Reviews: X-Men 2

[JoBlo]

JoBlo's 8/10 review of X-MEN 2 can be found here: http://www.joblo.com/x-men2.htm

And what did you think of the movie? Add your comments below.

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[Son Gohan]

0/10

I really didn't like this movie. I'm really sick of these poor comic book adaptions.

The Good - Hugh Jackman is SO hot.

The Bad - Everything about this movie blows, except for Hugh. I absolutely hate all there costumes (tight lever batman, daredevil styly is just not cool). It feels like this whole movie suffocates you, and you just keep waiting for something good to happen but when it does, its just not as cool as it should be.

The special effects were so so, and nothing was ground breaking.

Magneato is an old man, and although he sometimes kicks ass, it just doesn't look cool cause his an OLD MAN, and it comes of as looking lame. His so wrinkeled up, and shriveled I cant stand to stare at his face. In the comic book, Magneato is a youthful man with long blond hair, and actually looks cool. But cause this is a hollywood movie they cast a man with the most wrinkles.

Everything in this movie is so hollywood, and cause of of the rating, everything lacks TENSION.

Oh, and the wire fu. YAWN! I'm getting so sick of bad wire fu that looks fake.

Like the first one (which I hated so much as well), they rarely use there powers. I WANT MORE POWER USING!

Then theres the always awful Hale Berry who just looks wrongs as storm. Biggest miscast EVER.

Anywho, lots bad points that I cant explain right now, I just highly recomend you dont see this movie. As you will be seing lots more of these lame comic book movies. LXG, LXG2, LXG3, Daredevil 2, 3, 4 Electra 2, 3, 4 Xmen 3-20, Spiderman 2-20, The Hulk, The hulk 2, Iron Man 1-20, and the list goes on, and on, and on. MAKE IT STOP! I was really hoping that Daredevil (awful movie) would of killed this comic book to movie phase everyone is going through, but it looks like it didn't. DAMN YOU HOLLYWOOD!

Come May 15th when The Matrix Reloaded is released, it will blow Xmen 2 so far out of the cinema you wll be saying.....

Kelly (who)Hu?

or better yet.....

(whos) Hugh Jackman?

[Sad man]

Where do I start?...This movie was WAY better than the first one.This one has more action, more character development and more coolness arround.And I don´t even have to mention the very cool twist...

All the actors were great.I really liked JEAN(Famke Janssen) here, she was almost a lead girl of the movie, along with Hugh Jackman and his very cool actitude.The rest of them were also all very well done and acted.Specially Nightcrawler.

The action scenes are AWESOME!...This movie has one of the best opening scenes I have ever seen in my life.Very credible.Very real.

I´m gonna be short and save the movie. go and see it for yourself.
This movie rules!

8/10

[sergiopauloferreira]

I don't even know where to start...

At the end of this movie i was only upset by one thing - Have to wait for the next one...

To the ones that are not familiar with the caracters, i recommend another look at the first movie, 'cause this ne is not a sequel, but a continuation of the saga. All the caracters are expanded here (maybe except for cyclops), and the movie do justice to then all.

The school siege is a blast to watch. Magneto working with the x-men (and the turn-table at the end) where a stroke of genius. Brian Singer should reallyn devote himself to make this his franchise (kind like richard donner's lethal weapon) because he understand the material he is dealing with, respect it and knows how handle it.

9/10

P.S. : Please, more colossus next time... the hole theatre went nuts when trully show up (besides it would really be cool to see wolverine and him team-up.)

[BakeTheMooCow]

X-men 2 is a huge disappointment (5/10)



I wasn't planning to see it.. but all the hype, positive reviews and pressure from friends made me go and check it out. The movie starts amazingly.. with Nightcrawler teleporting throught the walls of the White House. Its not the usual teleporting you see in science-fiction movies. He disappears in a puff of blue cloud and reappears elsewhere. The effect is simply astonishing and I was all geared up for the rest of the movie to follow. Unfortunately, that opening sequence was like Lester Burnham jerking off in the shower. Its all downhill from there.

They begin to introduce (or reintroduce) characters and it soon feels like too much. Everyone's powers are showcased briefly before they head off to Boston for a short stopover on their journey to save their professor. Its all set up and no pay off. Some of the fights scenes were great, especially the one between Wolverine and Kelly Hu's character. But all this leads to nothing and the movie is ultimately a hollow exercise in superb special-effects to wow an audience over. I didn't care what happened to any of them, I knew who was going to die long before they killed the character off and most anti-climatic of all, the ending felt like a setup for the third movie and little more. Rebecca Romijn-Stamos shows some nice blue T&A, but like her scenes in Femme Fatale.. it did nothing to enhance the movie-going experience.

I walked away feeling let down and dismayed. With all the technology and talented script-writers and gifted actors, can't they make a decent superhero movie?

[NotKeyserSoze]

From here on in, I'm really going to stop hoping so much for great sequels. I mean Two Towers just deflated the further it went for me, Chamber Of Secrets was a style-over-content thing... but surely X2, with Bryan Singer going on and on about how superior and fantastic it is, would be the good'un. But alas, it's a collection of really great moments - a bursting promise of potential and possibilities, that has simply been cobbled and buggered together. X2 is proof, if anything, that Mr. Singer needs better writers, and his friend John Ottman needs practise in the editing room.

Things open greatly. Nightcrawler buzzing around, doing very cool stuff, and audiences whooping with glee. And then we're back at the mansion, and characters are sharing silly one liners, reminiscing like this is Happy Days, and making a joke out of everything. You will quickly notice that Nightcrawler ("But in the circus, I was called the Great...") is a comic relief character. And fun as that is to have (the little "remember me?" smile at the President at the end was fun) it feels very much like that's his reason to be here. Short of opening the movie and saving a few scenarios through the movie, he's useless. Don't get me wrong, Alan Cumming was fantastic and Nightcrawler was one of the best things about the film... but he was simply purposeless. David Hayter, your fault. So was Cyclops, ignored for most of the movie; Collossus (and his awesome metal powers) the one-scene-wonder; and Pyro, the walking undeveloped sub-plot. I sympathise with the whole X2 team, there's no way 10/15 characters can get anything resembling fair shares of development... but this is stupendous overpopulation, all teeming with promise and all of it comes to no fruition. I'm aware Singer likes ensemble pieces, but this is just taking the piss.

The story, you see, simply doesn't have a real direction of any kind. It's 2 and a bit hours of events, things that happen and cause others to happen, and it never feels like a plot. In fact there are several mini-plots here - Jean becomes phoenix (how?); Wolverine wonders about his history; Rogue and Iceman get closer; Pyro gets rebellious; Nightcrawler has tons of interesting history that means something or other... and everyone else is simply there aswell. Where's the three years this film took to be developed?

Well, I'll tell you where. Singer, from the opening credits, clearly has a huge budget to play with. The title sequence is big and over the top, and there are montages everywhere (see Usual Suspects, where Ottman develops a talent for them... here they are an unnecessary calling card, irritating and pointless)... and there are simply tons of very nice special effects that really don't need to be there. Xavier does some grand telepathic things that inexplicably affect everyone (it seems pointless to ask what the hell is going on), Jean Grey begins her totally inexplicable transformation, and tons of lovely fight sequences clog up a lack of plot. Lady Deathstrike is the perfect example - looks great, but she's lineless, and her infamous claws only come out in her final sequence. We're left wondering "why?" Because she's a henchman, she's Toad/Sabretooth... no explanation, she's a frill, she's simply here. So much is undone, unsaid, unfulfilled.

The script is painful. Tons of references to the first film, tons of cheesy reflective dialogue about stuff we haven't seen ("It's been 15 years hasn't it..." and all the dialogue on Stryker's son)... it feels like a trivia match. While that's great fun for the fans, the non fans will quickly notice cliched line deliveries, messy plot resolutions... and don't get me started on the fans-only finale. There'll be many a passer by yelling "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?", and bang, "Directed by Bryan Singer." It's all over, and a lot of people have no bloody idea what just happened.

Now, all of this said and done... I did enjoy some of the movie. Yes, believe it!! Magneto's escape ("Wait, something's different... a little too much IRON IN YOUR DIET!!") will have audiences cheering and wondering why they're cheering (this is supposed to be the badguy, you wicked audiences!). The "little moments" of mutant havoc are amazing, Collossus' cameo is joyous, Wolverine's "rage" is fun (if brief) and Nightcrawler, in ANY scene, is a blast. All the little touches, the little funny scenes, are great... it's just that they make the tone of the film all wrong. I ended up feeling like this was a spoof of the whole concept I had previously loved, characters using all their powers for laughs.

Back to the editing. Some of the final scenes, the dam falling apart, and Patrick Stewart finding the humans/mutants in Cerebro... they were painfully dragged out. Like the whole second half of the film, it was all shoddily stretched, more than it needed to be. When Stryker turns out not to be dead (for a final enigmatic moan at Wolverine) we're wishing he is, because these characters just ask questions of eachother, sowing seeds for obvious sequels, and confusing the piss out of us. It's frustrating.

And it's all over. Enjoyed it greatly in fits and starts, but it's a collection of good and dull bits... not a movie. There's no real drive, no focus, and it's hideously overpopulated, to the extent where nobody feels like they need to be there at all. It's a real mess of a sequel, worth seeing for it's virtuous bits, but they just aren't numerous enough. A crushing disappointment. 4/10

[adam_e19]

X2 8/10

First of all, this movie rocks, and is a great episode in the world of the Mutants!

I was a big fan of the first X-Men film (although I don't class it as one of the best)... I've always been a big fan of the X-Men comics and thought that Bryan and Co. delivered a justifying film. That said, there was always room for improvement...

... And X2 delivered! Double the X-citement, double the X-treme!! One word sums it up: F***ing X-cellent! (Okay, maybe two - and enough of the Xs already).
Hugh [Jackman] proved he IS Wolverine, and Alan [Cumming] justified his choice as Nightcrawler (originally I wasn't happy about his casting). Bryan Singer, I salute you!


Thanks to the first film setting up events, X2 was allowed to explore the X-men universe (and its characters) more thoroughly, with the central character being Wolverine.. The climactic battle with Lady Deathstrike will astound and amaze.
This film also had more of an emotional charge to it, with Nightcrawler and Storm forming a bond, the love triangle between Logan-Jean-Scott continuing, and even the 'strange' relationship of Rogue and Iceman (Bobby) taking a step further.

It was great to finally see Wolverine go 'berserk', and to see the cameo's of Beast (Dr. Hank McCoy), Collosus (Piotr Rasputin), and a "Blink-and-you'll-miss-it" mention of Gambit (Remy LeBeau)...

Bryan Singer says he had more fun with this film, and it definately shows. With more money put in by Fox, he could afford to relax and take chances... ones that paid off.

Overall, the film thrilled me from beginning to end. The opening scene will stay with me as one of the best I've ever seen, and the ending just leaves me wanting more, more, more!! And being a fan of the X-men, I don't think I'll ever stay away from this franchise... providing Joel Schumacher doesn't touch it On the whole, this film is funnier, faster, and more thrilling than the first, and just goes to show that there is still hope for the comic-movie generation...

[bmain77]

9/10

I'm still basking in the afterglow of seeing the movie so you have to keep that context in mind throughout the rest of my review.

The movie just totally fucking rocked on all levels.

Acting solid all the way around. Not once was I ready to slap any of the young actors involved in the movie, which I was sure I was going to heading into the movie. Allen Cummings was just plain awesome as Nightcrawler. Seriously, I might even venture to say Supporting Actor nomination here. Everyone else was very solid and I really cannot pinpoint any overly horrible acting throughout the movie.

Writing was kick ass. Brian SInger found a great balance between giving us a character driven movie along with some incredible action scenes. Singer and Sam Raimi shoudl be solely responsible for any comic book movie to come out from here on in.

The chemistry among the actors was also very good. Was I the only one who notice something between Mystique and Magneto. I'm pretty sure Magneto was getting some of the blue stuff if you catch my drift.

I reallyd don't know how you can complain about the special effects. They were great, especially with Nightcrawler. The opening scene in the white house has some of the slickest effects shots since the Matrix and I didn't think the wire combat stuff was overused at all.

Again I'm still in awe after just walking out of the theater not too long ago. I was with a group of about 8 who were all big time X-men geeks and each one of them were completely awe struck by the movie. I myself am not a comic reader, but based on their reactions the movie was very faithful to the comic.


(MINOR SPOILER ALERT) I guess at the very end of the movie if you are a devoted fan of the series there is a major hint of what is to come in the future X men movie or movies. I didn't catch it but again other than the cartoon I have little more than the basic background to the X Men universe. (END MINOR SPOILER)

ANother quick sort of cool note. Obviously since I saw today at 7:30 we were at a special advance viewing. Our ticket stub for the movie said Anger Management and the board outside the actual movie said Anger Managment. I scored a free X-men comic, but they were also giving out t-shirts and officical movie posters.

[dxwwf3]

8.5/10
The movie is great and the special effects are wonderful. I enjoyed this film alot more than the original and X3 is probably going to be the best of them all. This would have been a 9/10 if it had about 10 min trimmed. But even with its length the film never drags or gets boring. Everyone should enjoy this film.

[Snowboy]

Dang. What an awesome film experience. I had heard that X2 was far better than the first movie but I had no idea it was THAT good. I truly loved this movie--its characters, the spectacular action sequences, the subtext of the film--all of which provided for some amazing entertainment. The new characters were all quite interesting, but the one character I had hoped to see more was Kelly Hu's Lady Deathstrike--although her brawl with Wolverine at the end is unbelievable. The visuals in this film are even better and I would go so far to say it's a possible Oscar contender for that category--but not likely. The cinematography is dazzling and I especially liked the location of Stryker's base--surrounded by beautiful snow-capped mountains. All of the technical aspects have definitely been taken several steps higher. The performances are gripping and convincing, with Hugh Jackman providing us with a likeable and all-around rocking guy. I totally dug Alan Cumming's Nightcrawler--he was cool as all get out and his teleportation powers were wicked (that opening scene ROCKED). Rebecca Romijn-Stamos was given more here and I was glad for that. It was also very cool to see Storm really utilize her powers more. I won't spoil anything here, but Jean Gray is given an opportunity to really strengthen her powers and let's just say it is AWESOME. Each of the characters is real--and we see how difficult it is to live in a world where people who are different are hated so much. An overall amazing time at the movies and I will be seeing this again...oh yes..and the theater gave out some goodies like mini-posters, pins, dogtags..nice lil bonus!

[Weapon X]

I treat my fondness for comic book movies like wrestling matches, and the name of the championship belt is known as "The Shit". Each time, the matches get bigger and better, and so the coveted title of "The Shit" keeps changing hands. For years, the title holder was Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns. In 1998, Blade wisked it away in a surprise rollup for its pure action. Come 2000, Bryan Singer's X-Men made Blade tap out with its great acting and thinking-man's plot. In 2002, Blade II and Spider-Man exchanged the belt with a double team manuever, but in 2003, they both were pinned by The Man Without Fear, Daredevil in February.

Now, in May 2003, there is a new holder of the championship title of "The Shit", and it is X2.

Where do I begin? Even the opening title sequence does it bigger, better, and more badass than the first. Everything from there goes up, up, and away! (Wait, wrong franchise. My bad.)

THE CHARACTERS:
Everybody's given some time to shine; even the ones who got a little left out in the first movie are given the spotlight, most notably the X-Teens Iceman and Pyro, and Cyclops toward the climax. Wolverine is the focal point of the story once again, but I think anyone can agree that Nightcrawler is the showstopper here. His debut is exhilirating, whiplash-inducing, and from all angles just plain fucking cool! Even the bigoted William Stryker is given a damn good reason to do what he does, and his actions because of those reasons are rather frightening; on the not-so-opposite end of the spectrum, Magneto shows just how far he's willing go for his cause, and does so with his usual charming evilness. It works. The only overlooked one is Yuriko Oyama, aka Deathstrike, and it's disappointing given the history between her and Wolverine that comic buffs know all about. The writers dropped the ball on that one, just like they dropped the ball with Wolverine and Sabretooth in the first movie. All that is forgiven, however, thanks to the ultra-badass adamantium duel between Wolvie and Deathstrike.

ACTING:
Long story short, everybody pulls their weight. Hugh Jackman gives us every side of Wolverine; the quiet side, the badass side, the emotional side, and of course the vicious, unstoppable, bloodthirsty animal side. Watching him go apeshit on the soldiers invading the X-Mansion was a treat and a half. Alan Cumming pulls off a convincing German accent, while Halle Berry loses hers completely, and I didn't notice one way or another; side note: dammit she's hot. James Marsden shows more acting depth as Cyclops...to say how would spoil.

SPECIAL EFFECTS:
Wolverine and Deathstrike's claws, Nightcrawler's "BAMF!", Mystique's morphing...everything here rules. Let's move on.

STORY:
The first X-Men's "big scary evil plot" was chump change compared to Stryker's motives. As the final act of the movie unfolded, I was literally twitching in my seat wondering how the good guys were going to save the day...and once they intervened, it's what happened NEXT that really got me worried. If there's anything to complain about, I'd say it's the whole "campfire" sequence; it was good overall, and it gave us some great character insights, but it was how that time was divided up that sort of got to me...each individual story, coming one after another, felt just a tad non-sequitor. I won't say too much about the ending, but I will say this...DAMN!

On another note, I appreciated the little hints they gave us midway about what X3's plot will be, and by the end they made it all too obvious, at least for comic book fans. The uninitiated will be left scratching their heads, but the geeks will know, and I for one can't wait to see how they treat the storyline. I was expecting something completely different, and I was more than pleasantly surprised. One thing's for certain...it's gonna be a doosy!

So, X2, enjoy your reign as "The Shit"...'cause I've a feeling come June 20, a certain not-so-jolly green giant is gonna see to it that title changes hands again.

X-Men - 8/10
X2 - 9/10

[MisterTwister]

X-men 2 kicked major ass. Liked it WAAAY more than Spiderman and a little more than Daredevil. Awesome action, plot and charcthers, looks liike i am seeing again soon. Better than 1 and bring on X3, i am ready.

8/10

[MovieMan75]

Holy crap. That was amazing. This is now my single favorite movie. A PERFECT adaption of the comics, and an unbelievable film. Excellent special effects, astounding action, great character work...just phenomenal. I was reeling the whole time, I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. It's got great pacing, too. It's slow when it needs to be, and super-fast when it needs to be. The acting was also top-notch. I also liked the humor, and I loved the way they expanded on the characters more. I also think this movie brings out the themes and symbolism better that have always been a part of the X-universe. If you want to see a great flick, go see this! It'll blow you away. And if you're familiar with the comics (like me), this'll be even more of an astounding, epic spectle for you!

My Ratings:

X2: 9/10
Spider-Man: 9/10
X-Men: 8/10
Daredevil: 8/10

[P.Raymunda]

Although I usually don't like superhero movies, I thin x- men and x2 are really good movies.

I think they did a major effort trying to show just a little bit of everyone's powers and it didn't turn out well, because they used them a very short time and like if the scene was all theirs when they should be used as a team...

The re-intro to the already known characters was a little misplaced, and there was a huge need of powers (they barely use them).

The fx were really nice, specially nightcrawler's teleporting, and the casting was great (Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman, Famke Janssen) but I do think Ian Mckellen was a little bit misplaced(although he's one of the best actors).

This movie was really entertaining although it's a little bit longer than I expected. But I really have to agree that this is an awesome movie and one of the only superhero movies I'll ever like.

Also, I'm a little bit biased on Halle Berry's look, but still I have to say that she looks soooo wonderful, and much better than in the first one; but I still like her original, natural look...



X-2- 8.5/10

[beastieben21]

Originally posted by NotKeyserSoze
From here on in, I'm really going to stop hoping so much for great sequels. I mean Two Towers just deflated the further it went for me, Chamber Of Secrets was a style-over-content thing... but surely X2, with Bryan Singer going on and on about how superior and fantastic it is, would be the good'un. But alas, it's a collection of really great moments - a bursting promise of potential and possibilities, that has simply been cobbled and buggered together. X2 is proof, if anything, that Mr. Singer needs better writers, and his friend John Ottman needs practise in the editing room.

Things open greatly. Nightcrawler buzzing around, doing very cool stuff, and audiences whooping with glee. And then we're back at the mansion, and characters are sharing silly one liners, reminiscing like this is Happy Days, and making a joke out of everything. You will quickly notice that Nightcrawler ("But in the circus, I was called the Great...") is a comic relief character. And fun as that is to have (the little "remember me?" smile at the President at the end was fun) it feels very much like that's his reason to be here. Short of opening the movie and saving a few scenarios through the movie, he's useless. Don't get me wrong, Alan Cumming was fantastic and Nightcrawler was one of the best things about the film... but he was simply purposeless. David Hayter, your fault. So was Cyclops, ignored for most of the movie; Collossus (and his awesome metal powers) the one-scene-wonder; and Pyro, the walking undeveloped sub-plot. I sympathise with the whole X2 team, there's no way 10/15 characters can get anything resembling fair shares of development... but this is stupendous overpopulation, all teeming with promise and all of it comes to no fruition. I'm aware Singer likes ensemble pieces, but this is just taking the piss.

The story, you see, simply doesn't have a real direction of any kind. It's 2 and a bit hours of events, things that happen and cause others to happen, and it never feels like a plot. In fact there are several mini-plots here - Jean becomes phoenix (how?); Wolverine wonders about his history; Rogue and Iceman get closer; Pyro gets rebellious; Nightcrawler has tons of interesting history that means something or other... and everyone else is simply there aswell. Where's the three years this film took to be developed?

Well, I'll tell you where. Singer, from the opening credits, clearly has a huge budget to play with. The title sequence is big and over the top, and there are montages everywhere (see Usual Suspects, where Ottman develops a talent for them... here they are an unnecessary calling card, irritating and pointless)... and there are simply tons of very nice special effects that really don't need to be there. Xavier does some grand telepathic things that inexplicably affect everyone (it seems pointless to ask what the hell is going on), Jean Grey begins her totally inexplicable transformation, and tons of lovely fight sequences clog up a lack of plot. Lady Deathstrike is the perfect example - looks great, but she's lineless, and her infamous claws only come out in her final sequence. We're left wondering "why?" Because she's a henchman, she's Toad/Sabretooth... no explanation, she's a frill, she's simply here. So much is undone, unsaid, unfulfilled.

The script is painful. Tons of references to the first film, tons of cheesy reflective dialogue about stuff we haven't seen ("It's been 15 years hasn't it..." and all the dialogue on Stryker's son)... it feels like a trivia match. While that's great fun for the fans, the non fans will quickly notice cliched line deliveries, messy plot resolutions... and don't get me started on the fans-only finale. There'll be many a passer by yelling "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?", and bang, "Directed by Bryan Singer." It's all over, and a lot of people have no bloody idea what just happened.

Now, all of this said and done... I did enjoy some of the movie. Yes, believe it!! Magneto's escape ("Wait, something's different... a little too much IRON IN YOUR DIET!!") will have audiences cheering and wondering why they're cheering (this is supposed to be the badguy, you wicked audiences!). The "little moments" of mutant havoc are amazing, Collossus' cameo is joyous, Wolverine's "rage" is fun (if brief) and Nightcrawler, in ANY scene, is a blast. All the little touches, the little funny scenes, are great... it's just that they make the tone of the film all wrong. I ended up feeling like this was a spoof of the whole concept I had previously loved, characters using all their powers for laughs.

Back to the editing. Some of the final scenes, the dam falling apart, and Patrick Stewart finding the humans/mutants in Cerebro... they were painfully dragged out. Like the whole second half of the film, it was all shoddily stretched, more than it needed to be. When Stryker turns out not to be dead (for a final enigmatic moan at Wolverine) we're wishing he is, because these characters just ask questions of eachother, sowing seeds for obvious sequels, and confusing the piss out of us. It's frustrating.

And it's all over. Enjoyed it greatly in fits and starts, but it's a collection of good and dull bits... not a movie. There's no real drive, no focus, and it's hideously overpopulated, to the extent where nobody feels like they need to be there at all. It's a real mess of a sequel, worth seeing for it's virtuous bits, but they just aren't numerous enough. A crushing disappointment. 4/10

Great review man...thats almost exactly how I felt. In bursts, X-Men 2 was fantastic. The opening sequence was fabulous, however, about midway through I said to myself "this movie really doesn't HAVE a plot..." it was a bunch of sequences strung together that just lead to more sequences. If we FELT the stakes were high, we may have cared a bit more. I'd give it a 6/10, but at the end of the day, enjoy the original much more. It has an agenda, has goals, and feels complete. This one is sprinkled with greatness but never wholly realizing it. 120 million dollars Singer had to use? Wow, I maybe saw....60 million on screen. Proof that you need a director like Robert Rodriguez for all film budgeting...

[Sammy Jankis]

X-Men 2 : 5/10

(X-Men : 8/10)

(*spoilers*)

Awesome opening sequence. Thanks to Nightcrawler for one of the best comic book action sequence ever. Great music too.

But then what ? Good stuff, but never nearly as good as Nightcrawer attacking the White House.

I was disappointed by most of the action after that. I don't think Bryan Singer did a great job shooting the action in X2. Editing was also a problem. Music too.

I was surprised by the school attack, it was violent, Wolverine went berserk, killing a few people. On paper it sounds great. On screen it's another story. It's more violent, but it's more difficult to follow the action. Too many cuts.

Then you have to wait until the end to get a good fight. Wolverine vs Lady Deathstrike.
I was also disappointed. Why is the liquid Adamantium still there ? Ready to be used ? That's stupid.
As soon as Stryker told Wolverine how Adamantium worked I knew how the next fight would end.
Same problem when earlier in the movie, Nightcrawler asks Mystique if she can imitate everything... just after that, someone does something unexpected...

I liked the first movie because I understood the characters and their motives. I understood Magneto's quest.
But in X2 he decides to kill the human species. Genocide. Sorry but I don't like charismatic characters trying that, especially when using his 'best friend' to do it. And he lives...

I was also disappointed they gave Cyclops so little screen time. He got beaten by two chicks, then he loses his girlfriend, his car And Wolverine makes fun of him all the time. Well sorry but I almost felt pity for him.
Wolverine on the other hand was great but I think I liked him better in the first one. In X2 he drinks beer, smokes cigar, can't detect the army until they're in the room next to him, he gets a bullet in the head, he can't recognize Mystique like he did in the first one...
I also found it disappointing that they gave so little details about his past. I mean come on, at this rate, we won't know anything interesting until the 10th X-men movie.

I'm gonna soon stop writing, but one last thing, Magneto stopping a plane from crashing... what will we get next time ? people throwing space stations at each other ?

Oh I forgot ? Why did Bobby let Rogue fly the plane ?!! I didn't like him anyway, he looked like the average teenager from any soap tv show.
And what happened to the millions of people who where driving their cars when Xavier concentrated his mind on humans ? They managed not to kill themselves while they were having the worst headache of their life ?????

[Doc Holliday]

I want to forst start by saying I have not read a single comic book on X-Men. In fact I haven't read any comic books since the 1970's. So I don't have all these great visions of how the comic will translate, or know much about the relationship between the characters.

With that said, I was dis-appointed with X2. While I feel it is much better then it's predecessor, I feel they left a whole lot on the table. The action sequences, while excititng at times were few and far between. And like one of the schmoes before me said, I'd like to see a little more use of the powers. Bobby (guy who can freeze shit) only used his power 3 or 4 times in a movie lasting over 2 hours.

I am not wild about Halle Berry as storm. I just get a feeling she doesn't carry the role like she should be....more passionate about her feelings, and more dramatic when she conjours up storms.

James Marsden is a waste as cyclops. He just flat out makes the role a horrible one to watch.

To the good. Hugh is great. He really gets the rage of Wolverine/ Logan down. His last fight scene was very good, and the scene in the school is fun to watch.

Famke Janssen is good in her role, and it's nice to see her get a larger part then she did in the first movie. The rest of the cast was serviceable, and did not really bring the movie down.

Nightcrawler was awsome. This is where they went above and beyond with the FX. about the only place. His openening scene really got the movie going in the right direction. Too bad it wavered up and down the rest of the way.

I guess I feel the way I do because there was so much hype leading up to the movie. this happened to me with Planet of the Apes (which really did suck). I felt with the technology today, this could have been better.

I read from one schmoe, they had better character development. Yeah, they did spend more time building relationships among certain characters, but I felt it slowed the pace of the movie.

No spoilers here. Just my opinion. I am sure I will be in the minority. 7/10 Not even sure if I will buy the DVD when it comes out.

Only 12 more days til the Matrix. Don't let me down!!!

[Doc Holliday]

Now that I think about it. 7/10 was a little high. More of 5.5/10. I know that is a big drop, but I walked out unsatisfied.

My first hought as I walked out was "that was fun, but man, it could've been better."

I'm a teacher, and a notoriously easy grader. I felt guilty leaving such a high rating with a movie I was unsatisfied with.

5.5/10


I feel better, and can sleep tonight. If you want to know why the rating is what it is, my reason is in the post above.

[bigred760]

I've been waiting for this sequel ever since the I saw the first X-Men three years ago. And it was well worth the wait! This movie had everything: action, drama, laughs, cool special FX, a suprise ending, and a hell of a lot more.

I already knew the X-Men universe before either of the two movies came out, so I gotta say X2 is better than its predecessor. It's better written, directed, acted, and more importantly - longer. It's like 30-40 minutes longer.

And the story is excellent: the conflict between man and mutant is looked at from every point of view - good/bad men & good/bad mutants. From the excellent Bryan Cox and Ian McKellan to Patrick Stewart and Alan Cumming. But the story also looks at how the mutant situation affects family life, personal relationships, kids, and religion. It goes full circle.

Now of course the action is top notch - from start to finish. This includes the special effects, fighting, explosions, mutant powers, etc. etc. From Nightcrawler teleporting everywhere, Storm's weather fits, Pyro's fireballs, oh . . . I need a minute - it just kicks ass. But of course, Wolverine going apeshit is so adrenaline pumping. I was one of those people who thought he didn't kick enough ass in the first one. Well that changes 180 degrees here. In fact, I was kind of suprised (but not disappointed) at the level of violence for a PG-13 movie.

Hugh Jackman is so right for Wolverine. (I'm glad as hell that Dougray Scott got tied up in M:I2). Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan are perfect for their roles just because they play so well off of each other that it does seem like they have a history. I've always thought Bryan Cox was an awesome actor (since Manhunter) and he continues that trend as the sadistic, racist general. The rest of the cast give great or adequate performances.

All in all - this movie does not disappoint. There was a lot action, drama, psychology, and more. Plus X2, like its predecessor, leaves room for another installment and with the ending (and from what I know from the FOX cartoon series and comic book) the next one could be a doozy!!

9/10

[MisterTwister]

X-men 2 has to be one of the best sequels/ comic book flicks ever made. Why could'nt Spiderman be as good as this! X-men was kick ass and X-men 2 was even more kick ass with better story and more action! Bring on The Hulk and X3(will have to wait a couple years for it ,if it actually is made) hopefully Spiderman 2 will be a great 2004 movie and not a disapointment like the first (the effects were bad okay get ILM to do them) and i am sorry but the new Matrix movie looks too fake for my taste. stupid CGI action. If you have not seen it yet see X2 now!!!

[Mike]

X2 (2003)


Well, I guess I seem to be in the minority here about liking the original X-MEN (8/10 or B+) better than the sequel. Don't get me wrong, X2 was good, but I don't think it lived up to its full potential. The original X-MEN was surprisingly deep for a super-hero movie, but the sequel is paper thin. There's really not anything special going on in the sequel that poses any real threat, or at least it didn't feel like it. Yes, it did try to send out a message of acceptance, but here it ends up being kind of laughable, where in the original the message didn't feel very phony at all.

The performances were all pretty solid. But Alan Cumming's Nightcrawler character was way too unintentionally funny. It's not his fault at all, he did what he had to do, but whenever this character opened his mouth I couldn't help but crack a smile and laugh on the inside, sometimes even on the outside. It was nice seeing Aaron Stanford here, who was excellent in Tadpole, as John/Pyro. It's unfortunate he didn't have much to do. Hopefully he will have a bigger part in the next installment.

X2 looked like it would be even better than the original, but it was disappointingly not so. What's even more disappointing is that this is supposed to be a big summer popcorn movie, yet nothing too exciting happens very often in it. This one took what worked so well in the first one, and threw it out the window, instead making a sequel without much intelligence. Pretty much everything here just felt so phony, and the message didn't come off like it was supposed to be taken seriously at all, unlike in the original. Some of the dialogue here was just so bad that I would occasionally find myself snickering. When all is said and done, X2 is a disappointment, but still good, with some amusing moments. Hopefully X3 will bring back the smarts that the original had.

Grade: 7/10 or B- or ***1/2 of *****

[Negrotigre]

Well, I reluctantly saw this movie last night, didn't know what to expect. I hated the first movie with a passion, an hour and a half of pontificating and watching wolverine get beat up did nothing for me. So I was ready to rip into this movie as well, truth is, I really can't. X2 is not a bad movie, actually it's pretty good. I still have the gripe of wolverine not being bad ass enough, but hey, I'll get over it.(maybe) This movie was longer, and far more ambitious than the first. Some of the elements of storyline were similar to something I've been writing, something I'll now need to modify to not resemble this movie.(Damn you Singer!) The movie looks much better, the fx is very well done. The acting, aside from Halle Berry is good. I'd probably like the movie even more if I wasn't such an avid comic book collector, the comics have forged an image in my mind of what the movie should be. If you look at it with an open mind you won't be dissappointed. One question, why have Ice Boy in the movie if he doesn't get to do anything? Was having him in the movie more important than having Beast? I'd rather seen him than Nightcrawler any day. Nightcrawler was cool though. And another thing, why no accents? Storm's from Africa, Colosus is from Russia, but neither have accents, maybe I'm just nit picking. All in all, not a bad movie going experience.
Xmen United 6.9/10
xmen 4/10

[DieHardBruceFan]

X-Men 2 is a rare sequel that is better than the first. I totally dug the first flick, but X2 does everything bigger and better. Great action throughout the film, Logan kicks all kinds of beserker ass, Nightcrawler is the best new mutant, and the music score is terrific.

Few complaints: Slow beginning (except for the White House scene), Lady Deathstrike is underused, and there could have been another scene or two of Wolverine kicking more ass like he does in the Mansion. These are all small complaints, though.

Overall, a great flick that pulls an EMPIRE STRIKES BACK on our asses!

By the way- Why is the film called X-Men 2: X-Men United, but the actual film says "X2" at the beginning and nothing else???

Also, look like the nerds "united" last night as well. WHOA! Almost as bad as those month-long lines for STAR WARS!

The word "ass" is used way too much in this review- Sorry!

[SonicDeathMonkey]

***SPOILERS***

9/10


The only problem I had with this movie is the people who watch it. Why is it that everyone was so shocked when Jean Grey "died"? Am I the only person who saw the fucking Phoenix in the water at the end? AHHHHH!!!!!!! It pisses me off. Sorry, I'm done freaking out. But it's hard to explain to these people who don't know jack about X-Men all about the Phoenix Saga and how Jean isn't dead. That would take the better part of my week and I don't have time. Alright, time for me to go back to the nerdery with my fellow nerds and not have a life.

***END SPOILERS***


This was the best movie adaptation of a comic I have ever seen. It's what the first one should have been. It is my personal beliefe that it's impossible to make a first one though due to the large scale of characters and plots. But they did a nice job on the first and an even better on the second.

[Hucksta G]

I went into this movie after reading a LOAD of fan boy reviews who all spoke about X2 as if it was the second coming. The film is far from the second coming but still is great fun.
Cool action scenes and some nice charcter scenes as well make the film worth while seeing.
I heared this movie was supposed to be funnier then the first but a lot of the jokes I feel were forced.
Some cool refernces and cameos for fans of the comics as well.
I loved the final shot!
This was better then the first one, I think if I didn't listen to the hype I just may have enjoyed the movie.
That all being said I still give it 8/10.

[anakinsrise]

In Short:Ahhh that very rare example of a sequel exceeding the original film. The Good: I must admit there are only a few comics i still keep track of these days,and of course one series i still love of is X-Men.The stories and characters have always been so interesting and involving.The only other series to do so was the Teen Titans in the Marv Wolfman/George Perez days but thats another story.With X2 i found myself more involved with the characters, and caught up in the action.You can definitley tell director Bryan singer was given more time,money,and freedom to create with this movie.We get cameos,from a good number of mutant favorites,a good amount of action and humor.Of course the standouts are Hugh Jackman(Logan/Wolverine)the man continues to amaze me with his charisman and ease at playing this character.Newcomer AlanCummingsKurtWagner/Nightcrawler,He attacks this role with humor and sadness totally capturing the comic character.Famke Janssen Dr. Jean Grey,She brings so much sympathy and darkness to the character you just want to see more of her,the beautiful woman torn between the bad boy and the boy scout.Halle Berry (Ororo Munroe/Storm )Still the loving and caing den mother and beautiful weather controller,im glad she was given more to do this time around.(Ian McKellen Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto) with the first film i had a problem with Ian protraying this character,i had hope for Rutger Hauer playing Magneto.But Ian has grown on me that evil smirk of his as he talks to you letting you know he is totally in control of the situation.This movie leaves you wanting more,more,more,and if the story is going in the direction i think it is, i hope we get it in X3. THE BAD:Well i definitley wanted to see more cameos,instead of a quick reference to them,i mean the joy the audience had at the sight of Colossus,makes you wish you could have seen Gambit pop up and throw a charged up playing card at the mansion attackers.So Bryan please give us more.James Marsden .... Scott Summers/Cyclops vanishes from the flic for about an hour plus!! What gives?!?And correct me if im wrong,did Kelly Hu/Lady Deathstrike have any lines at all??And of course some plotholes,one that stands out:Wolverine should have been able to tell the difference between Jean and Mystique,with his super sense of smell??? All in all right up there with the comic to film adaptation of the first Superman,and Batman flics.The movie leaves you wanting more and thats always a good thing and whats coming for a major character should just add to the excitement.Scale of 1-10 a 9.

[clerks2]

although i didnt think to much of x-men i felt that this movie was much much better. the movie finally expands on the character development of wolverine and jean grey. and i was very excited to see wolverine kick some ass against the cops. i felt that the end of the movie was one of the best parts because if people read the comics of x-men they know what was in the water. i am very excited for x-men 3 because there has been some talk of gambit coming to the screen and we all know he should because that was the problem with the first x-men movie and because it didnt have beast in it who is also a main character

[dannywalker17]

X2

Directed by Brian Singer
Starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Halle Berry, Famke Jansen, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox

Rating: 9/10

Wow! What a great improvement over the so-so original (7/10). I really can't believe anyone is disappointed with X2. Oh BTW, I refuse to call it X-Men United, seeing as Bryan Singer is so adamant that it's just X2, and the opening of the movie just says X2. Anyway, this movie was so much better than the first one in many ways. There was tons more character development, emotional draw, and the plot was just plain better. X-Men suffered from being the first film in a huge universe of mythology and characters. The plot seemed small and unimportant. In X2, the plot is so much more epic, and we get this feeling of "Oh this is huge and it's only just beginning. And for anyone who has at least some knowledge of the X-Men universe, we know what's coming next, and boy, I can't wait. I also thought the acting was better in this one. Halle Berry really has gotten better since she won an Oscar I guess, because she was good. Famke Jansen is also really good--better than I've ever seen her. Jackman and Marsden also get a chance to show some real acting chops, unlike in the first one. The action in the movie was really good, with alot of it really blowing me away to some degree and none of it seeming generic. Singer has done a good job pacing the 2+ hour film. It never drags and it's just the right length. You are really satisfied and kept on the edge of your seat the whole time and when it's over you can't wait for the next X-Men movie. I strongly recommend this great comic adaptation. I loved it and have already seen it twice.

X2: (9/10)
X-Men: (7/10)
Daredevil: (10/10)
Spiderman: (9/10)
Batman: (8/10)

[ohsocrazy]

all i can say about this flick is that it kicked MAJOR butt! the plot was invisible, but the action and characters kept me entertained through this action filled ride! fun stuff!
8/10

XMEN: 7/10
X2: 8/10
SPIDERMAN: 9/10
DAREDEVIL: 6/10
BLADE:7/10
BLADE2: 9/10

[dannywalker17]

Originally posted by ohsocrazy
the plot was invisible

What? There was ten times more plot in X2 than most action films. How can you say there was no plot? I could write 1000 word summary of just the plot. Well at least you liked it...

[MarvelBoy]

X2 has a better plot

His new attitude and look goes along with the comic books and the movies Just too much of him. Not like he's the first X-Man or nothing.

Two originals Beast and Archangel were neglected again
Beast in human form on the news so check it.

Storm is still a little weaker than the one I remember but Halle's gotten better with her powers. Still would rather see Jada Pinkett Smith of Matrix2 or the late Aaliyah of Matrix 2 and Queen of the Damned playing Storm. Her character was the most dominant and responsible one I guess they forgot.

Pyro, Mystique and Lady Deathstrike were good with bad attitudes Their scenes stole the show

Nightcrawler and Colossus were great additions and WE NEED MORE COLOSSUS in X3 . Throw Gambit and Jubilee in X2 too I think it's leading up to that Phoenix saga from the books and the cartoon. I think an Attack of The Sentinels sequel would be good too

To all the mutant haters and those that don't think the movie has no plot think again. There is a war going on now. It's all about hate and power. This flick is like watching the drama on the news only its a kick ass entertaining fantasy. ariel blue

[Ren Hoek]

Okay, I'll try too keep this short review spoiler-free:

First of all: X2 is far better than the first movie, has all of its strenghts, but none of the weaknesses. The SFX are all top-notch, the action almost never stops, the screenplay is very good (and no cheesy one-liners!), and the movie's score is gonna blow you away. Props go to the whole crew, but especially to Bryan Singer (for obvious reasons), and John Ottman, the editor/composer. They all did an excellent job!

Now what about the characters?

Wolverine is still the charismatic leader of the pack. I really dug that Singer didn't try to make him too PC (he kills lots of people and seems to prefer cigars and beer to a healthy diet), and his big fight with Lady Deathstrike is fucking great. There's another wonderful moment in first third of the movie where he meets a person from his past. Very cool!

Professor X doesn't have too many scenes in X2, and never really is part of the action. The fact that his character seemed to be much wittier, more sophisticated and stronger in the first movie is a minor complaint of mine.

Magneto has lots of cool scenes: his escape from the prison is truly impressive and must be one the coolest moments I've ever seen in ANY action movie. Remember that short scene in the trailer where he breaks the guard's neck? Well, you have to experience yourself which other 'nice' things he does to that poor fella. Ouch! Plus, McKellen's performance is very subtle and he is hands down the best actor in the whole ensemble.

Storm, Cyclops, and Jean Grey don't have many big scenes. Cyclops somehow disappears halfway through the movie, Storm has two opportunities to use her amazing abilities, but her character remains somehow faceless. And reportedly, Jean Grey will probably have her big show X3. (*coughPhoenixcough*) Anyway, they all get their chance to shine.

I didn't really care about the whole subplot with the young X-men. However, Iceman's encounter with his parents has some funny moments, and it's a nice touch to see how the characters behave in these kind of situations.

Nightcrawler is one of the coolest comic characters I've ever seen on the big screen. His first appearance in the movie is one of these "Whoa!"-moments, and Alan Cumming plays him with gusto. Even though he hasn't many lines, I was always aware of his background, his past, what he suffered through... great! And his fake German accent is just priceless!

But all the characters pale in comaparison to Mystique. IMO, her scenes were the best in X2. It's difficult to say what's so special about her appearances without spoiling the movie... maybe it's just the way she behaves when Magneto is with her (I'm almost sure they're lovers), or the nasty scene in which she 'prepares' the guard for his encounter with her boss, or when she gets REALLY close to one of the main characters, or... Damn, let me just say that I was constantly waiting for her next appearance and couldn't wait to see whose ass she would kick next.

The only real complaint I have about this movie is that its first half felt a little bit fragmentary. The 'coming out' story with the young X-men, Magneto's escape, Stryker's military actions, Wolverine's search for his roots, the love triangle between him, Jean Grey and Cyclops... fortunately, the second half is more focused on the main storyline.

Apart from some minor flaws (some characters are criminally underused and not all performances are as excellent as Ian McKellen's), X2 is definitely one helluva action movie and (along with Batman) the best superhero comic adaptation I've seen in my life. It's definitely not a groundbreaking masterpiece, but a kickass two hour thrill ride. Summer blockbuster action flicks can't get much better!

8/10

Get your tickets... NOW!

[ringwraith10]

I thought this was a really great movie and the first really satisfying movie for me so far this year. There was lots of great action and the story flowed pretty nicely. The nightcrawler opening scene and the mansion scene where Wolverine goes berserk are both really awesome. The movie even had some emotional moments too. I really like what Bryan Singer has done with the series so far. There is really no one star and every one gets their moment to show their stuff which keeps it fresh and exciting; and he does a decent job of doing back stories on characters considering how many there(characters) are and the time he is allotted. The one drawback to this approach is that naturally everyone has favorite characters and at least for me I wanted to see Nightcrawler, Pyro, and Colussus kick some more ass. Another major thing I like with the series so far is how each film is being set up to where the next one will only be bigger and better. This is the movie of the year at least until Matrix Reloaded finally surfaces. A must see.

9/10

[Cipher Jo]

The Jo factor: Awesome sequel that leaves you wanting more.

For those who haven't seen this film yet, leave right now. Fox has churned out a much better sequel that is far superior to the original mutant fest. This one has it all. Tons of action, laughs, and special effects to make your head spin! Even if you didn't like the first one, see X2!

Bryan Singer is back. The first X-men I can now say, was pretty lame. Yeah, lame. It was a decent back story, nothing more. X2 cuts right to the meat of the story and throws the audience right into the action. I'm sure by now, you've heard that it begins with Nightcrawler taking out Secret Service men. All I can say was that it's very engaging. The rest of the movie is one giant rollercoaster down to the last frame. Just about everything worked in t his film. The characters were more enjoyable, the effects better, and the story actually intriguing. Wow.

It's hard when your writing for the screen with multiple characters. You can easily make them bland and one-dimensional. Thankfully, with X2 this is pretty rare. Hugh Jackman is the best he's ever been. I mean the classic Wolverine was shown scrounging for beer, cracking jokes, and killing people! My god, I wasn't quite expecting the amount of violence that unfolded. To see Wolverine go into his rage is quite an experience indeed! The attack on the school sequence is something to see, if not just for that and a peek at Colossus. I enjoyed Bobby (Iceman) and Rogue much more in X2 as well as the rest of the cast. Storm and Cyclops don't have a whole lot to do but are still present. Ian McKellen is always enjoyable to watch, especially as Magneto. "You should have killed me when you had the chance!" Mystique is one to watch in this film. Ever changing, you have to keep up with her! Finally, you gotta love Patrick Stewart as the Professor, he was made for the role! Screw Star Trek…

Ok. The sets were amazing, especially the Alkali Lake complex in Canada. The music was much more grand and dramatic and totally enhanced the film. Picture was great and the fight scenes are among the best in the genre. Which brings us back to the story. What a set up! You care about these characters and the fate of the mutants. Most of the characters have a lot of depth and there is a lot going on. One moment I thought that Magneto was good and the next, he was killing mankind! I mean it's the little things. They all lead up to the surprise ending! Can't wait for X3! There is just too much to cover. My own note, I want Gambit!

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes action or scifi. A must see. Oh, and there is another small film coming that has to do with a guy named Neo…8.5/10

[quoth_the_raven]

HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD

wow. a great action film is the first thing to say. the action scenes in this are absolutely superb....watching Wolverine and Deathstrike get it on, claws all over the place...it was a beautiful moment. watching Nightcrawler breaking down Whitehouse security was superb. and thats really just the tip of the iceberg...there are so many great action scenes in this movie it is just impossible to write about them all.

but this is a character driven stuff as well, far more so than the first film, which was little more than a very interesting Prologue(8/10 for it still though, i loved it). and boy what charcters


Hugh jackman has literally plucked Wolverine out of the comics and brought him to life. he is amazng in the role, bringing a softer touch inbetween the berzerker rages.

James Marsden got to do a little more with Cyclops...we got a little more emotion this time which was good. disappeared from the film for abotu an hour though

Famke Janssen did a brilliant jobbie as jean gray while looking hot. Halle Berry as storm lost the shitty accent from the first film, and was a lot more convincing this time.

ohh the list goes on. but special mentions to Alan Cumming for portraying Nightcrawler as both tough, yet loveably funny, and Brian Cox for being a throughly menacing villians.

i dare say i dont need to say that Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellan were amazing? i didnt need to see that....cause you know its true.

characters action and its all beautifully directed by Singer....i would recommend this to just about anyone.

the perfect summer blockbuster

9/10

[YodaMokona]

Rating: 9/10

First off, let me just say that the first 5 minutes of this movie friggin' rock! Unfortunately, the rest of the movie doesn't *quite* live up to the beginning (although the Phoenix reference at the end just about made my entire year....as an X-Men geek, I can only say thank you!). The best part of this film can be summed up in 2 little words: Hugh Jackman. This guy IS Wolverine....just picturing Dougray Scott as Wolvie makes me ill. How they manage to make Wolvie, with his horrid mutton chops and ever-present cigar, attractive and the very essence of cool is just amazing. Kudos. OK, so the other best part of this film is Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler...although I have to say I prefer the light-hearted, funny Nightcrawler of the comic book realm, this one was pretty damn good, and the Nightcrawler FX were certainly impressive. And to whom it may concern: thank you, thank you, thank you for making Storm lose that completely lame accent. It wasn't working. While I'm at it, let me request the appearance of Gambit in the next one, OK? Rogue and Iceman...it's not working for me.

One question I have to ask: is it just me, or is it equally incomprehensible to others why Jean would pick the eternally good-boy pansy Cyclops over Wolverine? I have never, ever understood this....true, girls tend to go for the "good guys" and mess around with "bad boys," but in this case Cyclops is really just a whiny mealy-mouth loser. No way are girls gonna pick him over Wolverine (especially when he looks as good as Hugh Jackman).

[the_ultimate_evil]

X2

evolution leaps forth

Grade

4&1/2 out of 5

Cast

Director Bryan Singer

Patrick Stewart : Professor Charles Xavier

Hugh Jackman : Logan/Wolverine

Ian McKellen : Erik Lensherr/Magneto

James Marsden : Scott Summers/Cyclops

Halle Berry : Ororo Munroe/Storm

Famke Janssen : Dr Jean Grey

Rebecca Romijn-Stamos : Mystique/Raven Darkholme

Brian Cox : Gen. William Stryker

Alan Cumming : Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler

Anna Paquin Marie D'Ancanto/Rogue

Kelly Hu : Yuriko Oyama

Aaron Stanford : John Allerdyce/Pyro

Shawn Ashmore : bobby Drake/Iceman

Plot

Gen. William Striker plans to trick the president into attacking a school and removing every mutant on the face of the earth, and its up to the x-men who have to team up with there greatest foes to stop him

Full Story

The big budget sequel to the 2000 blockbuster x-men. this sequel picks up exactly where the first left off. Following wolverine on his quest to find his past while leading him back to the mansion where all the characters paths become intertwined. So far Marvel hasn't made a bad transition from paper to film and the trend continues, X2 takes everything that was great about x-men and makes it better. Most of the major cast gets a buffed up role. they characters are more developed and truer to there comic book counterparts while introducing three new with out major sacrificing the others, while the only complaint was the shortened roles of Cyclops and Xavier though it was vital to the plot I would have preferred a few scenes showing what strikers force had done to them. . Also the many "cameos" from other comic characters was very welcome be it simple ones like beasts and gambits to the more complex like syrin and colossus. the film also develops the already known characters power from storms control over the weather, wolverines berserker rage to the manifestations of the phoenix force in jean grey

Acting Class

Once again all the acting was top notch, Jackman pulls of the characteristic of wolverine with out breaking a sweat, it just seam's second nature. With a bit more to play with berry does good as storm she seems to be more at an ease with what the character is about and what here powers are. Stewart is perfect for Xavier there is just no questioning it. Marsden has got a lot of flack form critics for being to rigid and unemotional in his role of Cyclops, though I think he nailed the style of the comic book leader quite well and with what he has to work with bring a lot so a small part. Janssen is fantastic as the struggling physic trying to deal with her inner demons, when she left the jet to sacrifice herself at the end I truly felt sad for her as he silently said good bye to her family. Paquin though in a smaller role still comes of very well as the troubled teenager as she try's to cope with not being able to touch the one person she wants to be with. McKellen and Stamos are brilliant as the insane villainous mutants. they play off each other as if they had been a team there entire life. a Of the new additions to the only one I had a small problem with was Cox, though he plays the part well I think it could have been done with a but more anger and wickedness in his hatred of the mutant race. Hu for what she does plays and excellent deathstrike, both Ashmore and Stanford play well off each other as the opposing views and elements. Cummings manages to steal a few scenes from the main players and is perfect for the role of Nightcrawler

Puss And Guts

there is quite a high body count in this we get a bunch of special forces members ripped to shreds, lots of slashes and cuts from deathstrike and Logan and few darts to the neck

The Goods

a lot of cute girls in tight leather and revealing outfits, the girls get Jackman in the buff

In The Chair

Singer managed to combine the comic book mythos and action with real world vision. the sharp angels and cut cuts keep the action and story flowing well. The pans and movements of the camera tend to add that added emotion to a sense be it remorse ,tension or happiness. His wide angel shot show off the fantastic sets extremely well, and the final shot of the calm river, the faint phoenix image and jeans voce over was a nice touch to end the film while leading into the third instalment

The Music

John Outtaman managed to produce a thrilling score witch enhances and complements each scene it is used in, its defiantly on my to buy list

Final Say

On closing X2 is far superior to its predecessor and delivers what it promises. the characters have gone through great tragedy and seem to be coming together as the family the fans have grown to love in the comics. behind the camera the actors and director seem to have respect for the ideals and source material the film is based on. On closing is singer keeps the trend the x-men franchise could become one of cinemas greatest series'

Things This Film Taught Me

no body wants to hear about the god damn circus

manicures can be extremely dangerous

Every fridge should have beer

fire in a girls eyes isn't always a good thing

Children should be seen and not heard

a ball Bering is a lethal weapon

[scottish-movie-freak]

I have to say I was VERY impressed with X2. Normally I'm not a comic-book movie type of guy and went into the cinema with my expectations low and came out very pleased indeed. The effects were impressive, the acting top notch, the screenplay (for once in a comic book movie) wasn't pure cheese and there was enough eye candy on screen that kept me smiling (Halle, Famke, Anna, Rebecca...Oh my *drools*). Having said that, there were a few things that kept it from being a classic in the sequels rank: James Marsden (Cyclops) came and went rather quickly, Brian Cox's 'boo-hiss' baddie was pure ham and Jean Grey's fate wasn't explained too well (SPOILERS Did she die? Or simply morph into this Phoenix person I've been hearing about? I dont know what to believe...) but this was a sequel that stood up to its original, a masterpiece in the action genre.

8/10 or a generous 9/10.

[outsyder]

8/10

I enjoyed this movie a lot. It was funny, full of action, and had an all-star cast to back it up. not only that, but featured underrated actors (Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, Kelly Hu, and a quick couple of scenes with Daniel Cudmore) at their best. It featured some great effects and acting from the lead actors. The story was very in-depth and had good suspense to back it up. The ending of the film was good for people unaware of the comic book, and just enough of a hint for comic book fans. This is the dawn of a new age spearheaded by Marvel Comics. Anyone will realize that each of these comic book movies is a free(I know, but . . ) ride to several hundred million dollars and a gold watch. But with this comes an "apocalypse" (sorry, bad joke) on the horizon. When is enough enough? There are movies being developed of comic books and heroes that NOBODY knows about. Of course, there will always be fanboys, but that's not enough. For instance, how many millions of people have heard of Iron Fist, Mort the dead teenager, and Adrenalynn??? I'm not even sure what these are. We should enjoy the quality now, as after the major ones are made, smaller, less qualified characters will ride in the backwash of the current greats.

Warning sign one: Daredevil

Sorry if this got off track

[James Logan]

X2
a Bryan Singer super-hero feast



This movie is the best movie of 2003 so far if you want my humble opinion. It's also one of the greatest super-hero movies ever, with only BATMAN RETURNS and SUPERMAN 2 topping it, slightly better than SPIDER-MAN, and just on par with the original BATMAN.

First of all, gotta give credit to Bryan Singer. He built a sequel that is better than the original, and that is somehow, as he described, the EMPIRE STRIKES BACK to the original STAR WARS the first X-MEN movie was. It's bigger, it's tougher, it's cooler, it's everything-er. Now let's get down to the details.

The + :

-- Hugh Jackman. This man is THE man. He's the coolest super-hero ever in this one, and I don't think I'm exaggerating. Chomping cigares, drinking beers, looking handsome and clawing through people is one thing -- one thing he does great, btw -- but what Jackman really managed to do in this one is give Wolvie a soul, even more so than he did in the original X-MEN. The character really feels like living flesh, bone, and adamantium, and as he's really the main character of the flick, it's a big, big, BIG plus.
-- The whole ensemble cast. The mutes, first, are all fantastic. The good, on one hand: Jean Grey (Famke Janssen, fleshing out her character a little more, and letting us expect more from X3), Rogue (Anna Paquin doesn't have much to do, but what she does, she does well), Iceman (Shawn Ashmore does a great job as the young mutant who doesn't know how to tell his parents about it, who doesn't know how to deal with his girlfriend's power...), Pyro (also great as a supporting caster), Storm (Halle Berry's hot. 'Nuff said.), and of course Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming, the accent, the make-up and the special effects...one of the coolest mutants ever). There's also a great Colossus cameo that's worth the look. The only one X-Man that doesn't have much to do in this one is Cyclops, who went from "other main character" in X-MEN to "one of the guys" in X2. Patrick Stewart delivers as Charles Xavier, as expected, but he doesn't have a thousand things to do here either. There's also the bad mutants: Magneto (always great Erik Lensherr), Mystique (sexiest female super-hero since Catwoman...and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos really has as much style as her butt is nice), and Lady Deathstrike (look at the nails, man, look at the nails!). And then of course there's William Stryker, who, thanks to Brian Cox's on-the-spot performance, became my personal most hateable villain of the past years. Asshole.
-- The action scenes. They're really cool, they're really big, they're really stylish. You've got the coolest action opening we've had in a while as Nightcrawler crashes through the White House, then you've got Wolverine kicking all kinds of butt in the Xavier Mansion with some help from Colossus, Pyro giving cops a fiery view of what he can do, Magneto escaping from his plastic prison, an X-Jet versus military jets sky fight orchestrated by Storm's powers, Mystique kicking henchman butt, Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike getting it on, and a big bad escape to serve as icing on the cake. All that with impressive special effects, bub.
-- The script. The movie is a greatly written blockbuster, because it mixes loads of action, tons of humor, a bit of emotion, and something to think about too. There's a political message in this one, as in X-MEN, about tolerance. There's a lot of humor, and many kick-ass one-liners. There's a few moving moments. And especially...the script just takes care of many of the most intriguing plot points in X-Men history: Wolverine's past, Jean Grey's Dark Phoenix powers, and so on. I want this review to be as spoiler-free as can be, but lemme say this much: you learn much, but not all, and the flick ends on a balls-burning-from-impatience cliffhanger.
-- John Ottman's booming score. Not the greatest score ever, far from it, but it does a fantastic job here.
-- And of course, Bryan Singer's directing keeping all this together fine, and delivering many cool-looking shots (Lady Deathstrike crying adamantium, for instance, or the Wolvie flashbacks and nightmares).

The - :
-- Just runs a bit long.
-- The rythm falls a bit at the very, very, end. It's got a couple of scenes too many that coulda been cut short and've amplified the effect of the ending (you'll see, you'll see...). But the cliffhanger makes it up for it.
-- That's about it.

8.5/10