Project Geekology
Embark on an epic journey with Anthony and Dakota as they delve into the vast realms of geek culture, from cherished classics to cutting-edge creations. Join us for an exhilarating adventure of exploration and nostalgia, as we unearth hidden gems and reminisce about the moments that have shaped us. Welcome to the ultimate celebration of all things geeky!
Project Geekology
X2: X-Men United (2003)
As Anthony and Dakota take you on a journey through mutant mayhem and the depths of space, strap in for a conversation that traverses from the explosive action of 'X2: X-Men United' to the anticipation of Deadpool and Wolverine's return to the silver screen. Alongside X-Men's cinematic universe, Anthony spills the beans on his gaming sessions in the apocalyptic world of Fallout and the epic tales from Knights of the Old Republic II. We're not just talking games though; we're dissecting the potential for Disney's Old Republic era content and celebrating the craft of remastered classics that Aspyr has skillfully delivered to our fingertips.
Ever wondered how the Star Wars universe keeps expanding? Stick with us as we speculate on the future of Star Wars Eclipse and take a sneak peek at The Acolyte. Anthony's own quest for a tech industry future takes a personal turn as Anthony prepares for an upcoming developer convention, ready to shake up the digital world with innovative resumes. Meanwhile, we ponder the challenges and strategic elements of Fallout 4, and draw parallels between creating worlds in Fallout and Skyrim. We also raise our glasses to the actors behind the beloved X-Men characters, marveling at how they breathe life into their roles.
Closing out our session, we dissect the title choice of 'X2' and dig into the themes and characters that make the sequel stand out. We give kudos to Nightcrawler's stunning debut and mull over the eerie atmosphere created by Stryker's son Jason. Not to be overlooked, we examine the dynamics between Rogue and Iceman, and how their relationship mirrors real-world issues. It's a full roster of mutant prowess, gaming escapades, and galactic musings. So, join in and let your geek flag fly high as we tackle the intricacies of these phenomenal universes.
Twitter handles:
Project Geekology: https://twitter.com/pgeekology
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Dakota's Twitter: https://twitter.com/geekritique_dak
Instagram:
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Geekritique (Dakota):
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBwciIqOoHwIx_uXtYTSEbA
Twitch (Anthony):
https://www.twitch.tv/odysseywow
Mutants. Since the discovery of their existence, they have been regarded with fear, suspicion, often hatred. Across the planet, debate rages. Are mutants the next link in the evolutionary chain or simply a new species of humanity fighting for their share of the world? Either way, it is a historical fact. Sharing the world has never been humanity's defining attribute. But you know what is one of our defining attributes? Sharing this podcast with you. Welcome to Project Ecology, episode 79. We didn't line up the episode title with anything specific. I even looked up like mutants that were first created in the comics in 1979. And there are a couple, but none are in this movie. So it doesn't really line up. Anyway, welcome to episode 79 of Project Ecology.
Speaker 2:My name is Dakota and I am joined, as always, with Anthony, and honestly, if you swap the 7 and the 9, it's 97. So I mean, I don't know if that helps at all.
Speaker 1:I don't think it helps me personally, but it might help those listeners out there. Guys, thanks so much for joining us here today. 're excited to talk x2, also known as x-men united, sometimes also known as x-men 2. It's a little bit confusing, but the actual name of the film is x2, although for whatever reason, when they were marketing it, they marketed it as x2 x-men united, so that's not the official title, but that's my. I had to look this up before recording this. For the longest time. I thought X-Men United was part of the official title. I even mentioned it X2, x-men United in the last episode that we recorded. Whatever, we're excited to talk about everything in that film as we lead up to Deadpool and Wolverine in a couple months. That's coming up pretty quick and we have a lot of X-Men films to catch up on. Anthony, how you been? What have you been up to this past week?
Speaker 2:I have been good man. You know, obviously I watched x2, x-men, united you're not wrong by saying it, it's honestly so many names. But I've also been playing like dude. I've been playing a bunch of games. It's crazy, I'm kind of like flip-flopping around different games. You know, when the fallout series out, I was playing some of Fallout 76. I was also playing some of Fallout 4. And then, for some reason, I was on some Knights of the Old Republic kick and so I decided to hop on Knights of the Old Republic 2, because I've played the first one so many times and so I've only played Knights of the Old Republic 2 once, like a while ago. And so I was like, ah, you know what, I want to hop back on it. Those I mean dude, the Knights of the Old Republic games are like really, really good. I mean there's a reason why there's such a big fandom of the Old Republic and why a lot of people want to see Old Republic in the Star Wars canon. Oh for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, why a lot of people want to see old republic in the star wars canon. Oh for sure. Yeah, I think that it clearly opened the doors to so much of the wider star wars universe and I think that resonated with so many people, even because, I mean, they're great games and the storyline is great. And mash that all together in the star wars universe, you're gonna get a cult following really quick.
Speaker 2:I I would love to actually cover those games, even though it's not canon, the nights I do there's just so, at least the first one, because the first one is the one that really took off and made it really popular. I mean, there's a following for the second one, but it's obviously not the stronger one of the two, but I still, I mean, I still I enjoy it. I love the, the system. I love like what they did and like, honestly like the game that they created back then was essentially a dungeons and dragons version of of star wars. You got to create your own character. You got to, you know pretty much control your attributes, your abilities, your skills. There's just, there's a whole like system that honestly surprises me in hindsight, like thinking back on it. You know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's one of like the, the standout rpgs in the star wars realm. It is a really surprising game. I am in the position where I've only played it a little bit, so I've only put like five hours in, so it's not enough for me to cover the game. But in the future I would definitely like to cover it, because it's been remastered so many times and put on so many different consoles. At this point I got to pick it up at some point.
Speaker 2:Right, I think it's one of the games that Aspire did, right? You know, aspire is kind of there's a lot of praise and hate for that company. They do a lot of remasters and ports and stuff. They're the reason why you see knights of the old republic on mobile devices, you know, and honestly, like kind of up to date and current they're. You know they're on pc and all that stuff. So I really do think that, like, if you get the chance to especially the first one man get through it, I honestly know that you would love it. Dude, you know it's such a good game. I know that you're a fan of a really good rpg and and I know that you do like dnd. So, honestly, the marriage of both of those systems is it's really really cool.
Speaker 1:I enjoyed a lot we're gonna be talking about a couple rpgs today, guys, so bear with us going back a little bit. You know, actually let's stick with night of the old republic a little bit, because I do think it's in disney's best interest to maybe not re-canonize the games but explore that period of time again, because people have been asking for it for a decade. At this point they there's. There has been no new content in that side of the lore for ages at this point, so we've gotten what like 20, 30 no, not 30, but like, maybe like 20 high republic books at this point, like you know, ranging between like mainline books, young adult novels, middle grade novels.
Speaker 1:You know, there's so much content in that period of time now and it's only been like a couple years. I think they've started releasing them in 2021 and they've knocked it out of the park for the most part.
Speaker 1:But people want right something a little bit older, a little bit grittier, and I think it's gonna be. It's only a matter of time, because we're getting the dawn of the jedi movie, which has taken us way back, way before, not to the old republic. We're getting the acolyte series, which is like the end of the high republic, so we're dabbling in different areas of the like prequel setting, basically like right before the main saga and I mean dude.
Speaker 2:We haven't had anything with the sith at the height of their power, dude it's.
Speaker 1:I think they're almost biding their time like kind of building the world and the lore around the old republic before they really dive into it like full steam, because they've hinted at a couple things in some of the more recent books in regards to like old republic era siths right and they, it's gonna happen eventually they did make revin canon though. Yes, yes, if I remember correctly, yeah.
Speaker 2:And honestly, to tell you the truth. So recently I saw that the Knights of the Old Republic remake is still on the table.
Speaker 1:They keep saying that they keep on saying that.
Speaker 2:But so honestly, to tell you the truth, if this does happen, the fact that Disney would allow a remake of this to occur, I think that they would make that canon, but I mean it would be a remake of this to occur. I think that they would make that canon, but I mean it would be a remake. So obviously there's going to be a lot of changes from the original game, but I do believe that Disney would have their hand in it and whatever is in that game, I feel like they would make a canon If and that's a big, if it actually finishes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, if it's realized.
Speaker 1:Who knows if we're even going to see Star Wars Eclipse at this point. I think that's vaporware at this point, but we'll see hey this weekend.
Speaker 2:So on Friday I'm going to go see the 25th anniversary of the Phantom Menace Me too. I got tickets for Saturday, and I know that we're supposed to be getting a sneak peek of the Acolyte during that. So yes, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I'm actually pretty excited about it. Next week Then.
Speaker 2:I know that the Acolyte's been a little controversial. A lot of people are kind of like, but the thing is is that it's covering a period that a lot of people it's kind of gone over their head because a lot of people aren't reading the old republic stuff. But there are people like you and you know there's a lot of people who are fans of the books. That that's kind of catering to a little bit. So do you think that acolyte is kind of trying to bring the non book readers into the fold?
Speaker 1:that's a good question. I don't think that was the intention. I kind of hope that there are some book characters that will make their way into the new show, but whether or not that was like their end goal I'm not really sure. But I do think that the more people read and enjoy this period of Star Wars, the better it will necessitate itself to be. Basically, you know, and I think more people will just, uh, enjoy it pretty much all around. Speaking of, you know, it being the 25th anniversary of the phantom menace and also may 4th is going to be this weekend do you?
Speaker 1:want to do our next episode on a star wars project yeah, we could take another little break from the X-Men adventure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we've got to space it out a little bit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we've got to space it out. So this coming Saturday they're releasing a six-part series. They're like short, 15 to 20-minute episodes of Tales from the Empire.
Speaker 2:Oh, I saw that it actually looks really good.
Speaker 1:A couple of years ago they did Tales of the Jedi. This is Tales of the Empire. Ago they did tales from the tales of the jedi. This is tales of the empire. So I'm kind of excited to to like talk about that. I'm probably going to make a video about it too, so it might just be good to, like you know, jump into it, especially considering in the spirit of in the spirit of the season? My dude yes, in the spirit of the force and the spirit of the force.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I'm gonna go see that on friday and then on saturday. So this is all of as of recording. So it's May 1st as of recording. So, you know, on Friday, which is going to be May 3rd, I'm going to go see the 25th anniversary and then actually on Saturday, I'm going to be going to like a convention, but it's going to be a different type of convention.
Speaker 1:What kind of convention?
Speaker 2:A developer convention. This, this is gonna like. This is gonna be like something completely different to me. Like it's gonna be like software developers, just like kind of like some like really real deep nerd stuff, like you know, technology stuff. So I'm really like trying to, I'm really hoping to, kind of get out there and I want to network and kind of like pick the brain of people who are actually like in the industry that I'm hoping to eventually break into. But I think that that will be interesting. I know like I go to Comic Cons all the time. It's like my thing, but I think it's really cool to go to this convention and it's free. So I'm like dude, why not? And they're offering like breakfast and lunch. I and it's free. So I'm like dude, why not?
Speaker 2:and they're offering like a breakfast and lunch I'm like dude breakfast and lunch and a like, a, like a nerd, like convention that I can network with people, with you know, and they have to buy tickets. No, no, it's free it was free but, I mean they did have tickets, so you have to kind of get tickets, but they're free tickets, you know okay, you just got to reserve right right, right, so I I think that it's like for the sake of space.
Speaker 1:So so are you like more interested in like developing apps or websites or just getting into that?
Speaker 2:so my foothold is web development. You know, like what I'm trying to get into, it seems like the friendliest point of entry, but eventually I would love to be able to develop apps. Honestly, dude, so I have this app, that, and I know that we're just like talking a tangent, but you know what, dude, this is the podcast. This is what we are welcome to project.
Speaker 2:Welcome to project ecology, but dude something that I would love to do eventually and it'd be like a little small snippet, but somebody I was reading an article and they're like you know build your resume within like a small little, like 2D video game, and I'm like, dude, like that would be freaking amazing. Could you imagine like doing like a little 2D you know it's like a Stardew Valley-esque, but like maybe not even a quarter of the scale, like you're 1% of the scale and like you know you have like you can move, like a little character and like you click on something on the table and it's like oh, your resume is on the table, open it up. And then, like it opens up your resume. Dude, wouldn't that be awesome. Like could you imagine I send this out to people and like, hey, look, look, this is right, my resume. You could do it this way or you can just look at it. You know the traditional way wouldn't I be sick?
Speaker 1:that would be pretty cool, you know, like going into your local grocery store hey, I'd like to apply for a job. I want to be at that cashier right here. I'm gonna hand you this, I'm gonna eat. What's the best email for you? What's?
Speaker 2:the best email. Oh my gosh. No, this would definitely be for, like a developer job.
Speaker 1:This would not be like if I was trying to work at public.
Speaker 2:That'd be crazy. But like, hey, go to this website. They're like they tell you to upload your resume and you just put like one link on there but I promise it's nothing sketchy but yeah, I mean honestly like enough about me. Oh, and I've also been playing the Yakuza games. I got them all on sale for like dude. It was like 40 bucks for Yakuza 0 through 6.
Speaker 1:So when do you find time to sleep?
Speaker 2:Never Well, honestly, to tell you the truth where you might watch a show. That's where I'm playing video games.
Speaker 1:You know, oh, okay, yeah. So the amount of time I would devote to that is right, right.
Speaker 2:That's why I don't watch much, unless it's like maybe on break at work or like in the evening when I'm settling down and not playing games. But yeah, no, the dude, the yakuza games are like really cool, man, like they're the first. I know the first seven, like zero through six, are kind of like beat-em-ups and then, like the newer ones, are like turn-based games. It's crazy, but cool. Yeah, man, enough about me and me, my rambling and the things that I'm up up to. We're 17 minutes in as of recording. Probably not by the time we're done editing it's probably not going to be 17 minutes, but what have you been up to? Like you know you got any projects on the horizon.
Speaker 2:Oh, um I know that that you got let go, but you kind of got like a new position oh yeah, lined up.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I was at work yesterday as of recording, so it's we're recording today, wednesday.
Speaker 2:I got laid off around lunchtime yesterday it's crazy like you're working until lunch and then you get laid off.
Speaker 1:I kind of expected it, really, yeah, and I kind of wanted it for a long time, just because I was really tired of that company. So I'm a I'm a union electrician in the New York area. So what happens when you get laid off in this particular union is you basically like put your employment information right back into the pool and you are then put on a list of people to be called back out to work. So sometimes, like I I got my first layoff was crazy. I got laid off in the slow season, which is like december january. So I got, I got laid off december of 2019 and I was out for three months and then covid happened.
Speaker 2:so is there any coverage like monetary wise, when you're let go, like when you're in a union or you're so I mean I can. I can, I can collect unemployment, if that's what you're asking okay, so it would be unemployment like you wouldn't be getting okay I could take out of my like.
Speaker 1:We have several like funds that like are, you know are paid into.
Speaker 2:But anyway.
Speaker 1:I could do that. It's taxed pretty heavily, but when, so I? Just in that instance, I would just do unemployment and you know, unemployment during COVID was like the best thing ever.
Speaker 1:I think I was making like nine, eight, like almost $1,000 a month. So yeah, it was, it was crazy, it was absolutely insane. But $1, it was crazy, it was absolutely insane. But or $1,000 a week, I'm sorry, but not anymore Unemployment kind of sinks now, but anyway. So this time I've been unemployed or I've got laid off. This is my third layoff within the electrical union and, for whatever reason, work is busy with other companies but not busy with my company. So there's a bunch of companies, you know, calling for more workers. So I got put on a list and I basically already know where I'm going to be going to work so, so is that what they told you like?
Speaker 2:oh, it's kind of slow right now, so we don't really need you they've been complaining about slow work for months.
Speaker 1:The company that I was with and I was doing like odd jobs, almost like just doing random electrical or fire alarm work okay do you have to get let go to be put back into the pool?
Speaker 2:or can you say like, hey, I'm not really like into this job? Can you guys find me another?
Speaker 1:it, you can, but basically you have to go through like the union for that you don't want to like. Tell your boss, I want to be. Let go, you know like, because that could be yeah, that's what I mean.
Speaker 2:Like go to the union and say, hey, can you guys find me another job? You can do that but it's not like really viable well, it's possible and it's viable.
Speaker 1:It's just it's not always the best. Look like you're not. You know they put you in this company for work and you still currently have work.
Speaker 2:But if you don't like the work, then you just seem like a fickle work and you still currently have work, but if you don't like the work then you just seem like a fickle worker, I feel that. So so they kind of did you a favor, a favor.
Speaker 1:So, anyway, I'm not back to work yet as of this recording, but I know where I'm going for the most part, and I'll probably be working within the next couple days. Oh okay, so as far as projects go, I'm at a weird impasse where, like I'm no longer doing monsterverse timeline stuff, it's a little too early to start my like avatar, the last airbender timeline project and there's no marvel stuff going on, so no marvel stuff until deadpool and then it's a much needed break, honestly yeah, and then we have like some star wars stuff coming out next month which I'm thinking maybe I want to start doing star wars content or maybe I want to do a quick Fallout video.
Speaker 2:I'm not really sure where I'm at right now.
Speaker 1:So I'm thinking I have, I have options, but yeah, so Geek Critique will return shortly. I have been playing Fallout 4. I mentioned that I was downloading it, or I wanted to download it, in our last video.
Speaker 2:No, you were like you were showing me the download. Yeah, that's cool that's right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I think I have like seven to ten hours in so far. I'm just, you know, plugging away whenever I get the opportunity that's actually a good bit of time, like I mean. I'm dying a lot. It's kind of it's it's very difficult it's tough.
Speaker 2:It's tough have you.
Speaker 1:I think it's clearly a pc game. It's clearly a PC game that's on console.
Speaker 2:I mean honestly. To tell you the truth, though, they did pretty good with making it console accessible. Have you messed around with the VATS system? That helps out a lot. The VATS system what do you mean? So there's this system called VATS and it kind of slows down the game and it lets you pinpoint different body parts.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've been playing around with that. I haven't been super successful with it. I think I just need to level up my stats a little bit more before I can get the accuracy up.
Speaker 2:I think perception helps out with VATS.
Speaker 1:Okay, so I'm going to try to jump on that.
Speaker 2:I mean it lets you know If you go to the different special attributes. Yeah, you can to like the different special attributes.
Speaker 1:you can read out you can read out like the different special attributes so what are? Your thoughts. Do you think that 76 is a better game or fallout 4?
Speaker 2:so between the two, I would say fallout 4. I know that fallout 4 is a little bit controversial in its own. Like some, people weren't a big fan. For some reason people didn't like the fact that they added this whole base building system. I thought that was cool, and Fallout 4.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and Fallout 4.
Speaker 2:I mean they have that in 76. But for some reason Fallout 3 is the most popular one, which don't get me wrong. I love Fallout 3. That was my entry into the system, or that was my entry into the Fallout, or that was my entry into the.
Speaker 2:Fallout universe yeah into the Fallout universe. But yeah, yeah, but I don't know. I liked 4. Like there was a lot that was updated in 4. There was a lot of bugs in 3. That like really bothered me Especially. Like it never happened to me, but I had some friends that there was like a quick save that would happen and in a split second after that quick save they're dying and they're kind of like stuck in this loop of dying and if they load any further back, it's like 30 minutes of like work gone. You know. So I've, I know, like some people that have had this issue, so and not to say that four wouldn't have this issue too but there was some quality of life stuff that was added in four that I believe like helped out a lot and it like modernized the game and dude, like I think it's insane that people don't like the base building aspect.
Speaker 1:I think it's cool, you know, I don't know if you've gotten into it yet I, I've only I need more like materials before I can really start getting into it, because, like they, they want me to start building like beds and stuff right, right, well, you know that you can actually like tag specific, like resources that you need, right like you know, steel or wood and like you tag it and if you look at a specific item, it'll show you like, okay, it has this.
Speaker 2:And then it'll like kind of flag that, like you know, it's got this in it. This is what you need, you know.
Speaker 1:So yeah, all right, so I'll keep.
Speaker 2:I'll keep plugging away at the game I'm enjoying it.
Speaker 1:I have gotten to a point that you know, by around level five I stopped dying every five seconds, which is kind of crazy because like the learning curve on the game is really difficult, like they just throw you into the world and I guess it's kind of like skyrim in that way, but I I feel like skyrim. I didn't die as much when I first started playing. Maybe I'm just like an old guy with a controller, I don't know.
Speaker 2:But well, you don't game as much. So I mean yeah, exactly, I know I.
Speaker 1:I think with skyrim it was easier because you just had a sword. You just, you know, hacked away, you know like you get close, you hack with, with fallout, you're you're looking to like get headshots right, right, you know, but like I mean either six shots in the body or do you see like how it's like a very similar parallel between the two games? Like it's the same.
Speaker 2:It's like the same engine, right, right like the system is very similar but like one is like this, like fantasy land, and then the other one's like this post-apocalyptic wasteland, sci-fi. Yeah, it's so crazy because, like it's dude, it's like it's the same company, like it's like the same game, but the premise is so different. And I mean, honestly, it works like it's dude, it's like it's the same company, like it's like the same game, but the premise is so different. And I mean honestly it works Like it's like they've got their hands in, like the fantasy fans and like the sci-fi fans and it's like they won over everyone you know. So it's cool.
Speaker 1:I also started playing AFK Journey. It's just like, was that? I'm a couple hours into it and it's actually kind of fun so far, like there's the story's not terrible, like it's actually like a decent story. Dude, you love your freaking gacha games I do, but I'm what I'm. What I'm impressed by is like every character is voiced. Yeah, there we go, afk journey. Every character is voiced. So if you play it with any audio on, like any interactions you have with other characters, it's all vocalized. Speaking of RPGs while we're on the topic, there's a rumor going around. I think it was first reported by a site called the Diz Insider, like Disney Insider, that a Kingdom Hearts film is in the works. There's no information about who is?
Speaker 1:is making it, what medium it's going to be?
Speaker 2:we don't know if it's live action oh, okay, that's what I was going to ask, if it was going to be oh dude, I don't know if I like the idea.
Speaker 1:I'm kind of like I'm torn. I don't even want it to be a movie. I feel like the games are built in a way that you know every little world is meant to be episodic. You know like? You go to wonderland and you can spend an entire episode there. You go to deep jungle with tarzan you could spend two episodes there. You know like right it feels better fit for, like a tv, like an animated tv series, the game oh yeah, the games are.
Speaker 1:They're like already movies within themselves, like that that would be so tough to like, adapt right, like I'm struggling to see how they could do it especially like how can you adapt something that's like super convoluted, like like yeah, well, I mean the first game isn't as complex. I would even say the first two games aren't terribly convoluted yeah after that point you, you know it's a nomad's land. He said a nomad's land, dude, they like add so much after that.
Speaker 2:You have Kingdom Hearts, 2. You have Chain of Memories Freaking. 20 years later we get 3. But then we also have between that. There's also Birth by Sleep and Dream Drop Distance. Birth by Sleep was really good, though.
Speaker 1:I really enjoyed that three, five, eight by two or something like oh, yes, yes that there's so many games dude, they've all been like re-released, they've all, they've all been re-released with like final cut plus x, you know, and it's they've added them into like collections.
Speaker 1:There was a mobile game called like yes, key, like it was x, but it was pronounced key there's a cross union or something like that. Yeah we're going off on crazy tangents right now. We should actually speaking of x. We should get into x2. You know what's weird about x2, anthony? The naming structure.
Speaker 1:It's bizarre like it goes from x-men in the first movie to like instead of x-men 2, it's just x2, and it's almost like you know that was like at the time or around the time where, like the, the letter x was a very provocative you know, like you would see that outside of an adult video store or something like that you also had triple x with vin diesel in it, yeah, so there was a lot of going on back then so yeah it's.
Speaker 1:It's almost like speaking about vin diesel. It's kind of like the fast and furiousious naming convention where, like, the first film is just the Fast and the Furious and then the second film is like Too Fast, too Furious, and then every single film after that has a different naming convention. It's bizarre. If you look it up you know like some have like numerals, like Roman numerals, some have just straight up numbers, some numbers are spelled out right, it's just like the most bizarre naming structure then they like the fantastic alternate, like freaking, like furious six fast seven.
Speaker 1:I mean the last one.
Speaker 2:I think it was like what fast 10 dude did you?
Speaker 1:have um. That's what it was. Yes, fast x.
Speaker 2:And then you also had the Hobbs one with Jason Statham and the Rock, calvin and Hobbs. Dude, I don't even remember what the other name was, I just remember Hobbs.
Speaker 1:Hobbs and Shaw.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's what it was.
Speaker 1:That's what it was, Anthony. Let's talk about X2. Yes, let's do it.
Speaker 2:So why do you? Think that they went with that.
Speaker 1:Just X, Was you think that they went with that just x. Was it because of what you said, the whole x convention? No, I think it was. I think they were just trying to do something fun and edgy and, you know, blockbuster worthy. You know this was at a time when sequels weren't necessarily good, so they probably wanted to rebrand a little bit to put some life into it.
Speaker 2:But I think that this movie is better than yes, I was gonna say they really broke that mold, because x2 is better than the original film yeah.
Speaker 1:So in terms of a timeline, you know, between like like the actual like chronology of events, as best as I can manage, only about a month has passed from the first movie, the first x-men movie, because there's a line from like gene gray or from scott that says you know, like gene, yeah, you could barely like move stuff with your mind a month ago and now you're like doing crazy stuff with it. So, and we know that at the end of the first x-men movie, wolverine goes to alkali lake to like research his past and then he comes back and that's kind of like the setting that this film takes place. But before any of that there's this crazy scene in the white house.
Speaker 1:It's like the coolest scene that I it's. It's the coolest scene that those first three movies you know? I think no, I would actually say it's the second coolest scene of those first three movies what would you say is the first or is it in the next one? It's in the next one okay, yeah, I believe it's the next one all right, we'll talk about it when we get to that. Yeah, basically so I that, that that scene where nightcrawler is it's his introduction.
Speaker 1:It's the coolest introduction to a character ever and like dude, like during that time nightcrawler was actually like my favorite character, and especially after that film the way that they were able to use the camera, like in a slow motion pan, as this blue wisp, you know, just like, poofed into different rooms and like did somersaults and he, he had acrobatic skills, which is just like the character of nightcrawler, because he was in a circus and they just utilized that character so well in that scene, I think there's a really crazy moment in that scene where, like there's like the, like the door opens or something and like the room is kind of like filled with I don't know what it is, like his essence or like he's kind of like I don't know if he's teleporting a bunch, but like you see, kind of like that smoky residue that he I think what happens and they kind of explain it later, like if he doesn't know where he's teleporting, if he doesn't have a line of sight, or like a reference of like what to like go to, he will end up in the wall yeah and he basically like, ended up in the door, and then we later see the ceiling of the room also had the wisp and he like
Speaker 1:dropped someone from the door and then we later see the ceiling of the room also had the wisp and he like dropped someone from the ceiling and then he popped into the room.
Speaker 2:So I think that's what we actually got to see it's so like ominous, like when you see that it's like oh my gosh like what's gonna happen next?
Speaker 1:and with the, you know, like really operatic music playing in the background. It's a great scene and it's so crazy because you know, you know he's targeting.
Speaker 1:He's obviously like under some sort of mind control at the time, but he's targeting the president of the United States the most powerful man in the world for all intents and purposes, and the message he was trying to send was, you know, free the mutants. And we don't know who sent him at the time. It turns out to be William Stryker, who doesn't want mutants freed. He actually wants to kill all the mutants, but he's trying to start a war and he's using nightcrawler's abilities to basically jumpstart that great premise right, and I always thought that nightcrawler was like a really cool, like his design, I mean even like in the comics.
Speaker 2:It's like he's a teleporter, but like he looks almost alien, know.
Speaker 1:And he has that like renaissance look of a devil character. He has the devil pronged tail.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he has like three, like the three fingers.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and he's meant to strike fear in people. But, like the character himself is very religious and it's such a great juxtaposition. You know, like he's a devout Catholic. You know he grew up in a monastery, in some iterations of his lore and he's always praying.
Speaker 2:You know he prays several times throughout the movie whenever he needs faith, whatever and he has those like angelic marks that like he puts onto himself, like he kind of.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was an interesting touch, that was an interesting touch that the film made to like just make him look unique and they did so good with the makeup on him, so like yeah, he was absolutely fantastic.
Speaker 2:They so good, so good the actor like knocked it out of the park, like I mean I was. It was so believable, you know, with the accent and everything, that that was nightcrawler.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, it's, they did such a good job with it. And when it comes to nightcrawler's look, you know it's the juxtaposition of like. This is a character that people actively fear because he looks like a blue devil yeah, I mean, he's the night.
Speaker 2:He's the nicest guy ever he's the nicest guy ever.
Speaker 1:He cares for everyone he doesn't want anyone to die and he will protect people like no matter what. So it's just a fantastic character, like a fantastic comic book character and, you know, in terms of like the early X-Men movies, I think this character is probably nailed better than most.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, he does a really good job. I really enjoy this film because it shows like several other mutants within this film, especially some of the children like in the school during that raid.
Speaker 1:Especially some of the children in the school during that raid. Yeah, so we had the William Stryker got the okay to raid Xavier's school Because obviously they have some military tech there that isn't on record, obviously. This is a scary thing and the president just got attacked, so there's fear in the air.
Speaker 2:Right right.
Speaker 1:Of more retaliation. So they send a bunch of armed you know soldiers into the school. And what's cool about this movie is that it doesn't name a lot of the characters. Like most of the child characters you don't get named like obviously there's characters that look like their comic book counterparts. There's an asian girl that kind of dresses, super hip.
Speaker 2:You can kind of guess that that's probably jubilee there's a girl that runs through walls, so, like you know, that could be kitty pride, right, right?
Speaker 1:but like it doesn't name them, so it could be just another mutant with the same power, you know.
Speaker 2:So it's kind of like and they kind of recast her in the next one.
Speaker 1:But like we'll talk about that then, yeah, we'll talk about that next week, uh, or following week, but yeah, so I think they did an interesting job with introducing the concept of you know, this is a school setting. Obviously there's kids of all ages. I think they do name Colossus Like it's very clear, colossus is Colossus, you know.
Speaker 2:Right, right, but he's like American, which kind of like throws me off a little bit. It's bizarre, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:It's just one of those, yeah, choices that they make, but yeah, so I love that scene. I always get chills at the. You know some of the powers that these kids have like the girl who wakes up and she just starts screaming like banshee yes and the entire school is just incapacitated for a couple seconds.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love that kind of stuff I really feel like in this film hugh jackman really like steps even more into the role of wolverine. I love the moments that he has like in this film, like during that moment during the raid, where like he just goes into like full-on wolverine mode just taking out these. Oh yeah, he's at war, he's yeah I do.
Speaker 1:I do love the lingering mystery of you. Is Wolverine? Where did he come from? Why does he have the adamantium and the use of the character William Stryker as a villain to centralize the plot as this evil, mastermind, genius guy who hates mutants and will use his own mutant son to control and destroy other mutants?
Speaker 2:It's believable.
Speaker 1:The actor is fantastic. I think his brian brian cox is fantastic and we find out that his son was like, at one time a student of xavier and what I like about that is there's clear history to the world right, right striker definitely has had some experience with xavier yeah, just as much as he's had experience with you, know wolverine, you know he knows who he is yeah, and the sun. It's hard to say how old the sun is because he's like a vegetable and you know right sitting in a chair forever.
Speaker 2:He kind of looks like he's in his maybe 40s, but but you can't tell because he's obviously not taking care of like really all that well oh yeah, he's, he's entirely, he's like kind of like in a catatonic state.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes yeah, like he seems fully paralyzed, except for like his eyes, almost. Yeah, it's such an interesting dynamic and also like a creepy dynamic, like there's a couple like moments in this movie that are really creepy with the son Jason. Yeah, yeah, you know, like, dude, like why did he choose to be like a little girl and like this vision of it was very interesting, like maybe because like resident evil you know like resident evil came out I think a year or two before.
Speaker 2:Or like maybe a blend of Resident Evil and Silent Hill.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, when was the first Resident Evil? So Resident Evil, the first movie came out in 2002. So maybe it might. I don't know if there was enough time for them to film X2 after that to get that inspiration, but there was clearly a serious fear of little girls happening in hollywood at that time because they're creepy, they're creepy. Find all the mutants.
Speaker 2:Find them, concentrate, focus yeah, I mean, that's what you had in silent hill, that really creepy little girl um I forgot what her name was, though.
Speaker 2:But yeah, no, you're right, like during that time they were really leaning in on that. I don't know if that's when one of if the fear games were coming out. There's like this game called first encounter, assault, recon, and it's like a supernatural kind of thing and it has a very ring type character in it. You know, like this is the early 2000s, you have the ring. Yeah, I guess they were really leading in like creepy, like little girls at that time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know why you know what it worked out because I watched the movie. Today I'm a 32 year old man. I was still a little bit like oh, I don't like this, like what is going on what you know? What's funny? Like they had to recreate cerebro, so striker had his soldiers recreate cerebro at his new location. What purpose do the actual panels like? Do right and then and then when.
Speaker 1:Magneto goes into the room he like rearranges them I'm gonna rearrange them because, despite them all looking exactly alike, they need to be rearranged so that we can target the mutants or the humans this time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I thought that was interesting because, like the cerebral that's like in this base is obviously like semi incomplete, whereas the one in the mansion is, like you know, there's no missing panels. So it's, like you know, later, kind of you know some of the other movies we figure out and you can understand that there's a relationship between, like you know, platonic relationship between Professor X and Magneto. So there's obviously, like you know, he helped build this, you know, at least in the cinematic universe.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that's pretty cool. Another funny thing that I noticed was when Logan first came back to the X-Mansion. In the beginning of the movie he's greeted by a couple people, but there's a greeting between Jean Grey and Storm as they're heading out on a mission. They're going to fight Kurt Wagner.
Speaker 1:Nightcrawler yeah, and they say that he's in Boston. But at that point in the movie he hadn't stopped moving around the world. So after that point Wolverine goes into Cerebro with Professor X and he sees the line moving across the states of Nightcrawler. So how did he know that he was gonna land in Boston? I think it was just like a weird editing error, but like, yeah, I don't think he was. I don't think they were supposed to know at that point that he was gonna end up in Boston.
Speaker 2:I always thought that it was weird with Cerebro. Maybe it's explained a little bit more in the comics, but like I always thought that cerebro was something that only professor x and maybe gene gray could see. But obviously it's almost like a screen that anybody else can see and, like professor x is like projecting that on this, like screen around them, like I have to do a little research actually, because I'm not sure if that's necessarily true to the comics or something that they introduced for the movie you get what I mean.
Speaker 2:Like, yeah, you would think that somebody that you know it's all like, you know he's all about, you know kind of, you know kinesis and yeah he's like the.
Speaker 1:The whole point of that room is like it's expanding his abilities to connect with the minds of others like psychic right channeling device yeah and so like, how would you be able to visually see that or anybody else?
Speaker 2:like I could understand if professor x could visually see this stuff, but like I always thought it was weird that other people could see this stuff yeah, I mean in movies it looks and it's.
Speaker 1:It's more interesting to like visually that the characters oh, absolutely movies are able to see what he can see. But yeah, I don't know. I always thought that was cool though.
Speaker 2:I always thought that Cerebro was really cool and that I really like how they utilize it and how, especially in this film, how Professor X can essentially be weaponized, and they really expand a lot more of that in Logan.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, they do so, dude, I can't wait.
Speaker 2:Dude Logan is probably like my favorite X-Men film.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can't wait till we cover that dude.
Speaker 2:Like I'm honestly like excited, like when we get to that point.
Speaker 1:I haven't seen it in a while. I haven't either, it's been. It's been several years. Yeah like pre COVID, I haven't seen same. So what do you think about the evolving relationship between rogue and Bobby Iceman?
Speaker 2:It's interesting because you know you can see that Bobby really wants to connect with Rogue and he's a teenager so he wants there to be some physicality to it and so it's a bit frustrating to him that there can't, and I know that he understands it, but it's still frustrating to like a teenage boy. But I really do think it's really like they really showcase a lot more of her skill in this film, because you get pyro in this film and there's this moment in the film that pyro attacks these police because they're at bobby's home and bobby's brother calls in the police. You know this is a world where, like everybody kind of or a lot of people kind of they don't like mutants. You know, even his parents are like. You know, have you tried to not be a mutant to Bobby?
Speaker 1:Which, yeah, I think it's.
Speaker 1:Actually that's a really interesting scene, especially as an adult, you know, like just being more world weary, being around long enough to see patterns of you know this happening throughout history in different groups of people, and I think it's a fantastic parallel to just like the human experience because, like you're always going to have something where it divides you from your family or it's not always going to happen, but you know like it's something, it's a common, reoccurring thing.
Speaker 1:And I think the most easy parallel you can make to today's you know scene is you know, like someone who's like a closeted homosexual, not wanting to, you know, tell their parents and then you know, when you tell your parents and they're very conservative or whatever, it's an easy, it's, it's easy to believe that you know some of them will be like, well, have you tried not being one of those? And it's kind of like this. This parallel between mutant kind and that is is super strong and I don't think it was ever intentional like in the original comics, but it is the easiest parallel to make with modern civilization right, it lines up with that time.
Speaker 2:Honestly, yeah, we were in, so yeah, so yeah it's a.
Speaker 1:Really I do I. I like that scene a lot just because it's powerful. Like you know, bobby obviously cares for his parents. He doesn't want them to get hurt. They're his family right, right he also understands that he grew up in a conservative household. Clearly, and they are not pro-mutant by any means, you know I really like the was.
Speaker 2:I forgot who it was, but the father had mentioned something about Bobby being a mutant and then that this individual was like. Well, the gene actually comes from the father.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah. So the mom was just like this is all my fault and Pyro is just like actually it's his fault. Yes, yes.
Speaker 2:I actually. So there's that moment where Pyro, he attacks the police.
Speaker 1:You know he's, he's really a hothead Right right right Throughout the entire movie. There's several moments where he's he wants. He's got like a burning anger in him towards others.
Speaker 2:Right. So if you were like a fan of the comics so you kind of know that like Pyro eventually at some point is one of the brotherhood of mutants and so like you kind of get a glimpse of this. But I like that moment where he's attacking the police and then rogue steals his power to kind of clear out the fire. And you know rogue like honestly, like dude she's, she's op, rogue is super. Oh my gosh yeah, so she's.
Speaker 1:She's one of the most OP characters, just period. So in the comics and the animated series, she at some point Captain Marvel or Carol Danvers into a coma and basically stole her powers forever. Or she just has the ability to fly and have super strength and do certain things that Carol Danvers is known for doing, and in the comics and in the animated series that's just a constant fact. She has that power now, but when it comes to mutants, she can only retain those powers that she sucks from others for a certain period of time.
Speaker 2:Right, right, which I mean. Look, in the first film she literally gets stabbed by Wolverine because he's having this PTSD dream and she steals his powers to heal herself. So, dude Rogue is crazy.
Speaker 1:OP.
Speaker 2:And you definitely get more of a showcase in this film.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think they do. Just in general, I think they did a really good job with the character of rogue in these movies in general, just because, whether or not it's super comic accurate, they get the soul of the character down pat right the idea that she can't touch people for long periods of time without actively hurting and or killing them.
Speaker 1:So but like, the utilization of other people's powers is so pivotal to her mutant ability, it's not just like draining life force, it's draining like other people's powers is so pivotal to her mutant ability. It's not just like draining life force, it's draining like other people's powers. So like, yeah, like you mentioned, like she put out the fires. That's a really cool scene. There's a brief scene where, like she kisses bobby and like she like blows out like cold air yeah, you know like, so it's.
Speaker 2:She is one of the characters that I feel like is has been adapted best by these movies she did a really good job and this film really also showcases that the people in charge of these movies are really good with casting. Like they double down on these characters and then you know, they add in these other characters, like you know, william striker, um jason really doesn't obviously say much, but you know the presence on screen, right presence.
Speaker 2:Yeah, right, right but dude like I mean, they were really just killing it with this casting and this film I'm always.
Speaker 1:I'm always impressed by and I know we talked about a couple weeks ago, but I'm always impressed by the performances of ian mckellen and patrick stewart. Like they just they steal every scene that they're in and it's just like the, the gravitas of both of their voices, particularly like patrick stewart has just has a golden voice yeah like everything he says is just like I have to listen, you know am I wrong for like picturing gandalf.
Speaker 2:When ian mckellen talks like I'm, I'm imagining gandalf. Like sometimes when he talks he I'm imagining Gandalf. Sometimes when he talks he sounds like Gandalf dude. He has the same gravitas as Gandalf and I'm like dude. This I know, this is.
Speaker 1:Magneto, but he sounds like Gandalf, the scene where he's just like you should have killed me when you had the chance.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's a very Gandalf delivery line.
Speaker 1:You know, like you shall not. Yes, yes, I was like you shall not pass, dude.
Speaker 2:Ian mckellen and patrick stewart were like the best castings of this film. But then you also have hugh jackman, that he took a character that is, you know, stout and stocky, obviously shorter than him, obviously more ripped than him, but like he made it his own but, dude, he like embodied it he embodied it like he made it his own, but he obviously took care to keep the mannerisms, like the animalistic nature of wolverine, the attitude of wolverine hugh jackman.
Speaker 2:Just this is why, like I know, people are super stoked that he's going to be in this new film.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the new.
Speaker 2:honestly I'm probably going to scream when he shows up.
Speaker 1:I will fangirl scream when he shows up, I'm like, oh my God, that's my boy, I'm going to be in the opening night screener and you know, like as soon as he shows up, oh my God, they brought him back.
Speaker 2:I didn't know he was going to be in this movie. It's like you just like scream at the top of your lungs and they're like, yeah, I agree with her, but it's really a man that was screaming back there.
Speaker 1:What do you think about Mystique?
Speaker 2:You know, I feel like the actress. She really adds this, like you know, mystique in these films.
Speaker 2:She's like very mysterious, you know, like it very like she adds to the name and I feel like the actress really like plays well to that. She has this like flirtatious nature, but also this very deceptive nature and I feel like the actress really like plays up to that role really well, like I I've honestly, I think that mystique was really, I think she was casted well. I think that the actress, like she nailed the part down. You know, mystique is very like, you know, she kind of she likes to mess around, but she's also, you know she can be very like indifferent also, you know, very cold yeah, and there's, there's a clear.
Speaker 1:At a certain point in this movie she pretends to be jean gray to entice logan right it's she. She clearly desires him for whatever you know like, either sexually or just you know just okay, she loves him.
Speaker 2:I don't know. I was gonna ask, like, what do you think about? Do you think that she was just messing with him, or if she actually, like, wants to be with him, or she just wants to? Fulfill a physical desire with him.
Speaker 1:I think in that moment you know, I think it's a bunch of things like he was let down by Jean Grey earlier in that scene, like the actual Jean Grey, and I think she had like some desire to please you know, it's like people please him.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Like let me fulfill that fantasy for you.
Speaker 2:But also I think it was a physical desire on her part but yeah, I thought it was interesting that she could not hide the scars unless she left it like that on purpose.
Speaker 1:It didn't seem like it was on purpose. Like she said, some scars are hard to hide, but like maybe, maybe there was something. Maybe there was something there you know, or maybe adamantium was something that you know, like she couldn't heal properly you know, we also got lady death strike in this movie.
Speaker 1:Interesting choice for sure right, right and I thought it was really cool because, like, she is definitely like a counterpart to wolverine, because she does have, like these nails, you know yeah, she, she's kind of like an interesting, like just silent goon throughout most of the movie until she, you know, unleashes her claws and I will say that's a. It's a pretty formidable fight, like it is in that, in that one room, and probably one of the most brutal deaths in comic book history, just like being injected with hot. Adamantium Adamantium, yes.
Speaker 2:And I love the small, small detail of the thud of metal when she hits the bottom of, in the bottom of the water tank, right, right, you hear the metal like ding, ding. It's a very, very subtle detail. It's like you know she was literally just filled with liquid hot adamantium and when it cools it's indestructible like adamantium, like once it's heated up like and. Or once it's cooled it can't be like heated up again, right that's what you know. Striker said at least in the films.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, at least in the films, that's the canon I don't know if it's like that in the comics, I don't I have to look that up, but at least in the films it's like that. Before we close out our discussion of x2, we have to talk about the death of, you know, quote unquote death of jean gray yes the sacrifice that she provides her teammates right, like this whole, like battle and all this stuff happens in like this base.
Speaker 2:That's also like connected within the dam, it's like a base in the dam and so this dam gets destroyed, and so you know, as everybody's escaping, I guess what? Like the x-jet or the I forgot what. Is it called the x-jet, right, sure?
Speaker 1:yeah it's.
Speaker 2:I guess it's taking its time to power up, so jean gray essentially stops the water from overtaking this jet yes, she locks everyone inside. She uses an immense amount of power in this dude like this actually shows the amount of power that, like gene gray has, she's definitely tapping into phoenix level power because, yeah, she's even blocking nightcrawler from teleporting out of this thing, like she's stopping him from using his power. This is insane she's there.
Speaker 1:There are like 11 or 12 what they call omega level mutants and she there. What's, what's amazing about the x-men series is that, like there, there's a couple Omega level mutants, like within their group. Like storm is an Omega level mutant, like she's. There's nobody with the ability to manipulate weather more powerful than her in that field, and with Jean gray it's telepathy. Like there's nobody more powerful with telepathy than Jean gray and Magneto there's no one more powerful with magnetism.
Speaker 1:Right, right so when it comes to Jean Grey and tapping into that Phoenix side of things, she's taking that Omega-level mutant status to the next level. Right, right Because she's tapping into a force of nature.
Speaker 2:Right, and this is where we get in the next film. We get her in her ascended nature.
Speaker 1:Yes, and whether or not it's a good dark phoenix adaptation is something that we're going to discuss yeah, yeah, absolutely as we go.
Speaker 1:But what I do love about how they ended her character, even though you know she sacrifices her life supposedly and you know everyone's upset they mourn her briefly and then you know professor x kind of like looks out the window knowingly like he feels someone's presence clearly, and then you get a look at the lake and you start getting like an overhead look at the lake and then in the reflection of the lake you start to see like the shape of a phoenix yes, like the, like her emblem which, as a kid, I still remember that feeling in the movie theater.
Speaker 1:I remember like, oh my god, you know, like, just like pure ecstasy for, like my little, you know, I was probably like 11 at that time I remember seeing all of these films.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I dude I can?
Speaker 1:I can picture it too and I think don't I mean there. There have been post-credit scenes in the past, but this wasn't a post-credit scene, but it was a tease at the very end of the movie and I think this was the first one that Marvel did that specifically, you know, hinted towards the next film and I think this is what birthed the post-credit scenes that Marvel Studios now it's like their staple, you know, and you have to remember, like Kevin Feige was a producer, he was a producer on these early X-Men films, so like he, kind of like, was totally involved in all of this right right he started his own studio you know like, you take your experiences and you're influenced by them, and you, you take pretty much what is good and you try to make it better.
Speaker 2:And so, honestly, to tell you the truth, especially that first arc of the MCU, those post-credit scenes really blew us away, guys X2. Good movie.
Speaker 1:Doesn't get enough credit. I don't think.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's, at least it's definitely the best x-men of the initial trilogy of that three, yeah, yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1:You know, once we start talking about days of future, past and logan, you know, things change a little bit. But anyway, we enjoy talking about x2. Next week we're going to be talking tales of the empire to celebrate the may the fourth week. So I hope may the fourth is with you, you know or was with you.
Speaker 2:I mean, this is gonna be out after then, but like I hope that that's true, may the fourth was with you. I hope so for your sake.
Speaker 1:For your sake guys, you can follow us on our socials. You can find it all linked in the description down below. Please like our podcast. Wherever your review our podcast five stars. Write a couple words like medium rare, five stars you know, like juicy, medium rare, five star plus a review, if you can. We love them and yeah, thanks guys, we will talk to you on the next one if you haven't seen x2, watch it.
Speaker 2:Or if you haven't seen it recently, watch it again. But yes, I hope you all have a great week and listen to us next week as we talk about tales of the empire you should have killed me when you had the chance bye.
