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X-Men
The ultimate comic of teen-angst and alienation finally makes it to the big screen. A deft and moody adaptation from Bryan Singer, director of The Usual Suspects
Woe betide the person who messes with something as cultish as the X-Men. The director is left with the poisonous task of either infuriating the fans who have been reading the comic for three decades, or confusing the hell out of those who don't know what an X-Man is. But it is a challenge that The Usual Suspects director Singer seems to have overcome. Essentially, the idea is that there are an increasing number of mutants who have extraordinary powers but are feared and persecuted by normal humans. Those who want peace with humans are trained by Professor Xavier (Stewart), while those who want to destroy humanity rally round his old friend turned enemy Magneto (McKellen - the two old Shakespeareans make a grandly hammy pairing). The latter is in many ways the product of a Concentration Camp - as the film's powerful opening sequence shows his power first emerging when he is torn away from his parents by Nazis. Backing up Xavier are the X-Men, students he has trained up to be protectors of the delicate human-mutant balance: Storm (Balle), Cyclops (Marsden) and Dr Jean Grey (Janssen). Magneto, meanwhile, has created a less noble Brotherhood of Mutants: Mystique (Romijn-Stamos), Sabertooth (Mane) and Toad (Park). Into this conflict - both idealogical and violent - are drawn two confused mutants, Rogue (Paquin) and Wolverine (Jackman). Singer refrains from trying to explain everything, thus sparing us the reams of exposition that usually accompany this sort of thing. He also holds back on the spectacular fights, keeping it down to three big set pieces. Instead, he plays heavily on Rogue's teen angst and Wolverine's tortured fury. That sense of alienation was the particular appeal of the old Marvel Comics in the first place (see also Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk). Verdict All told, one of the best films of its kind, even if it has been all too obviously made to pave the way for a sequel, or ongoing franchise. |
