Silly, but entertaining

Rating: 6/10 (29 July 2007)

It is said of John Carradine that, in his later years, he would do any film role for $100,000. As a result, he played in a lot of dreadful films.
I couldn't help but think of Carradine as I watched the eminent British actor, Sir Ian McKellan, prancing about in a ghastly costume and pantomiming throwing automobiles through the air in this 2006 installment of the comic book series.
However, McKellen is not alone here. This film features a stellar cast of Oscar, Emmy and Tony winners and other distinguished performers, including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Anna Paquin and Kelsey Grammar. And the supporting cast includes no slouches either.
As an actor, I can think of few things more difficult than standing in front of a green screen in a ludicrous outfit, feigning physical acts involving elements to be later generated by computer, while mouthing comic book dialogue. Yet, for the most part, these talented folk manage to pull it off.
I must confess that I have never read an X-Men comic book, nor have I seen either of the previous X-Men films. Regarding this one, the plot is too silly to recount. On more than one occasion, I had to remind myself of my son's comment when, watching some similar film, I raised some plot objection. "You want logic?" he asked. Abandon all logic, ye who enter here.
One unfortunate point. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen have virtually identical voices and diction. Now and then it became difficult, when they were both in a scene, to be certain which one of them was speaking.
The special effects are spectacular, I guess. Like most of us, I suspect, I have become so jaded by special effects that they tend to make me yawn. "King Kong" was a special exception.
All of these esteemed performers play "mutants" in this film, but their mutations are not the type you might expect; no tails, or extra fingers or webbed toes. No, their mutations allow them to control metal, throw fire or ice, control the weather, read minds or, in one case, do anything they can imagine.
Poor Kelsey Grammar plays Beast. For most of the movie, his mutation seems to be that he is colored blue and very hairy. In the climactic battle, it turns out he is a refugee from the WWE.
I don't want to imply by these comments that his film is not fun to watch. It is, sort of. If you were going to spend $7-10 to see it at a theater, I'd advise you to save your money. If you're going to rent it for a couple of bucks, or watch it on cable, then pop some corn, pour a beer and go for it.