One Review Inawed

Rating: 10/10 (7 September 2000)

X-MEN does so many things right for all the right reasons. Bryan Singer and his screenwriters took a comic book property, owned and operated by Marvel Enterprises ( a company that has driven all of its best titles to creative extinction, particularly their X-titles ) and produced a textured, iconic movie.
The comic book characters of Wolverine and Rogue, Magneto and Professor Xavier, the film's main players, are magnificently realized by the actors involved. Whereas the comics' versions of these characters are thin, mechanical props for a corporation to feed off of, the film's actors create histories, motivations, and passions by being earnest, and real, in their portrayals. Hugh Jackman in particular, as Wolverine, is able to take his tough-guy sneer or cocky walk and excellently, almost within the same scene, display kindness and intelligence and a humanity. This kind of acting job is rarely seen in action cinema, and because it IS action cinema, Jackman's accomplishment is nothing short of astounding.
Every scene of X-MEN is fabulously designed by director Singer. Only what is needed is shown onscreen, with excess verbiage and plot boiled down to essentials, but what is there is elegant and powerful. Even with the unfortunate influence of Hollywood's summertime moronics ( the post-elevator "revenge" of Storm, a push to get something cool out of Halle Barry, ends up hollow and anti-climactic compared to the life and death struggles around hers; and the hit-and-miss musical score of Michael Kamen stick out ) X-MEN's detailed acting and superb direction obliterate Hollywood's kiss of death. X-MEN is a great movie, with weight and substance stemming from creator talent and passion for the story. An achievement by everyone involved.