Generation X (film)

Infobox Film
name = Generation X


image_size =
caption =
director = Jack Sholder
producer = Avi Arad
Eric Blakeney
Matthew Edelman
Stan Lee
David Roessell
Bruce J. Sallan
writer = Eric Blakeney
narrator =
starring = Matt Frewer
Finola Hughes
music =
cinematography = Bryan England
editing = Michael Schweitzer
distributor = Fox Television
released = February 20, 1996
runtime = 87 minutes
country = USA
language = English
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:154425
imdb_id = 0116401

"Generation X" is a made-for-TV film which aired on FOX on February 20, 1996. It is based on the Marvel Comics series "Generation X". It was produced by New World Entertainment and Marvel Entertainment.

Cast (alphabetical)

Plot Summary

Banshee and Emma Frost are the headmasters of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. They recruit Jubilee, and introduce her to her fellow students; M, Skin, Mondo, Buff and Refrax. The students are learning to cope with their mutant powers, and come into conflict with the "townies" who mock the students. Emma Frost worked previously with a mad scientist named Russel Tresh who felt that he could extract part of mutant's brains to develop psychic powers, and Russell is back and wants to use Skin's brain in his experiments.

Characters

Existing Characters

Characters from the comics;

* Emma Frost/White Queen (Finola Hughes) runs the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters with Banshee. She takes her job very seriously and wants to make sure the students are sufficiently trained for any situation. Part of the reason for this may be because in her past she trained another group called the Hellions who were lost, something she blames herself for. Before her teaching duties Emma worked as a researcher on a project to develop a "dream machine" to access the dream dimension, she came into conflict with fellow researcher Russel Tresh. Her powers include mind control.

* Sean Cassidy/Banshee (Jeremy Ratchford), an Irish mutant, runs the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters with Emma Frost. Sean is much more laid back in his teaching approach than Emma, and wants to make sure that the students bond as a team. He can produce a sonic scream that can stun people.

* Monet St. Croix/M (Amarilis) is one of the students at the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, she claims that she is the perfect mutant; super intelligent, enhanced physical abilities and "level eight invulnerability".

* Jubilation Lee/Jubilee (Heather McComb) is the newest student at the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, she is highly intelligent, and very curious. She can generate brightly colored bursts of plasma energy which she can fire from her hands. She also seems to have some psychic abilities.

* Mondo (Bumper Robinson) is one of the students at the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, he is hot-headed, and gets into fights easily. He has the ablity to take on the properties of any organic or inorganic matter he touches. Consequently, he doesn't like Jell-O.

* Angelo Espinosa/Skin (Agustin Rodriguez) has skin that can stretch in a variety of different ways, including the ability to wrap himself around objects. He has a younger sister, whom Russel Tresh threatened if Skin didn't obey him. He seems to have some psychic abilities.

New Characters

Characters created for the film;

* Buff/Arlee Hicks (Suzanne Davis) is one of the students at the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, she is a friendly likable person, whose mutation increases her muscle mass and strength. She is insecure about her new physique and wears loose clothing to cover it up.

* Refrax/Kurt Pastorius (Randall Slavin) is one of the students at the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, his eyes emit radiation giving him X-Ray vision and heat beams. He is a practical joker who has a crush on Buff. He wears special glasses to control his powers and is best friends with Mondo.

* Doctor Russel Tresh (Matt Frewer) an unethical scientist and researcher who is investigating subliminal and psychic powers. He worked on a project with Emma Frost, who got him fired for his unethical behaviour. Following this he put his talents towards the advertising industry where he uses the money to build a machine to access the "dream dimension".

Production Notes

Movie Prologue

The following is a prologue quote that appeared at the beginning of the movie, which was later emulated in the "X-Men" theatrical films with similar defining quotes on mutation and evolution, respectively, albeit in voice-over rather than on-screen text:

Locations

The mansion used for the Xavier Institute is the exact same one used in the X-Men films and , as well as for the home of young Lex Luthor in the "Smallville" series.

Characters

Although not a factor in the decision to abandon the creation of a series, minority fans were also disappointed and offended by the portrayal of Jubilation Lee as a character of non-Asian descent fact|date=June 2008. The X-Men comics and animated series have always portrayed her as Chinese American.

Two new characters, Buff and Refrax were created for the movie to replace the characters Chamber and Husk from the comics, whose flashy powers would have been too expensive to produce on the film's budget.

Premier

Generation X premiered on the 1996 Fox Mardi Gras Special.

Different versions

The British version and the United States version contain slight differences:

* In the British version, Jubilee is forced to strip for a full body print. While this scene did not appear in the later showings of the United States version, it did appear in the original showing.

* In the British version there was significantly more swearing, racial slurs and extreme situations. After discovering the Dream Machine, Jubilee and Skin compare notes. In this scene Jubilee uses 3 swear words. These were edited out of the United States version.

* When Skin encounters Russel Tresh in the Dream World, Tresh calls Skin a "wetback" and threatens to mind-rape Skin's sister if he doesn't help get Tresh back into his body. This scene was edited to remove the racial slur and mind-rape wording in the United States version.

External links

*imdb title|id=0116401|name=Generation X
* [http://www.antimattermultiverse.com/products/generation-x-1996-tv-movie-dvd Review, pictures, clips and DVD info at Antimatter Multiverse]
* [http://tigrrwildcat.50megs.com/movietv.htm Kindred Spirits - Info, pictures, video and sounds]
* [http://www.eyrie.org/~frobozz/review/fmgenx.html Fan Review]
* [http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/g/genx1996.htm International Catalogue of Superheroes]
* [http://xoomer.virgilio.it/amasoni2002/shl/marvel/generation_x_(1996).htm Superhero Lives]
* [http://www.internapse.com/marvel/classic/generationx/index.php Marvel Gateway by Internapse presents Generation X]