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  • X-Men

    		•

    FILMS

    X-Men (2000)
  • Starring Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Anna Paquin, James Marsden, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, Bruce Davison, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Tyler Mane, Ray Park

  • Directed by Bryan Singer

    • Fans of the comic book The Uncanny X-Men have waited for this film to make its way through the Hollwood studio machine for roughly 25 years. The masses who grew up with Marvel's magnificent mutants—students at a "School for Gifted YOungsters" run by Professor Charles Xavier (played by the finest bald-pated man working in Hollywood, Patrick Stewart)—were richly rewarded last July. Sir Ian McKellen deftly plays the righteous and plotting master of magnetism, Magneto, who believe that war is brewing between humans and mutants.

    Enlisting the aide of Sabretooth (Tyler Mane), Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) and Toad (Ray Park, most recently "seen" in Sleepy Hollow and Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantome Menace), Magneto's designs are bent on turning the world's leaders into mutants.

    Fortunately for the world, the X-Men are there to save the day: Dr. Jean Grey (Famke Jenssen), Cyclops (James Marsden), Storm (Halle Berry), Rogue (Anna Paquin), and last but not least, Wolvering (Hugh Jackman).

    (Originally published in Satellite Direct magazine, January 2001.)

    Addendum: I was so excited when this movie came out. This could've been a huge disaster like many other adaptations (i.e., Tomb Raider) but I think they pulled it off. It's exciting and action-packed, but has a few tender scenes where characters have time to develop.

    And X-Men 2 should be coming out sometime next year. I just hope it doesn't follow the Batman series: the number of characters in the movie is inversely proportional to how good the film is. If X-Men 2 can keep down the number of characters (despite fanboys shouting, "We want Gambit!" or, "Show us Nightcrawler!") and keep up the quality, they should come out with an enjoyable film. But mark my words, if they start adding x-man after x-man to the team—just so the producers can wow us with their CGI abilities—then I won't be buying a ticket.