Line #8 Fridge/XMen1


1	!!FridgeBrilliance
2	* At first glance, Mystique's scales might just seem like a simple design choice added to make her more distinctive on screen, but they're quite thematically fitting as well. Think about it: she has scaled skin and yellow eyes, she [[NonMammalMammaries doesn't appear to have nipples]], and she even seems to shed her skin whenever she changes form; [[AnimalMotifs she seems to be part-reptile, with her design evoking a chameleon, an animal famous for changing its color as camouflage]].
3	* The final shot in the film is of Magneto in his cell, and Xavier moving away from him. This calls back to their first scene together, where Magneto walks away from him.
4	** RuleofSymbolism here: the two have their backs to each other, representing their opposing views. While Magneto is enclosed in a cell, Xavier is moving forward, representing their own beliefs of cooperation as a dead end and an open route. (Magneto is also trapped in his own cynicism and prejudice, while the open Xavier is able to make progress)
5	* The movie is essentially a loose adaptation of "Days of Future Past" that reverses the roles of the X-Men and the Brotherhood. In both versions, Senator Robert Kelly tries to get the [[SuperRegistrationAct Mutant Registration Act]] passed through Congress, the Brotherhood targets him in retaliation, the X-Men jump in to save him, and one side is motivated by horrific memories of living in a concentration camp. The difference? In the movie, Magneto is the one haunted by memories of concentration camp life. In the comics, it's the X-Men.
6	** In the movie, Magneto suffered horribly in Auschwitz, so he and the Brotherhood kidnap Senator Kelly, fearing that his actions will lead mutants to a similar fate. In the comics, the X-Men suffer horribly in a Sentinel-run concentration camp in the future, so they go back in time to ''save'' Kelly from the Brotherhood, hoping that this will stop the years of conflict that created their BadFuture in the first place. The X-Men and their nemesis suffer the same fate, but take completely opposite actions in response.
7	* Magneto's disgusted remark of "You homo sapiens and your guns" makes all the more sense if you remember how his mother died and Charles lost the use of his legs in ''Film/XMenFirstClass''.
8	* Magneto's description of God sounds a lot like Professor X, and the connection becomes more obvious after it's revealed in ''Film/X2XMenUnited'' that Magneto views mutants to be gods among insects, and there is no one in the world he respects (and loves, as we learn in ''Film/XMenFirstClass'') more than his old friend.
9	-->'''Magneto''': I've always thought of God as a teacher, a bringer of light, wisdom, and understanding.
10	* The chess match between Charles and Erik at the end has Erik use a bishop and knight, while Charles majorly uses a pawn. Erik is using the strongest pieces, while Charles is using a minor piece. This not only showcases Erik's latent belief in strength against Charles' faith in the gambit, but displays Erik's favoring of strength against Charles' strategies (which doesn't necessarily make Charles a saint).
11	* In one scene in the third act, Wolverine has to convince Cyclops that he's not Mystique in disguise, and does so by insulting him, which works. It's played for laughs, but when you think about it, it makes sense. Wolverine is new to the team, Mystique won't quite know how he interacts with them yet. Anyone trying to convince someone they ''aren't'' an evil shapeshifter would try to be friendly and nice... but that's ''not'' who Wolverine is, so him insulting Cyclops is not only totally in-character, but not something Mystique would know to do.

Context Fridge / XMen1