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X-MEN
REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP
Our rating: 3 out of 5
Because of: violence, thematic elements,
sensuality
Rated:
What
if everyone you touched was harmed in some way? What if you
could never have human contact? Perhaps then you could
understand the life of young Rogue (Anna Paquin). Outfitted with
a mysterious "illness" that prevents her from any human contact,
Rouge is forced to be an outsider... one of the few "chosen"
ones capable of mutation. The world is not kind to people who
are different... people with "gifts" ... the ability to mutate.
And so Rogue packs and heads up the Canadian border toward
Anchorage, her lifelong destination among the rugged peaks of
Alaska.
A
trucker takes her as far as Lawfland City, and there she
witnesses the incredible manifestation of a fellow stranger
capable of protruding iron claws from his knuckles (Hugh Jackman).
He also has the ability to heal himself almost instantly of any
wound, fatal or minor. Like Rogue, Wolverine is on the run, and
she sneaks aboard his trailer for a free ride. Discovering her,
he leaves her by the side of the road but then takes pity on her
and agrees to let her accompany him as far as the next town. But
they never get there. They're ambushed in the woods by a
powerful and deadly advisory who is only rebuffed by two
mysterious strangers. Wolverine wakes up in a medical facility,
part of the underground network of a group of mutants called the
X-Men under the command of Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick
Stewart), whose desire is to teach "gifted" children how to use
their talents to protect mankind rather than to harm them.
Many
of the students possess incredible abilities... to walk through
walls, to create fire and ice, to control the weather and
levitate things. They are the future. And they are in danger of
being wiped out by mankind. Rogue soon feels at home among them,
particularly after making some friends... but Wolverine is
skeptical of Xavier's reason for saving him. The one tie holding
him back is the lovely Jean Gray (Famke Janssen), Xavier's
apprentice and the girlfriend of his arch-enemy Cyclops (James
Marsden). He learns mutation has been around much longer than
originally believed... the first manifestation was in a young
Jewish boy during WWII in which the child was able to manipulate
the metal fence around the concentration camp's exterior.

This
child, now an adult and a misguided, powerful man known as
Magneto (Ian McKellen), has some dark plan in mind for
humankind... to prevent the persecution of the different and
potentially dangerous mutants. It was one of his henchmen, the
vile Sabertooth, who attempted to ambush Rogue and Wolverine in
the wood... but what he wants from them, Xavier cannot imagine.
Magneto is beyond his telepathic powers of understanding... an
old friend and a new enemy. And it's up to the X-Men to unite
and save the very ones who would persecute them....
Never
having read the comic book series, I was prepared to be lost in
this "new world" of fantastic special effects and heroes with
mystifying super-human abilities. I was pleasantly surprised,
therein, when I was able to easily follow the storyline and
actually enjoy the cinematic experience. The visual effects are
dazzling, a clear example of the highest form of computer
animation and manipulation; the characters stunningly likable,
and the bad guy worthy of pity. There are good lessons tucked in
between the comic-book violence, and real characters with some
excellent development. The villain is not evil but twisted, a
victim of a child-induced paranoia against another Holocaust.
You feel a deep pity for the man's soul as he goes blindly on
with his plans, little knowing what effect they would have on
the world's population.
The
Professor's ideals are good; he uses his powers only against
evil and encourages restraint in his students. He teaches them
to respect and protect the feeble human race; and one character
intentionally sacrifices himself for another. The acting is also
rock solid. Hugh Jackman makes a likable and yet dangerous
Wolverine, and Anna Paquin allows her youthful talent to shine
in the role of the self-conscious Rogue, who has a much larger
role to play than anyone could have imagined. The real standout
performances, however, are those of Patrick Stewart and Ian
McKellen as former friends, now enemies. Xavier wants to save
Magento's soul, and his old adversary is unwilling to let him
in. Even with these good points, there are some obvious problems
with X-Men
that Christians will be at odds with.
Evolution is portrayed at the core of the film as an explanation for
the super-human characteristics. This is particularly strange when
you consider the many respectful references to God and His gift of
free will. The characters have "gifts" that range from telepathic to
telekinetic, unrivaled physical strength, the ability to heal
oneself, and control magnetic force fields. There are a couple of
grotesque uses of computer animation, and one of the villain's
sidekicks, Mystique, is clothed in little more than blue rubber,
giving the illusion of nudity without ever truly becoming
problematic.
There is
very little language (one d*ck and a few profanities), but an
abundance of non-bloody violence between the X-Men and Magneto's
cohorts. (Including some action in a fight between Mystique and
Wolverine -- a man vs. woman instance that might concern
some viewers, particularly when one of them winds up near-fatally
impaled.) New York City is the setting of the final climax and the
Statue of Liberty is partially destroyed in their final battle. The
Twin Towers can be seen in the skyline, a somber reminder of the
world we lived in before September 11th. As far as science fiction
goes, X-Men is a winner. But for the discerning or squeamish
viewer, it may be a no-go.
Editor's
Note: The extras on the Special
Edition DVD are not rated; profanity includes several uses of the
f-word in the making-of featurettes.
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