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X-Men

X-Men

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: X-Jackman (I mean X-Men)
Review: Apparently considered to be the breakout performance of Aussie native Hugh Jackman, X-Men delivers what most consider to be an exciting mix of fantasy and adventure. All I can really see in this film is a mish-mashing of unrealized characters and confusing lines of dialogue.

Now, for quite some time, I considered myself an X-Men fan, I only had about some 25 comics based on the mutated humanoids. So, naturally I had at least 15% of my conscious self involved in the decision to see this movie. Of course, my interest in the comic book heroes kind of died out about 3 years prior to the release of the movie, so I wasn't really into it. Anywho, what I saw in the theaters came near to disgracing what the comic had set out to achieve. Then again, what does a comic really give us besides a series of storyboarded illustrations.

The movie X-Men proves to be less than even a series of random displays. Obviously (for anyone who's seen the previews) they chose Wolverine to have the main part. I guess I can see that, but why Rogue as the other main character? And especially, why Anna Paquin as Rogue? I don't really know what the casting director was thinking. Much less what the screenwriters were thinking. I absolutely love Storm's lines (ex: "Hold on to something" "Do you know what happens to a toad when it is struck by lighting...the same thing that happens to everything else..."). I mean, come on.

Plus, we only get to see Professor X for about 5 minutes before he has an anuerysm and falls faint for the final thousand minutes (or like what it seemed like to me). Finally, we see the oddly cast Ray Park as Toad, fresh from his identical role in George Lucas' Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. If you simply must have the X-Men experience, read about five of the old comics, they'll cost less than this thing.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: BLOCKBUSTER
Review: Blockbuster that was a long time coming! This movie has all the right elements: characters you care for, a plotline that moves you, special effects that amaze you... Can't wait for the sequel! Nicely done, especially on the origins of several X-Men (Magneto, Rogue, and limited Wolverine).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Film!
Review: What else can I say? Hollywood finally got something right. The changes from the comics are minimal, but give the movie a little flair. The plot was great, the action scenes were unbelievable, and the entire concept behind the movie was just excellent. But the characters were the best part of the movie. Development of and interaction between the characters separate X-Men from many lesser, so-called "films". I only hope that the sequels will build upon the original's success and make this series one that people will talk about in years to come.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Incredible
Review: This was an absolutely incredible movie. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan make a magnificent pair as the friends who are on opposing sides of a conflict. Hugh Jackman breaks through amazingly as the gruff Wolverine. Famke Janssen, James Marsden, and Halle Berry round out the X-Men as Jean Grey, Cyclops, and Storm respectively. Anna Paquin plays a young Rogue; which is one of my few beefs with the movie. Having Rogue as a teen works with the movie, but is totally out of sync with the comics.

Other characters who surfaced as teens included: Shadowcat, Iceman, Pyro, Jubilee, Cannonball and Colossus. I also believe that Nightcrawler and Beast made an appearance, although both looked basically normal, so I could be wrong.

The villians were Toad (played by Ray Park Jr.), Sabretooth, and Mystique (played by supermodel Rebecca Romijn-Stamos). Senator Kelly also played a large part in the film.

The plot worked well, the actors were incredible, and I am so looking forward to a sequel.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best comic book movie adaption since Batman
Review: Everything about this movie is great, special effects, storyline, and the casting as well. Hugh Jackman is Wolverine, and my God can he play him great. Patrick Stewart is Professor X (naturally), and he is great as well. This is the start of a dynasty since a sequel is in the works. I just hope it doesn't end up like the Batman series.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: X-CEPTIONAL ENTERTAINMENT!
Review: At last, with comic book adaptations, Hollywood is starting to get it right. The first, but hopefully not the last, movie to feature Marvel's merry mutants benefits immensely from a superb cast, an enthusiastic director, and an intelligent, thoughtful approach that makes this more than just another "superhero" flick. In the near future, more and more people are revealing themselves as "mutants" - genetically altered people with superhuman powers. As the US government considers passing Senator Kelly's (Bruce Davison) Mutant Registration Act, two extremely powerful mutants ponder their species' fate. Telepathic Professor X (Patrick Stewart in the role he was born for) believes in teaching mutants to develop their powers for the good of mankind, whereas his old friend Magneto (Ian McKellan) wants simply to wipe the human threat out. Caught in the middle of all this are Rogue (Anna Paquin), a young mutant with energy-sapping powers, and Wolverine (a superb Hugh Jackman), an older, battle-hardened mutant. And so the scene is set for great fun and action, as well as far more character development than you'd usually expect from this sort of film (you certainly didn't get it in Batman and Robin!). Thanks to Bryan Singer for showing Hollywood that you can make great superhero films, you only need to respect your material. The DVD transfer of this excellent movie only serves to make you appreciate it that much more, with a great attention to both visual and audio detail. In fact, it is one of the best quality DVDs on the market! The extras, whilst not many in number, are certainly fun to sift through more than once. The "Mutant Watch" featurette is a lot of fun, and much better than the standard "Making Of" documentaries that get churned out. The character designs hint at hero and villain outfits that seem much better than the costumes that ended up onscreen (there is also a hidden section that looks at two unused characters, Beast and Blob), as does the production designs (ultimately, I believe that it was Fox Studios capping the budget that made the director rethink his approach). Also of note is Hugh Jackman's great screen test for Wolverine, which makes you wonder why he wasn't even considered initially. All in all, great value for money. Roll on X-Men 2...

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: X-cellent
Review: Great film with Patrick Stewart and Hugh Jackman in excellently-casted rolls in X-men.

Hugh Jackman is particularly suited to his role of Wolverine with his dark, brooding looks and wonderful, biting sarcasm.

It's not a deep film, but it's based on a comic book for crying out loud so enjoy it AS one!

Only complaint with the film is that "mutant hatred" does not seem to be well-depicted...unless you count the handful of people with picket signs. Big deal.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An Entertaining Take On A Classic Comic Book
Review: I thought the X-Men was a well scripted, well acted and directed comic book movie. The story wasn't sacrificed for the action although the story moves fast and there is a lot of action. The introduction with Magneto and his parents being rounded up by the Nazis was compelling and helped make Magneto a little more sympathetic then he otherwise would have been. Ian McClellan is great in the role. All the actors do a good job, especially Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman and Anna Paquin. The special effects are very impressive. I especially liked the scene with Magneto tearing the train apart. The fight scenes were exciting and well choreographed.

I know there are those die hard fans of the comic book series who won't be happy with the exclusion of characters or the inconsistencies in the continuity of the Marvel Universe but even the comic changes over time. I haven't regularly read an issue in years but I recall that Wolverine's claws are now bone. As for remaining true to the spirit of the comics I think the movie did a great job. The sound of Wolverine unsheathing his claws is just how I used to imagine it when I was a little boy.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Easter eggs and other great stuff
Review: There are two easter eggs on this DVD one is that if you go to the trailer section and highlight a rose in that section you'll see a deleted scene featuring not only the x-men but another comic character as well. Another hidden object is in the art section if you highlight logans dogtags you'll see sketches of two characters that were not in the film, One is beast the other a villian.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: More than just a sci-fi action spectacle
Review: In the near future, a new breed of humans--known as mutants--begins to emerge from the general population. Gifted (or cursed, depending on one's standpoint) with a variety of extranormal abilities, these mutants face fear and distrust from society. But under the leadership of Professor Charles Xavier, a group of these mutants has banded together to help light the path to a better future for both mutants and normal humans. This is the premise of "X-Men."

Director Bryan Singer and screenwriter David Hayter faced a daunting task in taking the massive X-Men mythos (which has evolved through decades of different comic book titles, and has involved an encyclopedic number of characters) and adapting it into a feature film. But, together with a superb international cast, the filmmakers succeed brilliantly.

A prologue set during the Nazi Holocaust sets the overall serious tone for the film--a welcome change from the increasingly campy and ridiculous "Batman" film franchise. Yes, "X-Men" is a science fiction film with plentiful action and special effects. But at its heart, this film is an intelligent drama about characters who face crises and challenges.

Professor Xavier (played by Patrick Stewart) squares off against Magneto (Ian McKellen), a rival mutant leader with a radically different philosophy. Add to this struggle Bruce Davison as a McCarthyesque, mutant-hating U.S. senator, and you have a rich tapestry of ideological conflict which serves as a backdrop for the frequently explosive action. But overall I found the emotional core of the film to lie in the relationship between Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), a seemingly indestructible warrior with retractable metal claws, and Rogue (Anna Paquin), a young mutant with the ability to suck the life force out of others. Each of the actors delivers an excellent performance.

The mutants of "X-Men" can be seen as metaphors for any feared or persecuted group in human history. Ultimately, the film celebrates the ability of oppressed individuals to overcome alienation, to form supportive communities, and to work for a greater good. It is, I believe, the film's success in tapping into universal human fears, hopes, and ideological conflicts that elevates it above being merely an excellent sci-fi action epic.


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