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X2 - X-Men United (Full Screen Edition)

X2 - X-Men United (Full Screen Edition)

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The next evolution of mutant-kind...
Review: X2 starts off like a Jackie Chan flick; a riveting action sequence that doesn't really explain what's going on, but you don't care because its a darn good ride! Seeing the teleporting blue-one(Nightcrawler) in action was pretty cool, but nothing prepared me for what would come next.

This is the second Marvel Comics film sequel(the first being Blade 2), and luckily unlike most sequels, this one surpasses the original. The plot's deeper, the action is more frantic, and the special effects look better. Plus, we get to see some brief cameo appearances of some mutants that weren't in the first X-men movie, including Colossus. The relationship between Cyclops and Jean Grey is delved into a bit further, and we also get to witness even more of Mystique's power to transform into other people, which even got me confused at one part. The orchestral score is decent, though you won't find anything memorable like the Star Wars or Idiana Jones themes.

The movie isn't hard to get into if you're not a fan of the comics or even if you didn't watch the first movie. Either way, X2 is a great movie for those who'd like to see the further adventures of Wolverine and Co.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Sure to Leave Fans "United"
Review: If you're a big fan of the 2000 sci-fi fantasy "X-Men," you're sure to love the sequel, "X2: X-Men United," because it's another big fix of all the elements that made the original such a blockbuster, done with similar imagination, high-tech style and old-fashioned filmmaking elegance.


If, however, you're a more casual fan of that film, you may have some trouble with part 2 because it assumes that you saw part 1 yesterday, and it makes no particular effort to recap what happened before or thoroughly reiterated you with its numerous characters and conventions.

Three years is plenty of time to forget the complex details of "X-Men," and I found myself struggling through much of the first half trying to figure out which mutant has what superpower, what a Cerebro is, what Magneto was doing locked up in that cell.

The movie opens with its best sequence: a genuinely spectacular assassination attempt on the U.S. president in the White House by a new character named Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming) ..., moves like a monkey and is covered with strange symbolic tattoos.

It quickly turns out that a fanatical mutant-hater has manipulated the attack, named William Stryder (Brian Cox) who is trying to provoke the U.S. government into not just social control of its mutant population, but total war on them and, ultimately, extinction. ...

"X2: X-Men United", happens to be low on the "story-line" side. The screenplay is plain and clean, and it seems that X2 is more interested with beating ... villains as opposed to actually building up a sensible story.

Before I go on about how much I enjoyed this film, I would like to include the new X-Men introduced in X2. Some of them include: Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming), the teleporter who attacked the White House; Iceman (Shawn Ashmore), who can cool your drink and lots of other things; Pyro (Aaron Stanford), who can hurl flames but needs a pilot light, and Rogue (Anna Paquin), who can take on aspects of the personalities around her. And let's not forget our old, but familiar heroes: Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), who has blades that extend from his knuckles; Storm (Halle Berry), who can control the weather; Dr. Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), whose power of telekinesis is growing stronger; Cyclops (James Marsden), whose eyes shoot laser beams; and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos).

Still, on a certain level, this film was very enjoyable. I found that the special effects have improved from the 1st X- Men and that the characters seem to be more comfortable in their roles. As much as I'd like to hail everything about X2: X- Men United, I MUST stress the fact once again to all of the writers, to make a great movie, which this film sadly wasn't but still was worth watching, you need to have a good script! But you have to think to yourself after you watch X2: Does it make you want to see a sequel to the sequel? I say bring on "X3."

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: You almost had me at Cerebro. Dam.
Review: I'll say this...the sequel DOES make a few improvements on the original and thus doesn't fall victim to the stereotypes about sequels. It also doesn't come to THE END; so I was sure to be awaiting number three(potentially good selling point as long as there is a three). Being not a die-hard fan but a avid observer of such a diverse group of characters working together in a set/pre-designed world, I DID find certain changes to what I knew somewhat unsettling. I also realized that had I not known what I did(and this is advice to those who are informing others who aren't familiar with the comics/cartoons: DON'T inform them; let them see the movies uninformed as I went to see the Lord of the Rings films unread.), I probably would have enjoyed the movies better. Best regards go to those who sold the first movie: Hugh Jackman(wolverine), Patrick Stewart(professor X), Famke Janssen(jean grey)(who looked much better/closer to how Jean appears at the time though her part here seemed subdued) and Ian Mckellan(magneto). I just hope Miss Storm doesn't walk out or make things difficult. Her part was fine, and she just needs to stay cool and get a better wig:P(the somewhat short hair seems unauthentic). I'd also like to see Juggernaut and the origin of Rogue's "evolved capabilities"(and perhaps her birth origin if that doesn't become too difficult) worked into the next film(rather than tell Storm's story which doesn't necessarily relate to the next phase as it seems to be playing out.).

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: The Visual effects ruin the whole movie....
Review: Almost everything about this movie worked; Screenplay, casting, costume design, production design, direction, cinematography, light, sound, music score....but all were ruined because the visual effects in this movie looked too CGI. Everytime a mutant used their powers it looked like it was unfinished/unrealistic visual CG effects. I could not belive it.
They say you can make a good movie but if the effects don't look good then it falls apart. I was really disapointed in this movie. When they start to do X-Men 3, I hope they call Industrial Light and Magic for the effects work. and the effects have to be good. Plus it also did not help that they ripped off the ending of this movie from Star Trek II; The Wrath of Khan. Oh how I hope X3 is better then this and has a better story too. And they model it more on Star Wars then Star Trek.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: X Men Upgrade (warning: may contain spoilers...)
Review: When I first heard about the movie, I was disappointed that they weren't using a storyline involving more popular villains such as the Sentinels, Juggernaut, Mr. Sinister, etc. However, after watching the movie twice in the theater I can say I am more than satisfied with the outcome. "X2" ups the antie with greater special effects, more mutants, and a far darker atmosphere. Hugh Jackman was excellent in his portrayal of Wolverine, with a greater resemblence to his comic-book counterpart than in the first movie, particularly with his famous berserker-rage. The cameo of Collossus was the most exciting in the movie; too bad he wasn't in there longer. Other than a few subtle inaccuracies (Collossus wasn't Russian, Pyro wasn't Australian, etc.) the movie was flawless in continuing where the first left off. The tie-in with Jean's struggling with the phoenix force was a nice addition as well, paying homage to perhaps the greatest storyline in X-Men history (too bad they weren't in outer space when it happened). Perhaps the only disappointment in the movie was the lack of inclusion of Gambit, which was hinted at several times before the movie was released. Ah well, maybe next time (along with Beast, Angel, etc.)...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Beyond xplanation
Review: As all the other X-Men fans I rushed to see X2 and was just amazed by what I saw. It truly is amazing what a little bit more money and a lot more time can do. You know a movie is special when the audience is just getting all involved. I haven't heard that much enthusiasm in a theatre since....well in a long time.

The main plot is the mutants vs Stryker, a military dude bent on ridding the earth of the "mutant problem". Surrounding that are all kinds of intriguing sub plots including the Wolverine origin story.

All in all, expect more of the same from the first film. Great acting, effects that don't upstage the story, and even humour. I would dare to say that this is one of the most re-watchable films I have ever seen. Bravo to Brian Singer and his team for kicking off the summer with an optic blast sized bang. Plus proving once and for all that when done correctly a comic book based film can be more than blue screen tricks and spandex. See this movie now and pray there is an X3 on the horizon.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A spectacular follow-up to the first film
Review: In this, the second installment of the X-men series, the mutants find themselves up against something far more subtle and difficult to defeat than the first time: humans who can manipulate them. This movie was a tremendous follow-up to the first film, and (for me at least) surpassed it in nearly all aspects. First of all, the characters from the first film are very nicely developed, especially those of Wolverine and Rogue. Second, many mutants with small parts in the first one and even more who never made appearances at all are now part of the team, and get in on the action. And finally, the action sequences, special effects, and storyline are absolutely amazing!

Nightcrawler, Colossus, Iceman--these are all familiar X-men to many, yet they had no role (or insignificant in Iceman's case) in the first film. It was great to see the action with these and other new mutants. Also, Wolverine's past is more fully explored, and the relationship between Magneto and Xavier is also developed (the fact that they have to work together, to some extent, to defeat a common enemy shows that they really are two men with the same purpose, but a different way of accomplishing their goals). I was very impressed with the twists and turns taken in the relationships of the characters, and the development of the X-man saga.

The special effects for this film were absolutely breathtaking, as were the action sequences. The film opens with a spectacular display by Nightcrawler, and is soon followed up by a berserker rage by Wolverine. There are several great sequences in the film, and the sight of each mutant using his or her powers (Magneto breaking out of his cell comes to mind) makes you want to stand up and cheer.

With the colossal success of these movies and the Spider-Man film, Marvel movies seem to be riding high. I would love to see a movie involving both Spidey and the X-men, but that's not likely to happen any time soon. Still, for what it's worth, X2: X-men United is a wonderful new addition to the growing catalog of comic-book movies.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great sequel!!! I am looking forward to X3!!!
Review: There is no doubt about it, X2 clearly blows away the original. I like the original, although I felt Iceman and Rouge, should have been older in the original, this sequel does a better job doing the comic series justice...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Good movie
Review: i think that the movie is really good for a comic book movie. even if you have never herd of the x-men, you will like this movie. It is much better then the first.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: One of the Best Summer Blockbusters to Come Out in Years
Review: Expensive summer movies have now become so broad and bland that it's a real shock when you see one that actually doesn't stink. And the second X-Men movie from Bryan Singer is pretty much everything a big summer movie should be and more. It's got all the big effects and spectacle you want, but it doesn't serve it up in the typical vacuum familiar to most of these kinds of flicks. It has a sensible (relatively speaking) and interesting plot. It manages to establish interesting characters and give them all room to breathe. And it has lots of fighting and stuff blowing up. Sounds like easy accomplishments for a movie, but it's so rare to be somewhat of a miracle that X2 manages to pull it off.

Singer deserves the lion's share of credit. Derided by the press prior to the movie's release (he was depicted as a tempermental control freak who alienated actress Halle Berry - whose mailed-in performance is one of the relatively few low points of the film), Singer proves that movies like X2 benefit from having a fanboy dictator at the helm. X2 stays true to its comic roots without feeling slavish, and Singer manages to convey themes as dark as genocide, racism, homophobia, post-traumatic stress, and the Holocaust in X2 without having them weigh the whole experience down. This is an action movie with a brain and style of its own.

It doesn't hurt that Singer has assembled perhaps the most attractive cast in the universe for his film, peppered with sharp character actors (Alan Cumming, Brian Cox) to provide a nice balance. Vets Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen again give the Xmen storyline a dramatic flair that stops just short of taking itself too seriously. Hugh Jackman also remains the film's centerpiece as Wolverine, the hero guys want to be and women swoon over. He's Han Solo with a cooler haircut.

There are plenty of neat little surprises too. A quick exchange between Iceman and Wolverine provides a poignant scene of male mutant binding. Cameos from beloved Xmen characters sprout up here and there. And there's a neat reference to Brian DePalma's Femme Fatale. Those may seem like small pleasures, but it's that kind of attention to detail that makes X2 special. It treats the small scenes with the same importance as the big scenes, and that's a critical element of its success. Along, of course, with effects that make your eyes pop out of your head.

Overall, X2 is one of the best filmgoing experiences of the year. Catch it on the biggest screen you can find.


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