X2: X-Men United (B+ or 3/4 stars)
'X2' (directed by Bryan Singer, X-Men) picks up a few months since the X-Men defeated Magneto (an underused Ian McKellen) & imprisoned him in an impregnable chamber. Society still fears & mistrusts the mutants. Teens Rogue & Iceman (Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore) have finally gotten together. The likes of Storm & Cyclops (Halle Berry, James Marsden) are laying low. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is in the process of tracking his roots. All seems quiet on the Western front. But it won't stay that way for long. The mutant issue is being widely debated on a national political level.
And when the murderous mutant, Nightcrawler (Alan Cummings) infiltrates the White House, General Stryker (Brian Cox) - a scientist hell bent to extinguish the mutants - is given special powers to raid Professor X's (an underused Patrick Stewart) School for Gifted Youngsters. After this, the mutants go into hiding/under siege, Professor X is captured, & he is subsequently brainwashed to be used as a weapon of genocide. Magneto is freed by his sexy shape shifter partner, Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos). Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) has stumbled upon the horrifying depths of her mental powers. And Wolverine & his company of misfit mutants must now team-up with their arch-nemesis, Magneto, in an uneasy alliance to stop Stryker & save Professor X before it's all too late. Chaos ensues.
There are aspects of 'X2' that are better than 2000's X-Men (special effects, doesn't need to spend time introducing established characters). There are also aspects that somewhat detract from the overall effect (a somewhat over-plotted script, too many new characters to focus on). When you watch Superman, you're invested in Clark Kent & Lois Lane. When you watch Spiderman, it's Peter Parker & Mary Jane. In the world of X-Men, you want MORE of, say, Wolverine. Each mutant has their own fascinating ability. That's cool to see. But you want the main protagonist (Wolverine) to have more to do; and a 2 hour running time really isn't enough. Jamming in all of these mutants just doesn't make for the most emotionally involving, 3-dimensional character situations.
Visually, 'X2' is a sight to behold, with kinetic camerawork, fantastic special effects, & a great sense of place (an aspect that I feel is very important in all films). The most memorable sequence is the film's opener, with Nightcrawler teleporting/fighting his way through an army of Secret Service agents on his way to the Oval Office. You're mouth will likely be agape at what's going on. Nightcrawler, as presented by Alan Cumming (in incredible blue-black make-up) is terrifying. Later, Wolverine squares off against enemy mutant, Deathstrike (Kelly Hu), whose claws are as sharp as his. There's also a cool scene in which Pyro (Aaron Stanford) uses his fire powers to fend off the police. He temporarily loses control, & is only stopped when Rogue subdues him into a controlled position, once again.
Instead of being a great movie, 'X2' is merely a solid summer action spectacle with fleeting bursts of humor and gravitas. And hey, there's nothing wrong with that. The film delivers on an engaging, propulsive level. On a subversive level, the film pays tribute to social outcasts; whether they be teens, handicapped, gay, minorities, etc. And I may have even liked this film more than the 2000 flick! But 'X2' also feels like a 'set-up' for the next movie. And like all great epics, when elements of tragedy occur, as they do here ... the impact you feel is always less with an inferior script. A's for action & character portrayal. B- for the depth of screenplay.
And when the murderous mutant, Nightcrawler (Alan Cummings) infiltrates the White House, General Stryker (Brian Cox) - a scientist hell bent to extinguish the mutants - is given special powers to raid Professor X's (an underused Patrick Stewart) School for Gifted Youngsters. After this, the mutants go into hiding/under siege, Professor X is captured, & he is subsequently brainwashed to be used as a weapon of genocide. Magneto is freed by his sexy shape shifter partner, Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos). Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) has stumbled upon the horrifying depths of her mental powers. And Wolverine & his company of misfit mutants must now team-up with their arch-nemesis, Magneto, in an uneasy alliance to stop Stryker & save Professor X before it's all too late. Chaos ensues.
There are aspects of 'X2' that are better than 2000's X-Men (special effects, doesn't need to spend time introducing established characters). There are also aspects that somewhat detract from the overall effect (a somewhat over-plotted script, too many new characters to focus on). When you watch Superman, you're invested in Clark Kent & Lois Lane. When you watch Spiderman, it's Peter Parker & Mary Jane. In the world of X-Men, you want MORE of, say, Wolverine. Each mutant has their own fascinating ability. That's cool to see. But you want the main protagonist (Wolverine) to have more to do; and a 2 hour running time really isn't enough. Jamming in all of these mutants just doesn't make for the most emotionally involving, 3-dimensional character situations.
Visually, 'X2' is a sight to behold, with kinetic camerawork, fantastic special effects, & a great sense of place (an aspect that I feel is very important in all films). The most memorable sequence is the film's opener, with Nightcrawler teleporting/fighting his way through an army of Secret Service agents on his way to the Oval Office. You're mouth will likely be agape at what's going on. Nightcrawler, as presented by Alan Cumming (in incredible blue-black make-up) is terrifying. Later, Wolverine squares off against enemy mutant, Deathstrike (Kelly Hu), whose claws are as sharp as his. There's also a cool scene in which Pyro (Aaron Stanford) uses his fire powers to fend off the police. He temporarily loses control, & is only stopped when Rogue subdues him into a controlled position, once again.
Instead of being a great movie, 'X2' is merely a solid summer action spectacle with fleeting bursts of humor and gravitas. And hey, there's nothing wrong with that. The film delivers on an engaging, propulsive level. On a subversive level, the film pays tribute to social outcasts; whether they be teens, handicapped, gay, minorities, etc. And I may have even liked this film more than the 2000 flick! But 'X2' also feels like a 'set-up' for the next movie. And like all great epics, when elements of tragedy occur, as they do here ... the impact you feel is always less with an inferior script. A's for action & character portrayal. B- for the depth of screenplay.