X-actly how a sequel should be

Rating: Null/10 (30 April 2003)

* Terrible * * Below Par * * * Not Bad * * * * Good * * * * * Brilliant
WARNING *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
What is it this year.No sooner has one sequel(Shanghai Knights) been and gone that was better than it's predecessor than we get another one.This time the movie happens to be the long awaited X-men 2,or X-2 as the film makers apear to have dubbed it.Having not liked the first movie which I fealt was a huge let down I was most pleasently surprised after watching this.
Starting off where the first movie finished X-2 opens on an attack on the American president in the White house by an unknown assassin.The Presidents bodyguards attempt to defend the countries leader to the best of their ability but the assassin is no mere man.He is quite obviously a mutant and one who's appearance is more inhuman than most. The creature, a German named Kurt Wagner(Played by Scots actor Alan Comming)uses his incredible powers of speed, agility and teleportation to despatch the presidents guards and break in to the oval office where he pins the terrified world leader to a desk while brandishing a massive dagger.It seem a fore gone conclusion that Wagner is about to stab the President with the weapon when he is shot and wounded by one of the world leaders men who happend to still be conscious.
Wagner teleports away,leaving behind the dagger embedded within the President's desk and a label upon it with the words 'Mutant Freedom emblazened upon it.This is more than enough to put the chills up the President and more than needed for the worlds media to seize upon as mutant hating propoganda.
Meanwhile Logan(The amazing Hugh Jackman)or Wolverine as he is also known as,returns to the mutant training school owned by his friend Prof.Charles Xavier(Patrick Stewart).Logan's search for the scientific millitary installation where he lost his memory has been less than fruitful.Reunited with Rogue(Anna Paquin)the teenage girl he helped in the first movie who has the power to sap the energy from any living being.Logan finds that she is now dating another mutant.A teenage boy called Bobby Drake who has the power to freeze virtually any object.
Another teenager at the school is John Allerdyce who has the power of combustion.He can start fires with his mind.This young lad though has a more rebellious nature than his two friends,Rogue and Bobby and through out the movie we see this nature at it's very worse which will lead to a scary move on the part of the young man.
Prof. Xavier meanwhile on learning of what transpired at the white house instructs two of his former pupils, Storm and Jean Grey(The beautiful actresses Halle Berry and Famke Janssen)to try and find the mutant who attacked the President and hope to discover and understand why he did what he did.
As Storm and Jean make their way to find Nightcrawler, former soldier and scientist for the US army, Col.William Stryker(Brian Cox) is attepting to set a diabolical plot he has in motion.A hater of mutants, Stryker uses the powers invested upon him by the President to find out where the mutant training school is.The source of this information is none other than the meniachal Erik Lehnsherr(Ian McKellen), better known as the master of magnetism, Magneto.Stryker gained the information from a device he planted on Magneto's neck.It was this device that made the human despising mutant spill his guts to the colonel.
With his mentally controlled mutant henchwoman Lady Deathstrike(Kelly Hu) in tow, Stryker begins to put his plans in to operation.The invasion of the mutant school and the erradication of every single mutant on the face of the planet.But unknown to Stryker.one of Magneto's lackey's, the cunning shapeshifter Mystique(Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) is out there planning to free her master.It's this act that will lead the pair of human hating mutants in to an uneasy alliance with the X-men.
This is an Excellent movie.Better than than the first movie deserved.Almost every one of the cast gives grade-A performaces.Once again Hugh Jackman is magnificent as possibly the best character in the movie.Who can't help but love that rugged smart ass that Wolverine is.Who can also forget the likes of brits Patrick Stewart,Ian Mckellen,Brian Cox and Alan Comming who are all first rate(Even though Cox's southern accent is a bit on the dodgy side).Kudos must go to James Marsden who thus far has not recieved mentioned as the X-mens team leader Scott Summers aka.Cyclops.His performance as the more buttoned down mutant to Wolverines rugged charmer deseves equal praise.Famke Janssen is also amazing.Not only is she an incredibly attractive woman but a talented actress as well.She brings just the right of courage to Jean Grey while managing to be convincingly scared of a fate that she knows is coming.Halle Berry however isn't so great.Her performance isn't terrible.It's actually quite good but she will never be anything more to me than an attractive woman with just a glimmer of acting ability. Credit however must go to the kids who all give great performances.Paquin,Stanford and Ashmore could possibly be three of the worlds biggest up and coming movie stars.
As for Bryan Singers direction.It is as good as ever.He show's his versatility on this one once again.All you need do is compare this movie to the likes of his first major success, The Usual Suspects to see his flair as a maker of movies.The script too is brilliantly written.The characters are all richly textured.Being truely believable in a world of true fantasy.It's a testament to the writing talents of those involved.The pace is nicely kept and even holds your interest in the dialogue scenes which at times are quite funny.As for the special effects and the make up.They'll just blow you away.
There is the odd little quibble.The final showdown between Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike,although beautifully choreographed could have been a bit longer.The end could also have came a bit sooner as well.
That said however, X-2 is first rate cinema entertainment at it's very best.When you get the chance I suggest you rush out and see it as soon as you can.Because blockbusters that are this good don't come around all that often and trust me, I know.I've seen enough of them to attest to it.
Robs Rating:* * * * *