X certainly marks the spot!

Rating: Null/10 (17 August 2000)

I grew up reading the X-Men comics, watching the cartoons, and since the tender age of six I have waited for a big-screen adaptation. When I heard the news that it was finally on its way, I was more than just a little excited. The trailers were all great, and even despte the hardships on the set, I knew that this would be something special. The movie was everything I hoped for and more.
For a start, the performances were stunning. Hugh Jackman brings Wolverine to life like no one else could. He has a real bezerker quality that you just wouldn't want to mess with. Anna Paquin is excellent as frightened runaway Rogue, whose power means she can never have contact with another person without killing them. Ian McKellan plays Magneto with such conviction that we almost sympathise with him, and his motives seem justified. Patrick Stewart captures the look and manner of Charles Xavier so well that you barely noticed he isn't onscreen for as long as you would like. The few confrontations he has with Magneto are tense and briliantly acted. These are men with a history, with beliefs, and they are both out to show their views by whatever way they think is best.
The writing/storyline is excellent. We are presented with a real world filled with these strange people, yet the underlying themes of racism and discrimination make them seem as real as they ever could. The film never shoves these views down your throat, but lets you digest them in whatever manner you choose.
And then, of course, there's the action. And when the claws go *snikt*, there's certainly lots to be had. The fight sequences are brilliantly played, some of them brutal, others almost balletic. The sequence that takes place on the crown of the Statue Of Liberty with Wolverine and Sabretooth is superb, and the finale will leave you screaming for more.
The film ends perfectly, with every character being where they should be in order for a great sequel. Credit to everyone involved for making this one work and work superbly. This is honestly the best movie I have seen, and I can't see another one coming to knock it off the top spot. Go and see it, right now!