More evolved

Rating: 8/10 (17 April 2005)

The first "X-Men" movie had plenty to recommend it--good action sequences, strong cast--but it was, ultimately, a set-up for a franchise. While the film was on the surface about a group of super-humans fighting external prejudice and internal threats, it was also establishing the world and the characters for future installments--at least for those who have little to no experience with the comic books on which the franchise is based. But it's hard to complain, as "X2: X-Men United" fully justifies the effort.
We pick up where the first movie ended: telepathic Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) presides over a private school where budding mutants can nurture their minds and talents away from the cruelties of humanity, the renegade Magneto (Ian McKellen) languishes away in a plastic cell (his mutant powers, as indicated by his name, would render metal bars an insufficient restraint), and lone wolf Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is still trying to piece together his past. But an attack at the White House stirs up anti-mutant sentiment in the public, and it isn't long before the usual assortment of government thugs are after our heroes. All of this ends up tying into one General Stryker (Brian Cox), a militant who's made it his goal in life to subdue and destroy mutantkind, forcing the mutants who were enemies in the first movie into an uneasy alliance.
This sounds like a lot for one movie to handle--and there are several subplots we don't have time to go into now--but Bryan Singer is more successful at keeping the various characters and story lines in play than he was in the first film. Part of this, of course, is due to the fact that a large majority of the characters were established in part one, but "X2" on the whole is a tighter and more cohesive screenplay, resulting in a more satisfying film on the whole.
The ensemble cast is, once again, very good. McKellen has the opportunity to take Magneto and run with him, and unsurprisingly creates a character both sympathetic and reprehensible (considering Magneto was established in the first movie as a Holocaust survivor, his actions towards the end of this one are the height of irony). Likewise, Cox's Stryker is a vile man, but one whose actions spring from a very understandable place. Jackman reminds us why Wolverine proved to be his break-out role, playing a fine balance between the character's feral strength and rage and his carefully concealed inner turmoil. Strongest among the newcomers is Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, the mutant who attacks the president in the opening sequence but who soon proves a useful ally to the good guys. He also has the distinction of being one of the few openly Catholic characters I can recall who is neither a hypocrite or a self-righteous bastard, and his deep but unforced spirituality is very refreshing.
The end for "X2" contains what is blatantly a set-up for a third film, but who's complaining? If they can keep up the good work like this, I'm more than happy with the implied "To Be Continued."