X-Men Apocalypse - Singer returns to direct - 2016

[Mr Cochese]

Quest For Peace is the best one.

[Sarlaccfood]

The plane rescue ending in the baseball stadium is the best superman we've had on screen. When the audience applauds it's hair raising.

Unfortunately you then have to go and turn off the television.

[Sabreman]

Returns was weird because of the rape thing

This comment has come up before, and somebody needs to explain it to me.

I don't want to type 'Superman rape' into google, either.

[Alex W.]

Superman and Lois did the deed after he revealed his secret identity to her. Then he wiped her memory of the entire thing to protect her from the possible ramifications of knowing his secret identity.

[Nick R]

Superman Returns follows on from Superman II, in which de-powered Clark sleeps with Lois and then wipes her memory when he gets his powers back.

He then spends at least one scene in Returns spying on her.

[Sabreman]

Okay. Explain the rape part to me.

[Alex W.]

He used his super-rohipnol.

[McCoy]

Surely after the sex part though?

[Mr Cochese]

I don't remember the rape either.

[Alex W.]

I think the argument depends on (Werner Herzog voice) deep philosophical ambiguities regarding retroactive amnesia and the concept of agency.

I think we can all agree that erasing someone's memory of you knocking them up is a dick move though.

[Delargey]

Yeah but he's saved the world loads, he is probably allowed one post sex mind wipe.

[Mr Cochese]

Superman probably also had to use the mindwipe on himself after what happened with Wonderwoman and the Invisible Man that time.

[Pelekophoros]

After Man of Steel proved how bad you can screw up Superman, Returns doesn't seem too bad in retrospect.

Superman Returns is an awful film. Something coming after it and being a fairly different beast with the same characters doesn't make it any less awful, or any less of an artistic failure. Both films make the same kind of mistakes, but in opposite directions, which is an interesting thing to review.

Back to the X chaps though - Days Of Future Past was also pretty rubbish. This second stage of Singer's career appears to be built on taking favourite things from the collective Nerd's childhood and ruining them, including the movie series he kicked off himself.

[BitterToad]

Days of Future past was great, reviewed really well and made a fuck ton of money. Singer's had his misteps but people talking in here like the general opinion is that he can't make a good film any more is crazy.

[Lorfarius]

Returns had its moments but few and far between, the whole airplane sequence was great that was how Superman films should be. But the rest was just boring and he refused to deal with Clark Kent properly which was a shame.

[Pelekophoros]

Days of Future past was great, reviewed really well and made a fuck ton of money. Singer's had his misteps but people talking in here like the general opinion is that he can't make a good film any more is crazy.

I can only speak for myself, but all of the best things in DoFP were built upon the foundations of First Class, while all the worst bits (and there were plenty) felt as though they came from Singer's own imagination. I thought it had its moments, but didn't really hit the highs it should have considering (a criticism I also think applies to The Wolverine).

I'd look to Apocalypse as a real measure of Singer. I think it'll be more "his" film than something riffing on bits of something he did a decade previously and a good return to form for the series in Vaughn. So, that said, Apocalypse is so many different kinds of wrong it's scary. I guess he may change size, though:

[Mr Cochese]

One of the best bits of DOFP was "Janaury Jones died on the way to her home planet".

[Hexx]

I thought (although I've only watched DofP once) that all the mutants that didn't cross over from FC were all brutally experimented on/dissected by Trask? So she didn't "go home"...she suffered horribly and was then murdered.

YMMV on how fair that is based on their character/acting

[Mr Cochese]

Was Banshee one of the mutants who got horribly dissected? I hope so - that version of Banshee was totally fucked.

[Hexx]

Erik mentions that Banshee, along with Azazel, Emma Frost, and Angel, had died in between 1962 and 1973, and blames Charles for their deaths. He was most likely among those experimented on and killed by Trask.

[makkuwata]

Okay. Explain the rape part to me.

It wasn't rape, but she doesn't know that and it's never addressed. It should probably have been addressed, but it would be awkward for the parents with kids in the audience.

[monkeydog]

I just assumed they were having a fling from the 'can you read my mind' non-musical number up until Supes scooted off to Krypton. No need for rapiness.

[JohnC]

The first trailer will be released with the new Star Wars movie.

[papalazarou]

trailer up

[Gabe]

Hmm, can't say that trailer grabbed me at all.

[BitterToad]

Waiting for the Gif of the apocalypse growing shot.

I think it actually looks a lot better than I was expecting. DOFP was great so colour me fairly excited.

[Alex W.]

The DoFP trailer didn't exactly grab me either, and that turned out to be pretty solid. So, I'm optimistic.

[Tofu]

X-men animation still the standard to beat, its amazing how these massive blockbusters completely miss the point.

[Broker]

I liked all of that except for the bald at the end.

I know everybody hates it being all about Wolverine, but I do find myself asking "where's Wolverine?" whenever he's off screen.

[Smoothy]

Returns was weird because of the rape thing, but 1 had the dumb reversing time stuff and 2 had the dumb "My chest symbol can be ripped off to wrap you up and trap you, don't worry about it. This movie is a treasure. I was a child when I saw these ones so therefore they're great forever." thing.

The reversing-time stuff was supposed to be the end of 2, apparently (which Donner had filmed most of while doing the first film). Not sure who made the decision to move on the end of the first film, probably the Salkinds as a result of the deteriorating relationship with Donner and their conflicting vision.

The "ripping-insignia-off-chest" thing is all Lester though, I think.

In short, if Donner had been left alone to do all of both films, we wouldn't even be here talking about the supposed jokey bits, and it's a miracle that both films are still held up as what superhero movies should look like.

And as for the X-Men: Apocalypse trailer, as long as Apocalypse is as bad-ass as he is in the 90's cartoon, then I'll be happy!