X2 (2003)

I dive into the X-Men movies after years of staying away from them.

Title: X2

Series: X-Men

Based on the Comic series started by: Stan Lee

Director: Bryan Singer

Starring: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, and Halle Berry

Rated: PG-13

Released: 2003

Rating: 4/5

Basic Plot: An enemy has come that threatens all mutants. This leads the X-Men and Magneto's mutants to join as one team.

Nightcrawler
Many people love Nightcrawler in this movie. I must agree with them. While I don't love him in this movie, he is a very good character. The fact that he is religious doesn't take away from his good character (since he isn't one to shove a bible into your face or say you're wrong for not believing in God). He is also very amusing and I like the reason for his tattoos.

Jean Grey Foreshadowings
There are many instances of Jean Grey's future turn into the Phoenix in this movie. The fact that she suddenly gets increased abilities (that include her being able to explode bombs) and her eyes turn fiery indicates the coming change. I probably would've missed the foreshadowing if I didn't know that the Dark Phoenix Saga is dealt with in X3: The Last Stand.

Lady Deathstrike
I must admit she is sexy and cool. There are hints throughout the movie that she isn't all she seems to be. The constant knuckle cracking indicates she is a female Wolverine. I would complain it's a cheap trick to take a male character and make him have a female version, but I don't care in Lady Deathstrike's case. I realized early on that the sound she was making was too loud to be normal. She was one of my favorite characters in this movie, nevermind that she hardly (if ever) speaks.

Final Thoughts
This is a highly enjoyable film. It is, in short: Kick ass. Iceman's coming out to his parents draws a clear parallel to a gay coming out (one of the lines being: Have you ever tried not being a mutant?). While there is a connection with mutants being treated like gays (and that is very good and thoughtful) the action also holds up really well. In fact, if the action wasn't done as well as it was, the movie would've suffered.