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X2:
X-MEN UNITED
REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP
Our rating: 3 out of 5
Because of: sexual content, violence
Rated:
It's pretty difficult to ignore the single largest worldwide box
office opening of all time, even if you're NOT a mutant fan.
X2: X-Men United is far and above its predecessor; this is
one movie to blast you out of your seat and keep you riveted on
the edge of it at the same time. For older viewers it's an
excellent summer blockbuster, but leave the little tots at
home... the violence level is extreme, the plot complex, and
there's a little dash of sensuality in the form of Mystique, a
mutant "clothed" in blue paint and scales. But beyond the
amazing special effects is a story worth telling with messages
teens would be wise to heed.
The film opens with an attempted assassination in the long
corridors of the White House by a blue-scaled mutant capable of
teleporting himself from one place to another. His attempt
failed but aroused unwanted publicity toward a mostly docile
race of super-humans schooled at the institution of Professor
Xavier in upstate New York. Concerned for this mutant's life,
Xavier (Patrick Stewart) sends two of his most trusted X-Men,
Storm and Jean (Halle Berry and Famke Janssen), to track him
down before the police can find him. But what they learn is
shocking... the mutant, who calls himself "Nightcrawler," is a
docile, fearful young man with a strong Catholic faith (Alan
Cumming). Is this the villain who flaunted national security and
left a knife blade as a memento in the president's desk?
One of the White House's top scientists William Stryker believes
the mutant to be linked to a network of terrorists. He has
manipulated Xavier's former friend and now most powerful
adversary, the imprisoned Magneto (Ian McKellen), into revealing
the secrets of Cerebro, the machine he and Xavier built as a
tracking device for human-mutant brain waves. The scientist also
has ties to Wolverine, a social outcast with an indestructible
metal grafted to his skeleton and incredible healing powers.
Xavier knows of Wolverine's past, but insists the mutant learn
the truth for himself. "Sometimes," he says, "the mind
needs to discover things for itself."
Believing
Magneto may shed some light on Stryker's plans, the
wheelchair-bound Xavier visits him in prison. In his absence the
school is left entirely under the protection of Wolverine (Hugh
Jackman) and the "amateur X-Men," Rogue (Anna Paquin), who can
absorb the powers of anyone she touches, Iceman (Sean Ashmore),
who can freeze anything liquid or solid, and Pyro (Aaron
Stanford), a young man capable of controlling and manipulating
fire. But Stryker has convinced the White House that Xavier is
training armature terrorists... soon the school will be under
attack.
X2 has a lot going for it. The special effects are
incredible. The characters are easy to empathize with. The
villain is a true black-hearted fiend who reveals a horrific
purpose behind his methodical madness by the ending credits. The
climax is one of psychological intensity, a virtual reality in
mind manipulation which proves intense and emotionally exciting.
We still follow the story of Rogue, Wolverine, and Jean Gray
from the first film, but with more depth as they question
themselves, fight for a common good, and eventually make
sacrifices. The director has done a fine job with a stellar
cast; Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, and Hugh Jackman turn in
stand-up performances, while the younger slew of actors
(including Oscar-winning child actress Anna Paquin) don't pull
punches.
Full of humor, excitement, romance, and constant surprises,
X2
is a great summer blockbuster; it's a lot of fun to watch but
also leaves you with some food for thought... oh, yes, and has a
certain cliffhanger ending which leaves the floodgates wide open
for a sequel. Even so, it's not for everyone. If you liked the
first film, you'll probably love this one. If not, or if you
haven't seen the first film, you won't understand who characters
are, what motivations drive them, and where the story is
leading. Children should stay out of the theater, as well as
squeamish adults. No film is perfect, and this one pushes the
envelope a little more than its predecessor.
The
shapely Mystique is clothed in skin-tight blue rubber. She also
provides the films only two questionable scenes. In a scheme to
free Magneto from prison, she comes on heavily to his security
guard, lures him into the bathroom, and then injects him with a
fatal hypodermic. Later she assumes the shape of Jean Gray,
Wolverines love interest; they kiss passionately in a
compromising position before he realizes who she is and tells
her to get out. Rogue's kiss with Bobby/Iceman turns dangerous.
Wolverine is seen apparently nude in a silhouette (no details)
in a flashback.
Violence remains a definite issue, and Marvel Comics is used to
pushing the envelope. Spider-Man
was pretty violent. Daredevil
was worse. X2 borders on an R-rating. The body count is
high. Mutants kick, punch, slash, and slam. Wolverine kills his
opponents with his iron blades; one of the final scenes pits him
against Deathstrike, a female mutant with ten claws. Their fight
gets nasty but remains bloodless; still it's cringe-worthy due
to the conclusion -- when one of them is injected with liquid
metal, which oozes out of the eyes, nose and mouth. Children in
the school are shot with knockout darts. Pyro gets out of hand
and causes mass devastation, exploding several police cars and
sending fire at local authorities.
Magneto's guard clubs him over the head out of sheer spite (this
is implied to be a regular atrocity); Magneto has his revenge
later in arguably the film's most squeamish scene -- by
extracting the iron ore out of his blood, leaving him
bloodstained and dead. Profanity is mild but does contain three
s-words and two crude anatomical references. Mystique briefly
gives a profane hand gesture. I was also disappointed in the
choice of one of the main characters, when he purposely left the
villain in the way of harm. The bad guy does deserve to die;
he's a low-down slime ball capable of every atrocity known to
man. But our hero had a choice to leave him to certain death or
set him free, and chose wrongly.
Despite
the weighty violence and unfortunate few minutes of borderline
sexuality, there are many good moral lessons in X2.
A member of the X-Men team willingly chooses a selfless act to
save her friends (resulting in her own death). Prejudice is
dealt with heavily, encouraging tolerance and forgiveness. One
of the X-Men is forced to choose between remaining faithful to
her fiance or falling to temptation; she makes the right choice,
something both men come to acknowledge and respect. Even
Mystique's attempted seduction of Wolverine could be used as a
conversation starter for teens; for refuting temptation.
Nightcrawler's Catholic faith is prominently present; he talks
often of God, wears a cross with symbolism inscribed on it, and
has Latin religious markings on his body. He is shown praying,
putting his life on the line numerous times for both friend
and foe, and recites the Lord's Prayer -- once when faced
with personal fear, another time over a fallen comrade. He tells
Storm releasing hatred and anger and choosing faith can help one
survive. Instead of blaming God (an irony since the film's
premise of mutation hinges on evolution) for his curse of being
different, he instead believes God is testing him in order to
make him stronger.
It could be argued that spiritual parallels run amuck, and in
many ways they do; Professor Xavier could be considered a
God-figure. A compassionate, forgiving man willing to fight for
Magneto's very soul, he remains one of the film's strongest and
most likable characters. Viewers, if they choose to run the
gauntlet of X2's few but predominant flaws, should keep
their eyes open for glimpses of goodness. Truth, like mutation
in the world of comic book heroes, reveals itself in many forms
of life... sometimes in the most unexpected of places.
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