X2 (2003) (1 Viewer)

[David Rogers]

X-Men 2 is breathtaking.

The series theme has been retained, and used powerfully for the characters and the story. The imagery Singer chooses throughout the film is at turns clever, subtle, funny, and thoughtful. He 'juggles' the characters on-screen well as a director, and draws some excellent performances from his actors. His ability to draw you into the story, to create attachment to the characters, remains quite skillful.

Hugh Jackman is Wolverine. He will always be Wolverine. From the first moment he appears on screen in X-Men, the role was his. When I'm 55 and they remake X-Men with whatever the newer movie technologies are at the time, whoever they choose will be sadly inadequate for the role. Jackman is the glue and lacing of the movie, of the characters' combined story. He shoulders this burden brilliantly.

The plot is very well laid together, and shames numerous "mainstream" or "real" movies in how it moves the characters through the story and creates moments of impact. Effects are used to enhance, not create, the storytelling, and are extremely immersive.

So far, in the modern era of comic book movies, the sequels are better than the inital installment. And they're making another X-Men movie too, plus so many other heroes to come.

I love movies. This is fantastic.

 

[Diallo B]

I just got back from the midnight screening and I have to second what everyone else has said. Incredibly enjoyable movie. This is definitely better than the first. And we all know how hard it is for a sequel to be better than it's original. My most recent example of of a sub-par sequel is Blade 2. :frowning:

Character development was much better this film than last. But you must see the first film in order to understand the relationships in this movie. Period.

I really like how they kept Nightcrawler true to his comic roots in terms of flesh color, his origin and religious conviction. However, I wish that they would have included his trademark funky burning brimstone sulfur smell when he transports. Folks that read the comic know that when Nightcrawler transports you better have a gas mask.

I went in with mediocre expectations and came out pleasantly surprised. As far as the EPP (Epic Pondering Pose) count goes (look at my previous post) I think that particular reviewer just needed something to say. I did not see any blatant EPP and I was watching carefully!

I was really concerned about the PG-13 rating. However, it seems that the action scenes were filmed in a gore free yet extremely effective manner. For you gamers out there it's kind of like playing Medal of Honor: Frontline; All of the action of war with minimal blood and no guts. This is actually a really family friendly movie. I do not even remember any obvious cuss words.......

I am surprised that the hardcore comic folks haven't come down on the film yet concerning its continuity with the comic book. As a comic book fan this franchise is really pushing it. But I am not one of those hardcore it must follow the comic book to the letter type folks. However, in that same vein, Spiderman seemed to follow its comic roots very closely. I wonder why they choose to do other comic movies differently.

Anyway, I am looking forward to the next installment as we get a huge hint of what is to come at the end of the movie. I wonder how they will handle this part of the comic mythos.

If you have not figured it out yet STOP READING AND GO SEE THE DANGONE MOVIE!!!!!!!!

djb

 

[Calvin Watts III]

I loved it - also think it was better than the 1st one.

You get thrown right into the action - the opening sequence has to be seen to be believed - & Wolverine gets to cut loose - big time.

Hopefully the 1st of many good summer films!

 

[Nick Sievers]

Spiderman seemed to follow its comic roots very closely. I wonder why they choose to do other comic movies differently.

Different filmmakers is one fairly big reason .

The violence, especially with Wolverine was vicious (much to my surprise) for a PG-13 flick but it was filmed in fairly dark lighting and some nice camera work to make it seem more 'tame'.

Glad to see some comments coming in, enjoying the flick just as much as I did.

 

[Matt Stone]

Wow.

...just, wow.

I'm back after my midnight showing, and wow. I was really amazed at how enjoyable it was. The whole film played like the third, action-packed, act of a normal film. I can now see what Jackman et al were talking about when they said since the characters were established, there was more time to just have them kicking ass. I can't get enough of Alan Cumming's Nightcrawler; what a fantastic character. Once again, McKellen is able to tow the line of greatness, as did Brian Cox. I was impressed with the first, but this is just leaps and bounds better. I can't wait to see it again (later night w/friends).

 

[Jeremy Conrad]

Claremont's "God Loves, Man Kills" has been translated excellently to the screen. The result is quite possibly the best comic book movie ever made.

 

[Joshua_Y]

X2 truly is has David said: "Breathtaking!" My jaw was on the floor the whole time...everything was just so...perfect...I loved Magneto's escape...very violent!
And Wolvie...damn...he's about as bad as Hulk when he's mad...I couldnt believe what I was watching when the troops attacked the school...he was completely insane and I loved it to death...the rest of the cast was magnificant...Nightcrawler was just wow! The opening scene had me holding on to my seat...my hands were rather sweaty...one of the only scenes I've seen where I was actually holding my breath...so amazing!

I dont know where it stands in my Best Comic Movie list...probably equal to DareDevil and I loved DD to death...I'm a huge DD fan...but Superman The Movie will always be my favorite...but I have a feeling that besides Hulk...I have seen the best movie of the summer...BRING ON HULK!

Cant wait to see it again!

 

[Chris Atkins]

Joshua...could you please be mindful of spoilers? Thanks!

 

[Nick Sievers]

Chris, I believe we don't have to use spoiler tags in the discussion threads.

 

[Chris Atkins]

In that case, I apologize! I have to wait until Sunday to see it, so see you then.

 

[Yumbo]

I have to differ.

BLAND.

exciting for kids?

the score and editing were uninspired. Sorry John.

Kamen's score has way more appeal.

 

[Joseph Young]

Saw the midnight show as well. I was very impressed; the movie was a lot of fun.

I just read Roger Ebert's review, and he really tore into it. He liked it star-wise but the text of his review slams into the movie for being dumb, inconsistent, having no story arc, etc. Did we see the same movie?

~j

 

[Chris Atkins]

I just read Roger Ebert's review, and he really tore into it. He liked it star-wise but the text of his review slams into the movie for being dumb, inconsistent, having no story arc, etc. Did we see the same movie?

Maybe he would have given it 4 stars if it had been titled:

X2: LESS BODY PAINT ON MYSTIQUE

 

[Paul_Scott]

i was very surprised to see Ebert give it ***.
and yes he said it had a poor script and was 'dumb', but if you read his synopsis, you'll see he doesn't get the plot points of this film right ( he says for instance the threat of the first film was genocide and here it's mutant registration. you can make the case that he's just mixed up, but then he goes on to further elaborate the 'nonsensical' idea of registration. i really think the guy took a couple trips too many to the concession stand or the bathroom and missed a few plot points along the way).

well...a few random thoughts...

only about 2 or 3 dozen people in my theater at the 10am showing. didn't look like there was all that much more for the 12 o'clock ones either.
both Spider-man and AOTC last year were jam packed (although one might have been a midnight show, and one for sure was early evening).

i don't see this film appealing to anybody beyond those that are fans already. hopefully with the dvds, the first film was able to cultivate a larger following than its initial BO would have indicated.
at least i hope so, because i'm really afraid that this film won't live up to the studios expectations (although i think it will do very well on dvd of course).

i think the comparisons to Empire Strikes Back are entirely apt for several reasons.
foremost is the denser plotting.
both the first x-men and Star Wars were fairly simple straight forward narratives. cutting back and forth between the good guys and the bad guys.
the sequels on the other hand, splinter the characters off in various sub plots and all these get intercut, intertwined with the major antagonist.
Enjoy it folks, i doubt we'll see another movie based on a comic book that is this ...dense.
i can see perfectly now why Regis Philban had such a hard time with it .
dense doesn't automatically equate with quality or enjoyability, but it does imply that the filmmakers are treating the all the viewers like mature adults and demanding that they pay attention.
That, i like.


right now, i still love the first movie.
it's elegant in its simplicty and as the review in Salon points out...that simpllicity is also Lyrical.
X2 isn't lyrical. it's dense and serious as a heart attack.
it's the kind of superhero film i always thought i craved, and yet never expected to see.
i'm still trying to process it.
it definitely isn't perfect. i can think of several weaknesses right off the bat.
i have to disagree with Diallo. i thought all the character this time were seriously underdeveloped. very sketched in.
especially Nightcrawler. i was surprised as the climax started to to build, that he hadn't had as much screen time as i'd expected. other characters , like cyclops are criminally underused. i hope that we can get an extended version that will expand his screen time a little bit.

the John Ottoman score for the most part never registered to me. to paraphrase harry Knowles in his criticism of kamens score for the first movie " it was just white noise...i rarely noticed it was there". fine w/ me though, as i don't want seperate elements of the process to call attention to themselves. it did what it was supposed to do.

Things that went beyond cool and juggernauted right into sublime

-most of these would have to do with Magneto.
is Ian McKellan the coolest MoFo on the planet or what?
the prison break, the way it was concieved and executed sent chills down my spine.
-Rouge and Bobby. a beautiful relationship developing here but like all the other characters, all we see are fleeting glimpses of it. it doesn't have any kind of an arc...just fleeting, but nice, moments here and there.
-Rouges reaction to Magneto in the Jet was a nice little moment too.
-Mystique was even wickeder in this film than the last- just as i was surprised that Nightcrawler didn't get more to do, i was really surprised how much Mystique was involved in.
and it was a kick to see RR-S out of her make-up!
-The brief bit with Colossus steeling up was a joy to behold.
although i didn't hear a russian accent...pity.
-deathstrike was better than i expected, was surprised to see her buy it at the end (good scene though).
-the glimpse of a Phoenix (?) at the end...perfect
-loved the look on bobbys face as they are forced to leave his parents house...very nice subtle job. the disappointment on his face told us all we needed to know without a wordy dialouge exchange. a beautifully concise character moment.


i would just love to see this film successful enough so that the studio would finance the next sequels LOTR and Matrix style- shoot multiple films at once at once.
considering the epsiodic nature of comic book material- it shouldn't be too hard to come up with 4-6 hours of story and at least a couple of major conflicts.
plan the shooting schedule, shoot all the live actors, and then sequester yourself away for the next year and 1/2 while you get the effects work done on the first installlment, after that you still have all the live action material in the can and you can start working on the effects for the next and on and on...

 

[Diallo B]

i have to disagree with Diallo. i thought all the character this time were seriously underdeveloped. very sketched in.

I guess we may have to agree to disagree. Or, maybe I am such a huge comic book fan I am taking somethings for granted. I would state my case here now but I am not sure what the policy is for spoiler tags in the discussion forum as I would have to abuse them. I noticed a few posts above that I technically do not have to use them but I will wait until Monday to discuss my opinion on character development of central theme characters.

I was not a fan of the original. After watching it multiple times on DVD I gained an appreciation for it but I felt that it was uninspired and did not even live up to the cartoon let alone the comic book.

I really feel like X2 did a much better job explaining the X-Men than the original with the exception of Prof. X and to an extent a non X-Man Magneto. Another one of my disappointments was what someone stated earlier. As soon as I heard that Halle Berry was signed as Storm I thought that Angela Bassett would have been a much better Storm. IMO, Angela Bassett would have brought a much stronger and regal position to the character. Halle Berry just seems out of place and too 'soft' for me.

Storm is a strong, wise and authoritative woman. When she speaks or uses her powers people are supposed to pause and be 'shocked and awed." I would love to hear Angela test screen with some of Storm's lines. Halle, simply put does not make a convincing Storm to me at all in the original and marginally in the second. Don't get me wrong, I like eye candy like the next man. And at one point in the film (you will see what I am talking about) I wanted Storm to rain on me. But Angela Bassett is no gargoyle. Perhaps age played into it???..????

Anyway, enough of my ramblings. I will continue Monday.

djb

 

[JonZ]

I loved loved loved X2. As said above, I always felt like X-Men sort of sleepwalked through. It was ok, but I had alot of problems with it. This is what happens when a studio gives the director control to do what he wants.

I was a huge fan of the book especially during the Claremont/Byrne days and some of this movie made me want to jump for joy.I left the book in the mid 80s-feeling it was never the same after Byrne left(although I did enjoy Paul Smiths run)
I never watched the 90s cartoon becuase I thought it was so badly done.

I wasnt very happy when I heard Alan Cumming got the job for Nightcrawler and I have to say I was so wrong. He was great. Nightcrawler on screen exceeded every expectation I had. Fantastic!

I was smiling with geekdom during so many parts of this film:
-The appearance of Mastermind. I was thinking who the hell is Jason and when Stryker made the comments about Illusions it hit me. Totally unexpected. I loved it.
-Colossus
-Nightcralwer bamfing in and out of the plane to save Rogue
-Mystique and Magneto tormenting Rogue and her reaction
-The storming of the mansion
-Hank McCoy on TV
-Jean Grey. Very underused in the first movie, here things really pick up with her.I noticed Jeans reaction to Cyclops taking out Magneto in the first film and immediately thought of Dark Phoenix but thought it was just fanboy wishing - I never immagined theyd get to it in one of the films. I noticed a few people talking about the scene with Jean saving the X-Men as they were walking out. They were confused by it.(Including the person I was with who never read a comic book in his life)I had to remind my brother about Phoenix. Did I imagine this....anyone else notice the glow under the water during the last scene?
-Magnetos escape
-The scene with Mystique morphing to seduce Logan
-Pyro
-The scene of Logan running out in the tunnel with blood all over him screaming
-Banshee

I could go on and on.

No cast complains at all.Halle Berry was better this time around, btu I wish Cyclops had more to do. Marsden has been my favorite so far(My least fav character from the book)

Im seeing it again tonight. Cant wait.

Im just so giddy right now. I feel like I did when I first saw Star Wars in the theater. The most enjoyable movie experience Ive had in I dont know how long

Ill bet real money we see Phoenix, Sentinels and some form of The Hellfire Club in X3.

 

[Paul_Scott]

over in the review thread there is a post by the mod that says "no spoilers in the review thread"
spoilers are only for the discussion thread-the rationale being, if you haven't seen the film you can't discuss it, i guess.
so from here on out, i won't be using any spoiler tags,
so if you haven't seen it yet...start a new thread

Diallo,
were in 100% agreement about Basset. i don't think Berry wants to come back and i for one would be just thrilled to see Basset step up into the role (as long as they give her some decent screen time). there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of demanding physical work to the way the films are treating the storm character ( i din't notice any wire work this time for her, fr instance). i realize Basset isn't as youthful as berry, but for the demands of the role she should be just fine.
hell, the storm character reeks of authoritative, warm, maturity.
i really don't have a big problem with Berry in the role, she wasn't anyones ideal but, she seemed to posess a little more authority here.
Though yes, Basset would most likely have been spot-on.

as far as character development, both you and i know enough about the characters that we can 'flesh in' quite a bit that is merely hinted at or suggested.
i loved all the small character moments;
-the way Magneto and Mystique are sharing their own private little conversation on the jet
-the little moments between bobby and rouge, or the Dr.Pepper freeze
-Kurts introducing himself to Logan at the climax
that and many, many more .
i just didn't see the depth of characterization that i did from the first film (w/ Magneto, Rouge and Logan -all the other characters from the first film were mearly sketched in there as well).
this sketchier embellishing of the characters isn't a big problem for people like you and me, who can source these characters histories from dozens of back issues to add dimension, its just that to me, this film seems like one episode from a season long tv series. characters don['t have to be fully developed in one hour long episode since they have the entire season to 'arc'.

i really, really liked this film.
i didn't come to love the first one until the third or fourth or fifth viewing, and its mostly because it is so structurally tight. X2, on the other hand, feels so much like a middle chapter- much more like ESB than i was expecting.

i completely admire what Singer has done, and i can only hope that he wants to continue telling the stories of these characters.
these two films are far and away the best 2 part superhero film fest i've ever seen.
i still love Superman I, but i loathe the sequel...and i don't think a Donner cut would have saved it since there were plenty of 'false' character moments written into the sequel.
nothing like that whatsoever on display here.
but i also don't think that this film feels all that complete, or structurally satisfying in and of itself.
of course, it's great that i want to see more asap, as opposed to just about every superhero saga thats gotten the big budget treatment.
i don't expect Spider-man 2 to be any better than this, although i would have said earlier that the potential certainly is there.

glad to see in other forums that many other people don't think they should wrap up the Dark Phoenix storyline in the next film.
defintely kick it inot gear, but carry it over and pay it off in the 4th.
that's why i would beg them to shoot multiple films at once next time.

hell, i'm even considering catching another show tonight.
the last time i watched the same movie twice in one day was when i was 12 years old.

 

[Dave F]

People who are frothing anticipating for this(or any other) movie are setting themselves up for disappointment.

Only if the film is bad. X2 was perfect.

-Dave

 

[Gruson]

Incredible movie. 5 out of 5 stars here.

I liked it better than the first. I only wish there was more of an X-men music theme (score). It was there but not enough IMO.

-Colossus was great, wish he had the accent though
-Iceman was perfect. I am glad they brought back the same kid...very good acting
-could have been more Cyclops
-Storm was a LOT better than she was in the first movie
-Jean Grey finally uses more of her powers (very cool)
-Beast cameo!
-Nightcrawler was dead on
-Wolverine is PERFECTLY played by Jackman
-Magneto just too cool and loved how he joined with Xmen for a bit
-mansion break in scene was very exciting
-should not have killed off Deathstrike...great character

Cannot wait to see it again.

 

[Will K]

I liked this film a great deal. My only minor carp I had was the length. At 124 minutes, it seemed quite long and the ending seemed to drag out a bit. Other than that, a great ride.

Question: I'm an X-Men dummy so who was the big guy at the school who could turn his skin to metal?