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sinope at 01:10am on 25/07/2011
sinope at 01:10am on 25/07/2011Watched X-Men: First Class, finally. Fun flick; I can see why it's gotten so much positive reaction, and so much slash. The dynamic between Erik and Charles was just delicious, partly because both were fascinatingly characterized.
marphod commented that this was a dark Magneto, and it was, but it was a similarly dark Xavier. I rather loved the irritating, spoiled, naive arrogance of him, all the way from when he first carelessly offered Raven sanctuary, like a little god offering salvation. He was rather awful, especially when he was mind-raping people without a second thought, but so charmingly well-intentioned about it all. With or without slash between the lines, I could see why Erik loved him, and I could also see why he hated and rejected him.
All that said . . .
At the end of the film, we see a mind-wiped Moira looking befuddled in front of a table of male agency chiefs. When she mentions the memory of a kiss, the men all groan and chortle. "This is why women don't belong in the CIA," one says.
The audience laughs, naturally. How quaintly misogynistic they were back in the sixties! How far we've come!
Except.
Let's think about the women in the movie. And I mean all the women -- every single female character with a speaking part. (The fact that this review still won't take long should already be a red flag.)
Moira. Her main character traits are looking sexy in black lingerie and supporting Xavier implicitly.
Raven/Mystique. Her main character traits are looking sexy in blue body paint and seeking affection from every male who acts sympathetic to her.
Emma Frost. Her main character traits are looking sexy in white lingerie and supporting Shaw implicitly. (And getting tied spread-eagle to a bed.)
Angel. Her main character traits are looking sexy in black lingerie and appreciating men who appreciate her.
Mrs. Lensherr. Her main character trait is loving Erik. And dying.
Co-Ed (yes, that's how IMDB names her). Her main character traits are looking sexy and being vapid.
Teenage Girl (ditto). Her main character traits are looking cute and being snotty.
That's . . . it.
You'll note that all four major female characters get naked or near-naked at some point in the movie. All four are sexy young women. All four are defined by their interest in various men. (Yes, Raven is relatively well-developed as a character, but even she makes her decisions based on which boys think she's pretty.)
Seriously, Marvel? 2011, and this is the best you can do? Yes, there are far more canonical male X-Men, but you made the choice on who to include and how to characterize the ones you included.
And I'm not even commenting on the fact that you managed to put two people of color in the first incoming group of mutant teens . . . then quickly made one evil and the other dead.
marphod commented that this was a dark Magneto, and it was, but it was a similarly dark Xavier. I rather loved the irritating, spoiled, naive arrogance of him, all the way from when he first carelessly offered Raven sanctuary, like a little god offering salvation. He was rather awful, especially when he was mind-raping people without a second thought, but so charmingly well-intentioned about it all. With or without slash between the lines, I could see why Erik loved him, and I could also see why he hated and rejected him.All that said . . .
At the end of the film, we see a mind-wiped Moira looking befuddled in front of a table of male agency chiefs. When she mentions the memory of a kiss, the men all groan and chortle. "This is why women don't belong in the CIA," one says.
The audience laughs, naturally. How quaintly misogynistic they were back in the sixties! How far we've come!
Except.
Let's think about the women in the movie. And I mean all the women -- every single female character with a speaking part. (The fact that this review still won't take long should already be a red flag.)
Moira. Her main character traits are looking sexy in black lingerie and supporting Xavier implicitly.
Raven/Mystique. Her main character traits are looking sexy in blue body paint and seeking affection from every male who acts sympathetic to her.
Emma Frost. Her main character traits are looking sexy in white lingerie and supporting Shaw implicitly. (And getting tied spread-eagle to a bed.)
Angel. Her main character traits are looking sexy in black lingerie and appreciating men who appreciate her.
Mrs. Lensherr. Her main character trait is loving Erik. And dying.
Co-Ed (yes, that's how IMDB names her). Her main character traits are looking sexy and being vapid.
Teenage Girl (ditto). Her main character traits are looking cute and being snotty.
That's . . . it.
You'll note that all four major female characters get naked or near-naked at some point in the movie. All four are sexy young women. All four are defined by their interest in various men. (Yes, Raven is relatively well-developed as a character, but even she makes her decisions based on which boys think she's pretty.)
Seriously, Marvel? 2011, and this is the best you can do? Yes, there are far more canonical male X-Men, but you made the choice on who to include and how to characterize the ones you included.
And I'm not even commenting on the fact that you managed to put two people of color in the first incoming group of mutant teens . . . then quickly made one evil and the other dead.
awake