Review of X2 (2003) by Ben F — 10 Sep 2012

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

Throughout the past decade, director Bryan Singer has shown us heroism at its most selfless and sincere. But as powerful as "X-Men", "Superman Returns", and "Valkyrie" are, none of them are nearly as forceful or overwhelmingly powerful as "X2". The film is a follow-up to "X-Men" and a thrilling and frightening saga of mutants with special powers hunted by the United States military, and others who believe they are a threat to "normal" people. Unlike the other films in the series, it is a "chase movie", wherein the heroes are pursued from one frighteningly exposed location to the next, sometimes in their underwear.

"X-Men" showed audiences that the time was right to supress hurtful prejudices and "X2" does the same, but the delivery of the message is more vicious by far. The movie is a threat a warning from Singer that if we don't supress said prejudices, the world will become polluted with viciousness. Boys and girls will be shot in their sleep. Hardened warriors will be forced to committ violent acts to survive. People will have to willingly forfeit their lives to preserve those of their friends.

All of these things happen in "X2"--the movie ends with a great wave drenching a snowy scape and the picture is a wave in itself, an experience that overwhelms on a purely visual and emotional level. Yet the film leaves no draining hopelessness in its wake. You remember its sweet moments--a boy and a girl determined to keep holding hands even as they're dying, Patrick Stewart's Professor Xavier looking out the window on a sunny, day and the sweet words of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, spoken to his true love: "I could probably think of a few reasons to stick around." If someone so averse to emotion can muster the desire to connect, nothing is impossible.