Simply Amazing

Rating: 9/10 (8 May 2003)

**This review may contain MINOR SPOILERS. You have been forewarned!** This movie surpassed its prequel in every conceivable way. It had double the budget, which it showcased brilliantly through way more powers being used. From the flashy introduction that tosses us straight into the action up to the thrilling climax that leaves us breathless, this movie grabs on and does not let go until the credits start to roll. It's two hours and twenty minutes of near-perfection. The only complaint that I would make would be that character development for Cyclops was a little weak as it was for Professor X. Now I have some experience with the series, so I can fill in some of the holes myself, but not everyone has this luxury. But it's still a fairly minor complaint amid a sea of praise for this movie. Each and every actor, as far as I'm concerned, ARE the characters that they represent. Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Barry, Alan Cumming, EVERYONE in the cast too lengthy to mention not only acts like their comic book counterpart, but physically resembles them. I think if this series continues for a long time, then this cast will surly be the "Sean Connery" of the X-men movies, all others will simply be trying to imitate them, but there will be only one true cast. The action scenes were, despite everything else, what held this movie up. With the huge budget, the mutants could display their powers far more graphically and more vividly and they certainly do. Everything from Wolverine's vicious defense of the School to Nightcrawler's teleporting to Storm's weather control, everything is now vibrantly showed with incredible special effects. And Magento's jailbreak, while scientifically implausible, is impressive nonetheless. Anyway, isn't that why it's called science-FICTION? All in all, this movie is a more than worthy successor to the first and in fact follows such incredible sequels as Terminator 2 as it, in my opinion, far surpasses it's predecessor. 9/10