"We are the future, Charles, not them."

Rating: 8/10 (31 May 2014)

There have been so many comic book movies since the year 2000, and quite a few of them X-Men movies, that it may be a good idea to think back to when this movie came out and remember this got the ball rolling. Yes, there had been Batman and Superman before that, but they were DC properties that seemed to exist within a little bubble all their own. There was also Blade but that was a supernatural action movie. A lot of people didn't even know it was based on a comic book character. This movie was the first successful superhero movie based on Marvel comics characters. It took the source material seriously and treated it with respect. It did away with the notion that superheroes were solely kids stuff and what followed was a wave of comic movies based on Marvel properties that is still going strong today.
The casting is mostly spot-on. Hugh Jackman became a star overnight due to his performance as Wolverine. It's hard to imagine he'll ever have another role to top this one or that they'll ever be able to recast with an actor better-suited for the part. And no, nerds, don't say he's not the perfect Wolverine just because he's not physically identical to the comics version. Open a window, people. The casting of Patrick Stewart as Professor X was a no-brainer and he's also perfectly suited for the part. Ian McKellen's excellent as Magneto. It's arguable he's older than he should be but he's so good in the role it really doesn't matter. Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), Halle Berry (Storm), Anna Paquin (Rogue), and Famke Janssen (Jean Grey) are all great, as well. I especially enjoyed the chemistry between Jackman and Paquin. Their scenes are some of the film's best moments. Not all of it is a home run. James Marsden's wooden performance as Cyclops is something of a negative. He has no chemistry with Famke Janssen, which ultimately weakens that portion of the film. Tyler Mane's monosyllabic Sabretooth and Ray Park's ridiculous Toad are both lame. These two are frequently mentioned by the movie's detractors and I find it hard to defend them. They are also the worst of the "Hollywoodizations" of the characters' appearances, something they all suffer from. Despite the movie's many strengths, it still exists within the narrow mindset that you can't do movies with people in colorful costumes without it appearing silly. So, hey, black leather y'all because that's not something you literally see all the time in movies.
For some reason, this first movie gets a lot of flack today in certain circles. Is it perfect? No, but neither are some of these more recent superhero movies that have been hailed as masterpieces. The direction is strong, the script is smart, the acting is wonderful. There are some flaws and I've addressed a few but, on the whole, it's a fantastic film that entertains me every time I watch it. There have been some good (and bad) X-Men movies since this one but this stands as the one I rewatch most often.