Good fun, but where is X-3 heading?

Rating: Null/10 (3 May 2003)

Spoilers
Since the release of X-men in 2000, quite a few of the members in the original cast have attained more prominent recognition, although not yet comparable to the status eventually reached by the cast of The Magnificent Seven. Halle Berry (Storm) an Oscar, albeit undeservedly. Ian McKellen (Magneto) gained worldwide recognition from his portrayal of Gandalf in Lord of The Rings. Rebecca Romijn-Syamos (Mystique) has made her mark in her alluring double role in Femme Fatale. Anna Paquin (Rouge) got considerable exposure, albeit in supporting role, in Almost Famous and Finding Forester (even if her achievement in "The piano" might have been forgotten).
The discarded duo of Toad and Sabretooth from X-1 is amply replenished in X-2. Of the newcomers, I particularly like Nightcrawler, with his fascinating persona of religious good guy cum exotic outsider. Visually, he makes a perfect pair with Mystique, for obvious reasons. Most stunning is the visual interpretation of his teleporting feats, fruit of a perfect marriage of creative imagination and superb techonology.
The new pair of Fire and Ice gets only an introductory exposure but will obviously fuel the main plot in X-3. In conjunction, Rouge gets disappointingly little screen time, particularly in comparison with the key role she had in X-1. Disappointing it may be, the strategy is understandable. The new teenage triangle is to be saved for X-3 while in the meantime, the old triangle of Wolverine, Jean and Cyclops has to be sorted out first in X-2.
Somewhat wasted is black belt holder Kelly Hu's Yuriko. Again the strategy is clear. Yuriko is introduced specifically as a villain in X-2 and is not going to stay around as a member of the mutants. Therefore, it would not be cost-efficient to devote any footage to developing her character, particularly when there are already too many characters to cover.
As the temporary alliance with Magneto ends, we can look forward to resumption of the good old confrontation in X-3. Wolverine will likely continue to be the central character but as the attraction in the searach for his origin is beginning to wear thin, new elements may need to be brought in. Dr. Jean Grey did not really die, as comic fans told me, and will come back. Cyclops however may receive even less attention in X-3 than the pitiably little coverage he has in X-2. As mentioned, the teenage triangle will take a more prominent position. The fate of Nightcrawler, together with that of the earlier members, still remains to be seen. Magneto's camp needs some reinforcement in addition to the fiery guy he just picked up. Hopefully, there will be some wonderful new surprises.
As to X-2, it delivers what I purchased my admission ticket for. In addition to the teleporting I mentioned, there are two things I particularly enjoyed, and they both come from Magneto. The idea of infusing the jailer's blood with an overdose of iron for Magneto to manipulate is ingenious. Annihilating a whole group of soldiers by simply removing the safety pins in their grenades via magnetic influence is also pretty clever. Great fun. Marvellous movie.