Has the most depth of the trilogy

Rating: 8/10 (10 April 2012)

I think the X-Men films have been so popular because the X-Men dare to be different. The concept of the X-Men strays far from superhero conventions. If you approach the X-Men films thinking you're getting something akin to Superman, Spider-Man or Batman, forget it.
The unique concept of the X-Men is that humanity is starting to evolve to the next level and humans all over the globe are starting to manifest superhuman powers from the mutant "X" gene. Two mutant leaders, who are also old friends, take highly contrasting positions. Charles Xavier starts a school for mutant youths in upstate New York. His attitude is positive and his goal benign. Eric Lensherr or Magneto, on the other hand, is fed up with the paranoia of non-mutants. He starts a "Brotherhood of Mutants" with a clear attitude of superiority. And, as they say, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
You could say that Xavier takes the approach of Martin Luther King Jr. while Magneto goes the route of Malcolm X, an interesting comparison.
Although everybody has their favorite, I feel all three films in the original trilogy are of the same general quality - "X-Men" (2000), "X2: X-Men United" (2003) and "X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006).
"X2" is generally considered the best of the three and goes deeper into the conflict of Xavier's school, Magneto's Brotherhood and the US Government's increasing involvement, as laid out in "X-Men." More mutants are introduced. On Xavier's side: Nightcrawler, Colossus and Shadowcat. On the villain side: Lady Deathstrike and Government agent William Stryker.
"X2" has the most depth and features numerous interesting character-defining moments along with great action scenes, like the one between Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike near the end. There's also a particularly notable clash when Wolverine and others are forced to confront Federal agents as they storm Xavier's school. In other words, the US Government becomes the proverbial "bad guys." Take note how Wolverine shows no mercy.
Unfortunately, the film overstays its welcome and goes on and on well after Wolverine's fight with Deathstrike, but I'm not complaining. I like the emphasis on character and the way the film eschews moronic "blockbuster" conventions.
GRADE: A-