Another Pass at Another Pass at X-Men 3: The Last Stand
Case and Sam are looking back at the earliest episodes of the show! Check out their thoughts on the sixteenth episode when Case sat down with Geoff Moonen and chatted about X-Men 3: The Last Stand!
Note: The original episode being discussed was released before Elliot Page transitioned publicly.
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Overview
In the Podcast Discussion and Analysis meeting titled "Another Pass at Another Pass at X-Men 3: The Last Stand," hosts Case and Sam explored various aspects of the film "X-Men 3: The Last Stand" through the lens of their podcast format, 'Another Pass at Another Pass.' They discussed audio quality improvements with guest Geoff Moonen, while delving into the film's production limitations and character choices. Key pitches for story improvements included intertwining the Dark Phoenix Saga with Days of Future Past and critiques of character underutilization, particularly Magneto and Storm. The conversation also highlighted the film's inconsistent narrative structure and missed opportunities for deeper character relationships, particularly among female characters. The meeting concluded with plans for future episodes focusing on The Hobbit trilogy and updates on upcoming podcast content and social media engagement. Action items included listening to upcoming episodes and joining community discussions on Discord.
Notes
️ Podcast Introduction and Discussion Format (00:06 - 14:20)
Case and Sam introduce the 'Another Pass at Another Pass' podcast format where they review earlier episodes
They discuss an episode featuring Geoff Moonen about X-Men 3: The Last Stand
Case mentions audio quality issues, noting Geoff's voice actor quality sounds good
They explain how they added ADR (additional dialogue recording) at the end for plugs
The original episode focused on fixing X-Men 3's issues with a sense of urgency
Geoff and Case begin discussing production limitations of X-Men 3, including director changes
Bryan Singer left due to time constraints and Matthew Vaughn declined for similar reasons
They acknowledge actor limitations including James Marsden asking to be killed off
Story Improvement Pitches (14:20 - 33:45)
Case proposes combining Dark Phoenix Saga with Days of Future Past storyline
The pitch includes starting with future timeline showing Phoenix as a psychic 'Hound'
Suggests Kitty Pryde as time traveler (played by Elliot Page) instead of Wolverine
Proposes Jean Grey possessing Mystique's body, explaining Rebecca Romijn's limited role
Geoff suggests frontloading the 'cure' storyline as the main focus with Phoenix as secondary
They discuss the missed opportunity with Angel/Warren Worthington III character
Critique of wasted characters including Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut
Discussion of poor integration between the cure storyline and Dark Phoenix plot
Character Assassination and Film Issues (33:45 - 50:00)
Both agree Magneto's characterization was inconsistent with previous movies
Criticism of Magneto's 'the pawns go first' line showing callous disregard for other mutants
Criticism of the third act's tactical choices as nonsensical
Discussion of Storm's missed potential as a counterforce to Phoenix
Critique of the film having good individual scenes but poor overall structure
Discussion of the Mystique character being abandoned by Magneto as out of character
Acknowledgment of good casting choices that were underutilized
Post-Episode Analysis (50:01 - 01:06:20)
Sam states this was one of her favorite episodes featuring Case and Geoff
Discussion of Bryan Singer controversies not known at the time of original recording
Case acknowledges being dismissive of X-Men comics at that point in his fandom
Praise for the creative idea of Phoenix possessing Mystique's body
Discussion of Geoff's observation about the 'cure' storyline being an inversion of the first film
Sam praises the urgency and focus of the original discussion
Analysis of the film trying to be serious but failing to deliver on its stakes
️ Character Relationships and Missed Opportunities (01:06:23 - 01:26:17)
Sam criticizes Storm's relationship portrayal, particularly with Jean Grey
Discussion of female characters existing in 'bubbles' only relating to male characters
Suggestion that Storm should have confronted Dark Phoenix instead of Wolverine
Critique of the film not properly explaining Phoenix's power and danger level
Suggestion that the 'cure' storyline could stand alone with Phoenix hints for a sequel
Discussion of ethical questions that could have been explored more deeply
Case suggests the Phoenix suppression by the cure could have led to a post-credits setup
Planning for future podcast episodes including The Hobbit trilogy
Podcast Updates and Social Media (01:26:17 - 01:30:46)
Decision to skip discussing the 2017 clip show episodes as too meta
Next Another Pass at Another Pass episode will cover The Hobbit trilogy
Update on recent and upcoming main podcast episodes including Farragut Forward
Upcoming Super Mario Bros episode with Matt/DJ Storm
Information on where to find Sam and Case on social media
Mention of Discord server at certainpov.com
Case's social media handle: @Case Aiken on Bluesky
Action items
Audience
Listen to the upcoming Another Pass at Another Pass episode on The Hobbit trilogy (01:25:37)
Check out the upcoming main podcast episode on Super Mario Bros with Matt/DJ Stormageddon (01:26:59)
Join the Discord server through the link at certainpov.com for community discussion (01:28:05)
Follow Case on Bluesky at @Case Aiken (01:28:20)