better than the first?

Rating: Null/10 (4 May 2003)

im not quite sure how much better this movie is than the first but let me assure you that it's great. well...that is with the exception of jean grey's bobbed wig when she's supposed to have long flowing red hair. oops? or the mysterious disappearance of storm's heavy african accent. what can't an oscar winner like halle berry hire a dialect coach like everyone else in hollywood? maybe she could have borrowed the one that worked with alan cumming to make him german (wonderfully executed if i may add).

possible SPOILERS**** the movie's opening sequence is an amazing feat really bringing nightcrawler lovers to our knees to actually see his teleporting with such pizazz...amazing. really great for fans who finally get to see it in a real life-sort of way. i was pleasantly surprised, as was every other fan, to see the bits and beginnings of the dark phoenix saga sneaking into this film, you can so guess where X3's gonna take off. the mini reference to beast (catch the tv broadcast at the bar? the pre-transformation beast giving his "im a famous doctor on tv" opinion on a news show) was a great little tidbit that may appear in the next movie...fingers crossed.
but there are some trying questions and disappointments. for instance, how could sabertooth be absent in a movie that so blatantly deals with wolverine's past and the whole weapon x thing? or where is gambit? hello...a bunch of chics with the hots for our cajun card-exploding thief were waiting. if they can cgi a hulk, why not try for beast? it really would have been great. could they have extended jubilee or shadowcat? what's with nightcrawler being like thirty-something? not that i dont love alan cumming, but wasn't kurt younger?
my little mini-beefs with the movie are so small compared with how great i thought this movie was. its good. any fan would love it. it seems longer than the first and watch out for the awesome wolverine fight scenes when the school gets taken over. storm also gets some more action. and mystique...well, let's just say that she never looked better and the camera work really lets us know it.
for a comic book movie 8/10* really well done.