A Landmark in the Superhero Genre

Rating: 8/10 (17 May 2016)

X-Men is directed by Bryan Singer and is the origin story of the X- Men, a team of mutants that turn superheroes in order to stop a mutant named Magneto that is preparing, and attempting to start, a full on war between mutants and humans. When Magneto, and a few other mutants, threaten civil society as we know it, the X-Men must put aside their differences and fight to stop an all out war between the two classes of people, mutant, and human.
X-Men is the first successful Marvel film, and it's easy to see why. Although Marvel films have been better, X-Men, in a way, paved the way for every other Marvel movie to come, from Spiderman (2002) to Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). With likable characters, great direction, and fantastic special effects, X-Men is a very enjoyable film in whole, and works in every genre of film it was going for, be it action, superhero, and even a sci-fi.
X-Men offers some amazingly relatable characters that the audience immediately feels for in each and every situation. Although this was my favorite feature of the film, I feel this is where its biggest weakness lies as well. Although characters like Wolverine, Professor X, Rogue, and Magneto are very well-rounded, most of the others aren't. We get to know a little bit about Jean Grey, Cyclops, and Storm, but not too much all in all. We know that Jean Grey hopes to be much like Professor X when older, but that's about it. We also know that there is conflict between Cyclops and Wolverine due to their mutual affection for Jean Grey, but nothing else about their characters.
The characters of Mystique, Sabretooth, and Toad, who are the mutants working with Magneto, aren't given much depth to either. Although it's cool to see Mystique transform into other people, but we aren't given much, if any, information about her character on a personal level. Sabretooth and Toad are both characters that have special powers, but no personalities. They both feel as if they are basically the "grunts" of Magneto's team, and don't really serve that large of a purpose in the movie.
The direction, by Bryan Singer, is actually quite amazing. Every action scene, as well as exposition scene, is so nicely filmed in every way. All of the action looks very nice, with no quick cuts or shaky cam to be found. Bryan Singer did an excellent job with the camera, and made X-Men look very good. The special effects are probably the best thing I could say about X-Men. The CGI throughout the entire movie is revolutionary, from Mystique shapeshifting to Wolverine's metal claws coming straight out of his knuckles. There's not a single shot in which the audience might call out "fake," due to the amazingly impressive special effects littered all throughout X-Men.
The acting is also very impressive. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, as we all know, is a perfect casting choice, and he does fantastic in his role. Both Ian McKellan and Sir Patrick Stewart as Magneto and Professor X play two age old rivals magnificently, and are very believable as life long friends. All of the other smaller casting choices, such as Anna Paquin as Rogue, are also chosen very well. I must say, however, that I didn't like Sabretooth's character or the actor who played him, Tyler Mane. Although he was a good casting choice for the character, Mane didn't really impress me with his acting abilities.
Another complaint I have, which may be small, is a small portion in the film in which a couple different characters do certain actions that don't fit their personalities, but solely to advance the plot. Their actions are necessary, as called for by the script, but their nature and deeds don't match up. This only occurs at a specific time that's tough to talk in depth about without spoilers, but it's still present, and stands out as a negative on the script's part.
Comprehensively, X-Men is a great film. It stands out as a landmark in the superhero genre of film, and contains much enjoyment in it. Despite it being flawed, I would recommend X-Men to anyone who enjoys superhero, or action, movies.