Marvel Mania 2: X2: X-Men United

X2: X-Men United (2003)
Starring: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen
Directed by: Bryan Singer


X-Men was that movie that really revitalized the superhero genre. Fans flocked to theaters to see their favorite heroes come to life, showing Hollywood that we would definitely turn out for the X-Men and many other heroes for years to come. 16 years later and things really haven't changed. So, it was only a matter of time before we got a sequel to the 2000 hit, leading us to X2: X-Men United. Turning X-Men into a franchise is a brilliant move because there are so many stories and characters you can explore. X2 knew how to do this the right way, by building on the characters we knew and introduce a bunch of new characters we haven't seen on film yet. I used to own the first two X-Men movies on DVD (one of the first two DVDs to ever be in my collection) and I always recall watching X2 more than the first movie. I think the story was a lot richer in this film and the characters provided a lot more memorable moments that left an imprint on me. It has since garnered much praise as being one of the all-time greatest superhero sequels and is considered the best X-Men movie to date. Let's see why...

The first major plus for the movie is Alan Cumming as fan favorite Nightcrawler. From the opening scene, fans were happy to see how they were able to bring Nightcrawler to life. He's not too saturated in the plot, but he gets the job done whenever he is on screen. I really liked his look and his role as the team's conscience in this movie. I just wish he would've stuck around for another movie or two. But, from what I've heard, they didn't have a whole lot for him to do character wise for any sequels, so it really doesn't justify the multiple hours Cumming would have had to sit in the makeup chair to do so little. Such a shame. Oh well, at least we'll get to see another interpretation of Nightcrawler in X-Men: Apocalypse.

We also get a chance to further develop some players from the first movie that were kind of in the background. Like Iceman, played by Shawn Ashmore. The big developing moments for him are in his relationship with Rogue, played by Anna Paquin. Their big struggle is obviously over being in a relationship with Rogue's powers playing a huge factor in a lack of intimacy. It's a compelling stuff and you also are getting a peek at the next class of X-Men. These are the rookie players, the ones that are still developing who they are and mastering their powers. They will play key roles in the X-Men team down the road, but not today. It adds a nice barrier of the teens and the adults that plays very smartly with two of the major age demographics watching the film.

Another big highlight for the film is the scene where Pyro, played by Aaron Stanford, fights the police in a huge effects spectacle of fire and destruction. I found Pyro one of the most compelling characters of the film, following his downward spiral from potential X-Men member to member of Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants. We got to develop a lot more of the Brotherhood by getting in-depth looks at characters like Pyro and Mystique, played by Rebecca Romijn-Stamos. They aren't just stereotypical villains, they are living people and have complexities to them. We get to see a lot of that and learn about their motives and morals in the humans vs. mutants debate.

The villain on the human side of that debate is Col. William Stryker, played wonderfully by Brian Cox. Stryker's that villain you just wanna punch out, and he knows how to piss off every mutant around. He's just absolutely despicable in everything he does and Cox does it with a grin on his face. How can you not love to hate that? He also holds the key to Wolverine's memories, making it a constant struggle on whether Wolverine will be able to focus on his mission or if he'll seek out Stryker for answers instead. In the world of comic book movie villains, I always hold Stryker as one of my all-time favorite baddies to watch.

There's so many aspects of X2: X-Men United that I haven't even scratched the surface on. The home invasion scene at the school, Magneto escaping his plastic prison, the fight between Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike, Jean Grey fighting off the dam breaking, and so much more. It's just a movie that is packed to the brim with amazing cinematic moments and is an absolute favorite for so many. 13 years later and the movie is still considered by many to be the point when the X-Men movies peaked. It sets the standard for all other X-Men movies to live up to, and unfortunately, not many can live up to the awesomeness of X2. We'll soon see where a lot of these movies went wrong, but for now, let's celebrate what a good X-Men movie looks like by embracing this film for all it is.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Raising the bar at every possible level, this is one of the best superhero sequels ever. I'll add one better and say X2: X-Men United is one of the best superhero movies ever. There are so many iconic moments in this movie, that you'll lose count. If you call yourself a comic fan and you haven't seen this movie yet, do yourself a favor and seek it out immediately. You won't regret it.

X2: X-Men United and movie images are copyrighted by 20th Century Fox