Great debut for the popular comic

Rating: 9/10 (23 July 2018)

X-Men is packed with a talented cast of actors from Hugh Jackman, Anna Paquin, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. Adapted from the popular Marvel comic and directed by Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects) Its full of themes like tolerance and prejudice which are conveyed very well in the film. The stigma these mutants face in their daily lives are very similar to our own and we can all connect with them to some extent which is the real driving force behind the film.
Although it has some visually awesome action scenes there is a lot more to it than that. There are some great story arcs focusing on the vulnerable sides of these characters rather than just their superhuman abilities. It's also great how it deals with the political side of things. Mutants can indeed be very dangerous which the politicians are quick to judge by labelling them as weapons. Deep down they are just like everyone else - They want to fit in with society and abide by their laws.
Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart are really good in their roles. They really play off of each other here. Magneto (McKellen) can control all forms of metal. He is an interesting villain as he is more of an activist who fights for mutant rights though his methods can be extreme. He is just doing what he feels is fair and it's easy to empathise with him as he is older and been through some bad things in his lifetime. Charles Xavier (Stewart) can read people's minds while also manipulating them. He has also seen his fair share over the years but he still chooses to do good by giving mutants a place to live. He is all for mutants and humans living amongst each other but Magneto sees mutants as the next stage in evolution.
Wolverine was born in the 1880's he has retractable claws and can heal at rapid rates. Played by Hugh Jackman he is a lost man who makes a living as a cage fighter until he's pushed away once more. He meets a girl called Rogue who can cause harm to whoever she touches. They are both welcomed to Xavier's school for the gifted discovering that they are not alone. There are a few nitpicks to mention that won't sit well with everyone - The ending gets a little silly as it has a lame fight scene complete with and a cheesy one liner from Halle Berry's character "do you know what happens to a toad when it's struck by lightning? The same thing that happens to everything else"... And some of the make-up effects look dated. But forget about all that because it's full of interesting characters, a great storyline, a nice music score and some brilliant special effects. X-Men is a film you can sit through again and again.