Yeah you heard right I'm reviewing Generation X a made-for-TV movie out came out in 1996 only on Fox. Based on a Marvel Comic of the same name that was met to catch on as a TV series but never did and you can probably figure out why.
So the film starts with a definition of the word mutation I guess to clue in non-fans about what a mutant is. We cut to the film's villain Dr. Russel Tresh (played by Matt Frewer) performing an illegal brain surgery on an innocent mutant until Emma Frost (played by Finola Hughes) interferes. Tresh gets fired from this secret government institution while the innocent mutant is taken away by the "MEA" for being an unregistered mutant. This pisses off Emma and goes to a little psychic rage and then walks away. We cut to five years later and we are introduced to Angelo Espinosa aka Skin (played by Austin Rodriguez) leaving his family to head to the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Later at a arcade place we are introduced to Jubilation Lee aka Jubilee (played by Heather McComb, that's right a white actress playing a Chinese mutant but I digress). Her powers began to manifest while playing Virtua Fighter; you heard me playing Virtua Fighter. This attracts the police she runs away and the police pursues her. She's soon cornered and captured by the police. We cut to Emma checking Cerebro to see that Jubilee has been detained at a police station. She and Sean Cassidy aka Banshee (played by Jeremy Ratchford) head out to the station and got her out. After which Emma, Banshee, and Jubilee head to a bus station where they met up with Skin. They return to the school and given Jubilee and Skin a registration scan before meeting the other students of the school. In the next scene we're introduced to Monet St. Croix aka M (played by Amarilis), Mondo (played by Bumper Robinson), Arlee Hicks aka Buff (played by Suzanne Davis), and Kurt Pastorius aka Refrax (played by Randall Slavin). Fun fact the two characters Buff and Refrax were created for this film as replacements for Husk and Chamber from the Generation X comic. Only because to avoid spending too much money in special effects on their powers. The film pads out for a bit with the students learning the ins and outs of the school. We cut to Skin doing security checks of the school until he comes across a section of the school that's off limits. Skin manage to gain access to this section and discovers that the sealed off room holds a "dream machine".
We cut to a board meeting where Tresh explains dreams can be used in the means of brainwashing or "advertising" the board's products into peoples' subconscious minds. By using a duplicated dream machine Tresh has the means to do so but this causes the board to be really spooked. Later Skin tells Jubilee about the dream machine and the two decided to try it out. Jubilee tries it first to visit her parents in their dreams until being interrupted by Tresh. She freaks out and wakes up leaving Skin to try it out. Skin visits a girl he met earlier at a diner while he and the other students took a drive to a small town. Tresh appears before him and wants to help Skin by brainwashing the girl to love him. They continue to until the police show up at Tresh place and while still connected to the dream machine the police disconnected him from the machine. Causing his consciousness to be trapped in the dream dimension separated from his body. The students head out to a carnival for some fun Buff and Refrax are kissing out and Skin and the girl (Kayla) are hanging out until Kayla's friends drop by to taunt Skin. Fight breaks out between the students and Kayla's friends causing all except M to get arrested. After being released from jail Skin is visited by Tresh and asked him to return his consciousness to his body otherwise he'll go after Skin's family. So Skin does so and this leads Tresh to capture Skin to perform his illegal surgery. His intent is to remove a small portion of a mutant brain and then insert that portion into his brain granting him mutant powers of his own. Skin manages to give out a psychic message to Jubilee...don't ask. So Jubilee tells Emma of the situation and Emma gathers the students a fight against Tresh. The final scene of the film is with the fought and defeated Tresh ended up with his consciousness separated from his body once again.
My Final Verdict: Many people found Generation X cheesy, low-budget, odd, and confusing. So why would I review this film? Well some of the sources say that Generation X came out on TV on February 20th. But as I recall it came out on my birthday of February 19th; which means it has a special place in my heart. If it didn't it still has a special place in my heart. Plus unlike the Roger Corman's Fantastic Four and the Justice League of America film Generation X had an official release date despite the huge flaws that goes on. And believe me there are flaws in this film and yet I still like it. I guess even film vindicators have their guilty pleasures. So if you're as much as a masochist as I am I recommending watching Generation X. So next time stay tuned as review another guilty pleasure of mine straight from the Sci-Fi channel Darklight.
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