Will we ever get a truly fantastic X-Men movie?

[RoJoHen]

And by fantastic, I don't mean quality. I mean, will we ever get an X-Men movie that truly embraces the scifi/fantasy sides of X-Men? Will we get a movie with the Shi'ar Empire and a giant flaming bird? Will we get a movie with Cable traveling through time to destroy Apocalypse? Will we ever travel to the Savage Land?

While I appreciate the current run of superhero movies trying to tie the stories down to reality, I feel like they are squandering the potential for some of these epic stories. I find it strange that the film industry hasn't tried to capitalize on some of the more famous X-Men stories. Hell, the Dark Phoenix saga (the real one, not the bullshit of X-Men 3) could make a truly spectacular series of movies.

With movies now like "Thor" and "The Green Lantern" dealing with aliens and more exotic things, will this open up the door for X-Men to feel comfortable doing the same?

 

[Obiwanshinobi]

I think when the budget and the ability to do the SFX (not implying just CGI but other SFX) gets cheaper and easier to do then maybe the studios will be more willing to tell those stories. The blueprint to the stories are already there. It will probably take some time to cut out alot of the convoluted fluff and condense into a 2 to 3 hour movie, but it's there. So I think it will be a good while before we get there to see something like that. Let's see how Vaughn's X-Men: First Class turns out first.

What would really cool is a photorealistic CGI animation of an X-Men movie, much akin to Final Fantasy: Advent Children's animation. I would love something like that to happen for an X-Men movie, Avengers movie and Justice League movie. Just keep Robert Zemeckis away from them though, haha. Not saying his all CGI movies have been bad, I don't think he would be a good fit for those though.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ What about George Miller?

 

[Admiral_Young]

I don't think so. I think it is a matter of condescending these more fantastical story arcs and breaking them down for a two hour movie. I think Bryan Singer stated in the first X-Men movie documentary that this was one of the things that was difficult for him. All the history the franchise has...what story to tell? This is what the writers of X-Men 4 are going to have to deal with and why we have kind of got a movie version of the franchise. I think the stories suggested by the original poster would be best told in an animated medium. A really good X-Men animated series is needed.

 

[Caliburn24]

Honestly it all depends on the financial success of Thor, Green Lantern and The Avengers(if the rumors of alien involvement in the plot are true).

Hollywood has found that audiences are willing to give the realism/gimmick of superheroes a pass. But Hollywood, at least for its biggest tentpoles, thinks that audiences won't buy into fantastical settings and alien worlds in addition to superheros.

It is kind of like the problem that keeps so many good science fiction stories from getting made, namely that the further you get from the human setting and experience of today, the harder it is for an audience to relate or care about the movie.

 

[Obiwanshinobi]

^ What about George Miller?

Yeah, he would be a great choice. I'd prefer him over Zemeckis.

 

[RoJoHen]

It is kind of like the problem that keeps so many good science fiction stories from getting made, namely that the further you get from the human setting and experience of today, the harder it is for an audience to relate or care about the movie.

People say this, and it just doesn't make sense to me. Some of the biggest money-making movies are science fiction or fantasy and take place in completely bizarre settings. Star Wars, The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, Avatar...

Hell, two of the longest running TV franchises, Star Trek and Doctor Who, are science fiction!

 

[exodus]

And by fantastic, I don't mean quality. I mean, will we ever get an X-Men movie that truly embraces the scifi/fantasy sides of X-Men? Will we get a movie with the Shi'ar Empire and a giant flaming bird? Will we get a movie with Cable traveling through time to destroy Apocalypse? Will we ever travel to the Savage Land?

While I appreciate the current run of superhero movies trying to tie the stories down to reality, I feel like they are squandering the potential for some of these epic stories. I find it strange that the film industry hasn't tried to capitalize on some of the more famous X-Men stories. Hell, the Dark Phoenix saga (the real one, not the bullshit of X-Men 3) could make a truly spectacular series of movies.

With movies now like "Thor" and "The Green Lantern" dealing with aliens and more exotic things, will this open up the door for X-Men to feel comfortable doing the same?

I hope not.
I think the fighting for equality theme the X-Men had was more universally embraced as a story plot than a film that gives more flash than substance. I think for me proof of that is the acceptance of X-Men 1&2 that choose substance over flash, compared to disappointment of X3 that when for flash over substance. I think getting away from the theme of equality is what brought the modern X-Books down in the first place.

 

[RoJoHen]

I think for me proof of that is the acceptance of X-Men 1&2 that choose substance over flash, compared to disappointment of X3 that when for flash over substance.

Well, frankly, I'm tired of people choosing one over the other. You can have both substance AND flash. You just need to be smart about what you're doing.

 

[exodus]

It is kind of like the problem that keeps so many good science fiction stories from getting made, namely that the further you get from the human setting and experience of today, the harder it is for an audience to relate or care about the movie.

People say this, and it just doesn't make sense to me. Some of the biggest money-making movies are science fiction or fantasy and take place in completely bizarre settings. Star Wars, The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, Avatar...

Hell, two of the longest running TV franchises, Star Trek and Doctor Who, are science fiction!

..but what keeps Star Wars & Trek running is the human element. It's Trek's themes of morals & ethics is what gives it praise, not the fiction of it. Star Wars is every persons belief that good must beat evil, not the droids or aliens. Avatar is about equality. The Matrix is about the fight not to loose your humanity in the mechanical world.
All of it has a human relatable element. The sci-fi parts of it are just the frosting.

 

[exodus]

I think for me proof of that is the acceptance of X-Men 1&2 that choose substance over flash, compared to disappointment of X3 that when for flash over substance.

Well, frankly, I'm tired of people choosing one over the other. You can have both substance AND flash. You just need to be smart about what you're doing.

They were.
Which is why X1&2 are good.

 

[RoJoHen]

It is kind of like the problem that keeps so many good science fiction stories from getting made, namely that the further you get from the human setting and experience of today, the harder it is for an audience to relate or care about the movie.

People say this, and it just doesn't make sense to me. Some of the biggest money-making movies are science fiction or fantasy and take place in completely bizarre settings. Star Wars, The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, Avatar...

Hell, two of the longest running TV franchises, Star Trek and Doctor Who, are science fiction!

..but what keeps Star Wars & Trek running is the human element. It's Trek's themes of morals & ethics is what gives it praise, not the fiction of it. Star Wars is every persons belief that good must beat evil, not the droids or aliens. Avatar is about equality. The Matrix is about the fight not to loose your humanity in the mechanical world.
All of it has a human relatable element. The sci-fi parts of it are just the frosting.

I completely agree, and I think all of the X-Men's fantastic epic stories have human elements. I mean, at its heart (I think), the Dark Phoenix Saga is about a group of people trying to save their loved one. Aliens and super powers do not cancel that out.

 

[JacksonArcher]

Will we ever get a truly fantastic X-Men movie?

We did. It was called X2.

 

[RoJoHen]

Will we ever get a truly fantastic X-Men movie?

We did. It was called X2.

Please read before responding.

 

[exodus]

People say this, and it just doesn't make sense to me. Some of the biggest money-making movies are science fiction or fantasy and take place in completely bizarre settings. Star Wars, The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, Avatar...

Hell, two of the longest running TV franchises, Star Trek and Doctor Who, are science fiction!

..but what keeps Star Wars & Trek running is the human element. It's Trek's themes of morals & ethics is what gives it praise, not the fiction of it. Star Wars is every persons belief that good must beat evil, not the droids or aliens. Avatar is about equality. The Matrix is about the fight not to loose your humanity in the mechanical world.
All of it has a human relatable element. The sci-fi parts of it are just the frosting.

I completely agree, and I think all of the X-Men's fantastic epic stories have human elements. I mean, at its heart (I think), the Dark Phoenix Saga is about a group of people trying to save their loved one. Aliens and super powers do not cancel that out.

No, just budget & time restrictions do.
If you noticed, Marvel doesn't give directors or script writers any time to really plan, write or set up these films.
They set a release date before one word is written.
The types of films you're looking for won't get made until Marvel understands, good films take time.

 

[exodus]

Will we ever get a truly fantastic X-Men movie?

We did. It was called X2.

Amen!

 

[RoJoHen]

Well, yeah, I understand that part, but that doesn't mean it will never happen.

 

[exodus]

Well, yeah, I understand that part, but that doesn't mean it will never happen.

Judging from their comics and how they run their business, Marvel gave up quality for a quick buck along time ago. So I don't hold my breath for the things you're asking for, sorry.

 

[Corran Horn]

The best you'll see some of these handled in terms of on-screen stuff is the cartoon series, probably.

(whether you liked that or not, I don't know)