This entry was posted on Friday, June 1st, 2007 at 8:11 am and is filed under Action, Fantasy Adventure, Science Fiction, X. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Director: Brian Singer
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Halle Berry, James Marsden, Tyler Mane, Ray Park, Rebecca Romijn, Bruce Davison
Growing up, I was a Spider-man guy. The X-Men were funny-looking and really of no interest to me. Who would have thought that I would have to become an adult to appreciate them? The comic book movie craze has given us great movies (Spider-man) and terrible movies (The Hulk). This is the former. The cast is a bit too large and makes it difficult to tell everyone’s story, so Singer wisely focuses on a few key characters. There are quality performances (particularly Stewart and McKellen) here, as well as an impressive script with an effective message about the dangers of being different in human society. The action scenes go on a little too long (but I usually think that), but are well done and interesting.
The film opens with a moving scene set in the German WWII concentration camp and slams us with the motivation of main bad guy, Magneto (Masterfully played by McKellen in a really silly looking helmet). The movie then moves to the present where there has been a surge in human evolution leading to the existence of ‘mutants’, who possess a limitless variety of supernatural powers. This is a fearful situation for more traditionally-abled humans and an ambitious politician (Davison) wants to obligate all mutants to be registered, along with the powers they possess. Both Magneto and Dr. Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), the founder and operator of a school for Mutant teenagers, oppose this discriminatory and dangerous move, but differ on how to address it. Xavier wants to negotiate and solve the issues through dialog, while Magneto favors a more direct form of expression. There is also a story about Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), a rebellious mutant with a scrappy disposition and a good heart, whose past is lost to him. He crosses paths with a scared Mutant girl, Rogue (Paquin). Rebecca Romijn is the assistant villain, Mystique. She gave me fantasies about furry, blue chicks that I never thought I would have, and is very cool in action, as well. Halle Berry has never looked better (and she always looks great) than as the white-haired, weather wonder, Storm. Famke Janssen is gorgeous, but rather boring as Jean Grey, which makes her a good match with her blander than bland boyfriend, Cyclops. Still, this is a very busy movie and there was not enough time to properly develop all of the many characters.
The angle taken on this story is intriguing and effective and is helped along by a few interesting characters and skilled experienced actors. The action is fast and plentiful. The result is one of the best super-hero movies ever made. Action fans and comic book buyers will like it for sure, but the connoisseurs of thinking-man action movies may find it surprisingly enjoyable, as well.
