One of the all time best superhero films

Rating: 10/10 (6 April 2016)

1. Sitting firmly atop my Mount Rushmore of superhero films, X2 fixes my only gripe with the first X-Men (cheesy acting) and maintains the wonderful themes and heart that made it so good. Toad and Sabertooth are gone and replaced by Brian Cox and Alan Cumming. What a trade.
2. Ian McKellen continues to be in his element here. Even when prisoner to the US Government, he walks a fine line between being beaten and still being proud and strong. He comes across almost like a Mandela-esque figure for his movement (violence notwithstanding). Magneto's revenge on Stryker at the film's end is so subtle you might even forget about it, but you can hear the venom in McKellen's voice as he leaves the man to die.
3. Brian Cox is literally one of the best film villains ever. He is as slippery as an eel but when he gets worked up he almost channels Paul Giamatti in that great guttural yell. Every word that drops softly from his lips makes the film better. His Frankenstein/Monster relationship with Wolverine acts as a wonderful arc for the latter.
4. Cox is best in show, thanks in part to his properly written motivations. With modern X-Men films tending towards silly mutant villains like Sebastian Shaw and by the look of it, Apocalypse, brilliantly written characters like William Stryker are becoming a thing of the past. In many ways, X2 is the smartest of the X-Men films because of its intricate political maneuvering and the way the characters frame each other. Were it not for the protagonists, I could very easily believe Stryker caused a state of emergency where all mutants were detained illegally. Some would see that outcome possible in the current Muslim-fearing world.
5. The rest of the cast do great work as well. Jackman is a complete animal as Wolverine in some of the most dramatic scenes, but he has a great sense of comedic timing that Singer gets just right. The death of Jean is some of the best acting he has ever done as this character. Paquin has changed from a child to a young woman, and new confidence holds her up but she still keeps that innocence in the scenes where she is out of her league. The best addition to the cast is an amazing Alan Cumming as the German, religious teleporter Nightcrawler. He's a very gentle soul but carries with him an unsettling reminder that he's not human.
6. The techs are still amazing, especially the makeup and prosthetics on Nightcrawler and Mystique. The visual effects of Pyro's fire, Iceman's frost and the rapid healing of Wolverine are hugely impressive, not to mention the mass explosions and breached dam.
7. Apparently Ian McKellen helped write the scene where Bobby reveals his powers to his family to resemble a scene where a boy comes out to his family as gay. The misunderstanding, the question "have you tried not being a mutant" - these quiet but vital scenes make the X-Men films so different (and so much better) than their counterparts. Just like the previous film, these themes could equally be applicable to people who have mental health problems.
8. The action in this film ups the anti significantly. Not even counting the fight between Wolverine and Deathstrike, there's the attack on the White House, the jet chase, Magneto's escape, Pyro's attack on the police and the attack on the school. It's breathtaking. The fight scene with Lady Deathstrike is utterly amazing, with top notch choreography. While Wolverine fights like an heavy axe, Deathstrike fights like a rapier - fast and deadly. But the end of their fight, with the draining liquid adamantium, there is almost a sense of sadness and tragedy.
9. For a film with one swear word allowed for its rating, Singer places it perfectly. He's the king of directing superhero films, with an impeccable sense of drama, comedy, even a little bit of horror, mystery and epic. He constructs amazing scenes, even with something as little as having Magneto simultaneously pull a platoon's worth of grenade pins. Especially brilliant are the Mystique impersonation scenes, with nifty camera-work and seamless editing transitioning between Stryker as himself and Mystique as Stryker.
10. Rebecca Romijn appears as herself for the only time, seducing a prison guard to help Magneto escape. Take note Jennifer Lawrence. Romijn was dedicated to her art. She went three movies with those prosthetics and only appeared as herself when it made sense.