UPDATE: Variety reports this morning that Ratner is signed, sealed and delivered to direct X3. Cope.
I’ll just get it out of the way: Drew over at Ain’t it Cool says that either John Moore or Brett Ratner will be the new director for X3 in place of the departed Matthew Vaughn. Personally it sounds like either a whole bunch of diversionary chaff or a sign that the studio wants someone who’s not going to muck with all the stuff that’s already in place. Ratner’s a name, but he doesn’t often try to bring some specific vision or ideology to a film. Moore, well he’s a blue collar director, having made harmless and workmanlike films like Behind Enemy Lines and Flight of the Phoenix (the irony is not lost on me). Neither would stir the shit, and both are capable of delivering attractive, polished movies.
I know that most of the readers of this site have a built in animosity towards Brett Ratner. They probably have no impression of Moore at all. That said, I think that a lot of their perception of Bryan Singer is slightly rose colored and Matthew Vaughn wasn’t exactly a name director either with the decent but hardly Earth shattering Layer Cake under his belt. The X-Men films were never really about sizzle anyway. Who’s behind the lens is almost a non-issue provided the material is sound.
Of course, Drew’s a grade-A cock tease, hinting at all sorts of controversial and inventive twists on the X-formula but for now I don’t see the point or value to any fan backlash. Even if it’s true and Brett Ratner steps behind the lens of the Marvel flick… does it matter? I think you need someone who won’t draw attention to themselves directing a film like this and though Ratner will certainly live it up on set I don’t see him doing anything stupid to make the film lackluster. Plus, with Rush Hour 3 currently in limbo he needs to keep busy.
So, sorry. No violent reactionary shit here.