Generation X

Compared to most comic-to-TV adaption, Generation X is...adequate. It doesn't rely on campiness (Batman/60's, the Justice League TV show pilot...). The main problem is that the writers don't seem to have much idea what they're doing. They opted for one big-name star (Frewer) and ended up with a bargain-basement Joker impersonation. The whole Dream Dimension plot is just stupid (even the characters acknowledge they're ripping off Freddy Krueger/Elm Street - not a good sign).

When the show sticks to the mutants themselves, it's pretty good. The school seems curiously understaffed, and in that huge mansion, why do six students have to sleep in two fairly small rooms? And the lack of budget shows, since the superheroics are mostly small-scale. Still, the cast is likeable enough, and it probably would have made a decent TV series if the ratings had been there.

As someone who followed Generation X the comic book from its inception, I recall being very excited about the Generation X tv movie during its debut. Unfortunately, that didn't last long. It was a thrill to see what started out as a fantastic comic make it onto the small screen, but the attempts just weren't enough.

Matt Frewer did a fantastic job of chewing the scenery, but it's usually easy to forgive the man his zaniness, particularly if you've ever watched Max Headroom. Beyond that, Generation X was and still remains painful to watch. Just about every canon character that started out in the comic book was not only miscast (i.e., the Chinese-American Jubilee being played by someone who wasn't), but poorly characterized. Mondo, the laid-back Hawaiian had transformed into pure arrogance, while Angelo, the cynical and quick-witted ex-gang member was suddenly on the shy and tentative side.

It was, in a way, what you'd expect from a comic book movie. That is assuming that you don't actually read comics and just have a stereotype in mind, however. Lighting was often overdramatic in a way that any Batman moviegoer could recognize and wince at. Scenery was not especially impressive, excepting the building which stood in for the Massachusetts Academy. Characters did not come across as particularly three dimensional, and it felt as if every prop involved had been drawn rather than created.

Although the movie in and of itself is a whimsical bit, easy to watch if you'd like a brightly colored distraction from the world around you, its script is lacking and its acting on the dull side. I felt for the characters involved not because Generation X the movie was convincing, but instead because I felt loyalty to the characters I'd been reading about for a number of years. The addition of Refrax and Buff, who had potential of their own, was more proof that this was a slapdash movie made in hopes of grabbing a few bucks. After all, these two appears sheerly because the remaining characters from the comic book would go over the budget for filming, as their appearances and powers would require too much in the way of special effects.

Overall, it was a disappointing experience, but I remain fan enough of the comic to keep a taped copy for nostalgia's value.

I'm fairly lenient were it is concerned to comic to film productions, and with that in mind I enjoyed this film. I haven't seen it since 1996 (I taped over my recording), but I thought that it was pretty good. The characters weren't as close as one would like, but it was still really fun seeing the four-color characters brought to life.

It was on as a late-night movie where I live about eight months ago and I watched and enjoyed it again. Heather McComb was a standout as Jubilee. Hey, I didn't even have to look at the cast list to remember her name. Neato.

It wasn't anything to write home about, but it was at least a fun adaptation. I mean, how many comics have been made into films anyway. Gen X fans should be proud.

Have a good day then.

Quite frankly this Tv movie wasn't that bad. the actors did the best they could but it had such a terrible script. First off the whole concept of dream dimensions should have been thrown in the garbage. why can't writers just write a simple story? why do they have to complicate stories with some life altering philosophy? its superhero movie!! based on some pretty serious issuses (racism) so why try to fix something if its not broken?!!! The actors did a good job i think. some changes to the movie from the comic were understandable. i mean not every adaptation is always exact, come on lets be realistic. One thing though they should have mentioned the X-men in some point of the movie. thats all just drop a comment like well the owners of the house are away or Prof.Xaviar has left us in charge of you. or something referring to the X-men hell they're in their mansion!. Anyhow the actors weren't that bad, im sorry to hear that the entire cast from this movie has been scrapped and will be replaced with a new one. Oh well at least i was smart enough to tape it.

A few years before the wildly successful and very well made "X-Men" movie, there was a TV version that bombed. "Generation X" was pretty much the same show though the characters they focused on were mostly different from the ones in the movies. In both cases, mutants are distrusted by the masses and unregistered mutants are being rounded up by the authorities. However, there's a mutant academy and many of these folks are being spirited off to this school where they'll learn to channel their skills and use them to fight evil.

So why didn't they green light the series? Well, I don't think it was because the public wasn't ready for such a show. To me, the problem is the very limited appeal of the show based on its style. While made in 1996, it looks right from 1984 with a strong New Wave style. The colors, music, lighting and look of the show look very dated and very 80s. The show also seemed focused towards teens only. Additionally, and this is what bothered me the most, the camera angles were annoying just to be annoying! Askew angles abound...and it jut makes it look cheap and kind of stupid! Add to that some occasionally poor writing and a bizarre character played by Matt Frewer (I think he was channeling Max Headroom a bit too much here) and you'll understand why the show was a flop and didn't get off the ground. After seeing this pilot movie, I am certainly glad they never made more.