Smart and entertaining, a genuinely good adventure.

Rating: Null/10 (5 May 2003)

*** out of ****
I used to be an avid reader of the X-men comics. Every month, I'd dash to the comic book store, eager to purchase the newest issues (the X-men had two running series) of this clashing team of mutants. Like everyone else, I had my favorite characters; Wolverine, for his interesting anti-hero but honorable qualities, and Psylocke, who simply oozed sex appeal, intelligence, and could alternately kick any guy's ass in hand-to-hand combat. What more could you want from a lady?
But I wasn't completely sold on the movie when I first heard of it, particularly with unknown Hugh Jackman in the lead. So it was with cautionary anticipation I approached this film. Hell, I was so cautious I didn't even see it until it came out on DVD, but in the end, this was an enjoyable hour-and-a-half diversion, and probably the best comic book to film adaptation since Tim Burton's Batman.
As expected, X-Men spends a large portion of its running time as a set-up, for both its characters and future plotlines. But for those curious, Patrick Stewart stars as Professor Charles Xavier, virtually the world's most powerful mutant with the ability to read and control minds. He heads a school to teach other mutants to develop their powers, the heads of the classes being Cyclops (James Marsden), Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), and Storm (Halle Berry). Two newcomers arrive after an attack in the woods, Logan AKA Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Rogue (Anna Paquin). Their enemy is Magneto, a powerful mutant who wishes to make the world a place safe for mutants, even if it means the destruction of the human race.
Almost all comic book adaptations are action/adventures, and while X-men certainly qualifies as such, many might be surprised that the movie spends more time developing its characters than placing them in dangerous situations. I was pleasantly surprised, and given that these characters were interesting, the pacing never flagged and the build-up to the action-packed finale kept the film moving with surging momentum.
In a movie like this, the cast is probably the most important aspect of the production, and the two most important characters to cast were Professor Xavier and Wolverine. Screw up casting these two roles and the whole movie might have been in jeopardy. But thankfully, the producers didn't screw up, and these two parts were casted perfectly. Patrick Stewart makes for an honorable and gentle Xavier, exactly the way everyone imagined he would be (it's not as if though casting Stewart was ever question of if, but when, he actually looks like Xavier). Hugh Jackman is the real find, totally cool and badass as Wolverine, but also with a down-to-earth quality that makes him so appealing. I think we're all glad production on M:I-2 ran overlong, or else we'd have seen Dougray Scott in this part.
Though I did mention the film spent most of its time developing the characters, the fact the cast is so large leaves a lot of them adrift, most particularly James Marsden as Cyclops and Halle Berry as Storm. Janssen is a passable Jean Grey, though she seems a bit too old for the part. Anna Paquin, however, is very good as Rogue, a teen who finds herself coming to terms with her powers. She and Logan have this daughter/father relationship going, which means she also has the double role of the character Jubilee, who's actually nowhere to be seen (which might be a good thing, I recall she was incredibly annoying in the comics).
The villains don't fare as well, each of them barely given any dialogue except for Magneto. As the master of the metal, Ian Mckellen is fine, but looks hilariously silly in that costume and helmet of his. Tyler Mane has the physique for the part of Sabretooth, that's about it. Ray Park has the role of Toad, who's a bit different from how I remember him in the comics (didn't he secrete gunk from his hands?), but it's only slightly less lame. Rebecca Romjin-Stamos is in blue make-up for all her screen-time as the shape-shifting Mystique.
The action sequences are exciting without ever being truly memorable. In fact, some of the fight scenes could have been staged and filmed a bit better, but it's understandable why filming such fights would have been difficult, considering these mutants battle with a variety of powers. The wirework during the Wolverine/Sabretooth battle is...lacking, maybe a little too Matrix-ish for my tastes.
The only real problem I have (and it's a biggie) with X-Men is how unbelievably short it is. Most comic book adaptations focus on one character and run for over two hours. This one's got over a dozen, and it's barely an hour-and-a-half (sans credits) long! Too much feels left out, too much is left unfinished, but I guess that's why we have sequels.