X-Men

Starring: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Bruce Davison, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Ray Park, Anna Paquin, Tyler Mane
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure
2000

Times Seen:
Tim: 5

Awards:
The Movie Files Movie Championship I: Sweet Sixteen

Summary: In a world seperated into two groups: humans and mutants, two factions of mutants have begun to form. The first is led by Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), and he is joined by mutants such as Cyclops (James Marsden), Storm (Halle Berry), and Dr. Jean Grey (Famke Janssen). Professor Xavier believes humans and mutants can co-exist. Opposing him is the team led by Magneto (Ian McKellen), and Sabertooth (Tyler Mane), Toad (Ray Park), and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos). In the middle of these two teams are the unlikely pair of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Rogue (Anna Paquin). They find themselves at Professor Xavier's school for mutants, and in the middle of a raging war between Xavier and Magneto.

Review:
Tim: The classic comic book team comes to life on the big screen. The jump from comic book to movie was made near-flawlessly. Fans of the cartoon and the comics will absolutley love this movie. In many ways, this film was responsible for the launch of the comic book era in Hollywood. X-Men features most of the characters fans are familiar with, yet adapts them to a more believable, realistic world. If you ever read the comic or watched the cartoon, you must see this movie.

Director Bryan Singer has created something impressive here- a comic book movie that also appeals to a wider audience. Viewers who know absolutely nothing of the X-Men, will still be able to enjoy it. The film contains enough action, excitement, and humor to keep audiences entertained. In addition, the film is explained brilliantly so that the most avid X-Men fan will have a brief refresher course in background, while the first time viewer learns all they need to enjoy the film.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of the movie is the character of Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman. Wolverine is undoubtedly the most important character in the film- the one most recognizable by mainstream audiences. Casting couldn't have been easy, but they hit a home run. Jackman does a tremendous job. This movie really launched his career, and for good reason. He makes a comic book character come to life in a compelling, real way. Jackman pulls off the character of Wolverine as if he had been practicing his whole life. He gives the character the needed gruff image, and pulls out one-liners as if he were the clawed-mutant himself. The movie- this franchise- wouldn't have worked without Jackman's presence.

The rest of the cast is very good, too. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen were extremely well cast as Xavier and Magneto. The two "Sirs" bring class and expertise to the film. James Marsden and Halle Berry are good, as is Famke Janssen. I also liked Anna Paquin as Rogue, even though she appears far different in the comics. The casting of the villains isn't as good, unfortunately.

The film is not without its share of flaws, mind you. Magneto's radiation-turning-mutant device is a little farfetched. It might have worked better in the comics, but it just feels a little bit silly on screen. Luckily, it's easily forgiven. I also love that Singer worked hard to ensure there was more to this film than just the surface-level action. This is, at heart, a story about different people trying to fit into "normal" society. Everyone's felt like an outsider at some point in their life, and should be able to relate to the themes here. This is a great movie.

* Update- I just watched this movie again in 2011, and I have to say that it has held up remarkably well. For a film that started a massive franchise (five films and counting), it still retains much of its original quality. The special effects are definitely dated, but the story, characters, and the experience are still equally strong. I was very glad to see that.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, X-Men: First Class, The Hulk, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Fantastic Four