X-Men 97 TV Series Review: Reminded Us of All the Charm of the Cult Mutant Series
Stars: George Buza, Ray Chase, Holly Chou
Creators: Beau DeMayo, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
Streaming Platform: Disney+
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 4/5 (four stars)
X-Men 97 showed itself in brilliant form, to say the least, an extraordinary operation between classicism and modernity. 32 years after the first episode aired, the X-Men return with a new animated season to continue telling the adventures of the mutants! The revival of the classic ’90s X-Men cartoon continues where the original series left off in 1997 and features many of the same characters and voice cast, picking up after the series finale “Graduation Day,” in which the team had bid farewell to its leader, Professor Charles Xavier. Bringing a classic back to the modern stage is never a simple operation, especially because it has no fixed rules and no universal methodology valid for each case. There is and probably will always be the fear on the one hand of changing the original material too much and consequently of antagonizing the historical fandom and on the other hand of changing it so little and in such insignificant ways as to raise the question of how necessary it was then taken it back and propose it again in a new guise.
Is there a middle ground between these two things? Or should we try a radically different approach? Loyalty or innovation? And these are questions that are valid for the much-rumored remakes and reboots, but also for a peculiar production such as a historic animated series that ended in 1997. And it is a double burden of mammoth proportions, since it is necessary to pay the right homage to a series that is still adored by millions of fans and at the same time have the right ideas to continue it and, as far as possible, modernize it. Perhaps an impossible task but, judging from the 3 episodes that we were able to see in the preview, Marvel got it right practically to perfection, proposing – both on the technical and narrative side – a slightly more modern version of the same formula that has been around for 30 years now. ago it became a resounding success.
X-Men 97 Review: The Story Plot
We will see what the future horizons of X-Men 97 will be in due time. The judgment that we can give for the moment is on what we have seen, that is, the first three episodes out of a total of ten, which will be released with the almost always usual weekly frequency of Disney+. X-Men 97 picks up where X-Men: The Animated Series ended and is therefore a linear continuation of those events. But one of the very first impressions is that the show is forgiving of new viewers. It does not require them to necessarily know the background to the five seasons of the 1990s series, rather it limits itself to providing a few precise coordinates.
Above all, Professor Charles Xavier is dead. He was murdered and left orphans the now grown-up students at his school, who over time have become true bastions of the sense of justice in the troubled attempt at coexistence between mutants and humans. The Earth of the 92131 universe is weakened by years of fighting and terrorism, still far from a peaceful acceptance of a status quo that oscillates dangerously between war and extermination. And it is probably this specific context, exasperated and tinged with a profound pessimism, which presents itself, in its becoming a sounding board with our bitter contemporaneity, as an apt gateway for new spectators.
X-Men 97 Review and Analysis
While waiting to be able to fully enjoy the new animated series of the Mutants, we had the opportunity to enjoy a delicious preview of X-Men 97, seeing the first three episodes. A taste, but enough to bring us back to the mood of the 90s animated series, finding the young mutants forced to face a world that does not seem to accept their presence despite their efforts. A difficult coexistence between homo sapiens and homo superior was made even more complicated by the death of the X-Men’s mentor, Charles Xavier. The last episode of X-Men: The Animated Series left us with the mutant’s intent on carrying forward the dream of Xavier, who died in the name of his vision of peaceful coexistence. X-Men 97 takes up the events of the Children of the Atom precisely from this pain, transforming it into a new beginning with which to bring a new generation closer while maintaining the bond with long-standing fans of the mutant world.
Leading the X-Men are now reference figures such as Scott ‘Ciclope’ Summers and Ororo ‘Storm’ Monroe, Xavier’s protégés who have taken up his heavy legacy. Despite the presence of friendly figures in the upper echelons of the international community, humanity has not yet accepted the existence of mutants, seeing them as a threat. This is the challenge that Scott Summers must face, trying to keep Xavier’s dream alive while protecting the X-Men and guiding them in their mission. Far from a simple role, considering how Cyclops lives with this task as an obsession and his inflexible and almost martial approach, finds little understanding from his companions. Countered by a personality as strong as Wolverine’s, Scott tries to keep the X-Men in line, feeling the weight of Xavier’s legacy. It is a sign of a radical change in emotional character compared to a series suitable for a transversal audience. The feeling I had with the first three episodes of but find themselves having to live in a world in which their presence is even more opposed.
From the first lines, in the dialogues between the mutants as well as in the portrait of the society in which they move, we perceive how racism against duties is not a memory of the past, but on the contrary, is more alive than ever. X-Men 97 immediately tries to show a narrative root that reconnects viewers with the previous series, following a plot in which the team of heroes tries to prevent a young mutant from being the victim of racial hatred. If in Jubilee she was hunted by the titanic robots created by Trask, in the opening episode of X-Men 97 this racism takes on a more acidic connotation, in which humans hunt down the carriers of the immediately how, faithful to the idea of making the X-Men a mirror of reality, it was decided not to deprive the series of a more mature tone. An understandable choice, if we consider that the first target of X-Men 97 is precisely those who grew up with the previous series. Therefore, it was not only the spectators who grew and matured but also the characters, who are presented to us through the sensitivity of Beau de Mayo and his writing room, which certainly includes authors who have a certain understanding of the mutant world.
The themes covered, close to the world of the Children of the Atom, are presented within a lively and fast-paced narrative, in which the dialogues fit together with precision, aiming to generate a strong emotional connotation that does not deprive the story of its moment. The exchanges between the characters are designed to give viewers a clear vision of their difficulties, making this world approachable even for those unfamiliar with mutant history. A cure that pushed us to look for inspiration within the mutant comics canon, as previously. The change in narrative register has inevitably led to relying on highly powerful plots. In the first three episodes previewed, we found quotes from Inferno and The Trial of Magneto up to the poignant Vitamorte, an influence that reconfirms the emotionally mature soul of the series. X-Men 97 has the difficult task of maintaining its visual identity without forgetting that the years that have passed since the first season have brought animation new suggestions.
The cult status of which does not bind the series to dated visual solutions, but which evolves what was seen in X-Men: The Animated Series into a contemporary form, tinged with a sense of nostalgia. The preview of X-Men 97 reminded us of all the charm of the cult mutant series, also showing us a contemporary personality, capable of fascinating both long-time fans and attracting new fans. The more disenchanted and adult approach gives rise to hope for a greater evolution of the characters, who we hope will prove rich in nuances and capable of best embodying the essence of their paper counterpart. Even the animated style itself follows a similar path, classic and exquisitely retro although it has received a nice – much-needed – boost in the general visual quality and fluidity of the animations. And the general result is sincerely wonderful, Marvel – which unfortunately happens more and more rarely – has avoided a banal nostalgia operation to re-propose in dazzling form a faithful and modern continuation of a production loved all over the world, with, moreover, some ideas intriguing plot.
In short, he has found the key to bringing the series back to life, as banal as it is to say, we will only have to see once the season is complete if the scaffolding will be able to hold up. Here are the conditions dictated by Kevin Feige for X-Men 97. And now we finally move on to the thorny question: can those who haven’t seen the original series watch X-Men 97? The most honest answer we can give you is a yes with many asterisks, because Marvel has nevertheless published a quick recap of the crucial events that flow directly into X-Men 97 on its social channels and because the script itself does a fair job in re-contextualize as many events as possible with expository dialogues. However, it remains clear to anyone that those who have not seen the 5 classic seasons and perhaps do not even have the slightest knowledge of who the X-Men are will inevitably miss a lot and will feel a little lost.
X-Men 97 Review: The Last Words
X-Men 97, at least in the 3 episodes that we were able to preview, turned out to be a simply wonderful production. Marvel has wisely decided both not to overdo it and not to propose a mere nostalgia operation: X-Men 97 then is truly the direct continuation of the historic animated series, with just a few more modern precautions to a basic formula that has remained unchanged. Precautions such as more marked attention towards the psychological in-depth analysis of the protagonists in a delicate moment, a slightly more story-driven and horizontal narrative despite the self-contained episodes, an exquisitely retro animated style but with a good quality of detail, and excellent fluidity in animations. In short, Marvel has found the keystone and got all the moves right, the only question we have left is to understand if this scaffolding will be able to support the entire season.
X-Men 97 TV Series Review: Reminded Us of All the Charm of the Cult Mutant Series - Filmyhype
Director: Beau DeMayo, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby
Date Created: 2024-03-20 19:34
4
Pros
- Respected mutant spirit
- Maintains adherence to the cult series
- Great X-Men comic quotes
Cons
- Aimed primarily at connoisseurs of mutants
- It remains a nostalgia operation
