| Posted by: Ren Hoek at May 4, 2003, 10:44 pm | | Topic: Reviews: X-Men 2 Forum: JoBlo | | 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! |
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