X2 is a stronger movie than the first.

Rating: 7/10 (16 May 2003)

They say this is the summer of sequels. The more cynical feel this is going to be the summer of recycled ideas. Some say Hollywood producers are chanting, "If it isn't broken, why fix it." Whatever your viewpoint is, it is possible for sequels to be entertaining and well written. Such is the case for X-men 2: X-men United.
We are able to see our favorite characters from the last film. We have Storm (Halley Barre), Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Professor X/Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen), and so on. There are a couple of new ones, Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming) and Yuriko Oyama (Kelly Hu).There are also some cameo's of other favorite mutants from the comics series, including Collosus and Shadow Cat and Henry McCoy (Beast). The returning cast seemed really comfortable in their roles. There was a chemistry between them, you felt they had a history together, they knew each other for years. These characters are mutants, the next step in human evolution. They have a special power, i.e. telekenisis, teleportation, telepathy, accelerated healing, shape-shifting; I'm sure you get the idea.
The cynics might be disappointed to know there is an actual plot. This is a story that continues to deal with a struggle between mutant and human, mostly with one man's hatred for them and his unquenchable desire to destroy any and all mutants. His name is Stryker, played by Brian Cox, who is a military scientist, apparently brilliant enough to develop a plastic prison that can hold the mutant Magneto, who is able to control magnetic fields (I know I would've never thought of that). The movie also reveals part of Wolverine's forgotten past. We see unlikely allies, old enemies, new alliances - all of which are neatly tied together throughout the movie. The story keeps moving. There are a number of subtle references to things that might happen if there is a next movie. I will admit - I was a little surprised by the ending.
The special effects are well done. They were pretty flawless. For example, the effects for Nightcrawler, a mutant who can teleport -without the help of Patrick Stewart's Enterprise- were stunning and, for lack of a better description, believable. In line with the effects, the fights were well choreographed. The big fight for this movie is between Wolverine and Yuriko - both are mutants who have some how had their skeletons infused with a rare, indestructible metal, adamantium. And if you ever wanted a reason why you shouldn't get in a fight with a woman with nails, this is the best reason yet.
Again, to the disappointment of the skeptics, there is character development. We particularly see this in three young mutant, Bobby "Iceman" Drake (Shawn Ashmore), Rogue (Anna Paquin), and John "Pyro" Allerdyce (Aaron Stanford). These are three teen-aged mutants attending Professor X's school for the gifted, a school dedicated to educating mutants in not just their abilities, but in the three R's as well. We see them each dealing with their mutant "condition," and how it affects them personally. This brings substance to the film, bringing a more day-to-day dealing with their mutant powers and how it affects them and the ones they love, and to whom they ally themselves.
This movie does not religiously follow the comics books. Some liberties have been taken. Obviously the costumes aren't like the ones we see in the comic books. No problem with that; Spandex is so 80's anyway. Some of the history and origin of various mutants and non-mutants have been modified (i.g. Yuriko was not a mutant, but a cyborg, and she was known as Lady Deathsrike). However, the overall concept of the story stays true enough to the comic book. My only beef is Mystique's lack of clothing. Granted, when she fights, the style is very serpentine, and she is seductive by nature. However, put some clothes on her! She was able to morph into some sort of dress in the comic book, they could at least do that. No, she's not really naked in the film, but the white dress with the skull belt in the comics added a certain flair to the character and some modesty.
It is hard for a sequel to top it's predecessor. It's even harder for a film based on a popular character(s)/story to meet the expectations of it's original fan base. This movie succeeds at both. The story has more meat. The characters have more flesh to them. The writing was well done (I'm still scarred by Storm's last words to Toad in the first movie); good whit, timely humor. This movie is able to stand alone, though there is more to appreciate if you've seen the first movie. Brian Singer did a good job directing. The story flowed. I didn't find myself squirming in my seat, looking at the time. This is not Oscar material, but it is entertaining. The movie came to a conclusion but still left room for a third (now the "true" film critics are about to throw up). Over all, it's worth seeing on the big screen and worthy to open the summer movie season.