X-Men

Rating:
Summary: A Solid Super Hero movie for Marvel
Review: Marvel Comics have had a hard time of late getting their comic creations in film in such a fashion that the product doesn't look cheesy or lame. All too often the projects are either shuttled to TV (The Incredible Hulk), go right to video (Captain America) or are so bad that they aren't released at all (Fantastic Four). X-MEN, however, doesn't suffer from this Marvel jinx, and proves to be a solid, fun, and action packed film that is very enjoyable. The cast is very solid with Hugh Jackman's sullen Wolverine and Anna Paquin's conflicted Rogue leading the pack. Their moments together help provide this film with its heart and soul. Patrick Stewart was born to play Professor X, while Ian MacKellan is an almost sympathetic Magneto. Famke Janssen is very solid as Jean Grey. At a brisk 90 minutes or so, this movie flys by and never sags in holding our interest. If you enjoy the comic, or just super hero adventures, I would highly recommend this film.

Rating:
Summary: The Spot is Marked X for Excellent.
Review: This Comic book to screen adaptation is one of the best of its type, well cast, well paced, and set up for its first sequel.

I haven't read an X Men comic in at least 25 years--since the 70's. Since then the comic books have become enormously popular, but I've not kept up or knew much about it at all.

I have fond memories of the clever, creative series and it quickly took the place of the mid 60's Superman, Batman, DC Gang comic books. But I grew out of comic books and I've not been overly nostalgic looking back at them. Oh sure I've wandered into comic book collector stores and peaked at a few old issues, stuff I remember having as a kid....

X MEN

I'm sure not having a strong recollection of any story line and barely recalling some of the characters was a plus in my enjoying the 'surprises' of the film. I found the film wonderfully cast. Patrick Stewart makes a great Professor Xavier. Though Wolverine I understand is basically a dwarf in the comics, I don't think much is lost by having him full sized in the film. Ian McKellan plays a pretty old Magneto (but whow cares? he's having a good time and so are we).

They did a wonderful job with it I thought. At times the film was almost touching, and without slowing down the fast pace of its character introductions, plot mechanics or action.

Unfortunately, when you come to the end you realize the huge hurdle that any of these movies face. You want to end a movie like this, satisfying the audience but leaving them wanting a little more.

Of course there's no mystery about the wanting a little more part. The movie was done well, it will do good box office and so there will of course be a sequel. The lead actors have agreements in place to be in a couple of sequels, though director Singer isn't a sure thing. There will be another X Men movie,probably within a couple years. So the movie isn't exactly complete because unlike a movie where you aren't sure if there will be a sequel or not, you already know not only will the film continue, it's already in several of the actors contracts. So they don't have to wrap everything up, they can have characters rush off to find themselves and not show us or tell us a thing about it, because there's gonna be a sequel.

I enjoyed the humor, the relationships, the special effects. The darker parts of the story I thought all were well balanced and the film didn't stop dead as we explored some disturbing revelations (as happened in the Batman films for instance). Because of the intelligent script and good acting the film isn't as shallow as most comic books to the screen conversions have been.

The film has some drawbacks. It was pretty much the Wolverine story, and several characters were given short shrift. Halle Berry was given almost nothing to do with her character of Storm. The reaction of the character to situations was also very slow. Berry's casting and performance may be the weakest thing about the film, but the script gave her so little to do it's impossible to determine if she would have been good were the part better written for her.

Some of the wire work stunt scenes were fairly obvious, but I much prefer this style of filmed stunts than CGI. I get a sense real people are doing the action scene and acrobatics at least part of the time, rather than most of it being computer generated.

It was a real drawback that we never see Cyclops and Jean interact as a couple to know how 'special' their relationship is. If we had, the triangle would have worked much better.

Bruce Davison who plays the Senator is usually very enjoyable in whatever he does, and he's quite good here and deserves a mention.

Bryan (Usual Suspects) Singer has directed one of the most enjoyable, comic book movies I've ever seen and I anticipate many successful sequels (particularly if he agrees to direct another).

Now give me 80 or 90 mil, and a collection of Green Lantern books to refresh my memory and I'll turn it into a great 2 hour and 20 minute movie. C'mon...

Chris Jarmick, Author (The Glass Cocoon with Serena F. Holder-a steamy cyber- thriller ...)

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Outstanding!
Review: Being a huge fan of the comics and cartoon series of X-Men, I was excited to hear about this movie :)

I must confess the first time I saw it was on my comp. I had downloaded a ripped *.asf of it. And it was GREAT!

I then went to see it in theaters to experience it on the big screen, and Wow!

The story line about criticism about those who are different was clear. The actors were great (Hugh Jackman did an amazing job, along with Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen)!

Overall, I give this movie 20/10. The DVD was excellent and worth every penny!

Looking foward to the sequel! Great job Bryan Singer!

Rating:
Summary: GREAT Entertainment for the non-Comic book reader...
Review: I have heard of The X-Men comic books, but that is as far as it goes. But that would not seem to matter here. Actually, I would suggest that the X-MEN is directed at the un-initiated.

The setting is the near-future. Humanity has started it's next stage of evolution and a small percentage are born with "mutations". These mutations empower the every day individual with some special ability.

There is divide in the general population as to how to respond to these "mutants" with some calling for registration and legal segregation and others calling for integration. You would be correct in thinking that the thematic point of X-MEN serves as an allegory on racism. Indeed, the opening sequence depicting the taking of Jews into a Nazi concentration camp delivers the theme effectively.

The "hero" of this flick is Wolverine(Hugh Jackman), a mutant who has a second metallic skeleton that allows him to shoot razor sharp talons out of his knuckles. He is introduced to us through Roque(Anna Paquin), a teenage girl whose mutation causes her to take the life-force from another human at a single touch. Rogue, running scared from her family and friends, teams up with Wolverine who is making a living as a traveling bare-knuckle fighter. Together, they are rescued from Magneto(Ian McKellen) and his henchmen Mystique(Rebecca Romijn-Stamos), Toad(Ray Parks), and Sabretooth(Tyler Mane) by the X-Men.

The X-Men are a team of mutants led by Prof. Charles Francis Xavier(Patrick Stewart). His objective is to teach mutants to control and respect their powers while educating society on the value of mutants. The overall aim here is for society to accept and integrate mutants. His old friend and nemesis, Magneto, believes that in order for mutants to survive, they must fight society. Xaviers team are: Cyclops(James Marsden) who can shoot fire from his eyes, Storm(Halle Berry) who can control the weather, and Dr. Jean Grey(Famke Janssen) who has telepatic powers.

The less experienced Sci-Fi moviegoer may find the detailed stories rather challenging. The multiple stories and themes that run through this movie are complex yet compelling and - as is always the case with "pack" movies - the viewer is often left feeling that they would have liked to known more about each character.

In terms of action, the fight sequences are expertly performed and are very reminiscent of The Phantom Menace's Jedi/Darth Maul fight scene. Indeed Ray Parks (who played Darth Maul in Episode 1) is given plenty of opportunity to display those same skills again. The special effects are somewhat muted and serve to enhance the movie rather than to overtake the plot. I was particularly fond of a scene outside a railway station where Magneto (who can control metal) stops a bullet in front of a policemans forehead and threatens to let it go again.

Overall, the X-MEN is a very good movie packed with plenty of story and enough visuals to keep everyone happy.

Additionally, I am particularly fond of the the DVD box presentation. The attractive packaging starts to draw you in before you even watch the movie. A brownie point for Fox there.

Rating:
Summary: xmen
Review: one off the best films i've got

Rating:
Summary: Comic Book Heaven.
Review: This is review for people who read comics.

I have read comics from when I was abou 7 or 8 until my late 20's. I stopped buying them because they were getting too expensive and too many of them were really dumb. Of them all, Marvel Publishing was the worst.

For example, nobody was ever killed in Marvel. Instead, they were only seriously injured, or it was a robot, or it was a clone, or it was an "entity" that looked like that person, or it was an alternative universe. If you read Marvel, you understand what I am saying.

So, I went to this film with both hope, and trepidation. I was surprised. This is a good film. It is interesting, inovative, and honest to the comic series. It does mix the old and new X-men a little, but it didn't distract from the film. The special effects are also extraordinary. The mutant power seem real and are fun to watch. The only weak part, really, was the story.

In the movie, Magneto is back. He is with the brotherhood of evil mutants. Their goals is to make all of the most important leaders of the world mutants, so that they will stopped mutant persecution. To do this, Magneto must power a machine which will end of killing him. He finds a way to avoid dying, but it may have some regrettable consequences. Indeed, will he machine even work the way he has planned? The movie leave that question very much in doubt.

But who watches these movies for the stories? We want to see fighting and superpowers. X-men delievers on both. The fight scenes are done well(although I think they copied somewhat from the Matrix) and the special effects, with trains ripping apart and Scott's eye beams shooting through buildings, should please must fans. This is a fun movie, with action, adventure and even a little romance. Great for anyone who read the comic, good for almost anyone else.

Rating:
Summary: Will Please Comic and Film Fans alike
Review: I am -- or was- a really big fan of the X-Men comic books, [had the complete run from January 1980 to January 1995] So I didn't really know what to expect from the X-Men movie. I came away pleasantly impressed.

The acting was top-notch. When I heard that Patrick Stewart was to portray Professor Xavier, I had mixed feelings. I had no doubt that he would do an excellent job in the role, but I was concerned that he might end up being an otherwise excellent actor in a lame movie (á la Sean Connery in "The Avengers"). I was therefore very pleased to watch the movie and find that wasn't the case with X-Men. Stewart gave a stellar performance, opposite the equally excellent Sir Ian McKellen ("Magneto"). Other good performances were put in by the really splendid Hugh Jackman ("Wolverine"), Anna Paquin ("Rogue"), and Bruce Davison (Senator Kelly).

Turning a comic book into a movie is a dangerous endeavor (again, look no further than "The Avengers"), but X-Men pulled it off just right. The movie takes itself seriously (but not too seriously), and--from what I've heard--it remains pretty faithful to the existing X-Men story, without alienating the uninitiated. It also makes the viewer think about important issues, such as racism, instead of just being a brainless, explosion-filled, ammo-laden action movie. Yet the action is there, and movie never gets too heavy or preachy on the issues.

Visually, X-Men is stunning, featuring some really slick computer animation, particularly Wolverine's claws and the scene where Xavier uses the mind-machine to find Rogue. The sound and music complimented the on-screen action. The plot and the explanations of the characters' backstories were interesting, and left things wide open for a sequel.

Overall, X-Men is worth your money.

Rating:
Summary: Worth it
Review: This DVD is very well done. The art direction, etc is very good, adds to the atmosphere of the movie. I expected a bit more on the extras field. Maybe they're saving this for a future "Special Edition". Anyway, the box is amazing, the menus very well done and the movie entertaining by itself. The fight sequence on the Statue of Liberty is electrifying.

Rating:
Summary: Good for first time x-men viewers
Review: First of all I have to say that I am a die hard X-Men fan...Ever since I was a teen. I have X-Men #1 comic. So to say that the movie was some what of a dissapointment is an understatment. But, if a person knew nothing about the topic, it was a brief intro to the theory and storyline. Oh yeah, and the casting could have been much better....especially for Wolverine....but after all it was a movie, and if it raises interest in X-Men then it did its job.

Rating:
Summary: From the comics to the screen
Review: An avid reader of comics for quite a while in my youth. the X-Men was one of the titles I rabidly awaited every month. When rumors started circulating that they were going to make a movie of the comic, I was a bit disappointed.

Films from comics have not done well in the past, look at the film for "The Punisher". Though the casting was fairly good for that one, it was not as good as it could have been. Plus the fact that it was a character that was hard to like. There have been a few more in recent years also that though they were pretty to watch for the special effects, they were hard to watch for the lack of story.

Picture my amazement when I heard that Bryan Singer would direct the film. Bryan Singer from "The Usual Suspects", and "Apt Pupil". How was he going to make the move from gritty realism to that of a comic book world?

He didn't have to! As hard as it is for me to beleive, Bryan made a gritty, realistic, comic book movie, and it is great. With a little help from the casting , and CGI departments, he made an exceptional film.

Now we come to the point in the interview where comic fans may be disappointed. The film does not follow any storyline from the comics, so don't get this expecting "The Dark Phoenix Saga" or some other story. It is totally new. Don't get me wrong, there are elements from throughout several arcs, but not enough to say that it is any one particular one.

Still, any movie with a short, mean Canadian with claws that come out of his arms with a "SNIKT" sound can't be bad. Buy it yourself and see.