X-Men
From AwardAnnals
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| Director(s) | Bryan Singer |
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| Series | Part 1 of The X-Men trilogy |
| Distributor | 20th Century Fox |
| Honors | |
| Born into a world filled with prejudice are children who possess extraordinary and dangerous powers—the result of unique genetic mutations. Cyclops unleashes bolts of energy from his eyes. Storm can manipulate the weather at will. Rogue absorbs the life force of anyone she touches. But under the tutelage of Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart), these and other outcasts learn to harness their powers for the good of mankind. Now they must protect those who fear them as the nefarious Magneto (Ian McKellen), who believes humans and mutants can never co-exist, unveils his sinsiter plan for the future! | |
Born into a world filled with prejudice are children who possess extraordinary and dangerous powers—the result of unique genetic mutations. Cyclops unleashes bolts of energy from his eyes. Storm can manipulate the weather at will. Rogue absorbs the life force of anyone she touches. But under the tutelage of Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart), these and other outcasts learn to harness their powers for the good of mankind. Now they must protect those who fear them as the nefarious Magneto (Ian McKellen), who believes humans and mutants can never co-exist, unveils his sinsiter plan for the future!
Honors
Reviews
Amazon.com
In a time when race and religion don’t separate people, but extra powers and mutated characteristics do, two longtime friends, Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) part ways, only to become rivals over the issue of how much patience they should have with “normal” people. Living lives that scare most humans lacking the “X-factor” (a special power such as telekinesis), they fight over changing the general population into mutants. Xavier decides to help mutants in a special school while waiting for humanity to be more accepting, while Magneto opts to change all “normal” people into mutants in order to create a mutant-only world. Leading a group of four powerful X-Men (and women) to rescue one lost girl (the mutant Rogue, played by Anna Paquin)—and the entire population of New York—Xavier recruits a new member to their group: Logan (Hugh Jackman), better known as Wolverine, joins the team with much reluctance, only to prove very valuable to the rescue effort.
Each member of the X-Men has mastered their special gift—the ability to create a storm (Storm, played by Halle Berry), telekinesis (Dr. Jean Grey, played by Famke Janssen), eyesight carrying laserlike destructive power (Cyclops, played by James Marsden), the ability to heal nearly any wound he sustains (Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman). The chemistry among these four sets the stage for some expert teamwork—and some hidden romance. The mutants’ ensemble work drives the action sequences, such as in a train station battle with Magneto’s crew—including Sabertooth (Tyler Mane), Toad (Ray Park), and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos)—that unleashes a lot of destruction, thanks to the striking special effects.
You don’t have to be a fan of the hugely popular X-Men comic books to enjoy Bryan Singer’s film, which is loaded with creativity, cool effects, and characters complex enough to lift it above run-of-the-mill action films. And Singer sets the stage admirably for the sequels that could turn X-Men into the strongest comic-book franchise since Batman. —Sandra Levin
Barnes and Noble
From uncanny in the comics to action blockbuster at the box office, the mutant superhero group the X-Men serve their audience well in this live-action adaptation directed by Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects). Highly anticipated by fans for years—the comics date back to the 1960s—the film intelligently tackles the comics’ common themes of racism, immigration, and identity, with the aid of a crackerjack ensemble cast. Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Famke Janssen, Halle Berry, James Marsden, and adorable Anna Paquin are regarded as outsiders both by humans and by their own mutant race. Chronicling the beginnings of professor Xavier’s super-powered X-students (who flaunt super costumes to match), the battle focuses on sinister primary foe Magneto (Ian McKellen), with his mutant minions, played by Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and Ray Park (a.k.a. Darth Maul) at his side. A George Wallace-like senator (Bruce Davison) launching a campaign against mutantkind only complicates things for our heroes, but provides for some good character drama, a tactic that has always made the X-Men comics as super as they are. Singer’s stylish direction handles the action well and with a bit less silliness than other recent comic-book adaptations, while X-Men creator and all-around comic legend Stan Lee cuts the mustard in a fine cameo as a hot-dog vendor. The X-ceptional 1.5 DVD features an Enhanced Viewing Mode, incorporating more than 60 extra minutes of behind-the -scenes footage and previously deleted material. Tony Nigro
