improves on X1

Rating: 8/10 (29 May 2003)

Easy 8 out of 10. Broader and deeper than first film, with a big chunk of Wolverine backstory filled in, more development of Mystique as a character (an even more spectacular shapechanger than the Terminator 2 bad guy :-) ), more development of the ambiguous relationship between Prof X and Magneto and their factions, a new bad guy in the form of Brian Cox's Stryker, and a new good guy: the very German, very Catholic dark blue teleporting gargoyle Nightcrawler. Some wonderful FX (excess blood iron removal, anyone? How about adamantium tears?); overall story and characterisation are there as well. Highly watchable. Sets up nicely for X-3...