X-MEN (2000)

SHORT REVIEW: Every fan of the X-Men comic books collectively breathed a sigh of relief when they discovered this film didn’t stink. It can be a difficult thing messing with the pastimes of nerds. Star Wars, Star Trek and all assortments of comic books are the trade of the braces and retainer set. They take their pointless worship to sci-fi seriously. One wrong move and the filmmakers and actors have the threat of hundred of thousands of wheezing, socially inept geeks coming down on them with flailing sinewy, meatless arms. For this reason, Brian Singer was the perfect man to handle bringing this comic book series to life. He clearly has an understanding of the subject and takes care to bring it to the screen. This film not only served to introduce X-Men to a larger audience but also brought Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman and Famke Janssen into the realm of being household names. Well, Famke isn’t a household name but people know who she is now. The actors deserve credit for their work of course, the acting is far superior in this film compared to other superhero films. With Patrick Stewart and Halle Berry rounding out the line, this is a powerhouse cast. The real surprise of the film, in regards to the acting is Rebecca Romijn as Mystique. The obvious jeer is that I’m saying this because she spends the film essentially naked. I was honestly surprised at how well she performed in the role and bought the character to life. Jackman, McKellen and Stewart aren’t exactly community theatre actors, they’re the real thing. Romijn holds her own and stands out…again, looking beyond the whole being naked thing if that’s possible. Credit must also go to director Singer and screenwriter David Hayter. The film has a lot of explaining to do. What are mutants, who are they, why are they here? What’s with the stupid helmet Magneto wears and who’s that mopey teenage chick? Singer and Hayter take the subject matter seriously enough to give it time to settle and allow the audience to digest all of the content. They allow us plenty of time with the characters to get to know them and patiently lays out their motives and ambitions. They also have enough awareness to allow for plenty of sarcasm. This is about superheroes after all and it can be taken too seriously (have you seen The Hulk?) Introducing this goofy world through Wolverine was a great choice and Jackman handles his role well. His sneering, annoyed looks and scoffing at the drop of a hat deflate the film enough to make it believable. Believability is a key word. Hayter’s script sets up very likable and more importantly believable characters who react to their circumstances in a way most of us can understand. Rogue is a young teenage girl who learns she will literally never be able to touch another person for the rest of her life. Anna Paquin nails the role as we watch Rogue struggle with normal teenage issues along with this whopper of a problem. The whole of the film has realness to it that works and that is why this film is so good. If you’re a fan of superhero films, you’ve probably have already seen this one. If you’re one who skips this kind of thing, this film may not change your mind but if you’re between the two camps I highly recommend this film and the second film in this series. You get some good special effects, some stellar acting and one of the better establishing films (establishing a franchise) ever made. RELATED REVIEWS: X-Men 2: X-Men United (2003) X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)