X2: REVIEW

And so it begins ...

X2 - XMen United: A

I think I should lay some framework before I begin ... I didn't start into the XMen perhaps as early as some of my other friends ... I was always more of a SpiderMan fan ... and actually I didn't particularly enjoy the first couple of Uncannys I read back in 1982 ... yikes

However, a friend convinced to read a 4-parter on Wolverine that just came out (yes, nineteen fROCKen eighty two!!!) ... yeah that mini .... and my comic collecting and reading life has never been the same

After reading that little mini, I was sold ... I've been a Wolverine fan hardcore ultimo to the maximum after that ... and got into the XMen by reading digests ... like the one on Dark Phoenix saga, which led to reading their first OVERSIZED graphic novel God loves Man kills (??? did i muck up the title ... sheesh, I don't want to dig for it) ...

And I suppose foolishly decided I should start reading Xmen from the earliest and cheapest point ... so I read DAYS OF FUTURE PAST ... I actually have those old issues, bought them from Parkers in Pearl City, see how long ago that was

I had been kind of in and out of the series ever since ... I dabbled back in when Magneto went on trial, the infamous Wolverine-Sabertooth battles ... then back in again when they were in Genosha ... having last read the series when they brought Gambit and Bishop on board ... re-did the universe under Jim Lee after 281 and opening the new XMen series (in addition to Unc'y) ... and destroyed the universe in the Age of Apocalypse

And hey, usually I don't rave about something being the rough equal of Days of
Future Past ... but the Age of Apocalypse turns the Xmen continuity upside down ... it has quirks like what if Jean Grey and Logan were together ... and of course brings into the picture once more, Charles Xavier's son, Legion -- the most powerful telepath in the world but warped as fROCk ... and Scott as a BADASSMOFO ... and Beast as this warped genetic doctor

So what about the movie, right? cut the babbling about my love for the Xmen ...

I think it was Wolverine that drew me into the X-Men but it was Cyclops that held me there ... this guy is Marvel's version of the Biblical Job ... never has a character been so tormented by making the right choices and living a really STRAIGHT life ... heck he even tried to start a new life with a Jean Grey lookalike
... this guy tries but everyone loves to abuse the hell out of him ... and I suppose I must get some kind of glee watching him always choose right and have to pay for it emotionally ... and its not like there haven't been people even in the XMen who tried to get his goat, namely Wolverine, much less the villainous Mr. Sinister, et. al

Ok, trying to focus on the movie ... AGAIN! ... ha

This movie is really good in terms of "peeling the onion" on its characters ... the layers start to come off in this movie ... and no, I'm not talking about Halle Berry mysteriously losing the cheesy "Coming to America" African accent ... each story focused character gets work

The brilliance of the storytelling here is this concept of "what is not said" ... what is said and done drives the plot, what is not said gives some depth to the characters that I would not have imagined was possible given the parameters and bounds of a really SHORT-feeling 2 hour and 10 min movie

My initial impression is that I would love to go see it again ... like RIGHT NOW ... ok, fanboyishness aside

There is no good way to set yourself up for the movie ... I know that when I saw the first one, it had done a real good job in chopsueying the stories together that there was a good feel to it, but not enough familiar storyline to say hey thats issue this and that, or thats close to this story arc

Well I think it was maybe 10 minutes into the movie where all this comic movie stuff clicked for me ... I treated it like a comic book ... now, I think Fat Ebert took the same approach ... and to me, for a first view, it is the best ... just as you don't know a comic until you read it ... you know who the characters are ... and then you JUST GO ALONG for the ride

So you all can stop panicking and doing cram reading of old Wolverine issues, circa 49-50, tie ins with Stryker etc. ... stop, just treat this as our favorite bunch being thrown into another fryer ... and then into the fire

Ok, I think I read someone compare this movie to Wrath of Khan, and dammit, I must totally agree ... but more in a concur sense than a total you've said it all kind of way

The first X movie was good in terms of introducing characters but the plot was pretty run of the mill ... much like the first Trek movie, or even Phantom Menace

Lemme give you parallels without dropping plot bombs .... I think its like Trek:WOK because its a damn high pulpy, soapy comics-like drama, with action that moves the plot along and also MEANS something, with really sticky emotional MORAL issues ... ok Star Wars: New Hope, planet blows up, and I go what???? ... WOK, planet gets lit up and I go WOW ... it was like a movie that was Heavy Metal --- filmic heavy metal

Ok, I don't really know where X2 is going ... but let's say ... if the first movie was baby steps ... this one just set the table for something HUGE ... again, we are setting the table but this time, there is impending DOOM on the horizon ... you know, I know it ... but in a movie that actually felt like it meant something ... so unlike the first movie ... X2 tells you it means it by showing you, its not intellectual ... its like the opening riffs of SAD BUT TRUE then play the whole song through ... that's this movie

I think what you see more than in any other superhero movie is the balance and responsibility that having superpowers means ... You could really take out a goodly chunk of the city, if you don't watch it pal --- you get that feel --- but you also see superpowers used in the by any means necessary way ... the dark use of the powers ... much like Vader's choke out of Imperial officers, but really making you squirm in your seat and go damn, what XXXXXXXXX just did just now is sooooo fROCKen evil ... just like when Magneto ripped the adamantium out of Wolverine in XMen #25

The story, well, like I kind of alluded to ... this story is new ... its taking the mythology and familiar aspects and setting off on new spin-off mythology without making our beloved heros and villians seem totally PUT-ON (and make me totally PUT-OFF ....ha)

oh, did i say its a DARK MOVIE .... its a dark movie ... it takes a dark twist on the relationship between parents and children ... the hand of diplomacy and the hand of war ... it even steals from the playbook of the Emperor-Anakin, you'll see what I mean ... and but this along with the character development totally transfuses this particular movie franchise with blood, life, and leaves you at the doorstep of a multitude of future directions

So lets talk characters

Professor X: Never before has it been explained in such a thorough way why this guy is the most POWERFUL mutant on the planet ... until now ... see and believe

Wolverine: ok this movie is heavily Canucklehead focused ... which if you're into Logan as much as I am ... you're like yeah, cool ... and then if he isn't just some slasher intense pawn ... so much the better

This is your XMen 211-213, intense BRUTAL guy ... this is your Weapon X Wolvie solo book guy ... this is the guy that we were like YEAH COOL in Uncanny 132-133 in the sewers trying to rescue Jean from the Hellfire Club ... I referred to Hugh as Huge Jackoff in his first attempt at doing Wolverine ... this time ... the scoreboard says 10!!!

Magneto: Have you seen Apt Pupil or LOTR ... there is something about this man McKellen that just gives off the aura of POWER, authority ... and when he wants to play it EVILLLL!!!! ... need a Satan for your next movie, never has there been a more compelling likable EVIL to the core character in a very long time ... his playing of the character is so brilliant, and the things that he gets to play with in this movie including hints of twistedness in his relationship with Mystique ... wow

Storm: ok, accent gone, what now? Halle showed why the Oscar for Monster's Ball was no fluke ... her expressive face carries much more weight than the dialog could ever put across ... we didn't get as far as put forth the regality of the Goddess aspect of her comicbook character, but I have a feeling its coming

Jean Grey: So fragile, so powerful --- that's the Jean Grey I know ... in some ways, this is a treatment that I would have loved Electra to have gotten in the DD movie .... the unique aspect of this movie is the treatment of Phoenix force ... comic books have one version ... what we are seeing here is a wonderful interpretation on film of the early signs, emotional torment, and rise of the uncontrollable power that once tore asunder a comic book universe ... slow roasting like BBQ ... can't wait til 2006???? ... and the love triangle that has always been played softly in the background of the comics ... Logan - Jean - Scott ... this aspect builds

Cyclops: I have to agree with one review that said ... what? was Michael Biehn (Aliens, Seventh Sign) not available? ... that would have been the ultimate ... we get to see how fragile the poker face leader of the Xmen is ... you can really FEEL his love for Jean ... and no physical displays ... you just feel it ... and that is brilliant

Mystique: IMO, this character doesn't play as EVIL as it could in the comics ... I mean, if you could be anyone at anytime wouldn't you be a bit FULL of yourself ... well, self-esteem and assuredness is a quality I like in the movie Mystique ... and like all dopplegangers ... you are not effective unless you seduce people into believing that you are the person ... so evil, I love it ... you get less of the Magneto's lapdog feel and more of the equal partner feel .... and her scenes with Nightcrawler .... eerie ... where will they take that story arc?

Stryker: So what happens to people who have adverse things happen in their life, particularly with respect to the ones that they love ... I suppose some become as purposeful, embittered, and out to prove a point as much as this character ... kind of an interesting take on this character

Nightcrawler: Welcome to the movies blue BAMF ... must be seen to be believed ... and this movie does him as faithfully as could be from the ink stained blocks on the pages ... really OUTSTANDING and AMAZING

Rogue: from the front line to the backburner ... the highlights of this movie quite clearly is the evolving relationship with Iceman from X the first ice roses to now in this movie and some tricky, well played situations between the two characters

Lady Deathstrike: Imua Kamehameha ... err umm, JCWTF!!! AWESOME!!! ... go see it, and see why ONE (5/6 correction) lines of dialog is ok when you can give Wolverine a BIG RUN for the money

Pyro: DID THIS GUY WANT TOO MUCH MONEY GEORGE?!?!?!?!?!? This guy is pre-Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker ... this guy has the EMO DEPTH that your robot Hayden Christensen does not have even in his big WHINYASS toe ... you wanted to see Anakin fROCk up the Tusken Raiders, wait til you see what this guy does to the ... GULP ... men who protect and serve ...yikes, BRILLIANT!!!

Iceman: I think I think that Nightcrawler is perfectly cast ... well, this time Bobby Drake is Bobby Drake ... I mean, no cheesy, pointless drive Rogue out of the mansion crap this time for plot like the first movie as foil for Mystique

Colossus: the Russian Metallic Genetic Freak makes a cameo, and even in the brief moments on screen, its clear that Singer and crew get it about big metalhead ... saving kids, yeah, that's what Colossus does ... nuff said

And now some were you paying attention during the movie:

Hank McCoy is in the movie ... watch closely

And pay some BIG TIME attention to when Stryker's files are being tapped ... did I see something about a Wideawake ... or an Omega Red ...or Muir Island ... this one is for the DVD and freeze frame

And try to figure out who some of those new mutants (the kids) might be ... and yeah the pun was intended

Oh the possibilities of where its going from here ... there's a certain city in Arizona that gives me some ideas .... this series it seems will continue on and thats a real good thing ... now I only hope they still can have the same crew work on the next one or ones (we can hope ...ha) ... how bout a Wolverine movie that covers Yagyu, Mariko, and the Asian aspects of that storyline

Finally ...
A comic book movie that even a ComicHead can love ... thanks Bryan Singer ... keep up the good work

Excelsior! ... or Latin for excellent, will see again ... and again ... and again

(Comic Images (c) Marvel Entertainment)