There’s a German word called schadenfreude, which has no direct translation into English but means something like “taking joy in the misfortune of others.” Now, I’m not saying that’s the Deutch wort that was floating through director Bryan Singer’s head when X-Men: The Last Stand — directed by Brett Ratner, who stepped in after Singer left the X-world he started to make Superman Returns — premiered to scorn from the fan and critical communities, but it’s only human to take a secret joy in getting empirical proof that one is the best at what they do. Especially if what they do is making X-Men movies — and, so we’re all clear, X2: X-Men United is one of the best superhero movies ever made.
So it’s good news that Singer is in talks to return to the world of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Professor X (Patrick Stewart), and a bunch of other interchangeable young mutants — I say that because Jean Grey and Scott Summers are dead, and you know Halle Berry isn’t coming back for a fourth attempt at giving an Oscar-worthy standing-in-the-background performance. While I wish Singer had gotten to close out the Dark Phoenix storyline in a manner that didn’t suck, I’m curious to see what he takes on. Will it be the next Wolverine flick? The still-simmering Magneto origin story? X-Men 4 — which, one can only hope, would feature the Hellfire Club (because what everyone needs is more superheroes in corsets)?
Does this bode well for the X-Men franchise? Or would new blood be a good thing?
Photo Credit: Everett Collection
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“X2: X-Men United is one of the best superhero movies ever made.”
You’re joking, right?
Dreadful movie. Not as bad as X3, but still, dreadful.
X2 is a fantastic movie, second only to The Dark Knight IMHO.
You’re of course entitled to your opinion, but you’re going to find yourself in the minority on that one.
Indeed everyone is entitled to their opinion but Lamar is NOT in the minority. X-2 was not ‘one of the best superhero movies ever made’ by any measure. Singer had some lucky shots but X-2 and Superman Returns showed he was a one trick pony.
X2 was fantastic. I would love Bryan Singer to come back to the fold.
x2 wasn’t as good a “movie” as the Dark Knight, But thats why he said “one of the best” ones. Because it is. And actually yes, according to polls,box office returns, and critic and fan base, x-2 WAS and is one of the best. Very little room for arguement here that doesn’t involve JUST your opinion
Lamar must be one of those fanboys who either want nonstop action in a movie or thinks no other superhero movie compares to Dark Knight.
There would be no Iron Man or Dark Knight if Singer hadn’t done what he did with his X-Men movies. He saved the superhero movie from the toilet it was in. He was took it far more seriously and was more respectful to the X-Men than the actual comic books had been.
Yo, Brent Ranter, Imma let you finish, Imma let you finish; but X2: X Men United was the best X Men movie of ALL TIME!!!
Correction:
Yo, **Brett Ratner**, Imma let you finish, Imma let you finish; but X2: X Men United was the best X Men movie of ALL TIME!!!
YAYAYAY! X Men 2 is one of my FAVORITE movies, and yes X Men 3 was horrible.
If nothing else this will occupy Singer’s time and save us (for a little while anyway) from a poorly executed Superman sequel. X2 was Shakespeare when compared to Superman Returns.
Mel, are we really still doing the Kanye thing? Still?
X4 doesnt sound like a good idea for so many reasons.
Schadenfraude is a song from Avenue Q, lol.
Yup, sure is. And a very real thing.
That didn’t make you laugh out loud. Can there be a moratorium on sentences ending in “lol” for absolutely no reason?
Can we just pretend X3 didn’t happen? Singer already did something similar with Superman Returns.
The second one was the best one! And I liked X3. I don’t know why everyone dogs it so much.
Cuz it was an inarticulate turd with a weak script and horrible plot choices.
I hope that if they do make another X Men movie it will mean redoing the first one and bringing out how the trilogy should have ended. (and please oh please don’t turn it into the Halle Berry show again!)
its SCHADENFREUDE … you spelled it wrong … dude fail
It’s spelled “it’s,” not “its.” Third grade spelling fail!
grammatic irony:
When a person correcting someone else’s grammar, spelling, or general intelligence makes a grammar or spelling mistake themselves. This does not count if the person has intentionally made the mistake. The phrase comes from “dramatic irony”, but is not actually a form of irony.
I didn’t like X2 that much, but I loved the first one! I would really like them to bring back Anna Paquin as Rogue and make Rogue into the strong, sassy woman she’s supposed to be! Maybe the cure doesn’t work so well… I mean, Rogue is supposed to gain more powers!
more cow bell!!!!
All 3 X-Men movies were awesome! People rag on “X-3″ because Brett Ratner directed it! “X-3″ delivered the action that the first 2 built up! You want a horrible comic book movie–see “Elektra”!!
….and welcome back Bryan Singer..hope you direct “Wolverine 2″!!
I’d hate to think the X-men movies ended on such a bum note as X3, so for that reason alone, I wouldn’t mind a fourth attempt to make for a more satisfying conclusion. Can they freaking finally include Gambit this time? Not that I’ve seen the Wolverine movie, but I refuse to accept that kid from Friday Night Lights as the sexiest Cajun mutant ever; they need a new Gambit.
Why I hate X3 in 4 words:
“I’m the Juggernaut, bitch!”
*sigh*
One of the best kept secrets : “Superman Returns” was actually a very superior, movie cinematic experience. There just wasn’t enough “BOOM!” or “SMASH!” or shiny objects to occupy most minds.
Well when you are making a comic book movie about the indestructable man of steel, people want the boom and smash, not a thought provoking movie about learning you knocked up your ex girlfriend. Trust me, I like intelligent movie, but superman isn’t supposed to be that, its supposed to be escapist fun.
I agree. X2 was the best of the 3, but X men 3 was hardly as bad as people make it. I’d say I thought that movie was better than Superman Returns. People hated Brett Ratner from the beginning, and I feel most didn’t give the guy a fair shot. Was it a great piece of cinema? NO. Was it an entertaining comic book movie with some cool action scenes? Absolutely. Also, the script was probably written before he came on, so you can’t blame a director for a weak script that the studio approves.
Heck YEA- Singer should come back! He can make X3 a bad dream (like in “Dallas”) and do a reboot!
There would be a lot more schadenfreude had X-Men 3 not, you know, actually outgrossed BOTH X-Men and X-Men 2, domestically and overseas. Singer may have the critics, but Ratner has scoreboard.
Bryan Singer directed one of the best superhero flicks ever. He deserves a chance to come back and correct the “damage” that was made. He really understood the material and also what it REALLY meant to be a mutant in society, how folks would deal with it, and tied it back to OUR world. Remember the IceMan scene…that is hands down one of the defining moments of X2. There are LOTS of people out there who could relate to that scene in every way. Can anyone dismiss that?
Superman Returns sucked. X3 is not as bad as people say, I think people just jump on the bandwagon, mob mentality. They say it sucks but never state why. I am tired of the moping Rogue storyline too.
X3 wasn’t really Ratner’s fault. No one could have made a good movie with the mess they had. Ratner didn’t have time, Fox was pushing the movie to be out way too fast (because of Superman Returns) and other things. I’m not a Ratner fan, but it was Fox’s fault, not his, that it was a mess. Ratner shouldn’t have taken the gig as it made him look bad, but it would have been crap regardless.
Fox is notorious for screwing things up for directors and writers. Just look what they did to Firefly. Same mentality at the film studio, apparently. They suck.
It also didn’t help that Matthew Vaughn, who had a decent storyline and a gritty film resume backed out at the last minute. I don’t think Ratner is anywhere near as talented as someone like Singer, but I do agree that Fox is not at all blameless in this.
I don’t see “schadenfreude” really applying here…it’s not like the studio fired Singer; he chose to do Superman Returns instead. You can’t blame the studio for picking another director if their first choice declined the opportunity.
Actually they did kinda fire him. Fox told him that he could make X-Men 3 when he finished up Superman, then they proceeded to make it without him.
Can Bryan Singer be allowed to “re-do” X-3, much as Hulk and Punisher have been giving the chance to “re-boot”, or even how the new superman ignored superman 3 and 4… and if he has to replace Halle Berry, all the better.
I guess I’m in the minority on this one, but I was really hoping there would be more Superman. Oh well! I’ll take X4 if I can get it. Hopefully it’s better than the Wolverine movie and X3.
I’d rather he came back for a Superman Returns sequel.
Not sure there are enough X-Men left for a fourth film (Cyke, Jean, and Xavier are dead with Rogue depowered). Maybe Singer could have Beast and Wolverine leading Colossus, Kitty (Ellen Page, is that you?), Iceman, Angel, and a few young mutants against Apocalypse. I would still like Rogue to be around, maybe realizing that she doesn’t fit in as Bobby’s girlfriend anymore.
If you noticed at the end of X3, Magneto was able to ever so slightly manipulate the metal chess piece, hinting that the “cure” is short-lived. So this means that Magneto, Mystique, Rogue, etc. are all potentially back in play. Only issue with Anna Paquin is if she can do another X-Men film and True Blood.
I’m glad he’s going back to X-Men and kind of backing off the Superman reboot that no one really asked for or needed or wanted. I’m still irked that he left X3 to Ratner’s tender mercies, but oh well. There’s a lot of life left in X-Men, even without a few of the main characters. And let’s face it, is ANYONE in the X-Men ever really dead?
And yes, X2 was and remains one of the best comic book movies. Even the first X-Men has to be recognized as pioneering. No X-Men in 2000, no Spider-Man, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Hulk (either one), Iron Man, Superman Returns, etc.