Why do I feel like I've watched the X-Men First Class Trailer before and what's up with the continuity with the other X-Men films?
The trailer is here, it's been broken down, but after a second or third viewing, I felt like this trailer was oh so familiar to me. The trailer seems solid, but after going through my catalog of comic book-related movie trailers, I noticed something: This trailer is a lot like the trailer for X-Men: Origins Wolverine, and aside from that, there seem to be a few continuity errors for the X-Men films that take place in the same universe, and you can tell from just the trailers.
I'll admit, I still love the heck out of the first 10 minutes of the Wolverine Origins films, where it's Logan (Jimmy!) and Sabretooth joined at the hip over decades fighting battle after battle, but after that, it falls a bit flat, especially after a naked Wolverine runs and hides in a farmhouse. Tough guys can't be tough guys if they're naked and running. Hopefully, since this trailer does look pretty cool, the film won't suck. Both Wolverine Origins and X-Men First Class look pretty cool from the trailers, but hey, so did the trailer for Jim Carrey's The Number 23. (Spoiler alert: It wasn't good) Regardless whether or not you love, like, or hate the trailer, Let's take a look at these two trailers side-by-side and point out some ridiculousness. I see a giant "X" like that, I either think I'm gonna find some treasure, or hang out with Xzibit. == TEASER == He was Charles and he was a sweaty child. The opening scenes, for both trailers, introduce the viewer to the characters we know and love, and then they let us know what they look like for the film. This covers Professor X, Magneto, and Wolverine. Now you know what they all looked when they were younger.
Now as these characters are being introduced, we get some soft music that you know at any point in time will pop off into epicness. Now, both pieces of music are different, but they have the same structure and feel to them.
So after you're introduced to these characters, where do you go next? The moment that changes everything... Eerrrr-ahh, will someone get me Marilyn Monroe's numba? Ex-President, John F Kennedy gives his speech about the Cold War and Wolvie looses a loved one. These two events inspire the heroes to move forward and get straight to the action. Both of these events don't happen at the same time in the trailer, the Wolvie bit happens a little earlier, but at the halfway mark of these trailers, the music picks up. Cue anticipation. Now, you're forced into the gauntlet of characters in the film, most of them will most likely die before the halfway point.
Charles and Erik enjoy one of those "classy" mutant brothels. You can tell it's classy by the amount of red velvet in the room. On a side note, anyone else creeped out by this? It's the only moment in the trailer where I'm saying to myself, "should I be watching this?" The daughter (Zoe Kravitz) of famed rocker Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet, who was most famous for her work on the Cosby Show, standing in front of two high-powered mutants topless? What will Bill Cosby think about this?
Younger viners, avert your eyes! This is no place for you to be looking! Someone grab Beak now!
At this point, the music is escalating in both trailers and so is the action. We're getting a lot of mutant powers and randomness. Prepare for... MUTANT MANIA! It's like Laugh In.... with mutants... a lot of mutants. The same onslaught happens with the Wolverine trailer: Powers, epicness, and the title card for the film. By this time you're excited and ready for the film right? RIGHT? Well, what about a couple continuity errors?
KEVIN BACON?! Is that Jesse Katsopolis next to him? I hope he plays a Beach Boys tune! Fanboys certainly love Emma Frost. How could they not? She's buxom, blonde, wears little-to-no clothing, and has a British accent that will make you feel like Oliver Twist politely asking for more. So, here is that character in both films. X-Men First Class takes place during the 60s, and Wolverine: Origins takes place during the... um... 80s or 90s? It's past the 60s by at least a decade, I can assure you that. However, here's Emma Frost going to "diamond mode" in both films. She looks younger in the Wolverine Origins film, even though it's set roughly 20 years in the future. What's going on here?
What about this whole Beast situation? Beast appeared in X-Men 3: The Last Stand... Who knew that film title would be so literal for that franchise. However, Dr. Hank McCoy appeared in X2. You know, that really cool X-Men movie with Nightcrawler, played by Alan Cummings, jumping around and being so super awesome.
I'm not hairy and blue, I'm not Kelsey Grammer, but I will make these 5 seconds of screen time work the best I can. Who wants me to use big words? It only lasted a few seconds, but Dr Hank McCoy made a bit of a camero in the second film. He wasn't blue and furry. He was a regular looking doctor who works out 9/10ths of the day. How does the First Class hairy old Beast fit in if in the second X-Men film he's all skin and bones?
So there's a lot going on in this X-Men: First Class trailer, and a lot of it feels like we're watching the Wolverine Origins trailer. I'm sure since both films were made at 20th Century Fox, they probably have the same formatting to edit trailers, but what about these continuity errors? Some may find them minor, but if this X-Men First Class film is showing clips from the older X-Men films in their trailer, shouldn't they be on top of this?
You may or may not agree with this, and that's fine. But I guarantee there is one thing we CAN ALL agree on... Mat "Inferiorego" Elfring is a comedian, teacher, writer, comic store employee, and hates Sundays more than Mondays.
Follow his ridiculousness on twitter: @ inferiorego
