terrible

Rating: 1/10 (29 May 2006)

Although I know it was never meant to adhere strictly to the comic book storyline, such an extreme divergence should never have been undertaken. The writers latched on to a single event (the Phoenix + Jean) in the X-men storyline and built an entire movie around it, coming up with their own explanations as to why it is there. No explanation of why it would be a Phoenix (other than the fact that we all already know about the Phoenix so of course it makes sense) and deaths thrown in for what seems to be shock value.
Of course, with gratuitous fight scenes thrown in (which were cool; I won't lie about not loving seeing Wolverine own everybody) we're all expected not to notice how Jean kinda stands around in the background indecisively until everybody else is out of the way and she is suddenly in a killing rage for no reason.
And like any good franchise movie, we're left with a little teaser for next time... of course, if popular gossip is to be believed, the chances of another X-men sequel are very low, so now I'm even more annoyed.
This is the only X-men movie I left the theater not liking. I liked the first one less after seeing the second, but only in comparison. Unfortunately, I wouldn't like this movie even if I had to compare it with Battlefield Earth or Behind Enemy Lines. Oh Brian Singer, why did you abandon us?