Honestly, if Jennifer Lawrence is so desperate to break contract and stay out of the blue makeup chair, why don’t they just let her do so and hire a new actress to play Mystique? She’s literally a shapeshifter, you can explain it diagetically that Mystique just picked a new disguise
Rebecca Romijn's performance was one of the greatest physical performances I've seen. Her on screen presence has weight to it from her confidence and exact movements. Great performance
Rebecca Romijn will always be my mystique. Before her Mystique always seemed like a character with unrealized potential. Rebecca was the perfect example of "show don't tell".
"They share laughs sometimes, they seem to be friends, but really they're more political allies. Their relationship doesn't have any sexual overtones but this is probably because Magneto is gay. And Charles is gay." A+
This is a bit personal, but as a gay person myself that line about "because we shouldn't have to [hide]" that Mystique says in X-Men 2 is something that has stuck with me for years and helped me grit through the raw fear and anxiety (and eventual relief and elation) of the coming out process.
Similar, I came out before the movie but fuck was it inspirational. And the way Rebecca delivers that line had so much power behind it. It was beautiful then and still is now.
I do like Mystique's relationship with Magneto in the first trilogy, though. I'm kinda tired of the female characters being all about being in love with the other main characters.
Why, Lindsay? Why would you show us that trash from Epic Movie? I mean I know you've gotta cover as many iterations of the character as you can, but...ugh.
The most unrealistic part of the J-Law Mystique is beleiving that any man wouldnt find her attractive with the blue skin or no, like, I can buy the mutant powers, but thats too hard a sell.
Rebecca's mystique was amazing. I'm glad you gave her credit. You missed the moment in X2 when Magneto implies that they are boning. I wonder what you would have made of it. " Wolvy : she's good Magneto : You have noooo idea " The director confirmed that it was a hint.
What a lovely video! I'm a big Mystique stan and was introduced to her via Rebecca Romijn. You made a really good point about her body acting and I think that made me really appreciate Mystique for her subtlety. When J Law plays her I get really stressed out because the whole time I'm like "why is she yelling?" The only part of that storyline I enjoy is when she leaves with Erik in the end like "screw this, imma be blue."
"Because we shouldn't have to" is one of my favorite lines in all cinema for how succinctly it boils down issues of otherness, pride, fairness and justice.
I love mystique in first class cause she has a neat trans reading. Instead of "boys dont like me" her conflict becomes "Do I want to live stealth? Or be visibly trans to be accepted for my whole identity?". Xaviers disgust in her appearance can be read as "internalized transphobia" magneto can kind of be framed as a chaser. Just tons of neat ideas from seeing mutants as trans coded using mystique to center the framing.
Council of Geeks did a great video on Mystique as an LGBT icon, but I always thought she was one of the better mutants in the series. Arguably the first two were kind of wonky (X-Men makes her seem little interested in anything where she doesn't have much voice and First Class makes her seem too young to really have a standalone plot) but I grew up with the animated, which makes Mystique and Nightcrawler two of the best characters
Rebecca Romijn saying, "no" with that eye roll is still one of my favorite line reads in the franchise. I am annoyed that First Class changed the character.
Mystique just sucked the joy out of every shot she was in in Apocalypse. She's constantly annoyed and reluctant to do whatever she's doing and doesn't want to be where she is. Over half the film is over before she starts being blue. I'm not one of those J-Law haters but MY GOD.
I actually liked the more reluctant-hero Mystique. It felt like a further transitional phase, a continuation of her Future Past arc. Hopefully if they get her back for Supernova, she'll be a little more can-do.
I agree with you completely. I love the arc she's had between DoFP and Apocalypse. The very root of this Mystique is a struggle of identity and how other people see her, and it's a super interesting direction they've taken her in!
That Mystique solo comic was really freaking good. Featured a lot of interesting uses of her shape shifting too. At one point she moves her internal organs around to survive a hail of gunfire
Man, I miss this series. It kills me that Lindsay got put off making it because that so many fans were pricks about what was and wasn't included. I'm glad she now has time for Musicalsplaining but still....
I'm very happy that there's still new content in the Loose Canon videos happening. I love the take on the characters/tropes. I've watched the death and hades one multiple times because they're just that good.
Mystique is one of my favorite comic characters as well. I agree that she is originally portrayed as a troupe for all the "evil" woman traits, but I believe that by the 90's the comics at least had tried to remedy that a bit. Her run as leader of the government controlled Brotherhood was amazing. Unlike Magneto, who mostly sent in the goofballs (the rejects that made up the Brotherhood), let them get beat up a bit, and then did it himself, Mystique seemed to take a different approach. She seemed to actually care for her team, she trained them well, and made them a confident, and competent force. She herself was very effective, but she made characters like the Blob, or Toad gain confidence in themselves, a daunting task. Also, like Magneto I believe her use of her ability put her in a much higher power category than the power would have without a competent pilot. In a world with mutants with psychokinesis, telepathy, healing factors, teleportation, and even reality manipulation, she was still a force to be reckoned with.
All good points. One less used thing that always fascinated me about Mystique is that she is a bisexual shapeshifter. Comics had her in a canonical romance with Destiny, Sabertooth, etc. You spoke of toxic motherhood being one of her major tropes and its true, but Chris Claremont originally wanted to make Nightcrawler the bio-child of Destiny and Mystique. So this would make Mystique his father, not his mother (which would be Destiny).
The Katniss comparison is exactly what I've been trying to put into words. J-Law has one role - the reluctant, badass Mockingjay - and she's great at it when it's working, but its so bland when it's bad.
It probably doesn't help that she's going to be Typecast forever now. Just like Wesley Crusher did to Wil Wheaton. I can only imagine that it's exhausting to have to play the same role over and over. There would be 0 creative fulfillment in that at all.
Have you seen her in _American Hustle_ ? IMO the only reason she didn't win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress is that that film had the misfortune to be released in the same year as _12 Years a Slave_ . The typecasting is definitely a problem for her.
Even though Jennifer Lawrence expressed her discomfort with being in the makeup chair for X-men, I think the reason they made Mystique uncomfortable with being in her natural form is more related to the filmmakers trying to promote their film by showing as much of Jennifers image as they could. It's why I always thought they made Mystique such an important character in Days of Future Past, because between First Class and Future Past there was The Hunger Games and Jennifers popularity exploded and they wanted to use that to get more people to check the movie out. I could be wrong but it's just a theory I have because I've heard Jennifer say in interviews that she'd always come back if they asked her to and I had always figured they used her face to gain more viewers and therefore get better box office earnings.
And ironically, Apocalypse turned out to be one of the lowest domestic grossing X-Men films in the series. The audience love affair with JLaw is over. Seen by the series of diminishing returns of the Hunger Games movies and JLaw's more artsy pictures flopping at the BO.
My, one moment in that 3rd movie they never made, is in the church, when Magneto pulls his sleeve back to reveal his serial number tattoo and says "No needle shall ever touch my skin again."
Not that I think much of X-men 3, but I think Mystique's betrayal was part of Magneto's (non-sensical) ruse to lure them into a trap. Those mutant life signs they detect in the woods there are one guy, Madrox the Multiple Man. Also "Bitter Xs" has GOT to be the title of someone's Prof. X/Magneto slash fiction.
That’s because Charlize oozes sensuality. That’s the prob with JLaw. She’s beautiful and definitely has a sexy figure but she doesn’t have that prowling panther like movement that just hints at sex and charisma. Mystique the name alone tells you there should be something alluring and unknowable
Great video as always. And good call at that "one good moment" in "The Last Stand", although I'd have to add the moment where Magneto shows Callisto his Auschwitz tattoo in response to her "Where's your mark" comment. That part always gives me chills.
Rebecca Romijn as Mystique is far and away superior to Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique. Even the way that the film handles the character with Rebecca Romijn's Mystique having multiple simultaneous voices when she's in her natural blue form. One of the best Mystique scenes was when she was explaining to Nightcrawler that she shouldn't have to be in disguise all the time, and that says so much about her as a character. But then you get to Jennifer Lawrence's portrayal of Mystique where she just looks like Jennifer Lawrence throughout 85% of the films. Jennifer Lawrence's portrayal is lazy, lackluster, and really a different character all together. I don't for a moment believe that Jennifer Lawrence is portrayal of Mystique would ever grow up to be like Rebecca Romijn's Mystique.
No, I think Lawrence's portrayal of a teenager that has yet to become Mystique was well done. Of course she is a different character. She is practically still a child, compared to the Mystique of earlier films. You are just disappointed that you didn't get to see enough of naked blue Jennifer Lawrence. Mind, the sequels to First Class were disappointing.
Mystique in the first X-men was a total trip for me as 10 yo. You could tell that she'd seen some terrible shit, and that she felt justified doing all the terrible things she does for Magneto. She had violence done to her, so everything violent thing does to others is just getting even. All that with like, two lines of dialogue.
A great one to consider for loose canon when you next put it to a vote would maybe be a couple? Maybe Joker/Harley Quinn, Superman/Lois Lane, Sherlock/ Irene Adler or Beauty and the Beast
Oh, I'd love to see one on Superman/Lois. Lois doesn't get enough credit for coming as far as she has as a character over the years, and the two of them are much more interesting as a couple than Superman/WW. Hated how she was handled in Zack Snyder-verse, but she's had several great portrayals over the years that I'd love to see Lindsay explore.
the archetype of the seductress is all based on the misconception which is deeply rooted in Western iconography and general worldview, that women can't be trusted. Tracing aalllll the way back to the book of Genesis, where it was the woman, the "lesser" form of the man, that was seduced by the snake, and therefore seduced the man to do the same. I like the Hebrew version better were Lilith was above all that 'you need to obey me' stuff from both patriarchal figures and got banished from Paradise because she wanted to live her own life
Honestly, if I had the chance, I'd totally date blue Mystique. She's cool as hell. But, realistically speaking, she's probably way outta my league. Well, _actually_ realistically speaking, she's a fictional character and therefore it'd be impossible to date someone like that. Also her ability to snap your neck at a moment's notice is, I'll be honest, maybe a little intimidating... but that's just a trust thing, that forms naturally.
I think the bit about her defecting when Magneto dumps her was more of a wake-up call deal than a revenge deal. She was always all about being herself, so when the guy who always accepted her for who she was turns her out because of what was basically a war wound (and a war wound suffered in his defense, no less) she came to the realization that that was what her ideology taught. Also, you can't really be a mutant freedom fighter when you aren't a mutant and the freedom fighter gang has kicked you out.
I hate when they drop or tend to never reference Mystique's relationship with Nightcrawler and Rogue. I always felt that Kurt represents Mystique as "with the demonic look without the cynical attitude" and Rogue was the "the subtle look with the cynical attitude" which, when is permanent traits to Mystique's stage character, and on a extended level, Graydon was the racial self-hatred, personally self-serving aspect. She has all their dramas going on simultaneously (and often can be their focus story alone without her being referenced which makes it so retroactively clever ) and, while the Toxic Parent thing was bound to be played to death, they often reflect a character who isn't going to start tearing up her backstory, and in a competent story, doesn't have to. Kurt also possesses innocence or optimism that Mystique can have/hates begrudgingly/willing to protect which is reflected in their interactions that forces her to stop bring Lady Dragon and more reflective own her humanity and personality, both morally and inquisitively. Rogue forces Mystique to think and confront all the things that isn't settled with a gun or mischief, including the concept of attachment on a interpersonal level, and Mystique ends up thinking about it regardless of Rogue bringing up or it being the drama, simply because it's the one part of her that cares enough to do so involuntarily. Graydon is so detached from Mystique that when he does appear (in any way), she is legit shocked by it and cannot even pull basic stunts (such as masterminding a plan or just killing him) because, half the time, he's the ultimate reminder of what she's become and the ultimate reminder of what led to it (self-hatred, self-serving, and reckless). The fun part of these relationships to Mystique's character isn't just their complexity, but how they can represent a distant character without her having to do much. We often don't get her POV as much as we do the other two (or three when he's canon-remembered), so it's a good character story aspect. X-Men Evo 4 Lyfe
What i hate about mystique in the movies is she seems to be constantly defined by her relationship to men, the mystique in the comics would never let that happen unless she had literally no choice, she is most often a free agent. What is it about comic book movies never getting my favourite characters right? Doctor Doom, Mystique, Venom, Lex Luthor.
I absolutely love Mystique. Thank you for such an insightful examination of her character. I was so disappointed when her solo graphic novel series was cancelled.
@@nathanthom8176 Feral ..? You like women cover in fur ..? Well I always did wonder if Feral would react the same way a cat would when you stroke their fur.
@@dragongirl7978 I try from time to time to forget about the " furry community." I like my females to have " human " looking heads/ faces. Although I have met a few women that wanted me to wear a Wookie costume. Which was more or less three long hair looking coats. Sadly these women were no spring chickens themselves. One was a really hot stripper, so I was unable to say no at the time.
@@krispalermo8133 Lol I mean, it's not my thing either, but I'm also kind of like, do whatever you want I guess? Honestly BDSM weirds me out more and that's somehow gone mainstream, so.... The only one I try not to think about is DDLG.
I love First Class for the most part, and I like Jennifer Lawrence in most things, but I really feel she was a miscast. Not only does she increasingly seem to hate her role, but she didn't ever really adopt any characteristics of the Mystique of the original series. Making a role your own is fine, but this is like a new version of the Joker that doesn't tell a single joke (ohwait). I'd forgotten about the "woman scorned" bit in The Last Stand. God, that movie is horrible. Wastes perfect casting for both Beast and Archangel, and wastes an incredible conflict between Magneto and Mystique.
I think Jennifer Lawrence was a good choice for First Class. I don't know what they were thinking when they wrote her character in the sequels, though.
Oh hey! This popped up in my recently uploaded list, and I'm like "Is that the girl once known as Nostalgia Chick? Until Channel Awesome fucked up with everyone?" Yup! It is! and still being awesome! Glad to have found you again. And subscribed! Now to go back and watch EVERYTHING!
Owen Lindkvist Look, daddy! Someone learned the big words! Let us all applaud his recital skills. You have earned your gold star for today. You may go now.
Brian K Vaughan leaning into the trans Mystique subtext by literally having her connect with a trans woman who she hunts down, is one of my favourite moments with her. Where she talks about feeling this body dysphoria and mismatch of how people see her. I like when they make that subtext explicit.
I think it's RUclips suggesting it -- it showed up in a list of recommended vids. I didn't even realize it was that old, except for the clue of the omission of her fate in Dark Phoenix.
First Class was still unquestionably a prequel rather than an alternate universe. It has some continuity errors, but the entire franchise as a whole does (including the comics!), so. What makes DOFP really interesting is that it takes that main error you mentioned-- the clashing characterizations of Mystique-- and made it not just plausible but a central thematic AND narrative point. DOFP establishes that Raven killing someone in cold blood is what "made her Mystique"-- it's the thing that snapped something in her internally and started her transition from an earnest, vibrant ideologue into a muted, militant radical. Undoing this act not only harmonizes the continuity but also sets the course for a better one. Save the shapeshifter, save the world.
@@joshpetzoldt6344 It does, a little bit. The adult Mystique of the original timeline has lost her humanity and shut down emotionally, almost entirely. She doesn't acknowledge Charles because she's closed off that part of her life and history. Charles doesn't acknowledge her because he's given up on her and also is ashamed of how he failed her. (There are also small moments where she shows compassion for Charles, such as when she sees Stryker's plans to attack the mansion in X2.) Obviously none of this was intentional in the original movies, it's all a retcon brought in by DOFP. But again, I'm impressed at how smart a retcon it is by making its central narrative and thematic event BE the thing that bridges the young and old Mystiques.
6:11 Destiny was a pretty big thing in the comics though. She and Mystique did raise Rogue together, though of course Rogue did remember them, and they were both pretty attached to her. She also had a few plots in the OG run, I remember one was basically some big-ass scavenger hunt that was 2deep4u because Destiny. Comic Destiny was old as balls though and she and Mystique were, uh, "best friends" there too. Everyone tends to forget her but she was actually pretty important for a while and I really liked her as a character.
Which might be why she was in Days of Future Past, except they gave her mind time travel powers for some reason. She's good in The Umbrella Academy, though.
@@SigfriedBigcheeseVanMemelordII It's all good. Name changes and screen credits are sort of hard to reconcile anyway. Unlike, say, musical recordings, the names under which actors are credited are virtually set in stone once the movie is screened, it's why the electronic music in A Clockwork Orange is still credited to Walter Carlos almost 50 years after she came out as a woman named Wendy, and probably still will be 50 years from now.
The best thing about first class is it's the only piece of media in the entire xmen franchise that actually explains the roots of the xavier/magneto relationship, and why these two men on opposite sides of an ideological war still love each other.
I always found it weird she didn't become some kind of Martyr for Magneto in X3, the humans literally forced her to no longer be a mutant- wouldn't that bring a lot more people to anti-human cause?
First Class is my favorite one along with X2. It's where the core themes of teh X-Men about minority and social acceptance gets a good development, and the dynamics between Fassbender and McCavoy is the best in the whole series. Not to mention the outstanding finale (that bullet scene is my favorite cinematic moment of all X-Men movies). Yes, the Mystique plot sucks, but like others already said, this new Mystique was ruined by the casting of Jennifer Lawrence, who quickly became a star and the scripts forced her to be a protagonist in every damn movie, and it just didn't work.
I bet you probably would have been able to have done a great treatment on how Jem should have been retooled for film. You have a good grasp of how different mediums work. I really enjoy how well you have prepared your videos.
"Because Magneto is gay. And Charles is gay. And they are bitter X's" just made my day! That on top of like three other great lines so far. Lindsay, keep up the awesome.
I’m watching through the X films for the first time and you have no idea how disappointed I was when Mystique got kicked out of Last Stand. I love that version of her.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](/img/tr.png)
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
I miss loose canon, I hope she brings it back one day
Give her a rest; she's still got to do "Directly Beneath the Enemy's Scrotum" and "Dolezals".
Honestly, if Jennifer Lawrence is so desperate to break contract and stay out of the blue makeup chair, why don’t they just let her do so and hire a new actress to play Mystique? She’s literally a shapeshifter, you can explain it diagetically that Mystique just picked a new disguise
wonderfully said 🌚⚔️🌝
Rebecca Romijn's performance was one of the greatest physical performances I've seen. Her on screen presence has weight to it from her confidence and exact movements. Great performance
I wish they did more xmen movies with her!
You're fuckin spot-on about Rebecca Romijn being really great as Mystique, probs the most underrated performance in the X-Men franchise
Rebecca Romijn will always be my mystique. Before her Mystique always seemed like a character with unrealized potential. Rebecca was the perfect example of "show don't tell".
Honestly that line Mystique gave in X2 about how they shouldn't have to hide? That was probably one of the greatest quotes I've ever heard out of film
My day gets so much better when Lindsay uploads a new video.
My sentiments exactly!
same.
So your days improve about once every two months hahahaha
"What makes Mystique, Mystique?"
I'm gonna say her mystique.
TheLithp 2 claps and a tip of the hat
"I don't answer to my slave name" WTF i totally didnt notice that.
"They share laughs sometimes, they seem to be friends, but really they're more political allies. Their relationship doesn't have any sexual overtones but this is probably because Magneto is gay. And Charles is gay." A+
This is a bit personal, but as a gay person myself that line about "because we shouldn't have to [hide]" that Mystique says in X-Men 2 is something that has stuck with me for years and helped me grit through the raw fear and anxiety (and eventual relief and elation) of the coming out process.
@Brazilian Goddess
Everyone made the connection between Charles and Erik.
Similar, I came out before the movie but fuck was it inspirational. And the way Rebecca delivers that line had so much power behind it. It was beautiful then and still is now.
"It's done about as clumsily as you can imagine." Dark Phoenix: "Hold my beer."
I do like Mystique's relationship with Magneto in the first trilogy, though. I'm kinda tired of the female characters being all about being in love with the other main characters.
I love that Lindsay sees Charles and Erik as bitter exes.
Where else would the term X Men come from. They're exes and they're men.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Why, Lindsay? Why would you show us that trash from Epic Movie? I mean I know you've gotta cover as many iterations of the character as you can, but...ugh.
I suppose she didn't want to be alone in having seen such horrors.
The most unrealistic part of the J-Law Mystique is beleiving that any man wouldnt find her attractive with the blue skin or no, like, I can buy the mutant powers, but thats too hard a sell.
HOW DARE YOU REMIND ME THAT EPIC MOVIE EXISTS
Rebecca's mystique was amazing.
I'm glad you gave her credit.
You missed the moment in X2 when Magneto implies that they are boning. I wonder what you would have made of it.
" Wolvy : she's good
Magneto : You have noooo idea "
The director confirmed that it was a hint.
What a lovely video! I'm a big Mystique stan and was introduced to her via Rebecca Romijn. You made a really good point about her body acting and I think that made me really appreciate Mystique for her subtlety. When J Law plays her I get really stressed out because the whole time I'm like "why is she yelling?" The only part of that storyline I enjoy is when she leaves with Erik in the end like "screw this, imma be blue."
"Because we shouldn't have to" is one of my favorite lines in all cinema for how succinctly it boils down issues of otherness, pride, fairness and justice.
*_A Mystique Spy thriller would be so goddamn cool._*
...She could be in this very room! She could be you! She could be me! She could even be... *gunshot*
magneto and mystique in xmen 2000 is wlw/mlm solidarity
You are so right omg
I love mystique in first class cause she has a neat trans reading. Instead of "boys dont like me" her conflict becomes "Do I want to live stealth? Or be visibly trans to be accepted for my whole identity?". Xaviers disgust in her appearance can be read as "internalized transphobia" magneto can kind of be framed as a chaser. Just tons of neat ideas from seeing mutants as trans coded using mystique to center the framing.
Council of Geeks did a great video on Mystique as an LGBT icon, but I always thought she was one of the better mutants in the series. Arguably the first two were kind of wonky (X-Men makes her seem little interested in anything where she doesn't have much voice and First Class makes her seem too young to really have a standalone plot) but I grew up with the animated, which makes Mystique and Nightcrawler two of the best characters
Rebecca Romijn saying, "no" with that eye roll is still one of my favorite line reads in the franchise. I am annoyed that First Class changed the character.
alwaysxnever she out acted jlaw with one eye roll
She was so good as Mystique!
@@jaydencole6618 she really did. That one line read and facial acting perfectly encompassed her character. Lol
Lindsay, I wasn't a fan of yours at first but you are constantly releasing quality content and have earned yourself a subscriber
completely lost it at "my names paul this is between yall"
Someone on tumblr said Wolverine's helmet looks like two Batmen kissing and I'll never unsee it
Mystique just sucked the joy out of every shot she was in in Apocalypse.
She's constantly annoyed and reluctant to do whatever she's doing and doesn't want to be where she is. Over half the film is over before she starts being blue.
I'm not one of those J-Law haters but MY GOD.
Mark Arandjus She wasn't that bad in my opinion.
*camilla B* i agree.
I actually liked the more reluctant-hero Mystique. It felt like a further transitional phase, a continuation of her Future Past arc. Hopefully if they get her back for Supernova, she'll be a little more can-do.
I agree with you completely. I love the arc she's had between DoFP and Apocalypse. The very root of this Mystique is a struggle of identity and how other people see her, and it's a super interesting direction they've taken her in!
OK, Lena Headey is now my headcannon Mystique forever.
That Mystique solo comic was really freaking good.
Featured a lot of interesting uses of her shape shifting too.
At one point she moves her internal organs around to survive a hail of gunfire
Man, I miss this series. It kills me that Lindsay got put off making it because that so many fans were pricks about what was and wasn't included. I'm glad she now has time for Musicalsplaining but still....
I'm very happy that there's still new content in the Loose Canon videos happening. I love the take on the characters/tropes. I've watched the death and hades one multiple times because they're just that good.
Mystique is one of my favorite comic characters as well. I agree that she is originally portrayed as a troupe for all the "evil" woman traits, but I believe that by the 90's the comics at least had tried to remedy that a bit. Her run as leader of the government controlled Brotherhood was amazing. Unlike Magneto, who mostly sent in the goofballs (the rejects that made up the Brotherhood), let them get beat up a bit, and then did it himself, Mystique seemed to take a different approach.
She seemed to actually care for her team, she trained them well, and made them a confident, and competent force. She herself was very effective, but she made characters like the Blob, or Toad gain confidence in themselves, a daunting task. Also, like Magneto I believe her use of her ability put her in a much higher power category than the power would have without a competent pilot. In a world with mutants with psychokinesis, telepathy, healing factors, teleportation, and even reality manipulation, she was still a force to be reckoned with.
All good points. One less used thing that always fascinated me about Mystique is that she is a bisexual shapeshifter. Comics had her in a canonical romance with Destiny, Sabertooth, etc. You spoke of toxic motherhood being one of her major tropes and its true, but Chris Claremont originally wanted to make Nightcrawler the bio-child of Destiny and Mystique. So this would make Mystique his father, not his mother (which would be Destiny).
But then where did Nightcrawler's Y-chromosome come from?
Pim Peccable bet that would have been a comic moment everyone would want to pretend never happened.
The Katniss comparison is exactly what I've been trying to put into words. J-Law has one role - the reluctant, badass Mockingjay - and she's great at it when it's working, but its so bland when it's bad.
It probably doesn't help that she's going to be Typecast forever now. Just like Wesley Crusher did to Wil Wheaton. I can only imagine that it's exhausting to have to play the same role over and over. There would be 0 creative fulfillment in that at all.
Have you seen her in _American Hustle_ ? IMO the only reason she didn't win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress is that that film had the misfortune to be released in the same year as _12 Years a Slave_ .
The typecasting is definitely a problem for her.
still to this day nobody knows why mystique do what she does. she just shows up in the comics. Fucks things up and and then leaves
Even though Jennifer Lawrence expressed her discomfort with being in the makeup chair for X-men, I think the reason they made Mystique uncomfortable with being in her natural form is more related to the filmmakers trying to promote their film by showing as much of Jennifers image as they could. It's why I always thought they made Mystique such an important character in Days of Future Past, because between First Class and Future Past there was The Hunger Games and Jennifers popularity exploded and they wanted to use that to get more people to check the movie out. I could be wrong but it's just a theory I have because I've heard Jennifer say in interviews that she'd always come back if they asked her to and I had always figured they used her face to gain more viewers and therefore get better box office earnings.
And ironically, Apocalypse turned out to be one of the lowest domestic grossing X-Men films in the series. The audience love affair with JLaw is over. Seen by the series of diminishing returns of the Hunger Games movies and JLaw's more artsy pictures flopping at the BO.
J-Law's overrated anyway.
I love Mystique, easily my favorite X-man. Thanks for this Lindsey :-)
Lindsay*, oops
shouldn't it be X-woman?
+Joaquin “El Guttenberg” Valenzuela if you want to be PC about it but the team itself is the X-Men.
+Joaquin “El Guttenberg” Valenzuela Lol, I guess you got me there
My, one moment in that 3rd movie they never made, is in the church, when Magneto pulls his sleeve back to reveal his serial number tattoo and says "No needle shall ever touch my skin again."
Not that I think much of X-men 3, but I think Mystique's betrayal was part of Magneto's (non-sensical) ruse to lure them into a trap. Those mutant life signs they detect in the woods there are one guy, Madrox the Multiple Man.
Also "Bitter Xs" has GOT to be the title of someone's Prof. X/Magneto slash fiction.
there is a deleted scene that shows Magneto and Mystique are still working together so dmh2k7 is on to something
I feel like Charlize Theron would play Mystique well.
good call
That’s because Charlize oozes sensuality. That’s the prob with JLaw. She’s beautiful and definitely has a sexy figure but she doesn’t have that prowling panther like movement that just hints at sex and charisma. Mystique the name alone tells you there should be something alluring and unknowable
@@just1desi Damn that's really well put.
@@just1desi good point I never thought about that but no lawrences mystique is lacking that sensuality.
Great video as always. And good call at that "one good moment" in "The Last Stand", although I'd have to add the moment where Magneto shows Callisto his Auschwitz tattoo in response to her "Where's your mark" comment. That part always gives me chills.
Rebecca Romijn as Mystique is far and away superior to Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique. Even the way that the film handles the character with Rebecca Romijn's Mystique having multiple simultaneous voices when she's in her natural blue form. One of the best Mystique scenes was when she was explaining to Nightcrawler that she shouldn't have to be in disguise all the time, and that says so much about her as a character. But then you get to Jennifer Lawrence's portrayal of Mystique where she just looks like Jennifer Lawrence throughout 85% of the films. Jennifer Lawrence's portrayal is lazy, lackluster, and really a different character all together. I don't for a moment believe that Jennifer Lawrence is portrayal of Mystique would ever grow up to be like Rebecca Romijn's Mystique.
Rebecca is best mystique.
She doesn't grow up to be her. That's the point.
She ends up becoming an X-Man in an alternative timeline.
No, I think Lawrence's portrayal of a teenager that has yet to become Mystique was well done. Of course she is a different character. She is practically still a child, compared to the Mystique of earlier films.
You are just disappointed that you didn't get to see enough of naked blue Jennifer Lawrence.
Mind, the sequels to First Class were disappointing.
Mystique in the first X-men was a total trip for me as 10 yo. You could tell that she'd seen some terrible shit, and that she felt justified doing all the terrible things she does for Magneto. She had violence done to her, so everything violent thing does to others is just getting even. All that with like, two lines of dialogue.
A great one to consider for loose canon when you next put it to a vote would maybe be a couple? Maybe Joker/Harley Quinn, Superman/Lois Lane, Sherlock/ Irene Adler or Beauty and the Beast
Oh, I'd love to see one on Superman/Lois. Lois doesn't get enough credit for coming as far as she has as a character over the years, and the two of them are much more interesting as a couple than Superman/WW. Hated how she was handled in Zack Snyder-verse, but she's had several great portrayals over the years that I'd love to see Lindsay explore.
I want Superman/lois analysis too!
+hakasims - Adams was well-cast, I agree. That's part of why it was so frustrating...
The CAST of Man of Steel was fairly spot-on, it was just an awful FILM.
+hakasims Amy Adams looks more like Lana Lang to me than Lois Lane, but I do think she could portray a great Lois is she was given better scripts
My dear, you are amazing! I'm so glad I found you via the Black Nerd collaboration. Good work!
This is age restricted, so this is the only vid of yours I havnt seen yet. I can watch it now lets goooo
the archetype of the seductress is all based on the misconception which is deeply rooted in Western iconography and general worldview, that women can't be trusted. Tracing aalllll the way back to the book of Genesis, where it was the woman, the "lesser" form of the man, that was seduced by the snake, and therefore seduced the man to do the same. I like the Hebrew version better were Lilith was above all that 'you need to obey me' stuff from both patriarchal figures and got banished from Paradise because she wanted to live her own life
Honestly, if I had the chance, I'd totally date blue Mystique. She's cool as hell. But, realistically speaking, she's probably way outta my league.
Well, _actually_ realistically speaking, she's a fictional character and therefore it'd be impossible to date someone like that. Also her ability to snap your neck at a moment's notice is, I'll be honest, maybe a little intimidating... but that's just a trust thing, that forms naturally.
you can paint in blue your girlfriend
@@artist0154 My girlfriend refuses to sit in a makeup chair that long.
I think the bit about her defecting when Magneto dumps her was more of a wake-up call deal than a revenge deal. She was always all about being herself, so when the guy who always accepted her for who she was turns her out because of what was basically a war wound (and a war wound suffered in his defense, no less) she came to the realization that that was what her ideology taught. Also, you can't really be a mutant freedom fighter when you aren't a mutant and the freedom fighter gang has kicked you out.
The guy who said that didn't know that her "defection" was part of Magneto's master plan.
Wasn't really confirmed in the movie.
Learned a great deal from watching this! Thanks, Lindsay!
you are so good honestly your content has evolved the most out of all the OG internet video critics swear to god
Mystique was an amazing character in the comics, a femme fatal, the films don't do her justice, let alone justice to the original comics.
After seeing this, I would love to see one of your video essays on the X-Men films. Would love to hear, your complete thoughts on them.
Can we please get a fanfic where Mystique infiltrates Cybertron and gives birth to Optimus Prime.
Yay! I love Lindsay and Loose Cannon. Her videos are always so interesting to watch. Can't wait for the next one.
I read that Mystique is always having internal crisis because whenever she transforms her brain tissue also change.
Wouldn't surprise me, makes sense.
I hate when they drop or tend to never reference Mystique's relationship with Nightcrawler and Rogue.
I always felt that Kurt represents Mystique as "with the demonic look without the cynical attitude" and Rogue was the "the subtle look with the cynical attitude" which, when is permanent traits to Mystique's stage character, and on a extended level, Graydon was the racial self-hatred, personally self-serving aspect.
She has all their dramas going on simultaneously (and often can be their focus story alone without her being referenced which makes it so retroactively clever ) and, while the Toxic Parent thing was bound to be played to death, they often reflect a character who isn't going to start tearing up her backstory, and in a competent story, doesn't have to.
Kurt also possesses innocence or optimism that Mystique can have/hates begrudgingly/willing to protect which is reflected in their interactions that forces her to stop bring Lady Dragon and more reflective own her humanity and personality, both morally and inquisitively.
Rogue forces Mystique to think and confront all the things that isn't settled with a gun or mischief, including the concept of attachment on a interpersonal level, and Mystique ends up thinking about it regardless of Rogue bringing up or it being the drama, simply because it's the one part of her that cares enough to do so involuntarily.
Graydon is so detached from Mystique that when he does appear (in any way), she is legit shocked by it and cannot even pull basic stunts (such as masterminding a plan or just killing him) because, half the time, he's the ultimate reminder of what she's become and the ultimate reminder of what led to it (self-hatred, self-serving, and reckless).
The fun part of these relationships to Mystique's character isn't just their complexity, but how they can represent a distant character without her having to do much. We often don't get her POV as much as we do the other two (or three when he's canon-remembered), so it's a good character story aspect.
X-Men Evo 4 Lyfe
What i hate about mystique in the movies is she seems to be constantly defined by her relationship to men, the mystique in the comics would never let that happen unless she had literally no choice, she is most often a free agent. What is it about comic book movies never getting my favourite characters right? Doctor Doom, Mystique, Venom, Lex Luthor.
I absolutely love Mystique. Thank you for such an insightful examination of her character. I was so disappointed when her solo graphic novel series was cancelled.
"Your blue form will never be beautiful"
The internet says otherwise.
@@nathanthom8176 Feral ..? You like women cover in fur ..?
Well I always did wonder if Feral would react the same way a cat would when you stroke their fur.
@@nathanthom8176 Well, that is cause you have not had enough vodka drunk yet.
@@krispalermo8133 Lol have you somehow not been made aware of the furry community?
@@dragongirl7978 I try from time to time to forget about the
" furry community."
I like my females to have " human " looking heads/ faces. Although I have met a few women that wanted me to wear a Wookie costume. Which was more or less three long hair looking coats.
Sadly these women were no spring chickens themselves. One was a really hot stripper, so I was unable to say no at the time.
@@krispalermo8133 Lol I mean, it's not my thing either, but I'm also kind of like, do whatever you want I guess? Honestly BDSM weirds me out more and that's somehow gone mainstream, so.... The only one I try not to think about is DDLG.
I feel like I could hear you talk about literally any topic. Super intelligent, super nuanced, super compelling episodes always
I love First Class for the most part, and I like Jennifer Lawrence in most things, but I really feel she was a miscast. Not only does she increasingly seem to hate her role, but she didn't ever really adopt any characteristics of the Mystique of the original series. Making a role your own is fine, but this is like a new version of the Joker that doesn't tell a single joke (ohwait).
I'd forgotten about the "woman scorned" bit in The Last Stand. God, that movie is horrible. Wastes perfect casting for both Beast and Archangel, and wastes an incredible conflict between Magneto and Mystique.
I think Jennifer Lawrence was a good choice for First Class.
I don't know what they were thinking when they wrote her character in the sequels, though.
Loving the new title sequence! Keep up the great work! You're awesome!!!
Oh hey! This popped up in my recently uploaded list, and I'm like "Is that the girl once known as Nostalgia Chick? Until Channel Awesome fucked up with everyone?" Yup! It is! and still being awesome! Glad to have found you again. And subscribed! Now to go back and watch EVERYTHING!
+Owen Lindkvist Damn, too bad that didn't happen to you.
Owen Lindkvist Look, daddy! Someone learned the big words! Let us all applaud his recital skills. You have earned your gold star for today. You may go now.
Owen Lindkvist Damn. I was going for sophomoric and irritating. But I guess I'll take it.
Yaaaaaaay you're back!!! Cool new intro too!! 💜🤘I always feel smarter after watching these. You're awesome!
Love the new intro :)
Yay! You finally get to do a character you've always wanted to do! :D
X-3 being described as a “tragic waste” is very accurate
Brian K Vaughan leaning into the trans Mystique subtext by literally having her connect with a trans woman who she hunts down, is one of my favourite moments with her. Where she talks about feeling this body dysphoria and mismatch of how people see her. I like when they make that subtext explicit.
6:54
„I think we should call it...your grave!“
„Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!“
captain_america_I_understood_that_reference.jpg
Love the new intro, Lindsay!
Rebecca Romijn's performance was so good.
For a video made in 2016, surprisingly all the top comments are from 2019.
I think it's RUclips suggesting it -- it showed up in a list of recommended vids. I didn't even realize it was that old, except for the clue of the omission of her fate in Dark Phoenix.
Recent matters.
I always thought Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique was incredibly annoying - very whiny. I liked Rebecca Romijn much better as the character.
I'm really loving this Loose Canon series. Can't wait to see which character or subject you do next.
"Mystique has like two lines in this movie and one of them is {😫😫}."
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I've always been fascinated by this character and it's great to see such a comprehensive analysis on her many iterations. Nice work!
First Class was still unquestionably a prequel rather than an alternate universe. It has some continuity errors, but the entire franchise as a whole does (including the comics!), so.
What makes DOFP really interesting is that it takes that main error you mentioned-- the clashing characterizations of Mystique-- and made it not just plausible but a central thematic AND narrative point. DOFP establishes that Raven killing someone in cold blood is what "made her Mystique"-- it's the thing that snapped something in her internally and started her transition from an earnest, vibrant ideologue into a muted, militant radical. Undoing this act not only harmonizes the continuity but also sets the course for a better one. Save the shapeshifter, save the world.
Not that any of that explains her complete indifference to her foster brother in the original trilogy.
@@joshpetzoldt6344 It does, a little bit. The adult Mystique of the original timeline has lost her humanity and shut down emotionally, almost entirely. She doesn't acknowledge Charles because she's closed off that part of her life and history. Charles doesn't acknowledge her because he's given up on her and also is ashamed of how he failed her. (There are also small moments where she shows compassion for Charles, such as when she sees Stryker's plans to attack the mansion in X2.)
Obviously none of this was intentional in the original movies, it's all a retcon brought in by DOFP. But again, I'm impressed at how smart a retcon it is by making its central narrative and thematic event BE the thing that bridges the young and old Mystiques.
Except it's not a smar retconn. Your just stretching to make it so.
@@fightingmedialounge519 Well, I can't argue with that logic. You've defeated me.
@@ericspratling9252 thank you for your contribution citizen.
6:11
Destiny was a pretty big thing in the comics though. She and Mystique did raise Rogue together, though of course Rogue did remember them, and they were both pretty attached to her. She also had a few plots in the OG run, I remember one was basically some big-ass scavenger hunt that was 2deep4u because Destiny.
Comic Destiny was old as balls though and she and Mystique were, uh, "best friends" there too. Everyone tends to forget her but she was actually pretty important for a while and I really liked her as a character.
Yeah what the fuck.. like how do you miss that??
in first class, i read that magneto doesn't actually has the hots for mystique, like he just wants her to be mutant and proud
Me too, but that on the other hand gives me creepy-teacher-vibes, like having sex with her is his way of .....support?
The one un-awful thing about X3 is that they cast Elliot Page as Kitty Pryde and I will die on this hill
(Edit to update name)
Which might be why she was in Days of Future Past, except they gave her mind time travel powers for some reason. She's good in The Umbrella Academy, though.
Who?
@@brucetucker4847 Well, Elliot hadn't come out when I wrote this comment, but I've updated it now
@@SigfriedBigcheeseVanMemelordII It's all good. Name changes and screen credits are sort of hard to reconcile anyway. Unlike, say, musical recordings, the names under which actors are credited are virtually set in stone once the movie is screened, it's why the electronic music in A Clockwork Orange is still credited to Walter Carlos almost 50 years after she came out as a woman named Wendy, and probably still will be 50 years from now.
How am I just now realizing that yes obviously Samson and Delilah is a metaphorical castration
The best thing about first class is it's the only piece of media in the entire xmen franchise that actually explains the roots of the xavier/magneto relationship, and why these two men on opposite sides of an ideological war still love each other.
I always found it weird she didn't become some kind of Martyr for Magneto in X3, the humans literally forced her to no longer be a mutant- wouldn't that bring a lot more people to anti-human cause?
I LOVE THE NEW INTRO!
"search your memories, you are my daughter" That's practically a copy of Vader's reveal when he says "search your feelings, you know it to be true"
Contextually it makes sense, as Rogue absorbs memories as well as powers from the people she touches.
This video watered my crops, cleansed my skin and gave me the living wage. Thank you. (Mystique is also my absolute favorite)
First Class is my favorite one along with X2. It's where the core themes of teh X-Men about minority and social acceptance gets a good development, and the dynamics between Fassbender and McCavoy is the best in the whole series. Not to mention the outstanding finale (that bullet scene is my favorite cinematic moment of all X-Men movies). Yes, the Mystique plot sucks, but like others already said, this new Mystique was ruined by the casting of Jennifer Lawrence, who quickly became a star and the scripts forced her to be a protagonist in every damn movie, and it just didn't work.
Oh Lindsay, it's always great to see a new Loose Canon. Also, awesome title sequence!
I guess you can say that J-Law blue it
I bet you probably would have been able to have done a great treatment on how Jem should have been retooled for film. You have a good grasp of how different mediums work. I really enjoy how well you have prepared your videos.
"Because Magneto is gay. And Charles is gay. And they are bitter X's" just made my day! That on top of like three other great lines so far. Lindsay, keep up the awesome.
i could watch these videos all day. learn something new and hear interesting perspectives. lindsay's pretty awesome :P
And then her role in X-Men: Dark Phoenix was to get fridged to make Beast sad.
This video was amazing, so well thought out and presented. Gonna check and see if there are any other vids about my favorite characters.
I guess you could say Magnito is Prof. X's...
Ex man
Hooray we finally get to Mystique. Just in time for RUclips to completely change its policy for ad-revenue on videos. Wishing you the best Lindsay.
I’m watching through the X films for the first time and you have no idea how disappointed I was when Mystique got kicked out of Last Stand. I love that version of her.
she is indeed the best mystique, the closest we get later on is how she was written in days of future past
"Search your memories. You are my daughter." I see what you did there.