The rebirth of comic book movies

Rating: 8/10 (28 August 2010)

Three years had gone since the disastrous Batman & Robin. The movie had destroyed the Batman movie franchise and still today the low point of comic book movies. Then the genre was back on its feet with this smart and serious yet also fun and entertaining film. First of all the cast has been chosen with great respect for the characters. Hugh Jackman is spot on as the beer-drinking savage anti-hero Wolverine, Patrick Stewart is the one and only Professor X, Ian McKellen is wonderful as Magneto and Famke Janssen isn't half bad as Jean Grey. But great actors won't work without a solid screenplay and while the movie does have minor plot holes the story is unpredictable and well paced enough to keep you invested. Of course some characters have not enough time to develop in an hour and a half movie but that's OK because then the movie would have been much to slow. Director Bryan Singer is obviously aware that the comics themes of fear of the unknown is to be taken seriously but there is also a touch of humor and self-irony that makes X-men deliciously self aware. It doesn't really have that many action scenes but those there are really do entertain. All in all a great achievement for comic book movies.