The film version of Stan Lee and Jack "The King" Kirby's best-selling comic book creation, X-Men, has finally succeeded where more than twenty years of four-color, superhero movies have failed. They have finally got it right...
It is a stunning cinematic experience, faithfully adapting nearly 40 years of continuity into a stream-lined, fast-paced, wonderfully exciting trip into the legendary Marvel Universe. X-Men features incredible portrayals of much of the classic mutant cast, especially virtual unknown (at least here in the States) Hugh Jackman as Logan, the Canadian wildman we all know and love as Wolverine. Jackman seems born to play this coveted role with every bit of gruff and grim gusto; his Wolverine looks as if he simply stepped off one of Chris Claremont and John Byrne's exquisitely crafted pages. The rest of the cast was also pleasantly well-casted and well-suited for their roles, including the handsomely chisled James Marsden as the stoic field commander Cyclops and the gorgeous Anna Paquin as the can-never-touch-but-wish-we-all-could Rogue. Famke Janssen and Halle Berry are beautiful and bold as Jean Grey and Storm, respectively, not just appearing as fleeting shards of eye candy, but actually adding depth and strength to the flow of the film. Patrick Stewart's excellent Professor Charles Xavier is in fine Stewart fashion, extrapolating on his Jean-Luc Picard character, and adding genuine compassion and warmth.
Ian McKellan is superb as the tortured master of magnetism, Magneto, playing the part with malicious glee, tempered with an extreme form of jingoism for his cause of the militant uprising of mutants over "normal" people. His Brotherhood of (Evil) Mutants is composed of Sabretooth, viciously and animalistically portrayed Tyler Mane, The Phanton Menace's Ray Park is the wickedly amusing Toad, and the stunning Rebecca Romaijn-Stamos is the shape-shifter Mystique. Park actually had the most to say of Magneto's henchmen, but it was appropriate as these three comprise an awesomely evil team of muscle and not philosophy like their leader.
The productions values were spectacular, as were the settings, taking us from a stark, malign concentration camp in Poland to the wilds of the Canadian north to the serenity of Westchester, New York to a mind-bending climax on Liberty Island. The action sequences were well-paced and action-packed, and much more smoother and better choreographed than any of the Batman films. The special effects, especially Wolverine's legendary adamantium claws, were truly awe-inspiring.
X-Men was meticulously directed by Bryan Singer, who along with 20th Century Fox, actually listened to and cared about what X-Fans thought and wished to see on screen. Although we would have all liked to have stayed in that theater for another 95 minutes, there are many more stories to tell, and God willing, Fox will let it happen.
Most importantly, X-Men finally gives Marvel Entertainment Group a firm footing on film, a foundation that was never fully in its grasp until the surprise hit of two years ago, Blade. Now that Marvel has discovered that it can succeed with its top-tier characters, the sky is truly the limit for its varied cast of great characters. I hope that Warner Bros. will sit up and take notice at what X-Men has accomplished. Maybe this will be a wake-up call to those studio executives in charge of Superman and Batman, and make them realize that the fans' input really does count in the end...
Highest recommendation!
