The Final X-Men
*Warning! This contains spoilers*
The first X-Men instalment came out in 2000. I was only four years old at the time, but I still remember watching it for the first time on VCR. (Back when VHS tapes were all the range). It was one of those films you watch as a family and enjoy because it had a mixture of drama and fantasy and dare I say it, magic.
Obviously, now that I’m 20 and well educated in the Marvel universe, I for sure know that no magic was involved in X-Men. As a child, you think of the mutant power you would like and what you would do with your mutation. I mean, I knew I wanted to work for good, alongside the X-Men, with teleporting as my power. (I had a strong sense of jealousy aimed at Nightcrawler in the comics and in the film for possessing the mutation I wanted). I remember having a HUGE crush on James Marsden as Cyclops. (I’m using past tense but I still have a huge crush on James Marsden as Cyclops- insert heart eye emoji-)
Considering the series has been a huge part of my life, you can understand the sadness I felt when I went to watch the final X-Men instalment. Logan was every bit of greatness and it didn’t lack in the storytelling. I mean, I would have liked more comic book references to ‘Old Man Logan’, but there’s only so much you can wish for.
I must say, the comedy at the start of the film was enjoyable. Watching Logan and Charles bicker back and forwards like two brothers was both hilarious and heart-warming. It’s a relationship I have enjoyed watching.
Both characters are dying and it’s obvious in their actions and appearances.
Anyone remember William Stryker? The sole person that is behind the adamantium inside of Wolverine. I hated the guy when he was introduced in the second instalment, and my hate continued to grow when his face popped up in the later instalments. It seems that no matter how much the past and future got altered, Wolverines fate is always the same. Thankfully, he wasn’t in the final film, but someone had to take the role of wanting mutant extension and in this case, the creation of 'X-23'. X-23 is the experimentation of mutant DNA being used to create an army of children to teach them how to fight. We get to see footage of how the children get treated, and honestly, it made me feel sick. I had to keep reminding myself that this is, in fact a film.
However, there is one scene that gets to me, that links perfectly with the ‘Old Man Logan’ comic books. The scene of Charles Xavier’s death. For anyone who has read the comics, Logan kills all the X-Men under the influence of Mysterio. So, it was only natural for the final member of the X-Men, other than Wolverine himself, to die at the hands of Logan. Watching Wolverine kill Xavier had me silently crying in the back of the Vue, trying hard to keep my composure and my makeup intact. Obviously, there had to be a reason why Logan would do such a thing, but I’ve given one spoiler away from that scene, so I’ll let you watch and discover the rest.
Now, another main character in the film is the young girl Laura. In the comics, she is known as ‘X-23’. If you haven’t guessed it already, she is the daughter of Wolverine. And from what we see in the movie, it’s fair to say that she is A LOT stronger than her father. She has retractable adamantium bone claws in her hands and feet. Considering she’s only 10 years of age, she manages to handle and defeat men ten times the size of her.
The growing relationship between Wolverine and Laura is slow, and they fail to realise that they’re beginning to care for each other. Thankfully, at the beginning, they had Charles as the connection. From there, it allowed them to get closer. It’s a shame they didn’t have longer to allow their relation to blossom, before the death of Wolverine.
The saddest moment of all was waiting for the credits to end. Myself and everyone in the Vue knew it was the final instalment of the X-Men series, but we waited. However, there wasn’t an end credit scene and everyone left the cinema disappointed.
It feels like the end of an era, now that the X-Men series is supposedly over. But I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a new instalment or a regeneration of the entire series, beginning with the first film. I know it's wishful thinking, but I only wish that they manage to keep the same actors.
Stay lovely .x
A/N: All credit of the banner and photo goes to the owner.
