Mutation is the key to adequacy

Rating: 6/10 (20 October 2018)

Now I know it's quite an unpopular opinion for someone to think that the first installment in the X-Men franchise isn't that great, but I don't feel much for this film. It's short but feels long, it's dated but feels modern, and it's poorly written but strongly structured. What is this film? This movie is so out of the map, but it's just... another film starring Hugh Jackman that's just adequate! What is this strange pattern?
What's the story? They are children of the atom, homo superior, the next link in the chain of evolution. Each was born with a unique genetic mutation, which at puberty manifested itself in extraordinary powers. In a world filled with hate and prejudice, they are feared by those who cannot accept their differences. Led by Xavier the X-Men fight to protect a world that fears them. They are locked in a battle with former colleague and friend, Magneto who believes humans and mutants should never co-exist.
Okay, let's start this review with a good aspect: the special effects. Although the opening credits look really dated and cheap, the rest of the effects are surprisingly really good, especially for its time. This was back in 2000, where CGI was in its early stage and still developing, but for early CGI this is very nice to look at. It also makes the action scenes look very exciting and amps up the fun aspect of the film. The story itself is pretty bland, like an Avengers-before-Avengers story, but as far as those stories go, despite being pretty short, this makes a pretty decent crossover film. Not that it's the best or anything, but it does give us enough background knowledge on all the characters before pursuing into the climax of the film. As for the acting, the only performance that legitimately stood out for me was Hugh Jackman as the Wolverine, and even HE could sound pretty bland sometimes. This isn't really a movie known for its good acting or anything, but more to admire the technical aspect.
In conclusion, X-Men is a nice kickoff to the franchise, but as a standalone film, it's okay. The action and effects are good, but the acting (excluding Hugh Jackman) and the writing can be done a bit better. If you like X-Men, maybe you'll like this, even though I don't make any promises. Overall, it didn't quite mutate perfectly, but at the very least, it's fine.