Flat out incredible

Rating: 9/10 (16 May 2003)

Grade: A
There's so much to talk about in a two-and-a-half hour movie that it's absolutely overwhelming. The movie starts with a highly original special effects sequence; something of a rarity in today's copycat special effects market. This sequence involves Nightcrawler's assassination attempt on the President where he takes out all of the Secret Service Agents in the White House. This "poof" special effect used for Nightcrawler's teleportation is one of the many wow-factors in this movie. Unlike most films, the opening sequence here is a good indicator of things to come. On a side note, director Bryan Singer makes an excellent decision to not mimic any special effects from The Matrix. X2 succeeds in the one department it's predecessor fell short in: special effects. Not only does it succeed, it's one of the few movies each year that effectively utilizes special effects (Minority Report and Harry Potter 2 were the only two from last year's effects filled pics).
Beyond the first sequence the movie flows effortlessly through it's plot points. The only complaint I really have is that the editing was not as good as it could have been. The scene-by-scene editing was fine, in fact I would have more than gladly stayed in the theatre to watch a 5-hour version of X2, but the in-scene editing could have used a little work at times. The storytelling is all but forgotten with a director like Singer aboard and with screenwriters that seem to know all the beloved characters inside and out. Fans of the series are given tastes of characters like Colossus, Jubilee (for about a second), Shadowcat, and most exciting is the preview of Jean's Phoenix character which I will mention later. This movie uses a perfect balance of characters from the first film while adding just enough to keep it interesting and not convolute it. I'd love to see Apocalypse, more Sabretooth, Morph, Beast, Gambit, and a whole lot of other characters in the next few films, but I can wait for them as long as the movies are of this high quality.
I didn't expect much from this film because of all the problems that were rumored during production (the most prominent was about some or all of the actors storming off a set when they, the director, and the producers all had some disagreement). But, most of the cast is absolutely flawless. Halle Berry and James Marsden (Cyclops) are the only weak links in the chain. Cyclops' crying scene towards the end drew quite a few chuckles from the crowd and besides her Oscar winning turn in Monster's Ball (which she did deserve), Berry has been one of the worst actresses in Hollywood. This time around her character has about the same number of lines, but none of the lines are as ridiculous as her "do you know what happens to a Toad..." line from the first movie. Besides, Storm kicks some major ass in this movie, especially in the tornado sequence where the Blackbird escapes two ensuing F-16's in breathtaking fashion.
What I liked most about his film was that even though it was PG-13, the characters even more closely resembled their comic book origins. Wolverine finally got to go absolutely berserk and actually stab people. When the mansion is invaded by government agents, Wolverine is shown stabbing a whole lot of them. Needless to say, this was one of the best moments in the film for me. Wolverine's character in the first installment was done as well as possible for the first film in a series, but in this movie his character will please the fans a lot more. The use of mutants' powers was so creative that I smiled even when I knew what was coming. Even when I knew who the shape shifter Mystique morphed into, I was able to appreciate the way Singer and his crew were able to use the camera in such a way as not to disappoint. My favorite use of mutant power has to go unmentioned because it is somewhat of a surprise, but in short: Magneto detects the iron in someone's body and extracts that iron to form balls which he uses to propel as bullets. I hope you can ignore the run on sentences, because after a midnight showing of such an incredible film, I'm definitely on a energy high.
Now, I haven't even mentioned the names Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, or Patrick Stewart yet. Then again there's also Brian Cox, Famke Janssen, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Anna Paquin, and Alan Cumming. In a summary of cast praise, the newcomers are all great with Cumming being the standout, and you get what you expect out of the cast from the first movie. I've said this before and I'll say it again: no actor has ever nailed a comic book character as well as Hugh Jackman has nailed Wolverine. Jackman is probably the most fortunate last minute casting change in movie history.
The character development is as good as it can be in a movie with so many people. I'm really unqualified to comment on how well the movie developed the characters because I new everything about them coming in to the film. Still, my friends who were not X-Men comic veterans didn't seem to have a problem grasping anything at all (another plus on Singer's resume). That being said, they also weren't fully able to appreciate the meaning behind the glimpses of Jean's full power. Everything from her nightmares in the beginning to her decision in the end is indicative of things to come in the next movie. Now, I can't comment for sure, but my bet is that the next movie will be about The Phoenix Saga. The last scene in the movie scans over the water where the damn burst with a running narration from Jean. Under the water we see a glowing firey object flying though the water just before the closing credits roll. What an absolutely incredible tease of an ending. The movie concludes in itself, but like all other great sci-fi/fantasy movies, it gives a glimpse of things to come.
All in all I can't say enough about X-Men 2. The action and story are incredible; when they are interlaced with a highly capable cast and jaw-dropping effects, it all makes for one of the best summer movies I have ever seen. This movie is exactly what the box office needs right now: a good movie that will have people rushing out to the multiplexes in the weeks to come. By the end of this movie if you don't find yourself debating which mutant's powers you most desire, I think it's safe to say your imagination is completely dead. I hope I don't have to wait another three years for X3 (a.k.a. The Phoenix Saga?). So, which mutant do you want to be?