Great special effects can't justify the script....

Rating: Null/10 (2 June 2006)

I will preface this comment by stating that I am not a comic book reader. I have never read an X-Men comic, yet even I've gleaned enough information from my X-men fanatic husband to know that this movie was a mess.
Despite the fact that Storm is designated as the X-men's leader during their missions, she isn't truly allowed to lead. Not one minute is spared to create even a semblance of a back-story for her character, but characters who are not an integral part of the story are given histories, even delving into childhood motivations for their actions during the film. Storm was raised in an African country, yet mysteriously has no accent. The lack of depth for the Storm character was enough to turn me off of this film.
As previously mentioned, other characters are flung into the movie suddenly and without reason. Juggernaut, Multiple Man, Arclight, Jubilee, and Flea, along with several others whose names I wouldn't recognize were willing to die for Magneto's mysterious cause without really knowing why. This seemed absurd and unbelievable to me. Jean Grey really does stand around for several scenes, doing nothing more than looking worried. Although she has the power to destroy worlds, she limits herself to destroying a few things on Alcatraz island. I also found it hard to believe that a boy who has the ability to take away a mutant's abilities would later be welcomed to live amongst them. Who'd ever want to be in the same room with the kid?
Favorite characters were killed off without explanation, including beloved Charles Xavier, who is not only killed, but blasted into oblivion. The students of his school even attend his funeral. Despite this, after the credits roll, there is an extra scene which shows that Xavier miraculously survived being blown into a million bits and is now recovering in a hospital bed. Does that mean there will be an X-men 4? Let's hope not.