The mutants aren't evolving

Rating: 7/10 (23 April 2003)

The opening scene of 'X2' is a cracker, but from there the story and situations lack innovation and largely fail to deliver the goods. It's a real shame, as you won't find a more intriguing clutch of characters. The mutants are the whole point of 'X-Men' but most are developed no further than they were in the original, despite the filmmakers' pre-release promises to the contrary.
Rogue, Professor X and the phenomenally bland Cyclops are genuine disappointments, and while Storm and Magneto hold their own, Nightcrawler is a missed opportunity and Lady Deathstrike is only required for a single scene though she appears throughout. Hugh Jackman's brooding presence as Wolverine and the shape-shifting powers of Mystique give the movie a boost whenever they're on screen, and Brian Cox does what he can with a role which is essentially that of the army guy who's forever chasing The A-Team.
The whole set-up screams 'franchise' (you can almost hear the toy manufacturers drooling), but after the splash made by the original it deserves so much more.
When X3 eventually comes around (XXX has been done, so 'X-cubed' maybe?), I say plot be damned - just let the mutants strut their stuff.