A rarity of a sequel in which you don't have to watch the original to experience

Rating: 10/10 (17 November 2003)

X2: X-Men United shares the tradition of Aliens, Dawn of the Dead and The Lost World: Jurassic Park as a sequel far superior than their original counterparts. If i had words to describe this movie, and that is "Ultimate Bad-Ass." The film doesn't waste any time with getting to know the characters as a mutant known as Nightcrawler (A.K.A. Kurt Wagner, played by Alan Cumming) goes on an attack in The White House almost succeeding in killing the president until being deter by an agent. It is then where humans want to do something to efface the gifted mutants from the face of the world by brining in William Stryker (Brian Cox) to capture and illuminate those who have powers.
From the first movie, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) returns from the Alkalide Base in Canada where he discovers that there was nothing left; everything had been deserted. He goes back to the mansion/school in New York to see that nothing has change with the fellow X-Men members Storm (Halle Berry), Jean Gray (Famke Jansen), Cyclops (James Marsden), even Rogue (Anna Paquin) has accepted herself in the school of the gifted. Wolverine learns from Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) that not only is Magneto (Ian McKellan) in a facility, but there is a mutant that almost killed the president.
The X-Men leave Wolverine to take care of the young students where Jean and Storm head up to Boston to meet with Nightcrawler just as Scott and Prof. Xavier meet with Magneto where the head teacher discovers that Stryker has met with the fellow nemesis and giving all the details about the mansion full of mutants. Later that night, Stryker sends his team to capture a few of the students with Wolverine saving a couple of students including Rogue, her boyfriend Iceman and buddy Pyro. With the mutant registration in place, mutants from all sides unite to fight for civilization and the right to live.
X2: X-Men United has more heart pound suspense and savvy action than it's original predecessor. Fans do get to see Wolverine slice and dice things up more than in the first movie; but the real treat however is Alan Cumming's portrayal of the demon Nightcrawler for which everything from the German accent to the design of the creature will have fans talking about him for ages to come.