Hey folks, Harry here with a peek at what was seen of actual X-MEN footage up at TOY FAIR yesterday as our spy, The Toy Hacker, saw it. I really wish I had seen this stuff because... I'm very... anxious about the actual footage..how the characters look and act together. This does sound moderately encouraging though. Here ya go...
Hi, This is "Toy Hacker"!
Yes, This is the first review of the X-Men Movie pre-trailer. Please feature this on your site & I promised my friend Graig (Graig F. Weich) that I would give him a plug for his web site since he got me into to ToyFair 2000 to see all this cool stuff, so if you list this review, please post his web site next to it or somewhere in the review. It's: www.BeyondcomicsInc.com He said he'd appreciate it (& yes, he said I could use his name =). Also, he's the guy that is the feature poster artist for SPAWN issue #30 for ImageComics & did a real cool: live action-Starwars episode 1 spoof with full digital FX you can see on the site. Ok, now on to the review:
X-Men the Movie Pre-Trailer review!
It's Dark, ToyBiz, the makers of the X-Men movie figures, have security everywhere. People are being turned away from seeing the X-Men Movie related products, but not us! My friend Graig is a comicbook artist & got us right in, thanks Man! You can see the work he did on SPAWN & his STARWARS Movie spoof at: www.BeyondcomicsInc.com We're now sitting in this dark mini movie-screening room! It's surrounded by Full-life size color cardboard cutouts of the whole cast of the X-men from the Movie! This Pix u've all seen on Harry's site are, Yes, Are the final way the characters will look in the movie.
First off, Storm's wig is just how you saw it, bad. Those pix on Harry's site are the Final costumes, not preproduction shots! the only thing is that they kept the gold stripes on Wolverines sides! In the new pix on your site, they were not there, only on the stunt man's costume, but they kept them in! Wolverine will NOT have a mask! Damn! Next, Yes, that's the way Ray Park will look, like a 1980's break dancer, but don't worry true believers, all's not lost.
Now the Toys Kick ass! They look like Mcfarlane toys! I think that's because they hired the same sculptors, so the rep said. The faces are perfect! the toys will be about 5 & 1/2 inches tall & there will be 10 &1/2"inch-cloth figures released over seas(I'll have pix for you in the coming weeks) & yes, they made the whole cast! OOH, OOH! Magneto looks great! He's decked out, all in black with the traditional red helmet & the inside of the black cape is Red! BOOM! The lights go out & the Trailer begins! Ok, this is cool!
It was clear that the film had not been "cleaned up " yet, this was the original stock footage! They cut together some great clips that must've lasted about 6:min. It looks like the Weapon-X story will be apart of this & Jackman/Wolverine looks great as weapon-X without the shirt, he's actually RIPPED & Hairy like Wolverine!
The bad points: Costumes!
The good points: Everything, yes, everything else!!!!
The whole movie looks like the opening of the MATRIX when Trinity is being chased! The Music they had playing was Super Matrix like! THE OVER ALL LOOK:
There is no bright or flashy colors in this movie! Everything is very subtle!
Now don't freak out, but it felt very much like the Generation-X TV movie! These are not the X-men we see in the comics, who are older & Bigger than life, these are misunderstood teens who find a home with Prof.X. The acting is amazing, really! The whole look and feel is very real, not a fake world! I guess that's why they gave them these BMX racer outfits. I just wish they at least gave them boots! They have long pants & wear shoes (see the stunt man pix U posted up). Ok, lot's of quick clicps/flashes! Cyclops Blasts his laser beam which is a controlled blast, not Big & flashy! Wolverine "Skints" out his Claws! The Claws pop out using CG & then morph into the real ones! They Are NOT Big & long, they look about 10 &1/2"inches long & are curved at the ends like in the weapon X comic & kind of like in John Burn's version of the X-men book.
But like I said, They're not Huge & powerful, everything in this movie is done calmly & subtly, Not big & flashy. I hope it works!
Wolverine Rides this Bike, which will play an important part in the movie! I don't know why, but that's what they said! (We sat on the actual Bike that was used in the movie, which they had there =) The have this perfect X-Jet, just like in the comics & cartoon & for those of you who were paying attention, in Episode 1, Starwars. The final battle will be Wolverine vs. Sabertooth on the Statue of Liberty!
Now they upped the budget of the film to 100Million of which ToyBiz sunk in about 12Million! About 50% of the Effect were not finished! I did See a CG Cyclops(only in one scene, like that CG Darth Maul in SW) & Toad, Ray Park(DathMaul), will finally get to show his Mug(face) & kicks dat ass! They digitally have him shoot out his tongue & his legs extend like a...Toad! I know this sounds uncool, but it looked right. G-d, I want Mystiquc! She's soooo very naked! Yeah baby! Magneto flies in & uses his "force"-like powers to ripple the metal floors, which thoughs everyone off balance! He pulls everyones weapons out of their hands etc! They showed us a lot, I mean a lot of these clips, but the ones I descibed were the best. Also, Sabertooth looks rather good. like a WereWolf! Trust me, it works!
They Said that the actual trailer with full FX will hit in a few weeks =)
Oh, I should say that the overseas Wolverine that sits on the X-Bike, does have boots! The U.S.toys Do not, so maybe Wolvie only wears them when he rides! THAT'S IT! There's all the discombobulated info!
Well, hit or miss, let's hope that X, marks the spot!
The Toy Hacker.
