Seldom does the sequel outshine the original, but the new
movie
”
X2: X-Men United,
”
currently playing at Premiere Cinemas, is one of those rare
gems.
Seldom does the sequel outshine the original, but the new movie “X2: X-Men United,” currently playing at Premiere Cinemas, is one of those rare gems.
The 2-hour and 14-minute release from 20th Century Fox is a science fiction/action-adventure fan’s dream come true.
Unlike its predecessor, “X2” doesn’t pull any punches with its use of special effects and action sequences.
One of the best examples of Director Bryan Singer’s artful mix of action and special effects is the opening scene in which a mutant named Nightcrawler, played wonderfully by Alan Cumming (“Goldeneye,” “Spy Kids” and “Eyes Wide Shut”), is sent to infiltrate the White House.
Nightcrawler, who has the ability to teleport himself over short and medium distances and possesses incredible agility, makes short work of the Secret Service detail protecting the president.
The action in “X2” is noticeably ratcheted up a notch or two compared to the original, which went out of its way to make sure as few people as possible were killed.
No, I’m not advocating death as a form of entertainment, but it just seems more logical that when you have someone like the mutant Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman (“Kate and Leopold,” “Swordfish” and “Someone Like You”) running around hacking and slashing at people with 12-inch, razor-sharp blades, somebody is bound to get hurt.
In this movie, Wolverine is allowed to exact the full punishment with his steel claws.
This installment of the Marvel Comic heroes turns one of its obvious weaknesses into a strength.
From the opening, the filmmakers apparently assume that most of the audiences know who all of the characters are and their relationships to one another.
Although this technique loses a few viewers along the way, it does allow for greater development of the characters and to give audiences a glimpse at the emotional underpinnings of the story that created legions of comic book fans who have stuck with the X-Men for more than 30 years.
“X2” also introduces audiences to a whole new group of mutants – probably the most interesting of which is the German-born Kurt Wagner, better known as Nightcrawler. What makes him so interesting is that he represents the emotional torment that lives within many of the X-Men.
Physically, with his dark blue skin, prehensile tail, pointed ears , yellow eyes and fangs he looks like the perfect caricature of some hellspawn. However, despite his demonic demeanor, Kurt is a deeply devoted Christian and a gentle soul.
He and the other mutants may come to play a bigger role in the next sequel. Don’t worry, with an $85 million opening weekend and the movie expected to reach the $200 million plateau, there will be a third X-Men movie.
