Well-intentioned.

Rating: 5/10 (18 October 2000)

'X-Men' does have its own integrity as a Bryan Singer film, showing continuity with 'The Usual Suspects' - bleak subversion of a popular genre; the vision of an America tainted by the decadance of Europe, a world run by tired old men; the creation of the world by a dubiously motivated power-broker (Verbal creates his film's world by words; Professor X by his mind). The sets are nice and austere. There are moments of pleasant Surrealism, and my instinct applauds the opening concentration camp sequence, even if my head says no. But acting, action, plot, character, dialogue, inspiration, fantasy, awe? Movies are too cool to bother with that kind of thing any more.