DC
SuperHero Girls: Legends Of Atlantis
(2018/Warner DVD)/PJ
Masks: Mighty Moon Problem
(2014, 2018/Fox DVD)/X-Men
3-Film Collection Trilogy
(2000, 2003, 2006/Marvel Comics/Fox 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray
Set)
4K
Ultra HD Picture: A/A-/A- Picture: C+/C+/B+ Sound: C+/C+/B+
Extras: C+/D/B Main Programs: C+/C+/A B+ C-
Next
up are three new releases of superhero teams, two newer animated
series and the Ultra High Definition upgrade of a trilogy with two
directors whose careers have met with extreme scandal...
First,
we'll look at two continuing series of child-aimed superhero animated
TV shows and their latest installments, beginning with one of the
better ones, DC
SuperHero Girls: Legends Of Atlantis
(2018) which is as good an entry as it gives young Mera a chance to
get developed more The humor is about the same (they are all a
little more insecure than they've ever been in any other incarnation
and even get joined by Teen Titans members) but this is a short
telefilm and not episodes compilation.
Thus,
I was struck that we get an extra TV special in Super
Hero High,
NOT to be confused with the separate Super-Villain
High
DVD (actually a LEGO installment) we reviewed at this link...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/15165/Daphne+&+Velma+(Warner+Blu-ray+w/DVD)/LEG
That
makes this as good a DVD in the non-LEGO series to get so far. The
energy and tone of this show is a plus.
The
other DVD, PJ
Masks: Mighty Moon Problem
(2018), is a 6-episode compilation of the reasonably comical antics
of Owletta, Catboy and Geeko that is not going to shock anyone or be
highly memorable, but is child-friendly enough that I am surprised
this is not a bigger hit having been around for a few years.
However, it might be with that age group, so what do us adults know?
There
are no extras here, but there is just enough here to justify what ewe
get, though the misassumption is children have a limited attention
span, so only put so much on the discs. That's wrong, but that's
ultimately for the fans to decide.
As
for playback, the anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image on both
DVDs, as well as the lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 on SuperHero
and lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo on Masks
are just fine and play passably well. Hard to believe either have
not hit Blu-ray yet.
Now
for the live action set...
Director
Bryan Singer has been met with his fair share of controversy and
critics over his hit and miss career but his first two X-Men
films (and the ghastly third installment) get the 4K UHD upgrade in
this new release from Fox. While the extras aren't anything new, the
transfers do look noticeably better here which will make hardcore
fans want to upgrade to the X-Men
3-Film Collection Trilogy
(2000, 2003,
2006) 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Set.
When
the first X-Men
film came out in 2000, there wasn't a Marvel Studios yet or the
Christopher Nolan Dark
Knight Trilogy
even, so in this regard these films definitely paved the way for what
was to come. The sequels of X2:
X-Men United
(2003) and X3:
The Last Stand
came in the years to follow and certainly helped launch many of the
star's careers into superstardom (namely Hugh Jackman).
X-Men
(2000) - In my opinion, still the strongest entry in the whole X-Men
series, there was a lot of style and inspiration behind this film as
is evident when you watch it again today. Michael Kamen's
unforgettable score was never matched in later installments and its
organic and wild originality helped give the film a stronger backbone
than the other installments. The effects, even with this 4K Ultra HD
upgrade, have surprisingly aged well as there are only a few moments
where you can tell they could be better done now.
The
cast is simply phenomenal with Jackman as Wolverine for the first
time, Patrick Stewart as Professor X, Famke Janssen as Jean Grey,
Halley Berry as Storm, James Marsden as Cyclops, Anna Paquin as
Rogue, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, Ray Park as Toad, Tyler Mane as
Sabertooth and Sir. Ian McKellen as Magento.
Mutants
are now becoming more prevalent in modern society and the government
has started to take notice. As Magneto conjures up a plan to even
the battlefield, Professor X rallies together a team of mutants known
affectionally as 'the X-Men.' Once assembled, the group squares off
against Magneto and his allies before they alter mankind with a
sinister scheme.
X-Men
2: X-Men United
aka 'X2'
(2003) - Taking place shortly after the first film, the sequel buries
up Wolverine's troubled past with William Stryker (Bryan Cox) who was
responsible for the Weapon X program. Meanwhile, gypsy teleporter
Nightcrawler (Alan Cummings) is introduced to the group, the
X-Mansion is attacked, and Jean Grey further develops her unique
abilities and her destiny as the Dark Phoenix.
X2
has many great and well executed sequences including the opening
White House fight with Nightcrawler, the X-Mansion getting attacked,
Magneto escaping the prison, and many great moments with the
Wolverine character. While further installments (namely the
Wolverine trilogy) complicated some things with the timeline, the
film still holds up and is one of the better X-Men films to this day.
X-Men
3: The Last Stand
(2006) - As good as the first two films in the series were, the third
installment is a hideous mess of a film. Brett Ratner makes the
mutant condition into some sort of disease that finds a cure. While
it brings back the original cast members (and kills off a few of them
in absurd ways), the film feels like watching your good friends in a
car crash. The CGI has not aged well in this rushed installment
either... as this is likely the worst film in the series after X-Men
Origins: Wolverine.
It's funny looking back on it now as Bryan Singer basically wiped
many of the events that take place in this film clean with his
prequel/ sequel Days
of Future Past
(2014).
The
films have been upgraded to 2160p HEVC/H.265, HDR (10; Ultra HD
Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image and with their original
2.40:1 widescreen aspect ratios and the same English DTS-HD MA
(Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mixes (sadly not upgraded to DTS: X or
Dolby Atmos) which are the same as the previous Blu-ray releases. As
a whole, the first film looks the best on 4K with more detail seen on
characters and the colors a bit more vibrant. The second and third
movies still look better than the also included 1080p high definition
Blu-ray versions but have a little more noise in some scenes than was
evident in the first film's remaster here. Digital copies are also
included for all three films.
Looking
at Fox's X-Men
franchise now after three trilogies of films, not counting its
association with the two Deadpool
films and the upcoming Dark
Phoenix
(2019), it's been a mixed bag. This trilogy will always be fun to
look back on at the simpler and less competitive time in the era of
comic book movies but as time marches on (and the Disney/Fox merger
becomes a reality) these will likely feel even more dated in a
decade. The X-Men prequel trilogy is a little more consistent with
its first and third installments being a bit weaker than these first
two X films. While Hugh Jackman's Wolverine
Trilogy
started out bad and ended on a strong note with the R-rated Logan
(2016; these films have been reviewed elsewhere on this site).
Special
Features include...
Audio
Commentaries
Behind
the Scenes Featurettes
Deleted/
Extended Scenes
The
Mutant Watch/ Animatics
and
Character and Production Design Stills
These
extras are just carted over from the original Blu-ray releases.
The
X-Men
will continue to grace the big and small screen for many years to
come. These films will always be remembered as the first interesting
live action adaptations of the characters much like Sam Raimi's
Spider-Man
Trilogy
(also out in 4K now) will be remembered for similar reasons. While
many improvements can be made to the franchise in the years to come,
this is fine popcorn-munching entertainment and a testament of the
time in which they were made.
You
can read more about the later sequels X-Men:
First Class 4K
and
X-Men:
Apocalypse 4K
at this link...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/14491/Glory+Guys+(1965/Fox/Twilight+Time
-
Nicholas Sheffo and
James Lockhart (X-Men)
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
