This movie whoops Matrix Reloaded, and you're an idjut if you disagree

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 2003)

The Architect? The French Dude? The Buxom Woman who Wants to Mack with Keanu? The Keymaster?
While Reloaded took a derivative premise and bloated it to incomprehensibility and tedium, X-Men 2 found its groove. Even my non-comic reading fiancee LOVED this movie.
Here's why you should go see this again and again.
1. Action Scenes that are driven by drama instead of just effects - Nightcrawler's attack on the White House is a fantastic set piece... and that's the first minute. Stryker's futile attempt at capturing the School is even better, with new Mutants popping up everywhere, anda furious Wolverine defending his turf.
2. The new characters are terrific. Nightcrawler's nothing shy of perfect. PERFECT. Pyro. Ten seconds of Colossus. Stryker. Bryan Singer's real feat is juggling almost a dozen major roles with such panache.

3. Halle Berry did not even attempt an accent this time. IT's true. Funniest thing I've witnessed in any movie this year. Guess an Oscar makes acting easier.
4. Magento's escape - It's the single finest comic book-esque moment in any adaptation EVER. Except for....
5. Nightcrawler's mid-air rescue of Rogue.
6. You buy what's happening. If you think for a sec: "that's a cool computer effect," than it doesn't work (i.e. about 90 percent of the Matrix Reloaded).
7. A great twist at the end.
X-Men 2 figured out the trick of making a comic book movie. Treat the characters like real characters, and the action, the special effects, and the drama will follow.