Thursday, June 19, 2014

Favorite Characters: Peter Maximoff a.k.a. Quicksilver (X-Men)

 
Yes, I just did a Favorite Characters post.  Yes, the funeral-baked meats for my Days of Future Past review aren’t cold yet.  Yes, Quicksilver is only featured in one extended scene of the film.  I’m okay with it.  I could have talked about Quicksilver in my original review, but he was easily my favorite part of the entire movie and warrants a more thorough write-up.
 
Before getting down to business – it’s been common knowledge for a while that Quicksilver was going to appear in upcoming films for two Marvel franchises, X-Men and the Avengers (with his sister the Scarlet Witch joining in for the latter.)  The franchises’ film rights are owned by two separate production companies, so the twain ordinarily never meets; we’re not going to see Iron Man palling around with Wolverine, and Drs. Banner and McCoy won’t be comparing notes on what it’s like to turn into big ol’ monsters on occasion.  However, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are two of the very few characters whose rights are shared by both camps.
 
But like I said, the production companies are still entirely separate.  That means two different interpretations of the character played by two different actors (incidentally, it also means the Avengers literally aren’t allowed to call the Maximoff siblings “mutants.”)  In other words?  Dueling Quicksilvers!  I previously assumed, sight unseen, that I’d find the Avengers version to be unquestionably superior, the Avengers films being the awesome-sauce that they are and the X-Men films being enjoyable but uneven.  Now, though, I’m not so sure.  The Avengers had better bring their A-game, because X-Men’s Quicksilver is amazing.
 
In the interest of avoiding spoilers, I won’t go into how Quicksilver gets involved in the action.  Suffice it to say, his particular skillset – super-speed – comes in handy, along his penchant for rebellious behavior.  He takes to the mission with distracted but bemused gusto, taking unnecessary risks and detours because he knows he can get away with it.  Throughout, he’s funny, unexpected, and very impressive.
 
Beyond simply moving really fast, Quicksilver embodies a speedster in every way.  He has no patience for anything – in the course of one conversation, he ping-pongs from watching television to playing games to picking pockets in the blink of an eye, and his annoyance at having to repeat himself is blatant.  His mind similarly races among thoughts, and he’s all too happy to make puzzling declarations without feeling any need to explain himself.
 
What I really love about Quicksilver is his relish for his ability.  No angsting about wanting to be normal for this guy!  He’s a teenager who loves what he can do, who’s figured out how to use it to his advantage, and who’s obviously spent time exploring the myriad possibilities it presents.  He’s also cheeky, reckless, and more clever than he seems at first glance.  The instant-classic “Time in a Bottle” scene is the highlight of the film and rivals Nightcrawler’s attack on the White House from X2 as the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in an X-Men movie.  Really looking forward to seeing him in future installments.
 
(Side note:  there’s been some Internet teeth-gnashing about how the movie changed his name from Pietro to Peter.  I don’t mind – since the Avengers is sticking with Pietro, it’ll make it easier to discuss the two interpretations without confusion once Age of Ultron comes out.)

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