X-Men sequel X2 tells the story of a group of mutants who see it as their duty to act as the guardians of humanity.

Rating: Null/10 (29 May 2003)

At the head of the X-Men, as they are called, is Professor Charles Xavier, played by none other than Patrick Stewart, who has played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation since 1987. Going up against him, and his band of unusual superheroes, is supervillain Erik Lehnserr AKA Magneto, played Sir Ian McKellen, known to many New Zealanders as Gandalf from Lord of the Rings. For a science fiction flick the film relies little on science, although there are some referenced to evolution, and has plenty of morals - even Christian ones. The most obvious morals come from Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner, the German mutant otherwise known as Nightcrawler who prays when he's in a scrape and is constantly talking about his faith in Jesus - refreshing for a film that could so easily have relied on technobabble. At times the film, now showing at Te Awamutu's Regent Theatre, was difficult to follow with the plot leaping all over the place - perhaps a result of not having seen the first film. The cast, including New Zealander Anna Paquin as Rogue, delivered a sterling performance and made me want to hire the original from the video store. I'm particularly intrigued by Wolverine's (Hugh Jackman) back story. If you love comic book adaptations then you're bound to love X2.