X-Men 2: X2 Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)May 6th, 2003
"X-Men 2" – More to Marvel than the Original by Homer Yen
(c) 2003
"X-Men 2" is the perfect summer film in many ways. It doesn't require too much to thinking, it has a serviceable plot, and the final act is a well-choreographed raid on the commander's stronghold where everybody's special power is used to some degree. This includes an excellent sequence in which Storm (Halle Berry) summons tornadoes to fend off would-be attackers.
As a film about a multitude of superheroes and supervillains, it could likely have suffered from the lack of cohesion and development that doomed the first installment. Comic books that come to life are never really about plot as they are about the struggle to fit into a society that treats them with fear and suspicion. In the first film, too much time was spent on the history of the X-Men and little was done to give the film a sense of power or pathos.
Thankfully, this sequel is much richer than the first film on every level. Of course, with ensemble casts, many of the characters are still underdeveloped. I hope that Cyclops (James Marsden) and Rogue (Anna Paquin) will talk to their agents about getting more to do next time. You'll also be a bit puzzled at the amount of violence. One person is shot in the head, soldiers are blown up, and there's a climactic battle with Wolverine that involves lots of skewering. It's cleverly disguised underneath a comic-book tone, but it's overly fierce nonetheless. Perhaps it's just part of the film's desire to be more powerful, more colorful, more inventive, and more refined.
It's greatest plus is the appreciable development of many of the characters. Of note is Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) who moves closer to learning about his past and the reason for his unique skeletal structure. Dr. Jane Grey (Famke Jansen), who has always felt overwhelmed by her powers and her inability to manage it gains a greater sense of maturity and purpose. You'll also like the introduction of the scripture-quoting blue-skinned Nightcrawler (Alan Cummings), who is the most animated of the group.
However, more important is the collective struggle for the mutant population to gain acceptance among the Human population. There's a poignant but truthful scene in which a teenager endowed with these powers comes home to explain his gift to his parents. Despite their strong family ties, he is soon considered an outcast and even a fugitive.
Acceptance is enormously difficult as the evil X-Men marshaled by Magneto (Ian McKellan) and his followers look for ways to rise to power. The good X-Men, led by the paterfamilias Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) must use their abilities to keep them in check, believing that a co-existence with humanity is possible. Meanwhile, the humans are taking their own initiatives to stem the potential mutant threat. In particular, one rogue commander (Brian Cox) has, in fact, developed an ingenious plan to rid the planet of all mutants. With all of these angles, the film starts off slowly, but gradually picks up the needed momentum to keep us interested.
"X-Men 2" will provide you with more fun and more cool-looking special effects than anything that you've seen thus far this year. And, if this film is any indication of the promise of the summertime extravaganza, then happily, we have much to look forward to.
Grade: B
S: 1 out of 3
L: 0 out of 3
V: 2 out of 3
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