X-Men 2
2003
The X-Men led by Professor Xavier once again return to save the world from a group of mutant creatures. Nightcrawler attempts to assassinate the President, Stryker sets out to capture the pupils at the school for the 'gifted' and Magneto has escaped from his cell and is out to reek havoc... Read more
| Starring | Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry |
|---|---|
| Director | Bryan Singer |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy |
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X-Men 2
The X-Men led by Professor Xavier once again return to save the world from a group of mutant creatures. Nightcrawler attempts to assassinate the President, Stryker sets out to capture the pupils at the school for the 'gifted' and Magneto has escaped from his cell and is out to reek havoc...
| Starring | Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Brian Cox, Famke Janssen, Alan Cumming, James Marsden |
|---|---|
| Director | Bryan Singer |
| Studio | 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 8 mins Blu-ray: 2 hrs 8 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy |
| Language | English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Released | DVD: 10 Nov 2003 Blu-ray: 20 Apr 2009 Production year: 2003 |
| Format | DVD |
X-Men 2 (2003)
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Critics' reviews (6)
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"...A symphony of crescendos and pauses, orchestrated toward a big seat-rattling climax, during which an enormous dam breaks, veins bulge on both villainous and heroic brows, and a lot of computer-generated images pop, wiggle and shimmy to the throb and roar of John Ottman's music..."
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...No other film-maker has better dramatised superpowers in action and yet remembered the human cost of all the trickery. X2 is full of double-edged power fantasies that manage a frisson of awe amid the excitement..."
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Most helpful member's review
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20 out of 24 people found this review helpful
Not much of an evolution
Bryan Singer's 'X-Men' was a fair attempt at making an intelligent take on the comic-book genre, accessible to both newcomers and hardcore fans. The film presented a world where mutants walk among us causing prejudice and hostility.
'X-Men 2' or 'X2'(as it insists on calling itself) picks up shortly after the first film's finale. Magneto(Ian McKellan) is incarcerated in his plastic cell, Wolverine(Hugh Jackman) is taking some time off to investigate his past, and the mutants are generally getting back to whatever it is mutants do. But when an unknown mutant attacks the president, it's the perfect opportunity for military advisor William Stryker(Brian Cox) to launch an offensive against them. He's given the go-ahead to attack the X-Men's school, but he has darker motives behind his actions.
All this is neatly summed up in a pacy, exciting opening half-hour, confidently handled by Singer. It seems to promise a thrilling ride, but the film instantly grinds to a halt.
The main problem with this overplotted movie is the fact that there's too many characters doing too many things in too many different directions. Singer seems determined to focus equally on each of the disparate strands of the plot, lending the film a bloated feel.
Singer has again assembled an impressive cast. Hugh Jackman is again on form as Wolverine, Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart are excellent(especially in their scenes together) and Alan Cumming is a fine addition to the team. Halle Berry and James Marsden fail to bring much to the party while Brian Cox is a disappointing villain.
There's still much to enjoy here. Ian Mckellan's prison break is a stand-out scene and the attacks on the school and the white house are both brilliantly handled. But the messy climax manages to feel both rushed and overlong, and there's the nagging feeling that a good 20 minutes here could be easily lost.
The X-Men series is all about evolution, but this entry in the franchise is a case of arrested development. -
Most recent members' review
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Marvel-ous
There are those comic adaptations which do not bear up well under scrutiny such as 'The Hulk', 'Daredevil' and 'LXG'.
And then there are the classics such as 'Spiderman' and 'X-Men'. X-Men 2 falls squarely into the latter category. The special effects and action are better than the first film, there is good character development (Plus Alan Cummings as Nightcrawler must get best newcomer) and the film contains probably the best fight scene ever between Wolverine and his female counterpart.
There is no reason I can think of not to rent this film, so go on, what are you waiting for! -
News and features
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Cumming to play Spider-Man villain
- 29 Jun 2009
Scottish actor Alan Cumming has been confirmed as Norm Osborn/The Green Goblin in Julie Taymor's ambitious new Spider-Man musical. The actor will play the villain of SpiderMan: Turn Off the Dark on Broadway next February (10), opposite Evan Rachel Wood, who will portray the SpiderMan alter-ego Peter Parker's love interest Mary Jane Watson in the production, which will feature new music composed by U2 stars Bono and The Edge. There's still no word on who will play the lead, but Wood is keen to... Read more
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- X-Men 2 - BLU-RAY Version
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The X-Men led by Professor Xavier once again return to save the world from a group of mutant creatures. Nightcrawler attempts to assassinate the President, Stryker sets out to capture the pupils at ... -
