X-Men claws it way as the catalyst for superhero mania.

Rating: 6/10 (17 November 2018)

"Do you know what happens to a toad when it's struck by lightning? The same thing that happens to everything else.". Iconic. Simply groundbreaking. One could say it "kicked up a storm"..., I'm here all day, honestly. The 90s were not particularly kind to the superhero genre, so naturally many watched the start to this franchise with trepidation. Fortunately, this was the seed for the superhero supernova that followed, and it's pretty good. Dated and slightly unfocused, but enjoyable nonetheless. Mutants are in hiding from the rest of humanity, where a school of mutants must stop a maniacal mutant from turning the rest of humanity into mutants. It's all very mutant. There's plenty of imaginative powers that are replicated from its source material. Storm can manipulate the weather, Cyclops harnesses a powerful laser beam and Wolverine has a skeleton made from an invulnerable metal. Oh, and Toad with his long tongue. Useless in combat, but I'm sure that comes in handy in other departments (bow-chika-wow-wow). It makes for some exciting spectacles, particularly the third act, that adds variety to the action. However it's the social commentary that powers the narrative. Humans debating to give equal rights to mutants can be metaphorically transferred to modern society, especially in racial context. It's a shame that this theme is underdeveloped and put aside for the action, but there is an underlying sense of justification for both sides of the argument. The acting is decent, particularly Jackman with his brutal physicality (my God...) and McKellen with his epic voice, although Paquin was considerably weaker in comparison. She's unable to express her emotions well, as she whimpers everything. But, ehh, she was young I guess. There's so much information to take in as the script builds a world filled with turmoil and superpowers, that assimilating everything is quite an achievement. It's a building block for the sequel, but this first instalment is entertaining enough to bypass the dated flaws.