A typical mid-series sequel that accomplishes everything it should.

Rating: Null/10 (3 May 2003)

I admit it. I was waiting at the theatre when it opened to see this one. The first episode was refreshing, powerful and deeply symbolic. A bad guy who was a Holocaust survivor, a telepathic scientist denied the use of his body, and so on. What I liked best about it was that instead of "mutant" you could substitute "black", "gay", "jew" or any number of traits, visible or not, which make unwilling superheroes of anyone who deals with the prejudice such traits engender.
I wasn't disappointed. This episode accomplishes exactly what it must. It deepens old characters, introduces new ones, and creates enough loose ends to get us excited about the finale. Remember The Empire Strikes Back? Surely the weakest of the Star Wars trilogy, but entirely successful in its objectives.
From the first scene, in which a tattooed, teleporting, devil-tailed, psalm-chanting, German-accented Nightcrawler (Allan Cumming, Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion) make his stunning entrance, X2 works on every level. In the spirit of the Lord of the Ring mid-sequel, not a second is wasted explaining why Magneto (Ian McKellen, Gods and Monsters) is locked up in a plastic prison, or why mutants are split into two camps with equally brilliant and powerful leaders, one fighting for equal rights and the other for Mutant Power.
But before we get all enraptured by the flash, and you will, take time to consider the subtle brilliance of this film. It cannot be mere coincidence that Magneto is imprisoned in a plastic prison that recalls the underground cell of another evil genius, Hannibal Lechtor? Why not? Check the cast. Brian Cox, here as the twisted human ex-Army commander Stryker, was the first to portray Dr. Lechtor back in Michael Mann's ham-handed Manhunter, long before Sir Anthony even read the script for Silence of the Lambs. And if X2 lacks the grace and warmth of Sam Raimi's masterpiece, Spider-Man, it makes up for it in irony and insight.
The beauty of all superheroes, and the source of their authenticity, is their vulerability. For all their superpowers, X-Men are most appealing when they are human and flawed. Wolverine's ( Hugh Jackman, Kate and Leopold) tormented longing to know his past, and the dangerous passion he feels for Dr. Jean Grey strike a pleasing balance to his rough and gritty exterior. Nightcrawler's invasion of the White House, scored by the powerful strains of Mozart's "Requiem", contrasts beautifully to his vulnerable self-mutilation and Psalm-chanting.
OK, so I really liked the face-off between Wolverine and Stryker's lacky Deathstrike (Kelly Hu), but it is the gentler moments, and I can't even tell you about them without ruining the movie for you, that make this movie work. But you need some teasers, so here goes.
One of the main characters dies, I think. Maybe not. We'll have to wait for the finale to be sure. Magneto is more complex than you might have imagined, and together with Mystique, he is bad to the bone. One character, looking uncannily like Brad Dourif from the Exorcist III, renders a great performance without ever saying a word. Someone will leave the Xavier camp for Magneto's side. You can never go home. And, just to make sure you see it ASAP, The Cyclops/Wolverine/Dr. Grey triangle will be resolved once and for all.
I can't wait for the third episode.