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X2:
X-MEN UNITED Rating:   (out of 5 stars)Director: Bryan Singer Producer: Lauren Shuler Donner, Ralph Winter Writer: Daniel P. Harris Director of Photography: Newton Thomas Sigel Cast: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellan, Patrick Stewart Visit the IMDB page for full cast and crew |
 Click on the photo to buy merchandise from X2: X-Men United.. |
Review by: Curtis
Raines
4/27/03
I have to say that X2: X-Men United is probably the first movie of the year that I've been looking forward to seeing. I was excited to get the pre-release screening pass to this movie but then less excited when I saw the line curl all the way around the corner, practically crawling onto the campus of UCLA as I drove up to the Mann in Westwood. It seemed like every critic and movie mogul in Hollywood was there. But then I remembered just how long it's been since we have had a promising blockbuster hit the scene. I knew right away that I wasn't the only movie fan starving for something decent.
I could sense the excitement of the people waiting in line with me as we patiently edged forward to the entrance of the theater. The scene was set… everyone fabricating to each other the significance of their studio job. Assistants claiming their boss couldn't live without them and then studio executives complaining how much of a screw up their assistant is. I was living a scary chapter out of the "How to Act While in Show Business" handbook. I wasn't going to let it affect me -- I was too excited. It's amazing that something so simple as a two-hour movie could get me this revved up.
And then a college kid, as innocent as could be, drove by in his car and quizzically asked, "What are you in line for?" In the following second, reality struck me in the head like a sack of potatoes. Three or four people screamed back simultaneously, "Wouldn't you like to know," as if the "Industry Snob Queen" had blessed them each on the head with her wand. Do industry people really think they are that above everyone else because they see movies a week ahead of time? The kid drove off confused wondering what he had done to deserve that comeback.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" My shoulders sunk down to my waist and I laughed in spite of my excitement. How could I be excited for something spawned from the type of people that surrounded me? It was all starting to make sense. I was in for a long night of false hope.
But like many times before in my life, I was wrong as could be. As I sat there with my hefty bag of popcorn watching X2, I found myself completely disassociated with Hollywood. The movie rolled on, my bag got emptier, and I relished every moment on the screen. This is what a "blockbuster" is supposed to be like. I know it's hard to live up to that billing, but it's even harder to surpass it. And X2 not only surpassed it, but leaped forward to another dimension.
I'll briefly describe the plot, but it really isn't necessary. All the mutants must form together to stop a force that will wipe them out. The whole crew (Wolverine, Storm, Magneto, Mystique) is back and new faces appear. But the action never stops, as the threat of global annihilation looms certain in the face of our heroes.
Rarely do sequels outdo the original. But let me tell you why this one does: If you are familiar with the comic, watching forty-five minutes of character introduction seems like a waste of time. X-Men took care of that dirty work, so now we can jump straight to the show in X2. From a kick-ass opening scene to the definitive climax, this movie provided everything you could possibly want. The cast (led by Hugh Jackman) was fantastic. They nailed their roles not only with appearance but attitude. It paid homage to the comic book and rarely strayed from it. Bryan Singer did a brilliant job of pacing this film just enough to always keep you on the edge of your seat. It never has a dull moment and just when you think it might, Singer inserts action or comedy to bring you back.
X2 is much darker than X-Men, maybe stealing a page from The Empire Strikes Back. And in this case, darker is good. It may not be suitable for the young ones, but if you've ever read the comic, that's the way it should be. All the X-Men, unique with their super abilities, don't miss a beat from the pages of the comic. This could be the best of all the comic book movies (Yes, including Bulletproof Monk) and will be HUGE at the box office (until The Matrix Reloaded hits screens less than 2 weeks later -- Warren). People will see this two or three times. If you are a fan of this type of movie, you must see it. And if you aren't, give it a try, you might be surprised.
So a lesson was learned today boys and girls. Hollywood may sometimes seem like a business made up of rude, snobbish people, but every once in a while they hit the nail on the head. Now I wish someone would hit me on the head for I have rambled on way too much.
(A 20th Century Fox release. Opens
wide on May 2, 2003.)
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