*** Official "X-MEN 2" Review Thread (1 Viewer)

[Paul_Scott]

probably the most perfect evocation of the comic book in movie form.
that is kind of a back handed compliment, because the film literally feels like reading a couple consecutive issues out of a 300 issue series.

as a conventional, dramatic film **1/2
as entertainment for people not up on the first film or characters **1/2
as entertainment for fans of the first movie and the characters in general ****1/2

as far as seeing Hollywood treat properties like this, this is about as good as it is ever going to get.

 

[Paul_Scott]

just commented on the sound in a thread on the software fourm.
i thought the sound was spectacular.
the rears were used very aggressivly thruought the film.

when it comes out, this should be a reference dvd as far as sound goes.

 

[Tino]

In short-X2 was disapointing.

IMO, the first film was better in almost every aspect; pacing, acting, story, action sequences, character develpment etc..

Not bad by any means, but could have been so much better.

:star::star:1/2

 

[Chuck Mayer]

My review:

Should be in two parts. As a film fan, and as a comic fan. I grew up on X-Men. My first issue was 195 with Wolvie seeming to threaten a young child on the cover (imagine that now). After that, it was quite a few years with X-Men as my major love. I still recognize it's 80's run as one of the finest in the medium, and it is from these years that X-Men and X2 draw their mythos.

To begin with: more than any other comic film ever, this seemed RIGHT OFF THE PAGES. The shots, the action, the tricks, the lines, everything. In many ways, it's the PERFECT comic film.

The bad: the plot was OK. It was a comic book plot, and it served the film fine. It furthered the themes, established characters, set up sequels, and did it's job. It wasn't a terribly good plot, but it worked. This was my fundamental beef. When everything else is SO good, a great plot would have made this classic. It had VERY little room to breathe. It also went quite a few directions. While well-edited, it took a LONG time to wind down (and it STARTED RIGHT AWAY). Many of the visual tricks and gimmicks presupposed a STRONG knowledge of the X-Men mythos. I didn't mind, but it must be tough for non-comic fans. That said, my wife REALLY liked the movie, but then, it's got Hugh in it, so who knows?

The good does easily outweigh the bad, and it's why I also really enjoyed this movie. The direction is SO strong, and action SO well-done, the film SO good to look at. Singer brings a very strong visual style to the film. But he never let's it overshadow the action taking place. I was reminded of Ocean's Eleven, frankly. Just a brilliant directing job.

The movie had more "cool" moments than I have seen in a LONG time. To start with, the opening Nightcrawler attack is one of the best openings I have ever seen. Wolverine in the mansion was another treat. And Magneto's escape was also finely crafted, exciting, fun, dangerous, and skilled...all at once.

Halle's wig (and style) was quite a bit better. She didn't bother me as much, but her participation was down in the sequel. Lots of characters fighting for screen-time (and yes, our whole audience wanted more of Colossus - I did too). Famke looked GREAT with her short red hair. The acting was uniformly superb. For X3, more Nightcrawler please. He looked great, and Alan Cumming did a fine job.

Back to a minor point...lots of X-Men moments and homages in the script. Probably one every other minute. Some were wonderful, some were exhausting.

The ending:
So X3 seems to figure very strongly in Bryan Singer's mind. Clearly, the man likes his Claremont, and the Phoenix saga could make a great, fairly epic film. He's the right man for the job. Her "movie origin" doesn't quite pack the same punch, but...count me in.

And FWIW, Chris Claremont wrote the novelization, but that's fitting, since most of the film was a nod to his work.

I give it an 8.5/10. The comic fan in me would give it a 10. But this is a film board. And it had a few minor film issues.

Take care,
Chuck

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

X2: X-Men United is populated with more characters, more action sequences and more plotlines than its predecessor. But more is not necessarily better. Gone is the mysticism and intrigue that graced the original and made it into a much better film.

However, as an action-adventure flick, X2 delivers the goods. It knows its place in the universe of comic book based superhero films, albeit in the second tier. And with that it succeeds in what it originally sets out to do in a more accomplished fashion than the ludicrous Daredevil did earlier this year.

I’ll also credit Bryan Singer for being able to manage such a large cast even though some of them have very little to do. Because when he finally puts the spotlight on to his actors and their respective characters, they are definitely up to the task.

As a sequel, the film doesn’t take the story into new heights. That much we can hope for in future installments in this series.

X2 rates (out of four).

~Edwin

 

[Seth Paxton]

As always, spoiler free and no plot recounting. Copied from the 2003 film thread.

X2: X-Men United
9 of 10
As strong as Spider-Man, and at least double the quality of the first film, which I also thought was good. Perhaps it is the nature of it being a sequel in that the premise is more established which leaves us time to enjoy the characters, but frankly X2 has as many introductions to deal with as the first film. Instead it is probably the fact that because we have so many established characters that the new ones just give us that much more depth.

What is most striking about Singer's work here and most reminds me of his Usual Suspects work is that he is able to give us the illusion of character depth despite not having nearly the amount of screen time necessary to explore all of these characters in that depth. That pseudo-depth or quick establishment of character also reminded me of City of God, and both films left me with the feeling that I spent some quality time with a multitude of characters.

Effects and action-wise I hesitate to say this is better or more, though it FELT like more. Whatever, the bottom line is the film has TONS of very accurate comic action and Nightcrawler is so perfectly matched to his comic version that it's, dare I say, UNCANNY. In the end the film creates this great need in the audience to see each character exerting their powers, and that is where the best payoffs are placed.

Oh, and the X3 story is laid out very well right from the start of the film. For those of you yet to see it, pay close attention to the surface of the water at the end of the film and the hint of an image you might see there. Oh mama will X3 be great if it delivers that story at the X2 level.

 

[Larry Sutliff]

I loved the first X-MEN. Despite its lack of huge action scenes and only adequate f/x, the film had excellent characterizations, superb acting and a lot of heart.

Thankfully, X-MEN2 still has not only all of those positive qualities, but breathtaking action and first class special effects. The film delivers on nearly every level. Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart and Famke Jamsen repeat their excellent work from the first film. The new characters, especially Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, are magnificent additions to the X-MEN family. Cumming conveyed the warmth, danger and faith of the comic book character beautifully. Brian Cox adds another slimy villain to his repertoire as Stryker. Fans of the comic will be ecstatic, and general audiences unfamiliar with the source material will be hugely entertained.
:star: :star: :star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[Dennis Pagoulatos]

X2

I had very high expectations for this film based on the trailers and advance word that was flooding the internet (extremely positive). And I am a huge fan of the first film and feel it is probably the best comic book adaptation behind the original "Batman" film, which is still my favorite overall. What really held the first one back, I thought, was an obviously lower budget than I'd expected, and some weak effects shots. The scale and scope of the film was also probably reigned in a bit because of the budget as well, and I felt it showed, especially in the not-so-hot finale.

What I loved were the excellent performances by all the actors, perfect casting all around (can anyone really imagine Dougray Scott as Wolverine??!) and a film that took its time setting up the story. The best scenes in the first one were the little character moments that made the viewer care about them (Logan's scenes with Rogue especially), so that when they fight in slam-bang action sequences, we as an audience care what happens to them. What also worked extremely well was the direction of Bryan Singer, and his decision to make the world that the X-Men inhabit feel as real as possible (you don't feel like this is a "comic book world") and that makes all of the unbelievable events seem all the more real. All of this made for an excellent first film, and as it turns out, only a taste of the treats to come!

X2 takes the story, characters, and scale of the first film, and expands and amplifies it to epic heights! It still takes its time setting up the story, even more characters are introduced/glimpsed/hinted at, new villains are brought into the foreground, old enemies unite, and all of the original players are even more comfortable with their characters than the first time around. The story is very much action packed, but doesn't focus on action and special effects (though when the action heats up, it's damned impressive), instead it builds on the mythos and draws the viewer deeper into the world of the X-Men with a mostly clever storyline and pacing. Every character is given a chance to shine, and Singer juggles multiple storylines very well, though the pace does seem a little bit slow at a few points early in the film. But it builds to a crescendo that will have comic book fans cheering, and waiting for even more in X3. Singer and cast are perfect, and there's a sense of growth in all the characters, which hasn't happened in ANY other comic book film/series to date. That's no small achievement, and a testament to the team that put this film together.

:star: :star: :star: :star: 1/2 out of 5

-Dennis

(Fanboys will wet their pants when they see...nahh I won't spoil it...)

 

[Carlo_M]

Just got back from watching this with fellow HTF'ers David Tolsky, John Gordon, RobertR, Sean and a few of our loved ones.

Disclaimer:
First off let me say this - I was a fan of the comic in the eighties, got back issues through the seventies, but stopped reading essentially in the nineties and later. I didn't obsess over the storylines so although I am familiar with the story and characters, I am by no means an "aficianado." Triumph the Insult Comic Dog won't be knocking on my door for this one.

X-Men 1:
I thought the first film to be quite capable and well done, but saddled as being the "intro" film - a lot of backstory and intros had to be told and the actual story/plot of the film was almost secondary. I would have rated it :star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star:

X2 X-Men United:
I loved it. Yes it was long, but I thought it went as long as was needed. I never felt it dragged. I think of this as the "Empire Strikes Back" of the series, in that it took the groundwork laid by the first film and greatly expanded the characters and story, while still staying true to the heart of the comics (which has always addressed the issue of exclusion of groups in society). There were a lot more "stars" in this film (loved Nightcrawler) and a lot of "newbies" and cameos, but I never felt as if they were forced, but more natural and never distracted from the story. It also gave a lot of humanity to both sides of the mutant camps, "good" and "evil."

It takes a perfect film to get four stars, and as such I can't give X-Men that rating. I think it was too short :p) - I do hope there's an "extended edition" or a lot of deleted scenes in the DVD.

:star: :star: :star: 1/2 out of :star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[Arman]

After the awesome opening sequence, I was ready to be blown away by this film but the succeeding sequences (though are beautifully photograph) are nothing so special (as fantasy/comics film) and excruciatingly predictable.

X2: X-Men United (B or maybe at best B+) is better than the first (X-Men - B-/C+).

But X2: X-Men is nowhere near what a lot of people are saying here that it is the next best movie sequel like the magnificent Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers, The Godfather II & Empire Strikes Back. I hope Matrix Reloaded will be the one.

 

[RobertR]

I'm vey much in agreement with Carlo's review. The film has a nice "epic" quality to it, with a good balance between action and characterizations. I was drawn into the drama.

 

[Dan Rudolph]

I felt the movie was much better than the first. I was impressed by its juggling of 12 main characters and several minor ones. Since it didn't feel any exposition was required and it was half an hour longer than the first, the plot characters had more room to work themselves out. Overall, I couldn't find anything wrong beyond minor quibbles (like Storm and Colossus's missing accents). 9/10.

 

[Ed Faver]

Saw X2 with my son and a large crowd on Friday afternoon. Thought it rocked hard. I was surprised at the violence for a PG-13, but it didn't bother me. Just wondered how many times this one had to face an MPAA board before getting the rating it felt it needed.

Loved the action and adventure aspects, but even more the not-so-subtle intolerance component and the presentation of two different ways to deal with it.

I was glad to see the use of multiple characters expanded and felt that the longer running time helped in that regard. In spite of the fact that I knew what was coming at the end, I was moved (and pleased) by the genuine feeling on the screen. I was entertained and a little moved. Don't get to say that often enough after movies these days.

 

[Steve_Tk]

My favorite comic book movie has now been replaced by X2.

Great flick.

 

[Adam_S]

X2 - :star::star::star::star: (out of four)

Wow!

I walked in on a couple of people watching the original XMen the other night, and it struck me how little I was interested in watching the original. While good and enjoyable there wasn't a lot that was extremely compelling. X2 blows it away on this level as well as just about every other.

Excellent camerawork, and astonishing action sequences that kept me literally on the edge of my seat. The performances were much better this time around by all involved, in my opinion and the plot was infinitely better. I was simply astounded. I had no idea where the film was going and some of the twists just left me floored. Sure there is one or two plot holes, but those are decently explained away. Wow.

That opening sequence with Nightcrawler! My gosh that was truly incredible! Very fluid, very nice, in fact I never once questioned the effects or powers used in the film, which in itself is some achievement.

This is very much a Wrath of Kahn type movie, a far superior sequel to a disapointing original. I don't have the first xmen on dvd, but this will be a definite addition. Let's just hope that they don't pull a Search for Spock with the third installment but manage to create something just as powerful.

Adam

 

[Matthew_Millheiser]

I enjoyed the heck out of it. Not the greatest comic book movie ever made, but well up there. I'd give it :star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: .

 

[Chris Atkins]

X-Men 2

:star: :star: :star: :star: 1/2 (out of 5)

Great movie. Probably my second favorite comic book movie of all time, behind Superman. What a well written film, too.

Gush...gush gush gush....gush. It was great.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

I liked the first one, but like this one even better. The print I saw was pretty grainy-looking. I like that they plundered some of the best stories from the comics in an intelligent way (versus Daredevil which plundered some of the best stories in a way that undermined and trivialized them). I really hope they bring Bryan Singer back for the third installment as there is some neat ground work laid for it without making this film feel incomplete. The fact that the director seems more concerned with the characters and conflict than the set-pieces is a good sign, too, even though there are a few moments at the end that seem a bit contrived and unnecessary. In the middle of a crisis, a character's rescue is interrupted so that another character can have a moment of closure involving too much dialog.

[The text in the spoiler tags is very general and a very mild spoiler at worst, but better safe than sorry, I figure.]

I would recommend seeing this one in the theater if at all possible.

Regards,

 

[Jordan_E]

I liked it, thought it was a good way to kick off the summer movie season, but it isn't something I'll go see again. :star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[Parker Clack]

I walked away from the film extremely entertained and looking forward to 1) seeing it on DVD and 2) eagerly awaiting the next sequel.

Bryan Singer does an excelent job with this film as he did with the 1st X Men and with The Usual Suspects. I enjoy his direction of a film as much as many of my personal favorites.

Bring on Colossus!

BTW, I personally think it is about time that Fantastic Four hits the big screen.

--Parker