Serious improvement

Rating: 8/10 (2 May 2003)

While the first X-Men film lacked pace and action, X-2 kicks it off with a stunning set piece as comic fan's favourite Nightcrawler attacks the white house. More set pieces follow as the story unwinds, and treats abound for sharp eyed comics fans as other X-men characters make cameo appearances, leading up to a climax that'll have the fanboys screaming for the third movie. In all, an excellent action movie, but sure to be sadly overlooked with the first Matrix sequel due soon. What doesn't work? Well, Wolverine's self-obsessed agenda (in the comics he's usually much more practical). Professor X's psychic interventions (in the comics he gave up large displays of his power as unethical - here they serve a plot point). In addition, the large number of characters and the storyline conspire to sell short one of comic book's most complex relationships - Cyclops and Jean Grey. Here James Marsden is cruelly underused, but maybe that'll be corrected in X-3 when his role should become pivotal. Summary - if you liked X-Men, you'll love X-Men 2. If you were disappointed by the first one, check out the second one anyway.