It's not perfect but much better than expected

Rating: 7/10 (13 June 2006)

I went into the movie with substantially lowered expectations after hearing so much negative sentiments. And boy, was I shocked to find how rousing and emotional the movie turns out to be. Granted, I agree with many that the movie should've been longer to better develop the background and relationships between the characters; better dialogs written; some effects need to be cleaned up; continuity problems fixed (like the night and day goof at the final battle? Although I just rewatched the trailer and it shows a scene with the bridge where the sun is going down, maybe by the time they walk across it, night has descended?), etc. However, I think the sum is definitely better than parts, thankfully.
I'm not a sappy person (i.e. I find those teary moments in Survivors when they read letters from loved ones repulsively manipulative and pathetic. For crying out loud, they're not POW, they're gone less than a month to play a game!), but I find the emotional scenes stirring. Obviously, each of us react differently, but I felt the enormity of what's at stakes and saddened by the untimely death of certain characters. There is a sense of longing and loneliness at the end of the movie which I find very moving. The action sequences are fantastic and although the outcomes are never in doubt, you do care what might happen.
It's best enjoyed if you can sever the connection between the movie and comic book X-universe. If you keep comparing what's in the movie to the comics, you'll never be satisfied and ruin the enjoyment of the movies in and by themselves. I haven't read The Uncanny X-Men since the late 80's but there is simply no way a movie or 3 for that matter, can faithfully interpret a 40-year mythology. Even Marvel created the Ultimate series (X-Men, Spider-man) which is different from the established myth. All in all, the movie succeeds in spite of Brett Ratner's hackney direction.