"Homo Heroes" article link - review of "X-Men: The Last Stand"

[TOoP/Bruce]

http://www.baywindows.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=008EC9FBCFF24AD18614290016BE1303&nm=Current+Issue&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=4DDDDD7462BA424EAE8ED81038A3884E

Homo heroes
Anthony King

 
“A major pharmaceutical company has developed a way to suppress the mutant X-Gene, permanently. They’re calling it a cure.”

“There’s nothing to cure. Nothing’s wrong with any of us.”

And in two short sentences, X-Men: The Last Stand becomes the biggest super hero homo flick of the summer. The wait is over, and the reward is sweet indeed. Opening world-wide this Friday, the third (and final?) installment of the X-Men franchise starring Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Halle Berry as Storm, and Ian McKellen as Magneto is one hell of a good time. What, you don’t think it’s quite gay enough? Just replace the word “mutant” with “gay” and you’ll see. Suddenly Storm’s statement about “nothing to cure” hits a lot closer to home.

You won’t be disappointed with anything in the movie except one thing: It ends. You’re left shocked and elated. Shocked that so much could happen so amazingly well on screen and elated you got to be a part of it. Director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour franchise) took the helm from X-Men I and II director Bryan Singer in what must be one of the most disputed changes in Hollywood. Singer left the project to film next month’s Superman Returns and die hard X-Men fans are holding their breaths to see if Ratner stays true to the series. Well, they can heave a collective sigh of relief, for Ratner delivers, combining both his trademark big bang style and the X-Men complexity.

That’s all I’m going to say about the story, as I just don’t have the heart to ruin a thing for you. All the regular mutants are back, and the actors handle both the heavy stunts and socially pertinent themes with ease. It’s great to see bigger roles for Famke Janssen as Jean Grey and Sean Ashmore as Iceman. To bring up the stud factor, Ben Foster is Angel and Daniel Cudmore is Colossus. For a newbie, Kelsey Grammer as Beast — who brings the news of a mutant cure — kicks ass. Who knew he had it in him?

(I added pictures of Ben Foster and Daniel Cudmore for purely informational purposes...)

[JCinNYC2006]

Thanks for posting that, good article.  I'm a reader of the books from way back, and it always resonated for me as a gay kid growing up.  Being "just like them" and being able to "pass".  There was even a subplot about a virus that was initially only affecting mutants that was interesting.

Juan

[delalluvia]

The idea behind this episode of the X-Men was intriguing.

I've brought this up on other threads, but with the scientific community leaning toward homosexuality being mostly genetic, homophobes around the world are starting to get behind this idea.

And why?

Because someday, there may be gene therapy or gene exicision and the homosexuality of a child can be 'fixed' before they become an adult. 

 

I told this to a bisexual friend of mine who was aghast.

"What if we don't want to be fixed?"

So I loved the idea of this X-men episode.

I haven't seen the movie, but I am a little put off that it seems from the previews that the lovely and beauteous Storm character is virulently against a 'cure' since it is - in her mind - insulting.

But that is easy for her to say when she doesn't look like Mystique/Kurt/Beast and can have normal physical relationships with her fellow human beings, unlike say Rogue.

I find the attitude of her character extremely annoying.

EDITED TO ADD:  Storm really annoys me.  Maybe the comic books say more, but why is Storm at Xavier's?  It seems she can control the weather at will.  Why should that stop her from living in society?  She has no reason to actually use her power.  By being an X-Man, she has actually put herself in a position where she has to rely on her powers, when otherwise it seems no more an issue than being able to fart or burp really well and knowing one shouldn't use that ability in public.

[TOoP/Bruce]

Storm really annoys me.  Maybe the comic books say more, but why is Storm at Xavier's?  It seems she can control the weather at will.  Why should that stop her from living in society?  She has no reason to actually use her power.  By being an X-Man, she has actually put herself in a position where she has to rely on her powers, when otherwise it seems no more an issue than being able to fart or burp really well and knowing one shouldn't use that ability in public.

I found Storm annoying for another reason:  Storm often seems to be a complete waste of Halle Berry's looks and talent.  She really needs something to do dramatically between conjuring up thunderclouds and cyclones.  Too often she is left just standing around in a fabulous costume and an expensive white wig doing... what? 

Some of this seems to be Halle Berry's fault, since she isn't using her clout to make the most of her screen time.  She's got a best actress award under her belt -- put it use!  Make the writers work harder...

[JCinNYC2006]

I've read lots of print saying that Halle Berry only agreed to return for the third one if they expanded her role, including I think letting her fly.  So that did happen in this one finally.  I like her a lot as an actress but I was disappointed that her accent (like a few of the others) was eliminated after the first film.  The character is supposed to have grown up in Kenya, which is integral to her origin story.  Maybe that will be explored in another film but it's pretty interesting.

In a way, I think she was always cultivated by Xavier to be a team leader one day, like Cyclops.  I especially liked the scenes she had with Nightcrawler in X-2.  I'm sooooo glad that some of the rumors I read about Storm and Wolverine hooking up in this one were not true, that would have thrown things off for me too much.

Juan

[TOoP/Bruce]

I've read lots of print saying that Halle Berry only agreed to return for the third one if they expanded her role, including I think letting her fly.  So that did happen in this one finally.  I like her a lot as an actress but I was disappointed that her accent (like a few of the others) was eliminated after the first film.

I like Halle Berry, and I think she's got that special easy on the eyes quality.  I don't really care for her speaking voice, which I think could use some polish.  I am glad to hear she may have used some push to make her part better.   She seemed like a well dressed extra in X-Men 1.

[Shuggy]

“There’s nothing to cure. Nothing’s wrong with any of us.”

What do you think of that on a T-shirt with a rainbow?

(See http://www.cafepress.com/wero/1470381)

[SFEnnisSF]

It's also interesting that it's set in San Francisco.....

Hmmm.

[Impish]

I was disappointed in X-Men III.  It tried to become something more than Hollywood drivel but didn't quite make it, IMHO.

Want a popcorn movie with message?  Give me "V for Vendetta" any day!

[Shuggy]

I was disappointed in X-Men III.  It tried to become something more than Hollywood drivel but didn't quite make it, IMHO.

Want a popcorn movie with message?  Give me "V for Vendetta" any day!

I seems to be generally agareed that X-2 was the best of the 3. I've only seen X-1.

[Front-Ranger]

I haven't seen any of the X-men movies, but I read my grandsons stories about them (in a book, not on Kindle). So I was intrigued when I listened to an old episode of Radiolab today where courts were arguing whether X-man characters were toys or dolls. Each X-man or -woman has a power that was caused by a mutation. If you have a mutation, are you a mutant? If so, we are all mutants because we all have mutations. And, what degree of mutation do you need to have to not be a human being, but some other type of being? There's also a brief discussion about Magneto "coming out" to his parents about his mutation. Of course, the first question his mom had was if he could just not use his mutant powers. 

http://www.radiolab.org/story/epic-battles/

[CellarDweller]

I don't think in the stories the X-Men considered themselves 'non-humans'.

It's been  a while since I read any of the comic books or graphic novels, but when someone referred to a non-powered human, the term homo-sapien was used.  When one referred to a mutant, they were called "homo-superior".

[Front-Ranger]

It's been  a while since I read any of the comic books or graphic novels, but when someone referred to a non-powered human, the term homo-sapien was used.  When one referred to a mutant, they were called "homo-superior".

I like that idea! Meanwhile e-sports are going on and distracting legions of young men all over the globe. At my grandchildrens' house is a piece of furniture called a baker's rack. It served for many years to hold serving dishes in my dining room. Now, it would be more accurate to call it a gamer's rack!

[CellarDweller]

are they all online games?

[x-man]

I was a bit disappointed that no old-timers here suggested my Topic of a few years ago, MUTANT AS METAPHOR which explored the phenomenon of the first 3 xmen movies and homophobia rather fully.  Their relationship is not serendipity, it was quite intended as is seen in Xman 1.5