Nightcrawler uses faith. X2 rekindled mine (possible spoiler)

Rating: 9/10 (2 May 2003)

"X-Men" sucked, with the exception of Hugh Jackman's performance. Hokeyness abounded with the mutant machine and how Rogue got her white streak.
"X2," however, is a different story - it was brilliant! Loaded with fanboy nods galore (see Wizard Magazine #140 for a list), this film must have been inspired by the awesome effects brought on by "Spider-Man." Colossus's cameo served very well, his armor and role adapted excellently. Siryn and Shadowcat were funny, but other cameos were more surprising. I noticed Beast's brief TV appearance because I was looking for it, but I only wish I had known to look for Sebastian Shaw and Gambit (played by James Bamford - BAMFord as in Nightcrawler's "BAMF?" lol).
Nightcrawler was depicted very well also. He was both pious and humorous, and even exhibited an Oedipus complex when talking to Mystique (his mother in comics). Odd, though, that no one made mention of the smell of brimstone his teleportation creates, nor any jokes about the sound "BAMF."
Lady Deathstrike was a bit disappointing. The codename was never used and she only bared her claws once. Kelly Hu would have made a much better Psylocke, though - an English-Chinese-Hawaiian actress portraying an English-turned-Chinese character.
Somehow, Ian McKellan, Anna Paquin, and Shawn Ashmore came across as their respective characters much more convincingly than in the first film.
The two biggest surprises of the film were those of Jean Grey and ol' Wolvie. Jean goes Phoenix, and Wolvie cries!!!
Highly recommended, even to those who hated the first movie.
PS - Could one of Stryker's soldiers have been Maverick? Hmmm.
PPS - Who was that mutant kid changing the TV channels by blinking?! I cannot for the life of me figure it out. My father, not an X-pert, said that maybe he had a connection to Jean Grey because of his telekinetic powers. My brother then said that maybe it was Cable, who is connected to Jean. I said it couldn't be him because he's from the future. My brother then said he was kidding - the kid was changing TV CHANNELS so he was CABLE. Ha, ha.