Now if they could start people reading the comic books!

Rating: 8/10 (5 February 2001)

I began reading comics again in 1982, after completing my 2-½ year national service and entering law school. It was the X-Men that revived my interest, having picked up Paul Smith's final issue (the one with Mastermind on the cover) at the corner shop back in the days before speciality stores even existed in Singapore. I have stopped reading X-Men for a long time now (though I did check out Chris Claremont's disappointing return to the book that made his name). That title has failed to excite me since the 80s but thanks to Bryan Singer, that sense of wonder has returned! The X-Men movie has been talked about for too long, as the best-selling comic book of all time, the weight of expectation was considerable. Furthermore, as the comic industry as a whole is in a crisis, much has been invested into the X-Men movie as the event to 'save' comics. No doubt about it, X-Men is an unqualified success! Given the inherent difficulties in putting together a plausible film dramatisation of super-heroes, Singer has managed to deliver a movie guaranteed to please both fans and casual moviegoers alike. Much of this success is clearly owed to Singer's clarity of vision, to be faithful to the universe (as the young director himself stated in an interview). Thus, we are spared cringe-worthy moments that dragged down the Superman & Batman movies, not to mention the risible movies previously attempted on Marvel characters (Reb Brown as Captain America, anyone?) In this respect, the casting has been superb. Notably the rather fortunate circumstances by which Aussie Hugh Jackson ended up as the Canadian X-Man, Wolverine. Originally, the role had been won by Dougray Scott, but an accident on the MI-2 set forced Scott to withdraw leaving the way open for Jackson. Having witnessed Scott's tepid performance in MI-2 and Jackson's dynamic turn as Wolverine, it's fair to say that the X-Men movie lucked out! Patrick Stewart & Hugh McKellen bring their wealth and talent to the meaty parts of Charles Xavier (never Professor X) and Magneto. McKellen is particularly memorable, consigning to history the awful comic book movie villains of yore: Hackman's Luther & Nicholson's Joker. The plot is tight, the motivations logical and the effects are incredible, Ray (Darth Maul) Park's Toad has to be seen to be believed!
The rest of the cast perform their scenes competently without fuss (except maybe for a sorely under-used Halle Berry, she does look good though with Storm's patented white hair) but it's Jackson and McKellen who steal the show. Matrix proved last year that movie-goers could assimilate comic book concepts and storytelling (that's what it was, folks), X-Men establishes that the source material can certainly stand on its own. Now if they could start people reading the damn things