X-Men (2000)

X-Men: Directed by Bryan Singer. With Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen. In a world where mutants (evolved super-powered humans) exist and are discriminated against, two groups form for an inevitable clash: the supremacist Brotherhood, and the pacifist X-Men.

“u0026quot;X-Menu0026quot; is a rare treat– a blockbuster that lives up to its hype and a comic book adaptation that hits the mark.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAlong with Tim Burtonu0026#39;s u0026quot;Batmanu0026quot;, this stands head and shoulders above all other superhero movies. Itu0026#39;s a genre thatu0026#39;s usually synonymous with silly, campy, cartoonish crap, but Bryan Singer delivers a long-awaited exception to the rule. u0026quot;X-Menu0026quot; is smart, stylish, and very cool… one of the better sci fi/fantasy films of the last decade.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOf course, it helps to have good source material.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe X-Men comics, which originated in the 1960s, are more politically progressive and morally complex than older superhero stories such as u0026quot;Supermanu0026quot; where the heroes are always right, and truth, justice, and the American Way always prevail. The series is a well-crafted parable about individuality and discrimination. The characters are mutants–struggling to find a place in a society that rejects them. Its primary villain, Magneto, isnu0026#39;t an evil lunatic– heu0026#39;s a sympathetic character, a misguided revolutionary playing Huey Newton to Professor Xavieru0026#39;s Martin Luther King. The iconic character, Wolverine, is a beer-swilling anti-hero who cares little for ideals and fights only to protect himself and his loved ones. The female characters are as powerful and important as the men, rather than being mere love interests.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRather than making just another flashy explosion-per-minute-special-effects-extravaganza, Singer practices the lost arts of character and plot development. As a result, the movie has a far greater depth than the average big budget summer flick. The acting is also quite good on the whole. Hugh Jackman, who plays Wolverine, is fantastic–a bona fide Clint Eastwood caliber badass. Some of the dialogue is fairly cheesy, but in the hands of Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart it sounds quite convincing. (Stewart has made a career out of making lame dialogue sound cool.)u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHard-core fans of the comics have complained about the omission of several popular X-Men. This is silly. A movie that gave the background on every character in the comic books would be 6 hours long. There will be plenty of time to develop new characters in the forthcoming sequels. Fans have also complained about the casting of Anna Paquin as Rogue. I disagree. Rogue is unable to touch another human being without harming them–she would not realistically act like a confident, sassy warrior. Paquin did a tremendous job of conveying the fear and isolation that such a young woman would feel. She will undoubtedly grow into the part in future movies.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn the end, u0026quot;X-Menu0026quot; is a comic book movie. Superpowers are explained with silly pseudoscientific babble, the plot revolves around a fairly ridiculous take-over-the-world scheme, and names like u0026quot;Magnetou0026quot; are spoken with a straight face. Donu0026#39;t read all the glowing reviews and expect Citizen Kane. But donu0026#39;t underestimate u0026quot;X-Menu0026quot; either. It is an intelligent movie that people will enjoy whether or not they are familiar with the comic.”