X-Men in Vancouver

X-Men: The Last Stand is being filmed in Vancouver these days (as noted by diehard fan Jeffery Simpson on Metroblogging Vancouver). In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I was a big X-Men fan way back around the time Marvel Comics ran its Secret Wars limited series in the '80s (Anyone remember the Beyonder? No? Didn't think so. Man, those comics sucked).

I'm also a big fan of the movies. When I was a teenager, I could never figure out why Stan Lee would hold back from putting his characters up on the big screen. They deserved it! The fans demanded more Exelsior! Why wasn't it happening?

Of course, the reality is that superheroes looked really dumb without the benefit of CGI and costumes that didn't make them look like rejects from the Village People. Just look at the original Superman movie trilogy (I won't even count the last two lousy films out of respect for Christopher Reeve's legacy) and the Captain America movie (Didn't know there was one? You're not alone).

With CGI and better scripts the latest superhero movies hold their own with any other Hollywood product. Lo and behold, the X-Men don't suck; actually, they're pretty cool. (And really, wasn't Patrick Stewart born to play Professor Xavier?)

Anyway, the X-Men shoot in Vancouver has inspired me to ponder the age-old question: if superheroes actually existed, which ones would be likely to hang out here?

Mr. Olympian: mild mannered marketing consultant by day, this good-hearted mutant puts up Olympic logos on every flagpole, construction site and letterhead by night. He will singlehandedly put Vancouver on the map (Um, sorry, Ernie the Expo '86 robot. No offense).

The ConservaLiberal: this master of disguise can shift his allegiance in an instant to work for the greater good. His true identity is a secret.

Snow White: This earnest hero aims to incapacitate just about every criminal in the city with a free, continuous supply of his magic powder. Now, if only he can find a wealthy benefactor to pay for it in perpetuity. Where's Bruce Wayne when you need him?

tags: X-Men, Vancouver, movie, film, The Last Stand, superhero, Olympics, Sam Sullivan, David Emerson