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 we're discussing was made before Elliot Page transitioned publicly.

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)