example of a mutant who can’t hide amongst people like most of the X-Men can.  The problem with the Beast character is that his look does not translate well to live action.  Would fans accept a non-blue Beast?  Probably not.  Iceman perhaps could have been a better choice as a fourth member given his character doesn’t need too much development as he’s the practical joker and a kid at heart.  The Iceman character as he exists in the current franchise is a throw-away, anyone could have been used in that role.  Nightcrawler is another great character that needed to get onto film, but I think Singer had it right in waiting for film #2 to introduce him, though I think the character needed more development.

One think I would not change is how the films utilized Rogue.  I’m a fan of introducing the X-Men as an already existing product and bring the audience along by having it introduced to the X-Men through the eyes of a new recruit, such as Rogue.  Rogue provides a good example of how super powers aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, something at the core of the X-Men mythos.  This aspect of her character makes her more interesting than the classic juvenile characters Kitty Pryde and Jubilee.

Wolverine – I said a lot about Wolverine in my initial post on the subject, so I’ll try to be brief.  In short, I feel Wolverine is best served as a secondary character.  He’s the prickly member of the team who doesn’t always feel like a member of the team because of his lone wolf nature.  Ideally, he wouldn’t be in the first film as his introduction to the team could have been handled in a second film.  One thing I really liked about Marvel’s Ultimate X-Men was how it introduced Wolverine as a mercenary hired by Magneto to infiltrate the X-Men, but he eventually is won over by Xavier (and Jean) and betrays Magneto.  That could have been used for the films but Fox would have never allowed an X-Men movie to be shot without Wolverine, he’s too important from a marketing perspective.  Therefore, keeping him off to the side and antagonistic would have worked best.  Ultimately, I want a character with a giant chip on his shoulder that Xavier and Cyclops constantly have to fight with to get him to stay the course.  When Magneto and his goons are raising Hell, Wolverine should be the one abandoning ranks to go after Sabretooth as opposed to working within the system.  As an audience, we should love his ferocity and his bad ass nature but feel frustrated with his obvious character flaws.

The Villains – Magneto is the obvious choice as the main arch rival for the X-Men, there’s really no other choice.  And I do like that the current films didn’t make the mistake the original Batman did and kill off the hero’s main adversary in the first film.  As long as Xavier is around, Magneto needs to be as well.  His Brotherhood was fine as well though it needs to be as big as the X-Men.  If the X-Men are 4 then the Brotherhood should be 4, not including Magneto himself.  Sabretooth and Mystique are good choices as well, but Toad kind of sucks.  If the films needed a slapstick villain he could have been used there, but otherwise I’d prefer Avalanche or Pyro.  Juggernaut is an interesting possibility as well and one that would have been worth exploring.  He presents obvious visual problems in bringing him to live-action (the look he sported in The Last Stand would not do) and balance issues as he’s a load to take down.  I like the step brother parallel though with Xavier, but he can’t be a mutant which also is an issue.  The magical nature of his powers wouldn’t fit the setting I imagine for an X-Men film franchise so his abilities would have to come from a suit.  Perhaps he could wear some sort of mammoth battle suit serving as a pre-cursor to the government’s own sentinel program.  Or he could be some sort of metal monstrocity created by Magneto.

The reality warping mutant Proteus represents a case of risk vs reward. In the hands of the right director, he'd end up an extremely memorable villain.

As the franchise would likely form a trilogy, new villains would be introduced.  I like the idea of keeping Magneto involved in all, but keeping him on sidelines at times would give the films some variety.  I already mentioned the sentinels and Friends of Humanity as potential villains.  Could they carry a film?  Possibly.  Other villains that could work include The Hellfire Club, who are also featured in the latest film.  They could be another Magneto, a villain seeking mutant supremacy but through different means.  While Magneto is confrontational, The Hellfire Club works behind the scenes and infiltrates the economy.  High-born and intelligent, they would pose a different kind of threat.  A really bold director could also turn to Proteus, the reality warping mutant.  His powers could be explained as being mental, an extreme take on Xavier’s, and his general origin could be kept intact (imprisoned bastard yearning for acceptance from his father).  His powers would be a visual delight, and his plight easy to grasp.  He’d function as a sympathetic villain, and also plant the seed in the audience’s mind that perhaps mutant control is necessary.

If a film must have a Wolverine-centric villain and plot, then I think Omega Red could be fun.  The Weapon X project would be introduced, and the Omega Project could be the Soviet equivalent.  After tangling with him in the past, Wolverine is angered to learn he’s been revived by the Soviets and takes off to stop him.  It would give the audience more insight into the mind of Wolverine after seeing him mostly as an ass in the first film, and the X-Men would come to his aid for a feel good moment.  Red is a visually interesting villain, and his death syphon makes him more than formidable.

The Plots –  The plots of the existing films can be simplified as:  Mutant Registration Act, “God Loves, Man Kills”, and The Cure.  The second was of course augmented to basically remove the God component from the original story, but all the same.  The Phoenix Saga was also worked into the third film.  I mentioned earlier that I feel the Stryker character as a priest could be worked into the cast of reoccurring characters.  The Cure plot is an interesting one and one I like because of its obvious societal parallels.  Phoenix I can do without.  I know it’s an iconic story but it’s overplayed.  One thing the films didn’t tackle was the The Legacy Virus which could be worked into all of the films as a pervasive thing and another reason humans fear mutants.

To summarize, the basic approach I’d take for a three film trilogy would probably go something like this:

1 – Mutant Registration Act, Government exploring ways to control mutants, Magneto as a mutant terrorist attacking government agencies (Cyclops, Jean, Wolverine, Iceman, Rogue as X-Men.  Sabretooth, Mystique, Juggernaut, Avalanche and Pyro as Magneto’s Brotherhood)

2 – Sentinel Initative unveiled to control mutants, Moira’s son Proteus escapes, Magneto is courted by The Hellfire Club (Nightcrawler is introduced after the X-Men save him from the FoH early on)

3 – Wolverine leaves the X-Men to confront Omega Red, X-Men are forced into a confrontation with The Hellfire Club, Rescue Wolverine, Magneto watches from the sidelines (Colossus introduced as part of the Wolverine side plot, some of Wolverine’s Weapon X buddies could be brought in as well such as Maverick and Silver Fox).

I’m not married to that, but it’s a start.  I’d aim to end the trilogy with Magneto posing as an immediate threat, perhaps him forming a film equivalent of his mutant haven Avalon.  What’s not developed is how The Hellfire Club would pose a threat.  Perhaps they would be behind the introduction of the Legacy Virus as a means of planting fear into the hearts of humanity.  I would also consider having their political connections leading to an abolishment against the Mutant Registration Act which would portray them as being a group with some positive benefit, but with ill methods.  Magneto would also reject their assistance as he wouldn’t care for their methods, preferring something more direct.  I’d also look for a way to introduce Storm, though at this moment I’m not sure how it would be done properly.  Either way, my head is swarming with other ideas such as building up the FoH.  Nightcrawler could be held hostage because of his connection to Creed and demonic appearance, which makes him an easy target for Stryker.  That could easily be turned into a much bigger plot.

As of right now, X-Men: First Class has an 87% rating on RottenTomatoes.com and has been fairly well received.  The general consensus seems to be that while it’s nothing special, it’s an entertaining enough summer film.  Unfortunately, that’s been the story of the X-Men on film; good but not great.  I’m waiting for the Batman Begins of X-Men to be created.  Because of the social commentary contained within the franchise, there’s no reason why the X-Men can’t be something bigger than just a comic book movie.  The franchise is currently broken, and even though it’s kind of the lazy way out, it needs to be blown up and redone.  First Class can’t cure its ills and a truly great X-Men film is still nothing more than a fantasy.

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May 30, 2011

Danzig – The Soundtracks

By Joe

Considering The Hangover Part II just opened this past weekend, which contained a new studio track from Danzig, it makes this post a bit more topical than most.  Glenn Danzig has had few brushes with motion picture soundtracks over the years.  Some, like the first of “The Hangover” films, contained a track already included on a Danzig release.  In that case the song “Thirteen” from Danzig 6.  Danzig has also seen the song “Mother” included on the Grand Theft Auto soundtrack and it has also shown up in other places, though I believe that particular one was the only released soundtrack to include it.  And then there are other films that included originals.  Again, these are few but in an effort to be all encompassing where Danzig is concerned I’ve decided to make a short entry on these rare gems.

Glenn Danzig and the Power and Fury Orchestra – “You and Me (Less Than Zero)” – 1987

The Less Than Zero soundtrack cover

This song was actually among the first Glenn Danzig wrote after joining the Def American label.  The label was handling the soundtrack for the film, Less Than Zero, and Rick Rubin asked Danzig to contribute.  Glenn wrote the song and modeled it after Lulu’s 1967 hit song “To Sir, With Love,” though it was not considered a cover.  The song was written by Glenn with the idea that someone else would record it.  Thus, it’s not a typical Glenn Danzig song by any stretch of the imagination.  The lyrics focus on a dying friendship, making it topical with the film, and features a small orchestra and choir.  Apparently, whoever was supposed to record the song was unable to do so or didn’t want to, so Rubin asked Danzig to step in.  Eerie Von either didn’t like the bass line or Rubin didn’t like how he played it, so studio musician George Drakoulias filled in, which is why the name of the band on the credits wasn’t Danzig (and also, since the song was not indicative of the Danzig sound one can see why the band was called something else).  Nonetheless, fans should be happy with how things worked out because this is a rare little gem of a track.  The borrowed melody is poppy and infectious and Glenn really cuts loose on vocals in a way he had never done before.  The southern choir adds a neat dimension to the song and is something that never appeared on a Glenn Danzig recording before or after this track was released.  Sadly, the song wasn’t used at any point in the film, though the other song Danzig contributed to the soundtrack was.  Performed by the legendary Roy Orbison, the Danzig-penned “Life Fades Away” dress-up the closing credits to the movie.  If you haven’t heard either and consider yourself a Danzig fan, you would do well to scour the nearest used record store for a copy of this soundtrack (and checkout the youtube link at the bottom to hear “You and Me (Less Than Zero)”)

Danzig – “Deep” – 1996

Songs in the Key of X

The title to this soundtrack is Songs in the Key of X:  Music From and Inspired by The X-Files.  It’s a soundtrack for the Fox television series the X-Files and it’s not.  It had nothing to do with the feature length film released a few years later and was intended as a complimentary piece for television fans.  Most of the songs were never featured in the show and actor David Duchovny was reportedly the one responsible for getting Danzig onto the soundtrack.  This was also during Danzig’s flirtation with industrial music, and the song he contributed was similar in sound to what he would put out on Danzig 5.  “Deep” starts off like a slow brooder that shares some lyrical similarities with the track “Sadistikal” off of Danzig 4.  It has an odd inorganic drum pattern under the verse and some industrial noise.  Danzig’s vocals are clean and the song breaks into a big chorus where the guitars come in.  A re-mix titled “Deeper” would later appear on the 2000 reissue of Danzig 5, and several more remixes would appear on the reissued Sacrifice EP.  Some fans seem to really dig this track and prefer it to most of the songs on Danzig 5, but I find it kind of drab.  The remix “Deeper” is a little better, but this song as it appears here is merely okay (though I do agree that it sounds better when compared with some of the stuff on Danzig 5).  For those looking to score a copy of this song on CD, good news, because you don’t have to purchase this soundtrack if you’re not interested in the other bands.  This track was also included on 2007’s The Lost Tracks of Danzig and if you’re a Danzig fan and you don’t have that already, what are you waiting for?!

Danzig – “Black Hell” – 2011

DanzigLegacyFireLetters

“Black Hell” would receive a video clip years later as part of The Legacy TV Taping.

From the soundtrack to The Hangover Part II, “Black Hell” could have the distinction of being the last properly released Danzig track.  It’s no secret that Glenn Danzig is getting older and has become disenchanted with the music business which allows for the possibility that 2010’s Deth Red Sabaoth is it for him.  There’s likely a covers record coming and at least one additional original Danzig song is known to have been recorded and left off the last album, titled “Long Dark Road.”  Either way, there’s not much left in the pipeline.  Things could change, since about 4 years ago Danzig said he was done touring and as we speak, the band is preparing to head for Europe, so if you wish to hold out hope go for it.  “Black Hell” is similar in style to “Thirteen,” which as I mentioned earlier, was included on the soundtrack and film The Hangover.  Apparently director Todd Phillips is a big Danzig fan, which is how this relationship was born.  “Black Hell” opens with a slow kick drum beat and a simple guitar strum and Danzig singing over it in a deep, ominous voice.  The lyrics are fairly standard for Danzig and after the first verse a haunting electric guitar riff comes in.  Eventually the song builds to a big chorus, and carries this sound through to its conclusion.  It’s a fairly simple track but effectively moody.  I especially like the use of the electric guitar which stays in the background (I should note, the strum riff is also played on an electric).  The vocals have a layered effect on the chorus with one really high one that adds to the song’s apocalyptic feel.  Unfortunately, the songs aren’t sold separately on digital music stores and if you want it you have to buy the whole soundtrack, which is mostly terrible.

That’s it though, just three original songs included on soundtracks.  I would say one is great, one is average, and one is kind of a throw-away.  It’s hard to say if Danzig will have any future contributions to soundtracks, though I’d consider it unlikely.  I did not mention the song “Underbelly of the Beast” from The Crow: Salvation soundtrack because it’s just a remix of “Belly of the Beast.”  It, like “Deep,” is also included on The Lost Tracks of Danzig.

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