XTAS Reviews
Apr. 20th, 2010 08:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stormkeeper_lovedorisOne week till I have to be out of my house - what the heck, here are some XTAS reviews!
Episode: Whatever It Takes
Brief summary: As Wolverine chases after Morph, the Shadow King returns and messes with Storm’s foster son, Mjnari.
- An article was recently posted listing a writer’s 21 favorite episodes of XTAS. This episode was on there. The writer says that it was “refreshingly different in setting, villain, and tone”. Different it may have been, but this one’s always been a total snooze in my book. Sorry, Storm.
- Wolverine’s dedication to Morph is admirable. He is a great friend to track him down like this. Also, sad moment when we get another reminder of how disliked mutants are, when the guy steering Wolverine’s boat makes that anti-mutant comment.
- I think it’s interesting that Storm hasn’t told any of the X-men about Mjnari. Rogue, at least, is visibly surprised.
- I guess I’m stating the obvious, but it’s clear Wolverine still has it bad for Jean! All Morph has to do is shapeshift into ‘Jean’, tell Wolverine that she doesn’t love him, and he freaks.
- I’ve always wondered about Storm’s age in XTAS. I think it’s because her voice sounds, well, old to me. I think the creators may have been aiming for regal but I honestly think they got seasoned. In the flashback to Mjnari’s birth, Storm looks like she has to be minimum 18 years old. Assuming Mjnari is somewhere around 13 now, that means Storm is 31 at least.
- There’s a nice foreshadowing to “A Rogue’s Tale” in here, when the Shadow King comments that Rogue’s body is “crowded”.
- Something doesn’t sit right with me here. It’s clear that Mjnari is dear to Storm and vice versa. I can’t reconcile that with the fact that Mjnari is never heard from again! If I’m correct, he does have a cameo or two in later episodes but it still makes no sense to me that Storm – busy as she is - doesn’t spend more time with him. Why not have Mjnari join the X-men? Sure, he’s young but he can’t be much younger than Jubilee. Maybe Storm thinks life as an X-man is too dangerous and feels he’s safer in his village.
- The below screenshot doesn’t have much to do with this review, but I thought a few Magneto/Xavier shippers might appreciate the bromance.
- Rating: I can’t give it any more than 2 stars. A few cool moments and I do love Storm, but the episode is just dull dull dull.
Episode: Red Dawn
Brief summary: The evil Omega Red is resuscitated by Soviet generals, and it’s up to Colossus and the X-men to stop him.
- I admit that I get a bit bored by the endless scenes of Magneto and Xavier wandering around the Savage Land throughout Season Two. But I do like a quote from Charles this episode: “I do not yearn for an easy life, Magneto. Only a just one”.
- XTAS has a lot of nice little touches. One of the early scenes that takes place in Russia has dialogue in Russian, with English subtitles. Nice bit of authenticity. And as always, XTAS is consistent with its use of music. There are a few notes that are played only in the episodes in which Omega Red appears.
- Interesting how Wolverine has a “history” with so many of the bad guys in this series. We can add Omega Red to the list that includes Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike, etc. (On the other hand, he is the oldest so maybe it’s normal that he has a history with a lot of folks.)
- I like Dark Star. It would’ve been cool to see her again in another episode. Maybe she and Colossus would’ve made a good couple too.
- Also, sadly, this episode marks Colossus’ second and final speaking role in XTAS.
- FOH makes another appearance, this time taunting a shop clerk who allows mutants in his store. FOH is so evil.
- Early in the episode, Jubilee mentions that Cyclops, Jean, and Beast are in DC testifying before Congress. I would’ve loved to have seen that. In fact, it may have been more interesting than the actual episode we ended up with…
- Jubilee so badly wants to do more and get involved. We see this theme so much in XTAS, I’m starting to feel for her!
- I’m impressed by how much of a family man Colossus is. (I take back what I said during “The Unstoppable Juggernaut” about him being “big and dumb”!) I also enjoyed the brief, tantalizing scenes of his background in Russia. Close to his family and a hard worker, he’s ostracized by a paranoid society for being different. He doesn’t want his loved ones to suffer the stigma of being associated with him. In XTAS, he never joins the X-men though – maybe he can’t bear to be too far from his family, even though he needs to keep some distance from them.
- Oh, and Colossus is always so optimistic too! “I will free them now!” and “Then we will get lucky again!” are some of his quotes this episode. He’s the opposite of uptight.
- Once again, I love the strong women in this show. Omega Red notes that Rogue is “the strongest of Wolverine’s friends”. And it’s Storm’s powers which ultimately imprison Omega Red again.
- Rating: Three stars. It wasn’t bad but I didn’t see much in here to put it anywhere above average.
Episode: Whatever It Takes
Brief summary: As Wolverine chases after Morph, the Shadow King returns and messes with Storm’s foster son, Mjnari.
- An article was recently posted listing a writer’s 21 favorite episodes of XTAS. This episode was on there. The writer says that it was “refreshingly different in setting, villain, and tone”. Different it may have been, but this one’s always been a total snooze in my book. Sorry, Storm.
- Wolverine’s dedication to Morph is admirable. He is a great friend to track him down like this. Also, sad moment when we get another reminder of how disliked mutants are, when the guy steering Wolverine’s boat makes that anti-mutant comment.
- I think it’s interesting that Storm hasn’t told any of the X-men about Mjnari. Rogue, at least, is visibly surprised.
- I guess I’m stating the obvious, but it’s clear Wolverine still has it bad for Jean! All Morph has to do is shapeshift into ‘Jean’, tell Wolverine that she doesn’t love him, and he freaks.
- I’ve always wondered about Storm’s age in XTAS. I think it’s because her voice sounds, well, old to me. I think the creators may have been aiming for regal but I honestly think they got seasoned. In the flashback to Mjnari’s birth, Storm looks like she has to be minimum 18 years old. Assuming Mjnari is somewhere around 13 now, that means Storm is 31 at least.
- There’s a nice foreshadowing to “A Rogue’s Tale” in here, when the Shadow King comments that Rogue’s body is “crowded”.
- Something doesn’t sit right with me here. It’s clear that Mjnari is dear to Storm and vice versa. I can’t reconcile that with the fact that Mjnari is never heard from again! If I’m correct, he does have a cameo or two in later episodes but it still makes no sense to me that Storm – busy as she is - doesn’t spend more time with him. Why not have Mjnari join the X-men? Sure, he’s young but he can’t be much younger than Jubilee. Maybe Storm thinks life as an X-man is too dangerous and feels he’s safer in his village.
- The below screenshot doesn’t have much to do with this review, but I thought a few Magneto/Xavier shippers might appreciate the bromance.
- Rating: I can’t give it any more than 2 stars. A few cool moments and I do love Storm, but the episode is just dull dull dull.
Episode: Red Dawn
Brief summary: The evil Omega Red is resuscitated by Soviet generals, and it’s up to Colossus and the X-men to stop him.
- I admit that I get a bit bored by the endless scenes of Magneto and Xavier wandering around the Savage Land throughout Season Two. But I do like a quote from Charles this episode: “I do not yearn for an easy life, Magneto. Only a just one”.
- XTAS has a lot of nice little touches. One of the early scenes that takes place in Russia has dialogue in Russian, with English subtitles. Nice bit of authenticity. And as always, XTAS is consistent with its use of music. There are a few notes that are played only in the episodes in which Omega Red appears.
- Interesting how Wolverine has a “history” with so many of the bad guys in this series. We can add Omega Red to the list that includes Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike, etc. (On the other hand, he is the oldest so maybe it’s normal that he has a history with a lot of folks.)
- I like Dark Star. It would’ve been cool to see her again in another episode. Maybe she and Colossus would’ve made a good couple too.
- Also, sadly, this episode marks Colossus’ second and final speaking role in XTAS.
- FOH makes another appearance, this time taunting a shop clerk who allows mutants in his store. FOH is so evil.
- Early in the episode, Jubilee mentions that Cyclops, Jean, and Beast are in DC testifying before Congress. I would’ve loved to have seen that. In fact, it may have been more interesting than the actual episode we ended up with…
- Jubilee so badly wants to do more and get involved. We see this theme so much in XTAS, I’m starting to feel for her!
- I’m impressed by how much of a family man Colossus is. (I take back what I said during “The Unstoppable Juggernaut” about him being “big and dumb”!) I also enjoyed the brief, tantalizing scenes of his background in Russia. Close to his family and a hard worker, he’s ostracized by a paranoid society for being different. He doesn’t want his loved ones to suffer the stigma of being associated with him. In XTAS, he never joins the X-men though – maybe he can’t bear to be too far from his family, even though he needs to keep some distance from them.
- Oh, and Colossus is always so optimistic too! “I will free them now!” and “Then we will get lucky again!” are some of his quotes this episode. He’s the opposite of uptight.
- Once again, I love the strong women in this show. Omega Red notes that Rogue is “the strongest of Wolverine’s friends”. And it’s Storm’s powers which ultimately imprison Omega Red again.
- Rating: Three stars. It wasn’t bad but I didn’t see much in here to put it anywhere above average.
