The evolution of the superhero movie begins

Rating: 7/10 (8 February 2009)

If there's anything 90s movies did wrong, it's that they botched the superhero genre, namely with the slew of bad Batman sequels. "X-Men," however, closes out the 20th century with hope that between special effects and renewed focus on characters, the genre is on the way up.
While 2002's "Spider-Man" was the film that really transformed the genre by use of the origin story, "X-Men" wasn't far off with its choice to tell the story with emphasis on a few of the characters. A comic book like "X-Men," where there are multiple heroes on a team instead of one masked crusader, could have been adopted horribly with too many different characters trying to share the spotlight.
Bryan Singer ("The Usual Suspects") picks fan favorite Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) as the focus and a vehicle by which to introduce the viewer to the X-Men world. He also chooses Rogue (Anna Paquin) to demonstrate that teenage feeling of being different and hiding from the world that makes X-Men such a human story. Lastly, he develops only Magneto (Ian McKellen) of all the villains to set the stage for the greater conflict between humans and mutants that will carry over into the sequels. The other mutants are used for visual fluff, to further the story, or to please comic fans. While you'd like to see all the mutants get attention, this is a concession Singer knows he must make to avoid his film crashing and burning.
The film's weak point is the general plot or evil scheme. While the movie is mostly based around scenes that are revealing of character and show how each mutant deals with his or her abilities, this element of the film remains "take-over-the-world" focused. With a bill on the verge of being passed that could force all mutants to register with the government, Magneto and the Brotherhood of Mutants (villains Sabertooth, Toad and the shape-shifting Mystique) plot to launch a radiation attack on a UN assembly in New York that would turn all the world's leaders into mutants. Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and his X-Men plan to stop them, believing peaceful cooperation with humans is the only way to get things done.
There's not a ton of action in the film. The fight scenes are short and far from exhilarating. Instead, "X-Men" hopes that a few scant special effects and mutants demonstrating their powers will be enough to entertain you. It does, but not in an exciting way. This is not a full- throttle blockbuster, it's a movie about characters with special abilities that affect their lives.
Singer does a great job bringing this franchise to the screen. While moviegoers love great action, it's nice to see a superhero film handled with sensitivity and being about what makes the X-Men so likable, not simply about bringing them to life and having them fight each other. That's where his camera-work, like when Rogue notices Wolverine's knuckles on the steering wheel and asks him if it hurts, makes an impact. His goal is to get you in touch with the characters--the stylish suits are secondary.
While you'd like to see characters like Halle Berry's Storm or James Marsden's Cyclops be more than just a suit with a special power, the specific character focus is still good enough. This movie essentially prioritizes characters and good storytelling over the action number of villains that Hollywood once thought was the most important aspect. That alone is something superhero movie fans can't ever be too thankful for.