X-Men 97 - Premiere - Review

As a child of the 90s, I remember watching X-Men: The Animated Series each time it was on the TV, it was my first introduction to the world of the X-Men, so it has a special place in my heart. It was also the first time I can ever recall a show I like just ending, without really providing a sense of closure to the story they were telling. So learning that Disney and Marvel were bringing the series back and it was going to be a continuation of that series, had me excited, but also concerned. It has been 27 years since the last episode aired, would it still hold up, or would its original release decade date the show in the wrong way?

Early access to viewing the show, was provided by Disney, this review is only for the two premiere episodes.

When it was revealed that the series would pick up after the events of the final episode, Graduation Day, I had to go back and watch that episode as I honestly had forgotten what happened. Seeing that Charles Xavier was dying and flew away to an alien planet at the end, was very 90s and also meant that the new series could do a lot with the character. Of course, the show went with the story that Professor X has died and the show picks up a year after that event. There is a lot of back and forth between characters, as they all attempt to come to grips with the events that took place and I won’t spoil anything about them, as they are best enjoyed going in blind. Something that I was concerned about was how the story vibe would be, as the original series was a product of its time and Marvel was not as massive a name as it is today, would they keep things the same or reboot things for a modern day.

Thankfully I am happy to report that they have managed to do both, but there is more of the original in it, which is a very welcome inclusion. Now there are a lot of old school references in the show, someone makes the statement ‘I’ll page you’ and in the background of an important scene sits a VCR, but none of those elements are really called out. For anyone my age, those are going to be fun little nuggets buried in the background, but for younger viewers, they will just be things that are there. The other half of the shows update was always going to be around the characters and their backgrounds, as lets not forget the 90s were not exactly a wash with cultural sensitivity. For those worried that Rogue was going to become someone else, relax Rogue is still from Mississippi, Gambit is still Cajun, with both keeping their dialects and tones.

That makes a nice segue into the look and sound of the show, as lets face it as much as they wanted to replicate the look and feel of the original series, there was always going to be changes in this one. Thankfully the look feels right, the characters still sport their classic outfits, that the 90s show was known for, and when they are out of them, they still dress as if they were in the 1990s, especially when playing basketball. Aside from their outfits, the characters still sport the same hairstyles, even the background extras have looks that feel like they were lifted from the original series. Perhaps what makes the visual style stand out is that they have actually managed to keep everything feeling the same, and yet looking better than ever. Much like how in games like Metroid Prime Remastered on Switch or Demon Souls on PlayStation 5, they keep the vibe but update most everything else and if you have played the original, the feeling you get is that this updated look is very much how it always looked to you in the original. That is the vibe I get here, of course if you compare them side by side, this new look has much nicer effects, shadows and less pencil lines, but as far as updates go, it is one of the best I have ever seen.

The other half of the presentation is the audio, and getting it out of the way first, the opening theme song is still incredible. A touch that is great is most of the cast from the original series have returned to this one, meaning that Beast sounds like Beast and Storm is still Storm. It actually took me a bit to adapt to some voices, while Cal Dodd’s Wolverine was what I grew up with, over the past 20 years, Steve Blum has primarily been the voice. While both actors have put their own spin on the character, there was something soothing about hearing the original voice again and that same effect carried across to Rogue and Storm. Of course, not all the actors from the original series were able to return, some due to retirement and others due to declining, with Jubilee now voiced by Asian-American actress Holly Chou, replacing Alyson Court. While I would love to say I have a perfect recollection of the original voices, that is not true, but I honestly couldn’t find a fault with the performance from those new and those returning.

X-Men 97 had quite a task ahead of itself, it not only had to keep a story going with an almost 30 year gap between chapters, but it also had to bring in new fans as well. There are times when some characters get a little exposition-y, which is to be expected, but they never really dwell upon those beats and they really only do it for characters that are not that well known. There is obviously a story to be told with how the original series ended and the new season starts off, but that is not for today. The series has the same humour, look, sound and vibe as the original, but with a host of modern updates that never takeaway from the inspiration. X-Men 97 may not be for all, due to the large gap between the shows, but for fans of either the comics or X-Men: The Animated Series, there is little doubt that this is really just season 6 and the only way it could be better would be if you watched it on Saturday morning, with a bowl of cereal.

The Score

9.0

Early access provided by Disney

The Pros

It looks exactly like you would hope it does, the look feels as if it was taken from the original and cleaned up for modern day

The returning cast and the new cast all work perfectly together, to make the characters come alive

The Cons

How the original series ended and how this one starts are not quite aligned, so there is clearly something else going on

There are a few times when the show drops a lot of exposition, which can feel like its forced against the context of the scene its within