X-Men (2000)

"X-Men" – Not Enough to Marvel
by Homer Yen
(c) 2000

Rogue (Anna Paquin) has the power to absorb a person's living energy merely by touch. She can't control this power or its intensity. Cyclops (James Marsden) must wear a special visor; otherwise, opening his eyes will create an explosive burst of deadly energy. Thus, he can never look upon the one that he loves with his own eyes. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is an embittered and belligerent soul. He can't remember his past, and worst of all, he has no idea how his body was transformed into some kind of walking Ginsu knife.

These are the X-Men, specially gifted people who are psychologically conflicted. "X-Men" the movie also seems somewhat conflicted and unbalanced. Yes, it has some style and it's very cool to watch these wild powers being unleashed. And it's impossible not to like Patrick Stewart as the benevolent Charles Xavier and Ian McKellen as the bent-on-world-domination Magneto. But beyond this, there is little to marvel. It is conspicuously devoid of action sequences, though the finale is impressive. It lacks the color and the energy that has propelled this comic book series into the stratospheric best seller that it is. And, there are just so many characters that many of them speak no more than two or three lines (though to be fair, this series has introduced more than 300 since it first appeared in 1963, and in this film, there are only eight.)

Unfortunately, this movie is more about background than anything else. It's a 100-minute introduction into the world of the X-Men, and this is exposition that fans would probably rather do without. "Every few millennia," the narrator says, "evolution leaps forward." The result can be both wondrous and a curse. For example, some may develop telekinesis, telepathic ability, or even the ability to control weather. Despite these amazing powers, because you're a "freak of nature", you are feared and hated by humanity. At this moment in time, a zealous Senator (Bruce Davison) is proposing a mutant registration program. He pleads to the people, "they are among us. We must know who they are and what they can do."

Although this worries the sagacious Xavier, he believes that mutants and humans can peacefully co-exist. Magneto thinks otherwise. From personal experience, he knows what it's like to be an outsider and the destructive rage of a bigoted society. So, he decides to show the human race firsthand what it's truly like to be a mutant even if its consequences might mean large-scale death of Holy War proportions. Supporting his efforts are Sabretooth (Tyler Mane), who has the strength of 20 men and the speed of a gazelle; The Toad (Ray Park), who creatively uses his 12-foot projectile-like tongue; and the colorful Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos), who can assume the likeness of just about anyone and does so with reckless abandon. But Xavier and his X-Men are well trained in the use of their powers and are prepared to do battle on behalf of mankind.

The problem with "X-Men" is that it doesn't provide sufficient power and pathos. The average moviegoer and especially the fans will be somewhat disappointed with the generic plot line. Many characters, especially Storm (Halle Berry), are fairly flat and only look cool when they summon up their powers. The one exception was Wolverine. This walking switchblade is probably the most popular character among fans. Newcomer Hugh Jackman understands the fan's appreciation for Wolverine's testy nature. To properly motivate himself, he took a cold shower prior to shooting. He even gets the best line of the movie when he turns to Cyclops and warns him to "keep your eye open." The film has its visual pleasures and some amusing moments. However, this limp adaptation does this comic book sensation very little justice.

Grade: C+
S: 0        out of 3
L: 1        out of 3
V: 1        out of 3

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