Gambit of Wolverine: X-Men Origins

[nepenthe]

I'd like to add to effex's comments about the new Wolverine movie, but I'd like to narrow my comments to the treatment of Gambit as a character. The more I think about the 'Gambit' of the movie, the less recognizable that character is as the Gambit of the TV series and comics.

Gambit fulfills a very specific character niche that hadn't been exploited (at least not on a consistent basis) by any existing X-Men team member to that date. Archetype: Prankster. Like any good storytellers, the Marvel writers gave Gambit his own particular tilt on the tried and true form. It also makes Remy Lebeau far more dynamic than a mere joker who likes to sit back and laugh at the follies he creates for others.

Gambit is the extreme risk taker who never takes any risks. The gambler who enjoys the money and payoff, but isn't motivated to play for them alone. He likes the showmanship of rigging the game. He is a cheater. He loads the dice, counts the cards, and makes sure he always comes out on top. He loves taking people in, taking their earnings and if he happens to get caught, he always has an Ace up his sleeve.

In 'real life' this translates into Gambit's love for cheating death. Take a look at his girlfriend. Rogue could suck the life out of him with one kiss, yet his pursuit of Rogue has lasted decades. He loves it, brags about his exploits fighting, gambling, and the adoration of women (even at the risk of being punched by aforementioned girlfriend who, along with her lifesucking, has super strength and flying capabilities in the comics).

That being said, I think that Gambit and Wolverine have a lot of character dynamics that have the potential for great storytelling. Both are anti-traditional team members. The trickster/prankster character shouldn't (and Gambit often) doesn't get along well with others. The trickster is typically used as a lone agent of chaos. As for Wolverine, he is your typical lone-wolf type. Short temper, quick to fight and the brawn to mean it. But while these traits put them into conflict with the team, both of these specific characters have traits that draw them to work with their fellow X-Men. Wolverine has a (sometimes fatherly) desire to protect anyone who can't defend themselves (he is old enough to be about anybody's grandfather) and has a hard time abiding a showoff or bully (which in X-Men often translates into adults picking on children). Gambit has a deep-seated need to receive accolades from an audience. He likes showing off, he likes being cleverer-than-you and underneath the charisma, he's terrified of being lonely. Through interacting with the other X-Men and undergoing emotional missions, both Gambit and Wolverine developed a sense of decency beyond 'what's-in-it-for-me'. As that comes later for both of them, I won't take that into consideration for Origins. 

So where does Remy start in the Origins storyline? After being duped (duped, HIM!), captured and then escaping Striker, Remy meets some tough guy at a bar who demonstrates he has a good chance of successfully beating the assholes who'd also messed with Remy. Single-claw-ed-ly. I can't imagine Remy letting that guy take all the glory, even if there's risk to his own life. Because that's what would make it fun.

So this is how I think the 'real' Gambit would have dealt with the situation:

If Gambit thought Wolverine was a) an agent working for Striker or b) a cocky idiot who would only succeed in getting his own head blown off, Gambit would have said: "it's Three Mile Island: have a nice life, wanker." However, if Gambit believed Wolverine, Wolverine all alone, could take down Striker and the rest of his horde . . . well, that sounds like a rigged game in Wolverine's favor. Why not go along with the guy and be in on the winnings? Gambit is powerful enough to hold his own. Even without regenerative abilities he's a major power player in almost any fight. That the Gambit in the movie is convinced enough to fly Wolverine to the island himself, but yet sits out of the fight for, oh, a half hour, then LANDS HIS PLANE ON THE ISLAND WHICH HE COULD HAVE DONE TO BEGIN WITH in order to, of all things, pick up a victorious Wolverine . . . that's not Gambit. How is he supposed to brag about how great his powers are when all he did was play ferryman, putz around in a plane for half an hour, and then come into the fight after the battle is won, of which his only contribution to is blowing up a chunk of cement that couldn't have killed Wolverine to begin with (yes, it would have hurt, but we all know that couldn't kill Wolverine). How is Gambit supposed to pick up chicks, impress his girlfriend, or (better yet) best Logan when all he can say is "I stopped a massive pile of cement from crushing Logan"? None of the X-Men would be impressed if he saved Logan from being crushed by cement. That's as impressive as saying, "I saved Iceman from freezing,"  or "I saved Cable from getting shot." It wouldn't fucking matter.

Now, you might say "Gambit was hedging his bet, letting Wolverine do all the hard work and putting in only enough effort to take some credit". I say bullshit. Gambit is all about the flash and bang. There is no flash and bang flying the getaway plane. That's the job for the fat guy. Gambit might hedge his bets, but he's still as cocky as all get out (I can only imagine he was worse before the X-Men and Rogue tempered him). No sir, there's no audience over the ocean. You can't see the look on your old prison guard's face when you blow the locks and spring the other prisoners. No hordes of the saved to praise you (Gambit, miss out on the chance to say: "no prob, ma cherie" to Emma Frost?! Are you kidding?!). Gambit would want Striker to know it was he, Gambit, the only one to ever escape his prison, who made it possible for Wolverine unravel the mystery and helped orchestrate Striker's destruction. If I have to resort to another gambling metaphor, think of it this way: you can't claim the pot if you didn't play at the table. If Wolverine won the pot, he sure as hell isn't about to let some slick talking upstart claim any portion of it.

That being said, I propose that if the comic Gambit had shafted the comic Wolverine that badly, Wolverine would have torn Gambit a new asshole. You just know it. That cement would have blown up and the first words out of Wolverine's mouth wouldn't have been anything like thanks. They would have been: "You'd better have been saving a boatload of babies, Bub, 'cause if you've been dicking around on that plane leaving all the work to me, your ass is mine."

Anyway. I know the movie was all about Wolverine. If Gambit had joined in more than they have him doing in the movie, it might have made it a Gambit/Wolverine movie. Heh. Gambit/Wolverine.   . . .  The point is, you can't shove a full-time X-Men character into this kind of movie, make them a bit player and  expect to stay true to the original character. It doesn't work. And if you can't, DON'T DO IT AT ALL. Instead, make another movie, this time focusing on that character. A Gambit Origins movie would be AWESOME. New Orleans, music, parties, alcohol, Mardi Gras Gambit getting into trouble, trouble, trouble and EXPLOSIONS. Lots of pretty explosions. 

Speaking of character, CASTING. Why the hell did Remy Lebeau look like that guy in A Clockwork Orange, only without the personality or charisma? Remy has presence, attraction, a smart mouth, fighting banter. A Cajun accent. Would one "ma cherie" have killed them? I was a little bummed Rogue never got to say "Sugar" (I admit both "ma cherie" and "sugar" were used as endearments for one another, but not exclusively). The only reason we got a "Bub" out of Wolverine was that Hugh Jackman did his research, listened to the fans and didn't follow the script. 

Now I'm nitpicking, so I'm going to stop. I would like to say that had they made Gambit a vivid presence and his lack of participation believable, I would have overlooked all else. Seriously. If Gambit and Wolverine had had their little tiff on Rue de Bourbon end similarly (but with flames and more explosions) and Gambit says, "Okay. You really do intend to kick the crap out of Striker," but then deciding not to participate with a, "No skin off my nose, it's Three Mile Island. Try your luck mon deau" and sauntering off, I'd believe it. Maybe Remy wouldn't care about revenge or freeing the others or stopping whatever the hell Striker's up to. I don't know. But I would have preferred that to Gambit!Get-Away-Pilot.

*Le sigh*
 

Comments

[effex]

Have just started reading this, so no overall comments, but this -

That being said, I think that Gambit and Wolverine have a lot of character dynamics that have the potential for great storytelling.

Storytelling? In this (or any of the X-Men) movie? Of course the potential was there - no potential, no chance to fuck it up spectacularly.

[nepenthe]

A girl can dream, can't she?