When the first X-Men film premiered in July 2000, it was so well received that it ushered in a new era of superhero adaptations. While the treatment given to mutants was not so good in some sequences, the production is seen as a turning point that allowed Marvel to build its entire cinematic universe.
Although pioneering in many ways, the film was not Fox Films’ first effort to bring the mutant universe to the screen. In 1996, she had already bet on another feature film that was supposed to serve as the basis for a television series, but it turned out to be so bad that it ended up being “buried” over time: we are talking about Generation X.
Generation X is something Marvel doesn’t like to remember
Like any decades-old franchise, the X-Men have gone through several ups and downs in the world of comics. During the 1990s, mutants were on the rise and accounted for Marvel’s best sales figures, which caused it to expand its universe of titles and characters.
One of the most successful initiatives in this regard was the title Generation X (Generation X), which debuted in 1994. It showcased a new generation of characters who were trained by veterans Banshee and Emma Frost (who was already making her transition from villain to heroine), bringing Jubilee as the most experienced member of the team.
The success soon caught the attention of Fox, who decided that a new team of mutants was a great opportunity to create an adaptation. In partnership with New World Entertainment, the company called on director Jack Sholder to take care of a film that, if successful, would serve as the basis of a complete series — which was far from happening.
Film suffered from low budget
In addition to focusing on little-known characters from the comics, the biggest problem with the film Generation X is the fact that he clearly doesn’t have a good budget — or a greater dedication to his casting recruitment.
The feature film focuses on Jubilee (Heather McComb) who, after discovering her powers, is recruited to the Xavier school by Banshee (Jeremy Ratchford) and Emma Frost (Finola Hughes).
While characters from the original team such as M (Amarilis) and Mondo (Bumper Robinson) appear, names like Câmara and Scalpo were left out due to the difficulty of reproducing their powers with special effects. This wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t for the fact that the chosen story is not convincing and there are some quite embarrassing performances in the film.
While Generation X has the merit of having helped Fox not make the same mistakes in X-Men, it remains like a page that the company and, currently, Disney, would prefer to forget. With only 25% audience approval on Rotten Tomatoesthe film remains unavailable on streaming, but can be found in full on sites like YouTube.
