Thursday, April 7, 2016

X-Men (2000) Through a Kid's Eyes


There’s going to be a slowdown in the Bondlet postings for a bit.  Amazingly, after only two or three years of subtle hints, direct suggestions and outright declarations, my daughter listened to me about trying the X-men films and is now excited about seeing all of them before the next theatrical release hits.

She started by asking if the kid in the opening concentration camp scene was important to the plot, but once he demonstrated his Magneto-ness she was hooked for the whole ride.


I’m not sure which weighed more, but a combination of how negative racism is portrayed in our current society, and how much she loves superheroes influenced her opinion of Senator Kelley.  She was convinced his constituents referred to him as “Senator Butt.”

As he pressed his point against mutants, it sparked her to comment, “I like him less than anybody else ever.”

This does not mean she felt he deserved the “disgusting” transformation into water, however.


Not that she thought that was a bad idea though.
“Oh, they made him a mutant….
That’s actually a good plan.
Evil and all, but still.”

That kind of sums up how she viewed Magneto in these films.  The combination of the anti-mutant racists proving him right fairly often and Ian McKellan’s stellar acting job brought her some internal conflict. 

She let loose with excited “Whoah” noises when Magneto unleashed his powers, and tended to agree with many of his sentiments and motives.  Yet, since she knew he was a super villain, she constantly called him, “a poop.”


Her internal workings and school conditioning also reared their heads for Wolverine’s introduction. She was very concerned as to why he was smoking…
not why he was cage fighting.


Personal Note:
Marie looking at the wounds fade where the claws retracted, “Does it hurt?”
Logan, “Every time.”

Way to go Bryan Singer and company, you summed Wolverine the character in two words.


She proved she was my daughter by laughing uproariously at Logan being thrown from the car just after Marie asked about his seatbelt.  This was further confirmed by laughing at Wolvie’s claw middle finger, rude insult to identify himself and Cyclops’s crack about yellow spandex.

Poor Scott.  She actually thought Cyclops was pretty cool when we read Secret Wars and other comics he showed up in.  The movies came along late enough to completely cast him as the “uncool” one in the triangle with Jean, and gave him a raw deal.  My daughter still cheered when he got in a powerful optic blast though.

Proving that I’m not the only parent that influenced her, she had some choice words about Logan’s, “Wild hair, there,” and Storm’s, “kind of obvious wig.”  Considering the film opened in Georgia, she was justified in asking about Rogue, “Isn’t she supposed to be southern?”

And some combination of engineering and interior design genes sparked her interest at the 3D holographic display table.


 Her skills at understatement continued.

Her- “That’s a nice place.”
Me- “It is called, ‘the X-Mansion.’”
Her – “Oh yeah.”


Since she only knew her from an action figure, she was surprised to find Mystique was bad.  She didn’t have the same issue that occurred for male villains though:
“I like her anyway, she’s cool.”

Toad, she did not like.  Barfing on Jean was only the final straw in that one, since she was already calling him, “Creepo McGee with the CGI tongue.”

Surprisingly, it took the scene where he ate the bird to make her recognize him as Darth Maul.

Unsurprisingly she reacted to Storm finishing him by saying-

“Do you know what happens to a toad when it’s struck by lightning?”
“The same thing as everything else.”

With the same response as everyone else who saw the movie:
“That’s it?”


I think she surprised herself by how much she pays attention this time.

She started calling Iceman a “poop” and then went, “Ooh! It’s Mystique! 
Hey, I remembered she was in the movie!”


In general she proved herself a seasoned super hero film viewer, by both knowing what to make fun of, like the panicked UN delegates:

“Run?!?  Where? 
You’re on an Island. 
Swim! Maybe.”

And knowing what conventions of the genre to expect:

“She’ll be okay.
Rogue is only MOSTLY dead.”


IndeX-Men


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