X-Men (2000)

Directed by Bryan Singer. Screenplay by David Hayter, from a story by Tom DeSanto and Singer. Starring Hugh Jackman, Anna Paquin, Ian McKellan. Running time: 96 minutes. Rated PG for frightening scenes by the MFCB. Reviewed on July 17th, 2000.

By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN

Unlike novels, comic books have traditionally proven extremely difficult to translate to the big screen. The list of quality film versions of comics is precipitously short: the original "Superman", the odd-numbered "Batman"s, "The Matrix", and little else. Marvel Comics -- historically one of the two dominant players in the comic book industry -- has been particularly inept in turning its super-heroes into box office gold, with most of its films either dying a quick death or going straight to video ("Blade" being a notable exception).

Part of the reason for this is that several movies featuring Marvel's toplining characters have been stuck in development hell for years. Finally, however, their most popular franchise has made it into theatres as "X-Men", a film about mutants, humans who represent mankind's next stage of evolution. Mutants develop extraordinary powers, but have incurred the suspicion and fear of normal people as a result.

Mutant abilities usually manifest themselves after puberty, as with Southern teenager Marie (Anna Paquin). While making out with her boyfriend, she discovers that her touch drains a person's "life force" -- whether she wills it or not. Panicking, Marie hits the road, assuming the alias "Rogue". Making her way into northern Canada, she meets Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), a mutant with a shadowy past who rapidly heals wounds and has metal claws which emerge from his hands.

Wolverine and Rogue are attacked by the super-strong Sabretooth (Tyler Mane). They are saved by Cyclops (James Marsden), who shoots lasers from his eyes, and Storm (Halle Berry), who controls the weather. Together with telekinetic Dr Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), Cyclops and Storm are members of the X-Men, a team of mutants formed by Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), who believes that mutants and regular humans should strive for peaceful coexistence. He is opposed by Magneto (Ian McKellen), whose Brotherhood of Mutants -- including the nimble Toad (Ray Park), shape-shifting Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos), and Sabretooth -- is dedicated to the eradication of non-mutants.

The "X-Men" comic book was borne out of the social unrest of the Sixties, with mutantkind acting as a catch-all parallel for any oppressed minority. That metaphor is no less effective today, and the "X-Men" movie adroitly paints a world which resents mutants, without going over the top. We can understand why normal humans react the way they do, even if we disagree with them.

Particularly well-handled is Senator Kelly (Bruce Davison), a McCarthy-like figure who wants to enact mutant registration laws and other rights-restricting measures. An early scene in which Kelly waves around a list of "known mutants" is chilling -- made all the more so by the excellent publicity strategy for the film, which saw real people "campaigning" for Kelly and the creation of an "anti-mutant" website.

"X-Men" boasts several fine performances, particularly Jackman as the feral Wolverine. He manages to infuse his anti-hero role with humor and nobility, creating an exciting, engaging character. Also commendable is Paquin as Rogue, the film's most tragic figure. She conveys the panic and confusion Rogue experiences without neglecting the spunk and self-confidence which propels her character. The other actors have more limited screen time but generally do a good job with their material. Of note is Park ("The Phantom Menace"'s Darth Maul) who turns the potentially farcical Toad into an enjoyable yet threatening character. The entire array of "X-Men" characters is well chosen, diverse in both power and appearance.

Visually, "X-Men" is inspired, making the most of its comparatively limited budget (about US$75 million, in an era when most movies of its stature cost twice as much). Magneto's island base and the X-Men headquarters are well-designed, and the special effects are low-key but convincing. The realisation of super-hero costumes has long been a sore point for the genre; "X-Men" eschews the heroes' comic book attire for stylish motorcycle uniform-type outfits. The film also boasts some lovely attention to detail. For instance, one young mutant (inspired by the comics character Iceman) has the power to instantly freeze moisture. When he speaks, you can see his breath.

Director Bryan Singer does an effective job, setting the tone with a faux-"Schindler's List" scene of a young Magneto in a Nazi concentration camp. (This has drawn some criticism for being inappropriate, but I thought it was tactfully handled, and established a palpable mood.) Singer avoids the extremes of the "Batman" franchise by not letting things get too campy or too grim. He allows for a lot of humor (including some cute in-jokes for fans of the comic book) without forgetting the serious nature of the allegory the film is drawing.

It is unfortunate, then, that the script (by David Hayter and a host of uncredited contributors) treats the anti-mutant subject matter only cursorily after the first few minutes. At one point, Wolverine asks Storm if she truly believes Xavier's side is the right one. But the question may as well have been rhetorical, so little doubt is there as to anyone's allegiances.

The movie's biggest flaw is that it spends so much time on set-up that the actual meat of the plot (Magneto's strike against mankind) seems almost an afterthought. To an extent, this is unavoidable, given the dizzying number of characters and concepts to be comprehensibly introduced. But I don't see why "X-Men" couldn't simply have been lengthier -- at just over an hour and a half, it is not exactly a long movie.

I can only guess that the filmmakers felt the need to pander to the attention span-deficient MTV generation, and feared that a protracted movie would be less commercially viable. But I never found my interest flagging at any point; indeed, I wanted to know more about these characters and see the plot better developed. I was sorely disappointed that these things did not happen. If nothing else, "X-Men" leaves me looking forward to the sequel for which it is so clearly paving the way.

Copyright © 2000 Shannon Patrick Sullivan. Archived at The Popcorn Gallery, http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies/X-Men.html

_______________________________________________________________________ / Shannon Patrick Sullivan | "We are all in the gutter, but some of us \ | shannon@mun.ca | are looking at the stars." - Oscar Wilde | \___________________________|__________________________________________/ | Popcorn Gallery Movie Reviews www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html | | Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) /drwho.html |