Rating: 
Summary: Brings the comics to life with intensity!
Review: Longtime fans of the Marvel comic series will find Twentieth Century Fox's adaptation of "X-Men" to be quite enjoyable and authentic. I was quite enlightened to see how well it mirrors the characters from the age old comic, as well as the glorious array of special effects, set designs and acting talents that all make the movie more intense and surprising. In a world where differences are frowned upon, evolution begins its course in the creation of mutants, who possess certain physical and emotional powers beyond that of regular humans. Heading a school for the specially gifted citizens is Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), who himself possesses the power to read peoples' minds. Among his many students are Cyclops (James Marsden), whose eye beams can cause massive destruction, Storm (Halle Berry), who calls upon the natural forces of weather, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), who can look into people's minds and uses telekinesis, and newcomers Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), whose powerful fighting ability is due in part to his razorbalde knuckles, and Rogue (Anna Paquin), who can steal the power of another mutant simply by her touch. Xavier soon learns that his nemesis, Magneto (Ian McKellan), is planning on using a special machine to convert human beings into mutants, and that he needs Rogue in order to make the machine work to its fullest. This sets in motion the intense action that held childrens' imaginations for so many years as the group of mutants band together to stop the enemy from overpowering the world. Being a long ago fan of the comic and all the little perks that went with it, I can say that the film is a faithful and magnificent adaptation. Each of the mutant's powers is recreated with terrific authenticity, and it is very exciting to see it for the first time on the big screen in the age of blockbuster special effects. Cameraman Newton Thomas Sigel and special effects supervisor Michael Fink work together wonderfully in bringing things to life the would have proved impossible years ago, and each effect is perfectly seamless. The acting ability employed for this movie could not have been any better; each actor is perfectly suited to play their character, and each one does masterfully. Patrick Stewart makes for a great Xavier, and this role seems right in line for the longtime Captain of the Enterprize from Star Trek. __ plays Wolverine brilliantly, Janssen is a terrific Jean Grey, Berry does a great job as Storm, and Marsden and Paquin are very credible as Cyclops and Rogue. Each actor looks like the original character, too, which adds a great deal to the momentum of the movie as a whole. A rousing good time at the movies for people of all ages and fans of the comic series, "X-Men" will have you cheering for the good guys and wanting more when the ending comes.
Rating:
Summary: Mature SF-fantasy doesn't skimp on the action
Review: In a brief interview with director Bryan Singer ("The Usual Suspects", "Apt Pupil") included in the supplemental materials of this impressive DVD edition of "X-Men" (2000), the alarmingly young-looking helmer explains that the film - originally intended for a Christmas 2000 release - was abruptly rescheduled for summer of that year, forcing the entire production to scramble desperately to realize its lofty ambitions. Against all the odds, the final product (based on a long-running Marvel comic series developed by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Chris Claremont and Len Wein) demonstrates a profound maturity that lifts it head and shoulders above the massed ranks of mechanical Hollywood blockbusters, whilst simultaneously delivering the kind of effects-heavy spectacle that audiences have come to expect from this particular sub-genre. Whilst bigoted politicians are fomenting unreasoning hostility toward a new breed of superhuman 'mutants' - ordinary people with extraordinary powers including telepathy, pschokinesis and/or mind control, representing the next stage in human evolution - a benevolent psychic named Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) has established a private school where he teaches particularly gifted mutants to channel their abilities safely. But some of his most powerful students - played with earnest conviction by a number of Hollywood's sexiest rising stars, including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen and James Marsden - are called upon to challenge the wrath of Magneto (Ian McKellen), a mutant supervillain whose hatred of mankind was cultivated in a Nazi concentration camp (outlined in a harrowing opening sequence, where the film's sober intentions are signalled in no uncertain terms), and who is determined to launch a devastating assualt on the world's non-mutant population, igniting a war between the species that only the mutants can win. The unusually clever scenario provides an almost entirely character-driven rationale for its flashy set-pieces, without skimping on either aspect of the production. That's due partly to David Hayter's concise script, Singer's ingenious ability to convey a wealth of relevant information at high speed without rushing or obscuring the details, and a strict adherence to the film's primary thematic concerns (tolerance, individuality, finding your own place in the world, etc.). The performances, too, are uniformly excellent: Stewart and McKellen may seem unlikely adversaries, but these immensely gifted actors elevate the proceedings beyond the confines of mere 'Good and Evil', adding real depth and nuance to their respective characters. The younger members of the X-Men team are somewhat underused, but they certainly LOOK spectacular and they make the most of their limited screen time, while Ray Park (Darth Maul himself!), model Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and wrestler Tyler Mane also provide visual fireworks as Magneto's villainous henchmen. Elsewhere, Anna Paquin ("The Piano") provides the film's emotional core as a young girl targeted by Magneto because of her unique powers, while Jackman takes center-stage in a star-making role as the most reluctant recruit to Stewart's team of superheroes (his verbal conflicts with rival Marsden are often joyously funny). Production values are predictably solid, betraying little or no evidence of a rushed production schedule: Newton Thomas Sigel's Panavision photography conspires with John Myhre's astute production design to render a silver-blue color scheme that subtly emphasizes the movie's comic-book origins, reflected in the DVD's similarly-styled packaging. While Singer insists the movie's subtext is critical of all forms of intolerance, closer scrutiny suggests more specific concerns about homophobia, the only form of prejudice which remains openly condoned throughout society. Bruce Davison ("Longtime Companion") plays a rabble-rousing politician who frightens Congress with exaggerated 'scare-stories' about a sub-culture they don't understand, while hate-filled protestors gather on the steps outside to wave placards that condemn the 'infiltration' of mutants into schools, churches and society at large. Sound familiar? These themes are further underlined in a Fox TV special included on the disc, constructed as a series of news reports surrounding Congressional hearings on a proposed Mutant Registration Act, wherein Davison holds court with almost religious fervor, spitefully twisting the evidence to suit his own rhetoric, only to be laid low by an amusing final twist that mirrors the downfall of many a similar real-life politician. This particular interpretation may not have been the central focus of the original comic strip, but Singer's intentions are so conspicuous, and so heartfelt, it's a miracle (and, frankly, a blessing) that he was able to get away with it at all. Is this the world's first $70 million dollar 'gay' movie? Not quite, but it certainly provides plenty of food for thought... 20th Century Fox's region 1 DVD runs a compact 104m 10s and offers a pristine letterbox (2.35:1) print, anamorphically enhanced. Audio format is Dolby 5.1 with a 2.0 option, both of which are suitably explosive, and there are closed captions and optional English subtitles. Extras include a series of deleted scenes which can be programmed back into the main feature; however, they're not anamorphically encoded (!), which means viewers with 16:9 monitors will be forced to switch back and forth between screen formats if they choose this particular playback option. The animated menus are great fun, but any and all menu selections are accompanied by varying amounts of digital preamble which can become irritating after a while. Oddly enough, there's no commentary, which is the most surprising - and disappointing - aspect of the entire package.
Rating: 
Summary: The movie that made Hugh Jackman a star...
Review: X-Men is one of those rare examples of a comic book that Hollywood *didn't* screw up royally (see League of Extraordinary Gentlemen -- ugh!). In fact, they did the comic book series justice by not trying to do a faithful adaptation (which would have been impossible considering the countless variations that the characters have gone through over the years) but instead maintained the essence of what makes the X-Men work so well. The filmmakers also, wisely, centered the film around the most popular character, Wolverine. I remember when the casting choices for this movie were leaked out and the uproar caused by the casting of then-unknown Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Who was this guy? He doesn't even look like the character, etc. However, all fears were swept aside once the film opened and Jackman made his first appearance on-screen in what has to be one of *the* coolest introductions to a character in a comic book movie. Jackman commands the screen and owns the role -- he *is* Wolverine. He captures the character's ferociousness and his stand-offish attitude to those around him (his exchanges with Cyclops are priceless). Jackman would go on to improve on the character with X2 but it is interesting to go back and watch the first movie and see a star in the making. This 2-DVD set is a vast improvement over the rushed single-disc version. This one has it all: commentaries, documentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, etc. Hours and hours of extras but the best of the bunch has to be the detailed Making-Of documentary by the folks who worked on the awesome The Usual Suspects special edition DVD. I've read that they wanted to include more of the friction between director Bryan Singer and the studio but, of course, that stuff was nixed by the powers that be. Still, what you have on the DVD is a fascinating look at the sheer amount of work and drive it takes to make one of these big budget blockbusters. This is the blueprint for how you do a comic book film adaptation the right way.
Rating: 
Summary: The Wolverine Show
Review: Everyone says this movie lacks the action of the sequel because it has to "develop the characters". Where are these characters that are being developed? The whole movie practically revolves around Wolverine. Wolverine wasn't even one of the original X-Men yet he gets more screen time than all the original X-Men put together, some of whom aren't even in the movie (Angel, Beast) Not only does this movie ignore the other X-Men's origins, it doesn't even follow the original plot. Yes, most movie adaptations tend to make a few plot adjustments here and there but this movie is what the X-Men would look like if you took the entire comic collection, shredded them into microscopic pieces, and then scotch taped the pieces together at random. The casting is also horrible, Halle Berry plays the worst Storm possible. She seems to be stuck in the cast based on name recognition alone. James Marsden makes Cyclops seems lifeless, which I'm not sure I can blame due to the amount of screen time he gets. Hugh Jackman, the tallest cast member, ironically stars as Wolverine. The comic book character is named Wolverine because he is short and ferocious like the animal. For those of you who watch WWE, this is the same reason why Chris Benoit is nicked "The Rabid Wolverine". During the special features when the cast each explain their character's powers, the guy who plays Sabretooth says something along the lines of "Durr, Sabretooth is really strong". Obviously, there wasn't much homework done before this movie went into production. No homework from this poor sap who landed the monotonous role of Sabretooth, none from whoever did the casting, none from even Singer himself. It looks like the whole point to X-Men the movie was to show off some crappy FX and make a quick buck on an already established franchise. This movie will most likely insult those who are X-Men fans and bore those who are not. Stay away!
Rating:
Summary: Better than it should have been.
Review: Comic books are notoriously difficult to translate to feature-film format. Goodness knows, there have been missteps in the past. But director Brian Singer does about as good a job as can be reasonably expected. First off, we need to thank the makers of Mission Impossible 2 for running over-schedule, thus tying up actor Dougray Scott and consequently allowing actor Hugh Jackman to play Wolverine. Jackman is the standout in this movie. His wonderfully understated performance as the "reluctant hero" is arguably the centerpiece of this film. What distinguishes this film from other lesser film adaptions is an intelligent script, or at least intelligent for the genre. Character development isn't sacrificed to make room for more standard mindless special effects and action setpieces, like in some movies ("Batman and Robin", anyone?). The in-jokes are funny, and the characters' history and motivations are treated with a fan's level of respect. If the filmmakers can retain those elements of character-driven story and a respect for the source material in future installments, then they may have a successful movie franchise on their hands
Rating:
Summary: Great movie.
Review: I had relatively low expectations for the adaptation of the X-Men comic books. This movie though blew them away by a longshot. The movie begins with a young Eric Lensherr being taken prisoner at a Nazi concentration camp and his powers to control magnetism manifesting. He would become the main villain Magneto in this movie's plot, using mutant energy to power a machine that emits some sort of radiation that alters normal human's cells and ultimately causing them to perish from the effects of the radiation. Wolverine is introduced to Professor Charles Xavier and gradually form the superhero action team The X-Men. Patrick Stewert was absolutely perfect for the role of Charles Xavier. I couldn't have come up with a better choice than Stewert. Ian McKellan IS Magneto! The others don't fare as well. Halle Berry as Storm falls flat on her face, showing almost none of the leadership of the comics character. Hugh Jackman though was great for Wolverine, showing the expressions of the comic book character. This movie overall is quite good for something that did blow some potential but it works out fine. Go and see this movie. It's really good. On another note, the 1.5 edition though is jsut a cash-in on the movie fan base. It's mostly added deleted scenes and I'm no fan of deleted scenes so if you already have the older edition, don't waste your time. I see no reason to buy the same thing over again just for some useless deleted scenes. EOM
Rating:
Summary: what the hell
Review: yeah, ok, this is more of a question than anything else. anyone who has this movie, in the scene where the senator is walking out of the water onto the beach, turn up the volume. after they show the guy dumping suntan lotion on his girlfriend or whoever, and RIGHT before they show two african americans,listen REALLY closely to a child's voice in the background. i have asked several friends to confirm this and they all agree. a little kid says "is that a N*gg*r?" please help me out if anyones got information on this. i love the movie so i dont wanna believe its what i heard
Rating:
Summary: Brings the comics to life with intensity!
Review: Longtime fans of the Marvel comic series will find Twentieth Century Fox's adaptation of "X-Men" to be quite enjoyable and authentic. I was quite enlightened to see how well it mirrors the characters from the age old comic, as well as the glorious array of special effects, set designs and acting talents that all make the movie more intense and surprising. In a world where differences are frowned upon, evolution begins its course in the creation of mutants, who possess certain physical and emotional powers beyond that of regular humans. Heading a school for the specially gifted citizens is Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), who himself possesses the power to read peoples' minds. Among his many students are Cyclops (James Marsden), whose eye beams can cause massive destruction, Storm (Halle Berry), who calls upon the natural forces of weather, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), who can look into people's minds and uses telekinesis, and newcomers Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), whose powerful fighting ability is due in part to his razorbalde knuckles, and Rogue (Anna Paquin), who can steal the power of another mutant simply by her touch. Xavier soon learns that his nemesis, Magneto (Ian McKellan), is planning on using a special machine to convert human beings into mutants, and that he needs Rogue in order to make the machine work to its fullest. This sets in motion the intense action that held childrens' imaginations for so many years as the group of mutants band together to stop the enemy from overpowering the world. Being a long ago fan of the comic and all the little perks that went with it, I can say that the film is a faithful and magnificent adaptation. Each of the mutant's powers is recreated with terrific authenticity, and it is very exciting to see it for the first time on the big screen in the age of blockbuster special effects. Cameraman Newton Thomas Sigel and special effects supervisor Michael Fink work together wonderfully in bringing things to life the would have proved impossible years ago, and each effect is perfectly seamless. The acting ability employed for this movie could not have been any better; each actor is perfectly suited to play their character, and each one does masterfully. Patrick Stewart makes for a great Xavier, and this role seems right in line for the longtime Captain of the Enterprize from Star Trek. __ plays Wolverine brilliantly, Janssen is a terrific Jean Grey, Berry does a great job as Storm, and Marsden and Paquin are very credible as Cyclops and Rogue. Each actor looks like the original character, too, which adds a great deal to the momentum of the movie as a whole. A rousing good time at the movies for people of all ages and fans of the comic series, "X-Men" will have you cheering for the good guys and wanting more when the ending comes.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie--Absolutely Stunning Sound and Picture!
Review: I watched this movie for the first time without ever having read any of the X-Men comic books-in fact, I don't like comic books at all. So, needless to say, I was given the opportunity to watch this film from a purely objective standpoint: I had no expectations of what this movie should or should not entail. And, to my surprise, I was extremely delighted with this DVD for a few specific reasons. First and foremost, the Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 soundtracks are remarkable. Anybody who has a decent surround sound system-set up correctly!!!-will marvel at the amazing acoustical environments created by the sound team of X-Men; I suspect that THX played a large part in the success of mixing a soundtrack in which every sound effect is mixed with such careful attention to detail that one wonders how such perfection can be possible-I wish every movie's soundtrack would be so immaculate. As if the sound wasn't enough to sell me on X-Men, the picture quality is outstanding as well-far exceeding that of a typical DVD. Again, I'm sure THX played an important role in the video transfer process. And, technical aspects aside, the movie was written and executed very well. I think the X-Men team did an excellent job of taking a highly unrealistic story line and turning it into a movie in which the plot and characters evolve without the sense of corniness often associated with films of this nature. So, all in all, I appreciated X-Men and would recommend it to anyone who appreciates a well made movie-if not for the sound quality, alone (granted, this will not contribute to a viewer's satisfaction at all, if not played through a quality surround sound system). But there are few movies that I enjoy watching more than once, and this is definitely one of them. Enough said.
Rating:
Summary: Where is Chris Claremont
Review: I can't beleive this was at all based on the comic. Where do I even begin? This movie has taken all of the good elements out of the comic and replaced it with utter crap.
As far as the casting goes Wolverine probably got the best treatment. Jean and Cyclops were also good though they did not get the screen time they deserved. Who in the world came up with Halle Berry as Storm? She can't act her way out of a paper bag. Not to mention the bad accent. If she could not keep it all the way through she should not have done it. Anna Paquin was also a horrible idea. What happened to the southern accent that Rouge was famous for?
A lot of this can be blamed on the writing. Rouge has no history with Mystique and Wolverine has no history with Sabertooth. Even worse than that is the relationship with Rouge and Iceman. Iceman and Rouge were not even at the mansion at the same time. But all of these gripes aside this movie still sucked. I have to wonder if Chris Claremont had any say.
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