Customer Reviews

X-Men Evolution - Season 1, Volume 3: X Marks the Spot

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"X Marks the Spot" offers up episodes 7-9 of the first season of the animated series "X-Men Evolution" that airs on the Kids! WB network. The series, focuses on the core group of Professor X, Cyclops, Jean Gray, and, of course, Wolverine: (7) "Turn of the Rogue" (Aired February 3, 2001) is the episode where Rogue discovers the truth about Principal Darkholme on a Geology Club field trip to some underground caves and finally decides to turn her back on Mystique and throw in her lot with the X-Men; (8) "Spykecam" (Aired February 10, 2001), has Spyke working on a school assignment to document teenage life using his digicam, just as Sabertooth attacks the Institute looking for his old friend Wolverine; and (9) "Survival of the Fittest" (Aired March 3, 2001), starts with the X-Men attending a survival school and ends with Mystique releasing the Juggernaut from prison to go after his brother, Professor X. The situation is so bad that the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants have to join forces to take down the Juggernaut. This is the third of four vidoes covering the first season of "X-Men Evolution," which covers a lot of ground in getting all the merry mutants together. All three of these episodes are above average in terms of this particular series. Interestingly the show manages to put off the first confrontation with Magneto until the final pair of episodes, to be found on the next tape.

this other reviewer took the words out my mouth, so i'll just quote him

"Any "traditional" X-men fan over 25 will be disappointed with X-men Evolution. Fans who did not grow up reading the X-men comics or cherishing the original X-men Animated Series may like it, (people under 15) but these fans are not the hard core base of X-men fans to which I refer.

So many bad ideas went into this Evolution series. First of all, I can't get past the ridiculous notion of the X-men attending the local public high school! (And with Mystique as the principal?)

The X-men's school was the Xavier School for the Gifted - Period!

In addition to that, the idea of the "good" mutants going to this same high school as the "bad" mutants is just plain stupid. They were mortal enemies, and no way could they co-exist in the same school, even with the conflicts that happen in these stories.

Furthermore, the introduction, at this early stage of the X-men story-line, of characters like Nightcrawler, (whose depiction in this series stinks,) Rogue, (who is portrayed like some punk Gothic chick) and the new mutants is just not the way it happened nor should it happen even in a revised edition like this. I can handle Storm and Wolverine as early mentors, because they are supposed to be older like they are shown to be here, but the others were just not in existence at this stage of X-men history. Ice Man and Beast were supposed to be there from the beginning just like Cyclops and Jean. The Angel, who was my favorite, was another original member of the team, but he doesn't make his appearance until later seasons.

And since when were the twins, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch enemies as they were portrayed here? They were supposed to be as close as any brother/sister twins could ever be. Pietro was always supposed to be defending his sister to the end. He was never terrified of her. And what's with this show making Wanda so super powerful like that? She wasn't so super-mighty as portrayed here.

Lastly, I must criticize the art because it is just hard to look at. I know they are going for a stylized look like in some of the comics, but, like another critic observed, the noses are just plain bad. And the huge feet bother me as well.

If YOU like it just because it is something on the X-men being done, that's great, I suppose it is better than nothing.

But for me the original series in the 90s, (yes, that means the original "series") was far superior, (I don't understand how anyone could criticize the art in that show. In my view the art in many of those original series episodes rivaled even the best of Disney, especially "The Phoenix Saga", and the "Dark Phoenix Saga", as well as many more: beautiful art!)

Sadly, what we have now in "Evolution" is some Hollywood executive's vision of a revised X-men universe, targeting today's bubble gum brigade, (ie: the high school setting, Spyke and his skateboard.) Hollywood has always thought they know better than the creators of the genre, but usually, like in this case, it only results in a bastardization of what so many of us grew up loving."

I am a huge fan of this series even though I have heard it referred to as juvenille. I felt it was very helpful and taught many valuable lessons such as team work, friendship, and doing what you think is right even if no one else agrees with you. This disc includes the episodes 'Turn of the Rogue,' 'SpykeCam,' and 'Survival of the Fittest.' I would suggest the entire series to anyone including people who aren't necessarily fans of X-men.

I think this is the high point of season one. The next volume wasn't as good. A fun series if you're a Marvel or X-Men fan.

These are really great episodes from a fantastic show. X men is truly amazing and I have enjoyed every single episode from this show. Wolverine is probably my favortie character and his fight with Sabertooth was just amazing. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the X-Men

Really love this show. Does anyone know when season 3 or 4 is do out.