is and he claims that X-2 is relatively faithful to the original series.
A decent script and action is not enough to impress me all by itself. What separates the X-Men series from similar movies is the intelligent themes that run through it. The mutant's struggle for acceptance and the obstacles and ridicule they face are symbolic of the more significant struggles faced by numerous groups in society. This universal theme infuses the X-Men with a degree of credibility and seriousness lacking in other action movies. That may be overstating the case, somewhat, but the fact that these are comic book characters doesn't take away from the fact that they can serve a valuable role in promoting positive values.
Also, unlike the other Marvel comic box office hit Spiderman (and I'm still trying to figure out that movie's appeal because I thought it was lackluster at best) the villain is not a cartoonish character himself but a real person with clear motives and prejudices. This makes for a more believable story and furthers the X-Men's credibility.
X-2 is not without shortcomings. At 133 minutes it almost crosses the boundary from thriller to sleeper and definitely briefly loses its momentum on a couple of occasions. There is a point, in any action movie, that you don't want to take yourself so seriously that you forget your primary mission to get the bad guys and entertain. The introduction of the character Nightcrawler also left me a little flat. The character has all the annoying charm of Star War's JaJa Binks.
Lastly, the departure of one of the characters (I won't ruin it for you by telling you who) was the one area where the movie ignored its own logic and inadequately explained the character's motivation in the process. What I will say is this. When confronted with a potential flood and when you have a mutant (Iceman) whose touch freezes anything and another (Storm) who can lower the temperature significantly you don't have to sacrifice another character by having them stick their finger in the dike instead.
X2: X-Men United is one of the few sequels that is actually better than the original. Young and old alike will find more than enough in X2 to enjoy. Let's hope X3, already in the preplanning stages, continues the trend.
Running time - 133 minutes
Full Review later.
Alternative Reviews:
Roger Ebert's Review
Rotten Tomatoes Reviews
Peter Travers/Rolling Stone Review
X2 Official Website
Official X-Men Comic Book Webpage
