X2: X-Men United (May 2/03)

As far as summer entertainment goes, X2: X-Men United is about as good as it gets. It's chock full of special effects and over-the-top stuntwork, but it's also got characters worth caring about (played by better-than-expected actors) and a storyline that doesn't exist merely to kill time between action sequences.

The film picks up where the first one left off, and the various X-Men (and women) are living contently in Professor Charles Xavier's (Patrick Stewart) gigantic house. But when a mutant called Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming) stages an assassination attempt on the President, the X-Men become concerned. Magneto (Ian McKellen) is still trapped inside his metal-free prison, which leads them to believe there are other forces at work. Meanwhile, mutant-hating general William Stryker (Brian Cox) is planning an attack on the house - an attack which, obviously, doesn't go off exactly as he might have hoped.

X2, like the first film, is directed by Bryan Singer, a talented filmmaker that knows exactly how to craft a big-budget extravaganza. Unlike a lot of directors that get their hands on an enormous budget, Singer never lets the special effects take over. He's not blowing stuff up just because he can; if something blows up, there's actually a reason for it. Along with the fantastic opening sequence - featuring Nightcrawler's attack on the White House - the film is peppered with a few absolutely compelling action set-pieces. The failed attempt to gain control of the house, for example, is probably the most effective sequence in the film - if only because it allows Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to become a complete bad-ass.

The film's cast is certainly a big part of the reason X2 works as well as it does; who expects a big summer movie to house two Oscar winners? Leading the pack is, of course, Jackman. His Wolverine was the most intriguing character in the first film, and that's also true here. Obviously, it doesn't hurt that he receives the most screentime out of all the X-Men, but it's likely he's again received the lion's share of the script's attention because he's the most complex character. Wolverine is conflicted about his very existence, and his unwillingness to become a cut-and-dried hero like his cohorts is something most of us can relate to. Jackman gives a performance that's completely captivating, and not just during the admittedly amazing action sequences. Even in quieter moments, such as a conversation about life as a mutant with Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) before Stryker attacks, Jackman's easy charisma and abundant talent shines. If nothing else, he's a pretty darn good reason to see the film.

But there's a lot more worth recommending about X2, including the fabulous supporting cast. Stewart and McKellen are expectedly great in their roles, but smaller characters like Iceman and Pyro have been filled by surprisingly effective actors. As Pyro, Aaron Stanford (last seen as the title character in Tadpole) brings an appropriate amount of confusion and restlessness to his character - while Shawn Ashmore is just about perfect as Iceman. As the villainous Stryker, Cox proves that he's one of the most talented actors out there by turning what could have been a one-dimensional character into a complex and intriguing bad guy. Finally, there's Alan Cumming as Kurt Wagner - AKA Nightcrawler. With his German accent and exotic appearance, Nightcrawler steals the few scenes he's in. Cumming's clearly having a lot of fun with this role, and indeed, the character is essentially used for comedic relief.

But the film does suffer from the too-much-of-a-good-thing syndrome by going on much longer than it needs to. At a running time of around 130 minutes, X2 could've used some judicious editing. Though the movie's never boring, it certainly could have been tighter; the film would've been crackerjack if it'd been an hour and a half. Still, it's hard to complain considering how entertaining and well-made X2 is. Let's hope that Singer is involved when X3 invariably goes into production...