Update: Snarky or sincere? Brett Ratner tweeted today, “I was the first one on line to see X Men First Class and I loved it.. I thought Matthew. Vaughn did a briliant job!! Congrats.” Please note, the avant garde punctuation is all Ratner.
Brett Ratner isn’t going to be Matthew Vaughn‘s punching bag anymore. But first, quick history lesson of sorts. Vaughn was initially lined up to direct “X-Men: The Last Stand,” developing the story and working closely on the film, until he bailed on the job fearing that the production schedule Fox had given him was too tight (ironically, “X-Men: First Class” would be shot and delivered in an even shorter time frame). So in steps Brett Ratner, and the rest, as they say, is history. Vaughn hasn’t been shy about his distaste for ‘The Last Stand.” As early as 2007, he told the Telegraph his reasons for abandoning his shot at that X-Men film and pretty much threw Ratner under the bus in the process:
“What happened with ‘X-Men’ was I didn’t have the time to make the movie that I wanted to make. I had a vision for how it should be, and I wanted to make sure I was making a film as good as ‘X-Men 2,’ and I knew there was no way it could be. I just suddenly knew it wasn’t the right thing for me to do. It was a tough decision because it was a hell of an opportunity. But I was trying to make a career as a director, and I didn’t want to be the guy accused of making a bad ‘X-Men’ movie,” Vaughn said. “As it happens, I could have made something a hundred times better than the film that was eventually made. It sounds arrogant, but I could have done something with far more emotion and heart. I’m probably going to be told off for saying that, but I genuinely believe it.”
But Vaughn’s low regard for Ratner’s effort reared its head again more recently on press rounds for ‘First Class,’ when he continued to kick ‘The Last Stand’ saying, “I storyboarded the whole bloody film, did the script. My ‘X3’ would have been 40 minutes longer. They didn’t let the emotions and the drama play in that film. It became wall-to-wall noise and drama. I would have let it breathe and added far more dramatic elements to it.”
But Ratner has finally fought back in his own way. While he didn’t mention Vaughn by name, the timing and context say it all. Over the weekend he tweeted a link to BoxOfficeMojo‘s breakdown of the opening weekend numbers for all “X-Men” films. Why? Well, believe it or not, ‘The Last Stand’ has brought in more cash than any of the other three films (and we know this because he also tweeted a link to the Marvel movies box office breakdown). Perhaps feeling proud (or insecure?) Ratner also tweeted another link to the most successful martial arts movies of all time with his “Rush Hour” films in three of the top five slots. Although, calling “Rush Hour” a martial arts film is like calling “Spaceballs” a sci-fi movie.
So, has Ratner made a compelling counterargument? Not really. What he fails to realize is that ‘The Last Stand’ hit theaters on a wave of goodwill thanks to the two solid entries that came before it, and what he doesn’t acknowledge is that his film, along with the awful “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” are part of the reason ‘First Class’ had a less than explosive opening. Audiences were wary after being hoodwinked twice. And the whole idea of using box office numbers as proof of a film’s quality is fairly ridiculous, but from a studio perspective, execs love Ratner because shitty or not, his movies make money. So when “Tower Heist” hits later this year, it will be another big hit for the director who will continue to confuse box office dollars with filmmaking acumen. As for Vaughn, ‘First Class’ will hopefully have some decent legs and at the very least, he will remembered for breathing fresh life into a franchise that Ratner and Gavin Hood had left for dead.
Hacks insulting hacks. Hillarious. Pure faggotry.
Vaughn\’s First Class is every bit as awful and poorly executed as Ratner\’s The Last Stand. First Class is typical Vaughn: all flash and nothing memorable. Not only that, but he completely misses a grand opportunity to explore the social movements which gave birth to the X-Men mythos. In fact, he actively steamrolls over the civil rights and women\’s liberation movements by killing off the only black character (the only hero character to die in the film) and reducing the female characters to sex objects.
Ratner and Vaughn are both inept mediocrites, and their films demonstrate that.
@patricia: Matthew Vaughn never directed The Golden Compass.
For anyone who knows anything about production, directors need time to prep. Brett Ratner came in 3 weeks before X-men 3 began. Matthew Vaughn bailed. It\’s unclassy for Vaughn to even bring up X-men 3. Does anyone remember the Golden Compass? a boring flop. thats what Vaughn went to make. I\’m not a big Brett Ratner fan and actually love Vaughn but it\’s really obvious to those who know what happened. Brett Ratner wanted a paycheck, and loves fun movies, which is what he saw this as. Maybe he should have ditched it too.
What is up with all the Rattner apologists in this comments section? X3 was hands-down the worst film in the franchise. The only reason it got good numbers was because of the goodwill built in the audience from the first two X-men movies. X-men: First Class is already the best reviewed movie of the franchise so far (87% fresh on RottenTomatoes!) and is predicted to have strong legs, a la Chris Nolan\’s reboot of Batman. The real test of numbers is going to be when the next X-men movie comes out and does Dark Knight-like box office numbers.
I don\’t get why everyone is so high on X2. I thought the first 3 X-Men features were ho-hum. First Class was a nice start to something new. TEAM RAT shouldn\’t fight back. If anyone in this town took Rush Hour 1-3 seriously, we might be in serious trouble.
Brett Ratner is right to mock Vaughn with the box office numbers, after all the trash he\’s talked he ended up making the most mediocre of all the X-Men movies including Wolverine. I can\’t believe that critics were hyping this movie as an equal to The Dark Knight was a joke. I swear if Vaughn wasn\’t such a golden boy right now this movie would be crucified for being a bad as it is. And he\’s talking trash after it disapoints at the box office to top it all off, what an idiot. Seriously go back to directing Kick Ass and leave the X-Men universe along because you just killed the franchise with this lameass movie.
Brett Ratner makes low brow popcorn movies, we know that and he, obviously, knows that.
Vaughn bails and hates on the guy who came in to clean up his mess… Shaddap.
Wolverine is no more an X-Men movie than Imagine is a Beatles album.
Uh, no JD, it was preceded by a Gavin Hood movie.
Look, Ratner stinks, but X3 was the best X-Men movie, and after seeing the trainwreck that was First Class, it\’s still the best X-Men movie. Why? Cause it was lean, action packed, and ENTERTAINING! X1 was okay but looked cheap as fuck. X2 was a boring, bloated mess.
And First Class is a bloated boring mess. Starts out okay with the Nazi hunting stuff, but then the script goes to shit and the movie just stops cold with truly awful scenes and acting. Vaughn is one of the worst directors working today. The guy is clueless as to how to make a lean action picture. Kick Ass stunk for that reason and more.
Ratner stinks, but at least he has a good visual sense. Vaughn has nothing going for him.
Ratner\’s not bright enough to realize that these numbers actually speak ill of his film. Everyone knows that a franchise film\’s box office says more about the film that preceded it than the film itself. Of course Ratner\’s film made a fortune. It was preceded by X2. Vaughn\’s movie was doomed because it was preceded by a Ratner movie.
Man oh man. they are both just fugly old dudes trying to be young and hip. the fat mess on the left with his stubble and Miami Vice looks and the tracksuit wearing douche on the right with F knows what on his head- \’you\’re married to one of the prettiest women on the earth- make an effort\’. Ugh. they can both suck it. Their films are piss.
X-Men 1&2 are boring and aging poorly. When is the last time you revisited them? They are a chore to sit through. I willed myself into liking them on first run, because I couldn\’t believe an X-Men film was being made. I desperately wanted them to succeed so more X-Men movies and more comic book movies would be made. Definitely looking at them through heavily rose tinted glasses, as were most fans, IMO. Very mediocre films. There are TV shows that have demonstrated better action and f/x and bigger sci-fi scope. Most of the comic book movies that followed quickly surpassed them. Hellboy, Iron Man, Thor, Batman, Spider-Man, the list is endless. X-Men 1&2 look like they belong on TV next to Battlestar Galactica and Supernatural.
X-Men Last Stand was one of the worst marvel films i\’ve ever seen ! Which is sad because X-men 1 & 2 we\’re the best Marvel Films i\’d ever seen.
What a waste of money time and great actors !
Ratner you suck !
They\’re both low class creeps, and makers of easily disposable and quickly forgotten films. Vaughn has the edge, because at least his films rise to the level of cult status. But cult films come and go, and it\’s not something he should have too much arrogance over. Watching both Ratner and Vaughn puff their chests out is too funny. So much hubris over so little accomplishment.
Ahh, but which director got Roman Polanski to deliver an Oscar-worthy turn as Detective Revi?
Game. Set. Match.
I don\’t know what\’s funnier: Ratner\’s career or Vaughn\’s hairline?
Ratner. Classy as usual! Matthew Vaughn has done only four films and they are better than anything Ratner and Rush Hour 100 can come up with.
Ratner is jealous because too he wanted to f**k the blond icy actress of the set but she disagreed
Ratner is such a prick. Makes me laugh to see his pitiful NY Film Academy commercials. As if he is an example that aspiring filmmakers should hope to follow.