Review: X-Men - The Animated Series (Season One)

With tensions between humans and mutants, the heroic X-Men are caught in the middle of a war for survival. They become the targets of the mutant-hunting Sentinels and must work against both Magneto and Apocalypse as they attempt to assert their dominance over the world. The X-Men also grapple with the loss of a teammate, the incarceration of another and the training of the new mutant Jubilee.

The first season of the animated series X-Men consists of 13 episodes and aired between 1992 and 1993. It features the voice talents of Cedric Smith, Norm Spencer, Catherine Disher, Cathal J. Dodd, Lenore Zann, Iona Morris, George Buza, Chris Potter and Alyson Court.

Originally airing in the fall of 1992, X-Men became a breakaway animated hit for Fox Kids. Its impressively large cast of mutant heroes tackled the heavy issue of discrimination all while taking on larger-than-life threats in the form of such baddies as Sabretooth, Magneto and the Sentinels. The first season presents audiences to the plucky Jubilee, a teenager who becomes our introduction into the world of mutants.  After being attacked by Sentinels at a mall, she is saved by the X-Men and joins their ranks after proving herself a capable hero. The rest of the season unfolds by documenting the fraying relations between humans and mutants, as well as the role Magneto plays in this conflict.

As far as cartoons go, X-Men is legendary. The question is though, does it hold up well to the ravages of time? The short answer is yes. The series tackles issues that are very much relevant to today’s society and never pulls its punches while doing so. The two-part “Night of the Sentinels” and “Slave Island” actively engage in themes of racism, while “The Cure” eerily mimics the rhetoric surrounding conversion therapy. The first season never attempts to resolve or reconcile the flaws in humanity and this is part of why this show in particular is so impactful. The writers were also smart to have varying points of view on these topics as well. On one side of the spectrum you have Wolverine, who is proud of being a mutant, while on the other you have Rogue, who views her abilities as a curse.

What strikes me as a comic book fan is the fact that X-Men actually adapts storylines from their source text, albeit fairly liberally. For example, the first part of “Night of the Sentinels” borrows from UncannyX-Men #244, the big fight in “Enter Magneto” mirrors the one from X-Men #1, and “Captive Hearts” closely adapts the events of Uncanny X-Men #169-170. In most cases, such as with “Captive Hearts,” the adaptation is seamless and the only changes made are to reflect the differing cast of characters from the original stories. In contrast, the two-part “Days of Future Past” is a messy hodge-podge that borrows elements from several different storylines despite being named after the storyline from UncannyX-Men #141. For instance, Bishop fills an amalgamated role once filled by Rachel Grey and Kate Pryde in an alternate future and the animosity between Gambit and Bishop is pulled in from UncannyX-Men #287. In this respect, odd choices are made in order to wedge Bishop into a storyline he otherwise wasn’t part of. In the same vein, not all episodes are of the same quality. “Cold Vengeance,” a Wolverine-centric story set in the Arctic, is an unbearably dull bit of filler that employs caricatures of Inuit people.

The voice work for the first season is strong, particularly from Cathal J. Dodd (Wolverine), Lenore Zann (Rogue) and Alyson Court (Jubilee). Expectedly, their characters are the standouts. Zann especially invigorates every scene she’s in, breathing life into Rogue and transforming her into a loveable bruiser with a one-liner for every situation. She also captures the softer side to Rogue as well and really understands the conflicted nature of the character. It should be a surprise to no one then that Rogue was featured heavily in most episodes, particularly in “The Cure” and “Come the Apocalypse.” On the other side of the spectrum we have Iona Morris as Storm. Despite being one of the most influential and important comic book characters of all time, Storm is portrayed as a fuddy-duddy blowhard in X-Men. During the first season, she’s either stuck playing the role of den mother (a role more suited towards Jean Grey) or she’s giving long-winded speeches demanding the weather to obey her commands. It’s over-the-top and does little justice to the character. While I find her scenes with Jubilee to be quite touching, she’s almost unbearable in action sequences due to her penchant for narrating her intent in battle.

Earlier in this review, I posed the question of whether this series stands the test of time. Though this series is still re-watchable, there are aspects of it that haven’t aged well. The voice acting, despite the A+ efforts done by the aforementioned talent, can be cheesy and dramatic at times. Most characters are cast well, but there’s still a tendency to overdramatize the dialogue. Worst of all is the animation. Even during its original airing, the animation for X-Men was subpar especially in comparison to its contemporary Batman: The Animated Series. It’s awkward, inconsistent and cringe-worthy most times. The difference in its quality would only become more apparent when Spider-Man debuted a couple years later, which featured far more fluid animation.

The first season of X-Men is unlikely to net any new fans. It’s a thoroughly ‘90s piece of nostalgia that is sure to re-capture the fuzzy feelings of childhood for Millennials. There are merits to the first season, particularly due to its themes and its portrayal of characters like Rogue and Jubilee. Some episodes are pretty darned good, particularly the two-part opener and my guilty pleasure favourite “Captive Hearts.” I also have to applaud the decision by the producers and writers to develop actual arcs, creating a serial form of storytelling for the first season. This keeps the viewer more engaged and gives a sense of direction to them. However, there are some real duds that are tough to sit through (“Cold Vengeance,” “Slave Island” and “Days of Future Past Part 1”) and the animation is uncomfortably dated.

RATING: B