Customer Reviews

Mutant Cinema: The X-Men Trilogy from Comics to Screen

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This book is really thorough and displays a lot of insight. It looks at all three X-Men films, going through scene-by-scene and talking about a lot of things, but mostly how the films appropriate the comics source material. McLean clearly knows his X-Men comics inside and out, and it shows. There's a lot of depth to his writing, and it goes far beyond what you think you know about the X-Men. He also brings his insight into the Hollywood side of things, pointing out facts not only about various scenes but about the whole movie-making process. This is a VERY complete guide to the X-Men films, and I learned a lot by reading it.

When people give this book a cursory glance, they think that it's simply a book that reviews and analyzes the X-Men movie trilogy. It's not. Yes, it DOES go over every scene in the trilogy, but it does WAY more than that: it talks about the comics that those scenes come from. The book pays homage to those comics.

The book boils down to this:

A Brief Description of Scene (e.g. Act 1, Scene 1), then a (sometimes meaty) Discussion of the Comics that Scene Came From. Repeat with Next Scene.

So, if you want to read a book about the AWESOME comics that led to the film, check this out.

Anyone who has seen the X Men films has had the `moment'. You know, the a ha!, the I know where that came from, the `they stole that scene from....' revelation, and the `ooohhhhhhh, not again' shock. Thomas J Mclean has had that, and more.

"Mutant Cinema" explores the trilogy from inception, to filming, right down to the nitty gritty of what was taken from where, and where they deviated. Yep, he watches way too much X Men....

Really though, the book is a fascinating look at the origins of the X Men, and the circuitous path to the silver screen. Any professional who has taken a property to the movies knows the drill. Write the story, wait, watch for the changes, and then sigh when someone else rewrites it for better or for worse. In the case of the X Men, that happened too, but the process was more comic book literate and this book compares and contrasts the individual scenes. It is interesting from a comic book historian/x `geek' viewpoint to read how and why there are deviations. More significant, it is a study of why good comics do make good films when you strike the same chord and audience that the source material has.
There are a few illustrations, primarily b/w covers, and interesting sidebars on film contributors. With a book of this style, the only way it could have been better is the use of actual film stills and movie posters in color.

Published by Sequart Research and Literacy Organization, this is just one of their killer titles. Serious comic readers should take note.

Have you seen all the X-Men movies and loved them?

Did you see them and hate them all?

Either way this book is an enthralling tour of all the films and elucidates the things that made the movies great, as well as more than a few things that just didn't work. I know this sounds hyperbolic, but this book really did change how I watch the movies now. Great book! Quick Read.

A very complete look at all three films of the original X-Men trilogy. Plus the prequel comics and behind-the-scenes development. You may THINK you know the story, but you really don't until you've read the book. An approachable, informative guide.