X marks the spot! In X-Men mutants are human beings whose genetic makeup causes them to develop extra abilities or powers, usually during adolescence, such as control over the weather, telepathy or telekinetics. Some of these abilities are obvious; such as possessing wings or blue skin, but those mutants that can pass as human try to do so since mutants are feared and hated by most normal humans. At Xavier�s School for Gifted Youth Professor Charles Xavier, code name Professor X, has secretly gathered together young mutants from all over the planet in order to train them in the use of their abilities so as to keep them from harming themselves or others. Professor X also tries to inspire his charges with his dream of humans and mutants living and working together in peaceful co-existence. To further this dream Xavier has formed the best of his students into a team, The X-Men, in order to protect both humans and mutants from danger. Unfortunately not all mutants share Xavier�s dream as some are greedy, evil or, like the tremendously powerful mutant Magneto, fear they will be persecuted and imprisoned by normal humans just as Magneto�s family were persecuted and imprisoned by the Nazis during World War II. With the help of his evil Brotherhood of Mutants, Magneto has a plan to strike first against humanity in order to protect his people, but does that plan involved the feral mutant known as Wolverine or are Magneto�s sights actually set elsewhere? And will Xavier�s students find out the truth in time to stop him?
At its best X-Men, based on the extremely popular comic by Marvel Comics, is an allegory about the evils of hating and persecuting those who are different from us. Mutants represent all beings that have suffered discrimination and prejudice for no other reason then being different. Philosophically Xavier is much like Martin Luther King Jr., advocating respect and peaceful co-existence while Magneto takes an approach similar to that of Malcolm X advocating bargaining from a position of strength and, if necessary, through violence. Also, since most mutant�s powers manifest themselves during adolescence X-Men also has a strong emotional appeal to teenagers since they can sympathize with someone who�s bodies are going through changes that can often be confusing and even frightening. The story is intelligent and well thought out.
On a slightly less noble plane X-Men is an x-ceptional science fiction adventure movie with x-cellent special effects, lots of x-citing fight scenes, and several x-tremely funny moments. The acting is x-traordinary and each actor in the film is x-actly the right fit for the role they play. Without x-ception every actor, from Patrick Stewart as Prof. X to newcomer Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, is physically perfect for the part they play in addition to x-celling at the nuances and subtitles of their characters. The chemistry between the characters, especially between James Marsden as the X-Men�s field leader Cyclops, Prof. X and Wolverine is x-ceptionally good. One scene in particular, when Cyclops is trying to decide if Wolverine is truly himself or an evil shape-changing mutant named Mystique, is absolutely hilarious. Though possibly not phrased as nicely as it could have been, given some of the younger members in the audience, it sums up with a laugh both Cyclops and Wolverine�s intelligence in addition to their mutual dislike of each other. Good use is also made of minor characters, such as the young student Bobby Drake, a.k.a. the Iceman, who befriends Wolverine�s prot�g� Rogue when she arrives at Prof. X�s academy. He and the other students who appeared in cameo made the school a more believable and interesting place. So besides being an intelligent movie X-Men is also an x-emplary action film.
Still, X-Men isn�t a perfect film and does have a few small nits worth picking. The pace is a little more uneven then the audience could have hoped for with events leading up too slowly to fight scenes that ended too quickly. And as often happens with films possessing a large cast some of the character�s personalities, especially Storm and Senator Kelly, were not as fully developed as they could have been. For example, I was never sure if Senator Kelly, a politician who advocated curtailing the rights of mutants, truly believed mutants were a danger to humanity or if he was simply using them as a hot button to further his political career. Also some parts of the fight scenes, with their bloodless wounds and flying flips/leg kicks, bordered on being a little silly or, dare I say it, comic bookish.
X-Men is fun though and x-ceptionally well done. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good adventure/science fiction story and I�m personally looking forward to the sequel(s) to come.
Grade: A+
