Abandons originals character-based approach in favour of more action and special effects(spoilers)

Rating: Null/10 (23 June 2003)

"X2", made three years now after the original, is a slick, spectacular but in the end only passable sequel to X-Men. This one has increased the action and special sequences to an almost numbing degree and intended developments in the storyline fail to bring it any further at all. Worst of all, despite all efforts, this sequel does not give us the empathy with the characters that was a strength of the original film. Still, it's not a complete loss and has one or two memorable moments.
The story is now a few months on from the original, and the President has come no closer to passing his law regarding the registration of mutants. After a near-fatal White House attack by a blue-skinned teleporter (Alan Cumming), he sides with Stryker (Alan Cox) a military maniac with revenge and genocide on his mind...
Elsewhere, Logan (Hugh Jackman) has come no closer to finding out about his past while the imprisoned Magneto (Ian MacKellen) craftily plots his escape...
The storyline and script are not quite on a par with the original and there is a touch of a disappointment that the story has not really been brought any further and only leads to yet more set-up for future films (producers have revealed they intend to make at least three more). Humour is also very limited in this film, deadening a great many scenes.
The performances in this film are inconsistent. On the plus side, MacKellen and Patrick Stewart (reprising his role as the benevolent Professor X) turn in their usual dignified performances. Anna Paquin and Shawn Ashmore (as Rogue and Iceman) make a quietly convincing romantic couple. The best performance is Alan Cumming as NightCrawler, who makes a colourful, zesty addition to the X-Men and is especially good when paired with Halle Berry's Storm. Berry and Cumming are not an obvious pairing, the principal reason why their on-screen relationship works so well.
However, neither Hugh Jackman or James Marsden (as Cyclops) add anything new to their roles. Alan Cox is a major disappointment as Stryker. He plays the role with just a little too much subtlety, to the point where he is unable to evince any menace or threat. Famke Janssen's Jean Grey is given a more pivotal role in this sequel, but Janssen does not have the necessary range to make the audience sympathise with her character. This is especially crucial in the film's closing finale.
The action sequences are very many in this film, but notable standouts include Nightcrawler's opening attack on the White House, as he teleports and punches his way around numerous armed guards. Best of all is Magneto's ingenious escape from his "plastic prison". The action is a little overdone though, and a bit more restraint with these kinds of scenes would have maybe let them have a little more impact.
Whilst not without it's high points, it's the law of diminished returns for this follow-up. Here's hoping director Bryan Singer recovers his form and delivers a more satisfying "X-Men 3".