The second film of the franchise about mutants this year was twenty years old and therefore planned a new acquaintance with all the films included in this branch. We will also continue to tell the story of the creation and emergence of the X-Men. Last time we settled on the fact that the debut film of the franchise “X-Men” shot at the box office more than successfully, and the studio demanded a sequel. Bryan Singer retained the director's chair, staying in the project and began to look for stories in the comics suitable for a future sequel. According to the director’s plan, in the sequel, it was necessary to look at the problem of mutants not through the eyes of mutants, but through ordinary people, to show an alternative view of the problem of mutation. Next, we will continue to develop the idea and in parallel share impressions of acquaintance and some thoughts about this film.
A narrative criterion or narrative. Mutants continue to fight against a society they fear and distrust. Their situation becomes even more desperate when they are subjected to a powerful attack by an unknown enemy with extraordinary abilities. The sudden attack is again causing political and public outcry over the introduction of widespread registration of mutants and the formation of a movement against mutants led by William Stryker, a former military officer who is rumored to have conducted experiments on mutants. Singer found the plot basis for the script in the comic book “God loves, man kills” and conceived that the main villain in the second part will be a person, and not abstract, but quite specific. Thus, the director wanted to reflect on the topic of his interest: how blind rage and hatred can fuel wars and lead to terrorism. In the second film, Mutants confront William Stryker and his ambitions to eliminate mutants as a species. In fact, it is not so simple, but we will confine ourselves to this general description of the concept. I have no complaints about the literary part of the film. I put the plot five stars, and the originality four, because the script is based on comics.
Visual criterion or technical support of the tape. For the second part, a little more money was allocated, and therefore we should expect that the special effects will be better. In this regard, this film will not disappoint you. Every dollar invested is reflected in the picture. They did a particularly good job of re-creating the Cerebro room where the Professor is looking for mutants. Telepathic mutants have become a little more stressful, and the setting of the scene with the flooding of the dam on Lake Alcali is also good, especially when Jean Grey first awakens hidden talents that she herself has never known. The camera work is well done, the camera is sometimes delayed on some details that have a great influence on the overall narrative. The choreography of fights and their design gives good hooks that should be clinged to. Especially spectacular is the confrontation with Strike's right hand, when two Adamantium products try to tear each other apart. The picture is beautiful, action is quite inventive, you want to watch what is happening on the screen. The pace of storytelling is medium, there are places where conversational episodes dominate, but they do not affect the overall perception of the film. According to the criterion of entertainment, I will put a five, because the directing here is of high quality. Music and sound are also in the top five, as the musical themes here are cool, this is certainly not a cult screensaver from the Nineties animated series, but individual themes are also worth visiting your playlist, especially those that work for epicity.
Acting work deserves a positive assessment. Hugh Jackman is full of rage and willingness to accept the truth about himself. McKellen and Patrick Stewart work in tandem, just to witness their conversations and listen as they speak is exciting. James Marsden is very few here, but there is enough to form at least some opinion about his work. We see Sean Ashmore grow in his game and develop his dichotomous conflict with Piro, played by Aaron Stanford, where he is only just aware of his belonging to the dark side, but already manages his abilities better, and the actor himself exists well. The actors of the dub remained the same, so we will not dwell on them in detail. I will only say that Alan Cumming well embodied on the screen Kurt Wagner, the Night Snake, the voice of Andrei Barkhudarov suited the character and actor performing it.
As a conclusion. It was a large-scale and spectacular movie, in which they did not forget about the seriousness of the plot conflict. Of the advantages, it is worth noting the verified plot, stunning special effects, sensible directing and competent acting. The combination of these elements made the film a cult. I like this film, I also recommend to take this film outside the trilogy. As a separate piece, it will also shoot. I suggest you meet me. All health, peace and good cinema.
What's the movie about?
A mutant makes an attempt on the President of the United States and the terrified government unties the hands of Colonel Stryker, who immediately starts catching the X-Men. On the run, Wolverine and friends have to team up with their sworn enemy Magneto.
Why watch?
To some extent, it was the first “X-Men” (2000) from the director of “Ordinary Suspects” Brian Singer that we owe that comic books climbed to the top of the cinematic food pyramid. Yes, “Blade” came out a couple of years earlier, but was quite niche, and people on the letter “Hae” turned out to be a hit, and every Hollywood producer began frantically buying licenses for all the picture books that came up to his hand. In the first part, Singer warmed up, he was constrained by the budget and studio chinouches, but success weakened corporate fetters and this film Brian gave one of the best comic books in history, and also did what is rarely possible even the most venerable creators - surpassed himself.
The original title ("X2") wittyly plays the formula according to which the film is made: there are twice as many (than in the first part) action, special effects, characters and storylines, and Singer with the screenwriters (Michael Dougherty, who later became the director of "Crumpus" and "Godzilla: Monster King" and Dan Harris, who subsequently did not differ) do not give the designs to crumble under their own weight (attention, perhaps, deprived Cyclops, but the audience was ready to accept this sacrifice). With the same composition, the trio of filmmakers then switched to DC competitors and created the terribly underrated “Superman Returns” (2006), and films about mutants never exceeded the quality bar set by this sequel.
9 out of 10
The first part that gave birth to a huge franchise I liked. I can say that the sequel also turned out worthy, although the impressions from it are a little weaker. Nevertheless, this is a sample of a quality sequel and I will tell you more about it below.
The plot begins with a demonstration of the new mutant Kurt. It has the ability to teleport to various locations. And in this case, he breaks into the president's office, but fortunately he doesn't have time to do anything about it. Our heroes, whom we already know, decided to find him and it turned out that he was only a victim of the influence of another villain. Overall, the start was not bad. We were shown a new character, marked that all the characters are in place and emphasized the problem between humans and mutants.
Regarding technical aspects, the tape remained at the previous level. There are good fights and variety, but the feeling that the visual is a little outdated does not disappear. But what I didn't like was the villain. He is not capable of attracting much attention. His goal is to bring all the actors together and nothing more. I will not say that everything is definitely bad with him, but he is not able to impress either externally or internally. Since I once watched this picture, it is indicative for me that I hardly remembered about him.
But from the main advantages I see that we continue to reveal the universe of people x. We can watch Logan's past piece by piece. The very school of mutants is paid little attention, but it plays an important role in the plot. The character of Jean Grey also performs well here. She has one of the key roles here and has seen great progress. And the already mentioned new hero has a rather pleasant image. Therefore, with regard to our actors everything was done competently. What is good is that the antagonists in the form of Mystic and Magneto have their place in history and attract attention.
Over. I can say that the continuation did not set a new level of quality, but coped with its task. We saw the development of our favorite mutants and plunged into the world of fiction. It is also an excellent link and at the same time a work of its own. I would not expect excitement, but it is easy to enjoy while watching.
7 out of 10
"X-Men 2" is a large-scale sequel to the first comic book film about the adventures of a team of mutants, shot, as before, by Brian Singer. The second X followed the path of the so-called golden rule of sequels, presenting a spectacular story to the audience, which absorbed all the best that was in the original film, and added new mutants, more action and more intrigue.
And while Wolverine runs somewhere in Alaska, befriends wolves and tries to remember his past, harmful people prepare new acts of aggression against mutants, forcing this time to rally villains and heroes for a common goal. The film is really bigger in every sense. Of course, as a comic book, in the first place "X-Men 2" takes its picture, staging, entertainment. A lot of action with a good staging, which is different variety and fiction - naturally, thanks to the very concept of mutants with incredible abilities. The opening scene with Nightcrowler in the White House still looks incredibly cool and stylish.
But not one comic book, as they say. The second "X" is fascinating and the story, which, yes, is still comic, but still as serious as possible for the adaptation of graphic novels of the beginning of zero. Therefore, there are enough plots, intrigues, betrayals, even a kind of espionage (played by Mystic, of course) in the film. Dynamic narrative does not stall anywhere, attracting the viewer and not letting you get bored.
The entire main cast returned to his roles - the permanent Logan Hugh Jackman, old men Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, three exemplary Berry-Janssen-Marsden 'ixes' and the incredible Rebecca Romaine in blue makeup. Alan Cumming in the image of the already mentioned Nightcrawler very organically fit into this family. In general, the caste is gorgeous, there is nothing more to say here.
The verdict: X-Men 2 is as good as the first movie, and in some ways even superior. A wonderful story, an amazing comic book. I definitely recommend it.
I remember my first impressions when I saw this movie. I thought everything was perfect then... And years later, I still think it is. I don’t know what a miracle this movie was. Everything is just perfect, just a masterpiece as it is.
In general, all the comic book films about X-Men turned out to be very high-quality, but this film is just a reference. Such films I call "films of marginal value".
The story continues where the previous film ended. The narrative develops gradually, carefully building a chain of events. Characters appear neatly, forging relationships and coming to their end. Watching all this is very interesting. Everything happens as it should - everyone will get theirs in the end. Very tough and ultimatum.
Wolverine, having found the answers, will cast aside his past, Jean will sacrifice himself to save the team. All this is powerfully played and well served.
So far, this film is impressive. If in the first part, the structure was still groped, then everything is in full swing here - mutants use their abilities (special effects are simply magnificent), villains are insidious and their plans are famously twisted. It's impossible to break away! Each character is very interesting and shows himself in all the details, and Wolverine here in general is a 'beast', a fight with a similar mutant, this is something incredible!
The big 'M' continued to cement itself at the top of comic book adaptations. There were virtually no competitors. The conditions for the development of their Cinematic Universe were the most favorable and they took full advantage of this. The cast is perfect, Jackman in his heyday and excellent form, firmly established in the image of Logan. They also look and play harmoniously.
The effects and graphics are significantly improved, the scale of the narrative has also significantly expanded. It’s not an outdated movie, it’s an amazing movie.
10 out of 10
Peaceful coexistence has never been the hallmark of man.
At one time, the main superhero franchise for me was exactly the X-Men - yet it was the first film adaptation of a superhero that I watched and adored since childhood. The first part conquered me, and the second – finally consolidated its status as a favorite superhero movie.
The life of mutants in modern society is becoming even more difficult. In particular, after the assassination of the President of the United States by a mutant teleporter. Charles Xavier realizes that this is hardly the work of his longtime rival Eric Lencher, who is in prison but still goes to meet an old friend. At the same time, he is kidnapped and his school is attacked by the military, led by an ambitious Colonel Stryker, who has grand plans for all the mutants of the world, as well as a long past with Logan. The Professor's escaped students, along with the remaining members of the X-Men, are forced to team up with Magneto to save the professor, free their friends and stop Stryker at any cost.
The X-Men sequel continues the main themes laid down in the first part, while making them deeper and more serious. The theme of mutants - outcasts among ordinary people who shun them, fear their abilities, feel contempt and hatred for them - has always been central to the plot of the X-Men comics. And here this confrontation reaches even greater proportions when the new enemy has the capabilities and means to completely destroy mutants. The plot is full of dramatic twists and turns that cannot be watched calmly - every time you worry, even knowing how it will end.
In terms of action scenes, everything looks different from what you can see in a modern superhero movie. Special effects are not so large-scale, but no less spectacular - in many ways they are associated with the demonstration of the abilities of familiar heroes and newcomers - especially weather disasters and magnetic manipulations. Greatly staged and fights - watching the battle between Wolverine and Lady Deadly Strike was very exciting!
In the sequel migrated almost all the main characters and villains of the first part. Logan or Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is the central character of this franchise, a mutant with the ability to self-regenerate and has an indestructible skeleton of adamantium along with sharp claws. Here, Logan will have to face the man who made him so, and again make a choice - to chase the ghosts of the past and take revenge or stand up for a new generation of mutants and fight for their future?
Charles Xavier or Professor X still remains the leader and spiritual mentor of his students, still believes in a peaceful resolution of the conflict between humans and mutants, even in captivity, even in the most difficult moments.
Eric Lensherr or Magneto (Ian McKellen) is the leader of an opposition group of mutants who seek world domination, with the power to control metal. Magneto is also involved in the conflict and is forced to team up with the X-Men, because the fate of all mutants is at stake. Watching him on screen is a pleasure, especially his escape from prison.
The X-Men are represented by their most famous members: Scott Summers/Cyclops (James Marsden) with the ability to shoot destructive rays from the eyes; Ororo Monroe/Storm (Holly Berry), who controls the weather; Gene Gray (Famke Janssen) with telekinetic abilities, who received more development in terms of abilities (which was clearly done with an eye on the future). Young mutants also get more time: Rogue (Anna Paquin), who takes power from anyone she touches; Bobby Drake (Sean Ashmore), who knows how to freeze everything; and John Allerdyce or Piro (Aaron Stanford), who controls fire and wants to use his abilities more.
The Brotherhood of Mutants is now represented by one Mystic (Rebecca Romaine), capable of reincarnating in any person. But it was just great: the scene where she sneaks into a government building and steals information, and along the way learns about Stryker's plans, I can review forever!
There is also a new hero - one of the most famous heroes of the comics: Kurt Wagner (Alan Cumming), aka the Night Snake, a deeply religious mutant teleporter originally from Germany.
The main antagonist is William Stryker, whose role was brilliantly performed by Brian Cox. A colonel and military scientist who, for various reasons, seeks to destroy all mutants, but who also has some under his control and uses their power to achieve his goal. And the long-standing confrontation with Logan makes his backstory even more intense.
To summarize, the X-Men 2 is a great sequel, which became the next part of the legendary superhero franchise. And despite how it ended, the first X-Men films will forever remain my favorite movies.
10 out of 10
As I already wrote in the comment to the Avengers, the first two parts of Xman are almost the last quality projects on the theme of classic superheroes. Yes, later there will be aesthetic Guardians and good Nolan Batmen, but in general the genre has turned into pure comedy mixed with caricature pathos.
When I was a kid, I didn’t like Xman. I had a vivid cartoon image in my head, with all this yellow and blue palette, giant robots and simple but cool characters. In the film, the atmosphere is gloomy and realistic, and the characters are in many ways different. The same Rogue in the cartoon was an ironic femme fatale, and here we see a frightened girl. Cyclops from a restrained leader became a bullish jealous. But now I understand that the authors were right to make adjustments to the scenario of a major project.
The main idea was too progressive. Of course it's a metaphor. A mutant is a person who is different from others, goes beyond collective identity. From time immemorial, mankind has been searching for and persecuting such people, on the basis of faith, nation, gender, orientation, etc. It was a kind of ritual, appointing a victim and destroying her with the whole crowd, linking and strengthening social relations. At the end of the 20th century, there were those who said: ' Enough! There will be no more casualties. Everyone has a right, he is not obliged to prove the right to a decent life'
The film also warns against the opposite effect. Magneto is just an example of someone who became so angry that he became no better than his pursuers. Professor X believes that charity and humanism are the highest values. And that you have to compromise, have compassion for your enemies, even if they deserve much worse treatment.
The team itself is much cooler than the Avengers. Getting into the images is fantastic, especially with Logan and Storm. But the villain did. This is one of the main drawbacks of Xman 2. A banal psychopathic scientist with Darwinian views.
All in all, great, not for nothing such a percentage of green comments. Although, again, the script is a bit naughty. The cartoon felt the spirit of the team, the spirit of the superman family. And here they are again scattered, organizing only at the end. But still much cooler than modern analogues. Unfortunately, this gloomy melancholy and a slightly in-depth idea are apparently not suitable for the mass teenage audience that I experienced. I hope that the genre will find a way out of this problem, preserving the spirit of old projects.
Continuation of the legendary saga about the adventures of the X-Men. A mutant nicknamed Wolverine, aka James Howlett, aka Logan continues to unravel the mystery of his birth as a super-invincible iron man with sabers popping out of the membranes between his fingers. He finds an abandoned base in the mountains of northern British Columbia (Canada) – the Alcali Lake industrial complex, where a scientific and surgical operation was performed, which allowed him to pump his body with the most durable metal on earth – adamantium. The evil genius of history is Colonel William Stryker, who has been studying and experimenting on mutants for decades, like a born fascist doctor. The Colonel was angry with our heroes for a reason. He has a family tragedy in the past involving mutants.
Pros: the stunning Alan Kaming as a blue mutant Kurt Wagner, who knows how to teleport. A moment, and instead of it, only clubs of ripped black smoke. What's his tail, you noticed? The tip in the shape of a triangle works like a third hand. The storm did not stand.
Next. Rebecca Romaine as Mystic. Blue female werewolf, able to take on any appearance, up to the complete coincidence of fingerprints. That's so good, damn it! This scene of sex in the dirty toilet of a prodigal diner is priceless. How did she give a man a beer, huh? Perfect.
Romantic skirmishes between Wolverine and Jean Gray. I love these two. But why does the protagonist like this unavailable married woman so much? Where do these psychological problems and masochism come from? And, in general, all these throwing between men brought the woman to a nervous breakdown in the end, we will see in the next parts.
A chic scene of the battle between two iron fighters - Wolverine and Yuriko. This miniature Asian woman with a hypnotizing gaze of a snake conquers from the first frames.
It was also interesting to watch the bad and good mutants band together to save the captives of the mad colonel. In difficult times, you do not have to choose who to be friends with.
Good, good movie, exciting. But I haven't been caught up in this story yet. I will continue to watch X-Men movies. If I don't, I'll at least get some erudition about the comic book world. I can't help but wait until Professor Xavier and Magneto are young. I'm tired of looking at old people, God forgive me.
Three years before its release, the X-Men were already something ordinary, but still attracting attention with their multifaceted and authorial history. A story that is not just a fantastic invention of Singer, Hater, Dougherty and other writers, but also has a double bottom that intersects with human reality.
And even on this ground, a worthy continuation could be made. No, X-Men's did not get worse exactly - now the banal plot core, based on the axiom "they are not like that, and therefore - must disappear" overgrown with a mission quite weighty. Professor Xavier and his wards are on the verge of a devastating war, where people are definitely the weakest link. And the action, in comparison with the first series, increased significantly (and qualitatively). But on some "fantasy" to keep the tension for more than two hours is quite difficult - analyzing the picture after the finale it becomes clear that the director is towing in place, and the influential superhero dilogy grows into a series. The series is tedious and second-rate, where everything is done in isolation and denouement, and the climax, as such, is not.
And this is terribly sad, because on the water surface looms continuation, which already causes some doubts. Is it worth it?
Last time we settled on the fact that the debut film of the franchise “X-Men” shot at the box office more than successfully, and the studio demanded a sequel. Bryan Singer retained the director's chair, staying in the project and began to look for stories in the comics suitable for a future sequel. According to the director’s plan, in the sequel, it was necessary to look at the problem of mutants not through the eyes of mutants, but through ordinary people, to show an alternative view of the problem of mutation. Next, we will continue to develop the idea and at the same time critique the impressions of acquaintance with the picture.
Singer found the plot basis for the script in the comic “God loves, man kills” and conceived that the main villain in the second part will be a person, and not abstract, but quite specific. Thus, the director wanted to reflect on the topic of his interest: how blind rage and hatred can fuel wars and lead to terrorism. He ordered two scripts to choose the best one. The first was written by David Hayter, who worked on the first film, and the second by Zach Penn. Then both scenarios were combined, taking the most successful versions from both versions. Then it was rewritten several times to expand the screen time Storm, due to the fact that Halle Berry then received an Oscar, and the producers wanted to play on her popularity. Because of all these correspondence, Cyclops eventually suffered, whose screen time was significantly reduced. In the second film, Mutants confront William Stryker and his ambitions to eliminate mutants as a species. In fact, it is not so simple, but we will confine ourselves to this general description of the concept. I have no complaints about the literary part of the film. I'll give you five stars out of five.
Visibility. For the second part, a little more money was allocated, and therefore we should expect that the special effects will be better. In this regard, this film will not disappoint you. Every dollar invested is reflected in the picture. They did a particularly good job of re-creating the Cerebro room where the Professor is looking for mutants. Telepathic mutants have become a little more stressful, and the setting of the scene with the flooding of the dam on Lake Alcali is also good, especially when Jean Grey first awakens hidden talents that she herself has never known. The camera work is well done, the camera is sometimes delayed on some details that have a great influence on the overall narrative. The choreography of fights and their design gives good hooks that should be clinged to. Especially spectacular is the confrontation with Strike's right hand, when two Adamantium products try to tear each other apart. The picture is beautiful, action is quite inventive, you want to watch what is happening on the screen. The pace of storytelling is medium, there are places where conversational episodes dominate, but they do not affect the overall perception of the film. By this criterion I will put four and a half stars out of five.
Activity is still exciting. Hugh Jackman is full of rage and willingness to accept the truth about himself. McKellen and Patrick Stewart work in tandem, just to witness their conversations and listen as they speak is exciting. James Marsden is very few here, but there is enough to form at least some opinion about his work. We see Sean Ashmore grow in his game and develop his dichotomous conflict with Piro, played by Aaron Stanford, where he is only just aware of his belonging to the dark side, but already manages his abilities better, and the actor himself exists well. I'll give you five stars.
Verdictating. It was a large-scale and spectacular movie, in which they did not forget about the seriousness of the plot conflict. The film was warmly received by critics and paid off the budget, grossing four hundred million dollars at the box office. Of the advantages, it is worth noting the verified plot, stunning special effects, sensible directing and competent acting. The combination of these elements made the film a cult. I like this film and I will give him the maximum score, I advise you to take this film outside the trilogy, and as a separate work he will also shoot. I suggest you meet me! Good to you all!
Peaceful coexistence has never been the hallmark of man.
X-Men 2
The X-Men franchise seems to have followed a fine trend where a great film is accompanied by a film that approaches or even surpasses the original in quality. “The Empire Strikes Back,” “The Dark Knight,” or “Back to the Future 2” are sequels of cool movies that have withstood the tension that was placed on them. Again, there's always "Jurassic Park: The Lost World" and "Dumb and Dumber: When Harry Met Lloyd" or "Son of the Mask." Fortunately, X2 falls right into the first category. The film isn't as deep as the original, but it's equally exciting, well-written, and it's much darker and darker. It's a confident sequel using much of the original's foundation without neglecting tightness or continuity, and it ends on a more emotionally depressed note, leaving the viewer emotionally drained and yearning for much more in the inevitable sequel.
"X2" never forgets its roots and briskly intertwines thought-provoking drama with the height of action. Bryan Singer expands the list of heroes, continuing to develop the main ones, in particular their interpersonal relationships, offering even more explosions, fights and special effects, but not to the detriment of the emotional core of the series. In fact, this time, darker themes were raised, including the topic of self-sacrifice. Brian continues to humanize characters, especially those who are not considered normal, and then weaves everything into the motives and thought processes of those who see mutants as enemies rather than friends. He does it in two ways: through the violent, malevolent Stryker and through the equally intriguing between a quartet of mutants and Bobby's parents. This proves to be one of the highlights of the film, showing conflict not from the extremes that dominated the 1st picture, but rather from the point of view of each person, where prejudice is not based, but rather fragmented in the news and in questionably motivated gossip. Although, of course, this is not the defining moment of the film, because it allows a different perspective and even a subtle commentary on the studied prejudices.
Kurt Wagner is one of the most tragic characters in the mutant universe and is not a bad killer. Stryker is a demon in uniform who wants to destroy all mutants. The trick is to turn Stryker into an emotional person who is fierce and acts out of revenge. And because we are dealing with many intermediate layers, we are shown a simple philosophy: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." But Magneto wouldn't be Magneto if he didn't have an idea of his own. These numerous main and secondary threads, motivations and emotions, the director masterfully associates with a sense of humor. The X-Men have psychological or political problems. In the first film, they face genocide, and their right to privacy is violated by the mutant registration law. Of course, there are people who believe that mutants should have no rights, and X2 provides a valuable lesson in civility. Perhaps not coincidentally, there is a president in the film who is remarkably similar to George W. Bush. Logan's background comes into play. It is certainly something that enriches. Something I missed in the original. You can enjoy this movie without any familiarity with the comic. Director Bryan Singer developed this project by listening to the fans. It's a valentine for them. X2, instead of being a passing movie, is just a very interesting movie. And the element of tragedy that is being shown has a great impact. A worthy companion for its predecessor, but for comic book lovers in search of the Holy Grail, the quest will continue, telling new stories.
When a studio takes material from comics seriously, or at least plays on internal dramatic architecture, it can't attract many new fans, with old fans sitting around and claping their eyes. The result: no fees, but critical recognition. But, they implement characters and plots that universally contribute to the mainstream. The scheme is ideal for creatively bankrupt, marketing industries that exhibit a vertically integrated monopoly. That's how I see Hollywood. After all, didn't they make movies with more than a few hundred million dollars in special effects? Something that attracted an audience? What challenged us? Was it just a dream? Seriously, they last did it in 2009. "The Dark Knight" and the first "Iron Man", "X-Men" and "Spider-Man" by Raimi. "Guardians," motherfucker! In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m a pessimist. Today, it applies to all movie comics.
The first movie in the X-Men franchise was good because it was the first. There was nothing to compare the audience with, and therefore “peeple scooped” and so on. Still: so many superheroes at the same time on the screen - known since childhood heroes and villains! But there was a simple plot in this film about how Magneto and his comrades decided to turn people into mutants, and the X-Men oppose them in this. However, this did not prevent the first “X-Men” to pay off a hundredfold, and therefore the continuation did not take long to wait.
What should be noted is that the sequel turned out more interesting. The new story is more exciting than the previous one. This time on the scene comes a fanatic from homo sapiens, who threatens the existence of all mutants and he really can do away with mutants. The team of the X-Men and Magneto, sworn enemies, are forced to unite to confront a common threat.
It’s once again about politics (what’s an X-Men without that?), and it adds to the film’s depth as it lets us know that mutant actions have consequences. And we are introduced to a greater number of characters in the X-Men universe. In general, it is gratifying how the filmmakers approached the image of superheroes: the characters from the screen are really very similar to their “paper” counterparts. Makeup and costumes are on top!
The action in the film turned out to be more spectacular than in the first part, and the special effects were more pleasant (technology did not stand in place). In general, the classic trilogy of X-Men (2000-2006) is pleasant to watch and today is much more spectacular and modern comic books. And in this trilogy, the second part is not the last in the heat of passion. I would even say that X-Men 2 surpassed the original film in every way. The difference between the first is only in its historical significance, and in everything else the second part is better.
The second part of the X-Men, in my opinion, was better than its predecessor. The duration of the film increased, as a result, the film turned out to be more measured, saturated and proven. In this part, new mutants appeared, and the mutants shown in the first part were revealed. In fact, this is a more complete and improved continuation of the past part, which reveals new facets of this universe and partially answers the question of who is Wolverine.
In this part appeared the character William Stryker, who wants to destroy all mutants and who is associated with the past of Logan. The addition of this equipment, in my opinion, was a good idea, since it fundamentally contradicted the action in the first part, where Charles Xavier confronted Magneto. In the same part, they were forced to unite to defeat a common enemy, because it was in the interests of all mutants. This allowed the viewer to take a new look at the characters of the film and their relationships, which in my opinion is a successful director's move.
As I mentioned earlier, there are many details in the film. First, it is quite numerous references and “Easter eggs”, and secondly, the emphasis on the abilities of the characters. For example, we show how Professor Xavier can paralyze a crowd, Logan can put out a cigarette with his palm, and Iceberg can cool Coca-Cola. This is also, in my opinion, quite a good move: to demonstrate how mutants can use their abilities in everyday situations.
In the film, there is also humor, which was in the first part. The Cyclops and Wolverine line continued, and new fun moments were added. By the way, humor in the film added appropriate and does not look ridiculous.
In this part, I finally managed to feel the atmosphere of Xavier’s school. During the scenes in this school, students can be heard talking. They talk about grades, in one episode, students joked about the relationship between Bobby and Rogue, during the arrival of Logan you can hear remarks like: “Look, it’s Logan!”, which is absolutely characteristic of teenage delight at the sight of the idol. We also got a sense of the atmosphere when Logan visited the lake base for the second time. I remember when I saw this movie for the first time, this scene even scared me.
The ending of the film is quite emotional and unexpected, but clearly hinting at a continuation.
Overall, I really liked X-Men 2. In this part, it was possible to preserve the philosophical motives of the previous part, for example, the same question of tolerance, the difference between the hero and the villain, and flavor it all with action and a little bit of humor.
9 out of 10
Gives way to the plot. But it wins with efficiency.
The appearance of a good, intriguing, interesting, boring comic book film is a very rare phenomenon, as well as pleasant. After the usual average "X-Men" at number one, Brian Singer decided to gain experience, and already in the sequel surpassed himself, and clearly proved that the comic-industry mainstream does not necessarily have to be stupid and uninteresting.
The discovery of mutants in the world still inspires terror and fear in the hearts of people. Their situation is becoming increasingly precarious. But now they know there are good mutants and bad ones. So they've come up with a registration system for mutants with superpowers, but others don't want to share their homes with these monsters. Riots, rallies rise, and at the head is William Stryker, who leads the march against the “superhumans”. In the states, everything is bad, so an attempt on the president is still being made.
In general, the sequel continues the story of the first part. Once again we will see Wolverine, Storm, Xavier, Cyclops, Magneto, Mystic and others. As strange as it may sound, they will all have to unite against a powerful enemy, the military Stryker. With the help of control over some mutants, he tries to start an interracial war. In this picture, Magneto appears in the role of a good guy who helps the X-Men, and he is no longer with a useless team, but only with Mystic.
In the first part, Wolverine got, well, too much screen time, in the second part it remained, but have already begun to reveal, and serve other characters. Wolverine has become more evolved, he is not led by Stryker’s attempts to join him, saves his team, and cherishes all its members. A character who was fixated on the past has embraced the present and lives on today. Shows the love line of Iceman and Rogue, the screenwriter decided to spend more time Storm, revealed Magneto along with Mystic. You can go there, almost every character. A more brutal Logan, the new and very cool mutant of Nightclrawler, from the careless and ironic gestures of Magneto. And yet, as bypassed Cyclops in the first part of the side, and bypassed in the second, as no major of the “X-Men”, but alas, for some reason it does not play a particularly key role.
With such artlessness of end-to-end action, the film turns into a sack of miracles. Talk and talk - raid on the forest school. We talked about flying on a magic liner. They found out again, a battle in an underground bunker. Total explosion. Flooding. A lot of miracles leave a lot of questions. On the other hand, what difference does it make who and what if everything shines and shimmers at any given moment? Some scenes of the film are full of special effects to the very beginning. You see that in the first five to ten minutes of Nightcrawler's invasion of the White House -- beautiful, stylish, spectacular. Who would have thought that Alan Cumming would ever star as one of the most powerful mutants in the X-Men?
Still, “X-2 People” is a product of comic-book culture, so you can not expect a complex, sane plot from the film. But the sequel turned out to be wonderful and intriguing, much more mature and interesting than the prequel. A new emphasis is placed on mutants, their disclosure, feelings and emotions. And Kurt's appearance is worth it. This film exceeded my expectations.
The continuation of the superhero film about mutant people, as befits any sequel (especially if you remember the rules of the sequels, which Randy says from Scream 2), turned out to be even more spectacular, even more action-filled and expanded the number of enemies of the X-Men.
The plot revolves around another sworn enemy of Xavier and Co. – Colonel William Stryker, performed by Brian Cox, known to the viewer for roles in the films “The Call”, “The Bourne Identity” and “The Bourne Supremacy”. It is his figure that becomes key both in the fate of some mutants and in the whole film, because his position regarding people with unique abilities leads to an even more acute opposition of ordinary people to the X-Men.
Again, as in the first film, the viewer sees the four main assistants of Professor Xavier - Cyclops (James Marsden), Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), Storm (Holly Berry) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). But along with them, albeit a secondary, but still useful role for the success of the X-Men is played by the younger generation - all the same Iceberg (Sean Ashmore) and Rogue (Anna Paquin), as well as the one who appeared here in the episode Rasputin, aka Colossus (Daniel Cudmore). It is these three mutants that will continue to join the ranks of X-Men, and therefore their participation in the second part of the franchise looks timely. In other words, Brian Singer gradually introduces new participants to the project, introducing them to the viewer so that their appearance in the frame does not turn out like snow on his head. In addition, the universe of mutants is expanding with the emergence of new characters, such as Kurt Wagner, called the Night Snake or Lady Deadly Strike.
The emergence of new allies or enemies, who can be fully called spontaneous, brings diversity to the film, because the contemplation in the frame of the same four Cyclops / Grey / Storm / Rossomakh in leather costumes during the first two films, could tire, and so – new heroes, and therefore new expectations, new impressions.
As in the first part, in addition to the already announced names, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romaine and Bruce Davison, who played Senator Kelly, returned to their roles. Surprisingly, three years after the release of the first film, director Bryan Singer managed to reunite such an impressive cast, which of course is commendable. After all, have time to get used to one image of Rogue, for example, and appear in the frame in the second film in her guise of another actress, who knows what the perception would be and how this very actress would fulfill her mission. That was great.
If you pay attention to the visual component, then in comparison with the first part, the graphics have improved, which have become more realistic (the technology did not stand still for three years, but went forward), the geography of the heroes’ travels, stretching from the walls of the White House to underground laboratories, from Boston to the northern forests, has also enriched, which also served as a plus for the overall perception of the film.
The chair of the composer this time was taken by John Ottman, with whom Singer worked back in 1995 on the project “Suspicious persons” and with whom he will later ponder “Days of Future Past”. Ottman, like the composer of the first part, Michael Kamen, managed to write real superhero music that inspires the feat.
Like the first part, the second once again puts the characters before a difficult choice. This applies to Piro (although in his part, the choice was probably obvious), and Jean Grey, who has a frank conversation with Logan during the film, and again Jean Grey in the final scenes (see and understand what this is about), and the X-Men team when meeting Magneto and Mystic in the forest more often.
In conclusion, X-Men 2, in contrast to some superhero films, has one interesting detail: it makes it clear that no matter what abilities you have, and no matter how zealously you would not stand for Good, it is not certain that you will survive in the end. Such a moment may have taken place, but it still indicates belonging to the human race and clearly says: they are also people.
But look at you. I do not impose my opinion on anyone.
Usually, cool movies make bad sequels, but the X-Men franchise is one of the good exceptions to the rule. “X-Men 2” was better than the first movie.
The narrative here is more interesting and tense than in the first part, and in some moments, especially impressionable people (like me) can tear. Characters continue to fascinate with every minute more and more. We learn more about Wolverine’s past thanks to the new villain William Stryker. Magneto is not behind Stryker and throws us a lot of all sorts of plot twists. Its motives are both clear and incomprehensible, which makes the film unpredictable. The new mutant Night Snake fits perfectly into the X-Men team. But the character I remember most was Jean Grey. I did not expect this from her (I will not spoil, you will see everything).
The visual aspect of the film is as good as ever. The action is tasteful and unobtrusive. This is a huge plus!
Of the minuses of the picture, you can notice only logical inconsistencies, but in general, they do not spoil the impression of the film.
9 out of 10
After 3 years came the continuation of the original, with the same actors, though not all this applies. Let’s say in the last part showed “Jubili” just an episode, and here too, although in cartoons and comics it plays a rather large role. I really don’t understand why they had to have a new actress every time. The same goes for Kitty Pride. In the first part she is a tall girl, and in the second she is a little girl. But no one pays attention to these actresses, because their screen time is very small. But another mutant named Piro has a bigger role and has already picked up the actor who will play it in the next part, this is Aaron Stanford. From here it becomes clear that Fox begin to wise with the franchise and it will not benefit it.
In this part, Wolverine tries to fold his memory into pieces, and for this he goes to an abandoned dam. Charles Xavier and Eric Lenscher are no longer in opposition. The new opponent will be William Stryker, the man who made Wolverine what he is. We will be shown a small original, how the hero Hugh Jackman appeared. There is also room for a love triangle between Logan, Cyclops and Gene Gray. And the ending was not at all unambiguous, which stoked interest in the third part.
If you don’t go into the questions about the secondary actors, why they are changed like gloves, then in general you will like the film.
After the success of the first part, everyone believed in the success of the second, because the director is again the same Brian Singer, and the possibilities for approaching and creating the film are much more. Now the studio was not afraid of failure, and this film was not an experiment, but a continuation of the beloved picture, which became even better. You can’t see the actors relaxing and playing worse. No, they understood what they were going through and that they could make the film good and quality. The plot this time again touches on the topic of catching mutants, how dangerous they are to society, and again touches on the topic of Logan’s past, how he tries to remember something. This time the picture is much more enjoyable to watch, you know what to expect from it, and you get it. Everything goes smoothly and exactly after the events of the first part. There are no unnecessary characters from the previous film. It's not just a sequel to show us something else in the franchise. This is a real sequel, telling about everything that happened between the films, how the characters coped with their problems, their fate. There are new characters who fit well into the concept of the film, but some of them later disappear for no reason.
This time, the X-Men have a new enemy with no superpowers but high intelligence and charisma. He tricks even the most intelligent and powerful mutants with trickery, and it's very interesting to watch. But the villain also has other mutants at his disposal, and, of course, they also play an important role in the antagonist’s plan to exterminate mutants. Again, the events in the picture are not large-scale. Here again, there is no modern technology, and heroes and villains rely only on themselves and their abilities. Again, as in the first two Wolverine solo films, it doesn't feel like Logan is a real beast and a killing machine. That is, he kills a lot of people, but the rating interferes with this: everything seems to be censored. But after all, the action focuses on other mutants, so they decided to shoot a solo film about Wolverine to show its essence, but the PG-13 rating still remained, although Brian Singer, who could make this film, agreed only to the R rating.
There’s the X-Men theme again, and now you get used to it and let yourself know that the movie will definitely work. The soundtrack captures the whole tone and drama of the film, which has gotten a little more serious, so that's even handy. Surprised, this time, the camera work. Beautiful views combined with the film, especially the snow-capped Alkaline Lakes. And all because the film lost modesty, and now not afraid to show something new in comic books. Humor also became less, but this film, unlike the first, need humor only to dilute the drama of the picture. Once again, the acting of Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKelenn stands out, but now they are joined by Famke Janssen, probably due to the fact that her role in this film has increased.
The film is much better than the original, but does not surpass it, and only joins the overall picture of the X-Men, because both of these films are very important for the franchise. If you liked the first film, the second will remove all the disadvantages and show you an even better and fitting movie.
10 out of 10
Three years later, the X-Men are back on the big screen. In the director's chair again sat Brian Singer, the script undertook to write David Hater, Michael Dougherty, Dan Harris. The plot is partly based on the Marvel comic book X-Men: God Loves, People Kill.
In the first film, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) goes in search of answers to questions about his past. But not finding what I was looking for. After his journey, he returns to the Casavier School, hoping that the professor will help him understand everything even better.
Meanwhile, our heroes face a new threat, a man named William Strucker, who fiercely hates mutants and is eager to destroy them. And ironically, he turns out to be part of Wolverine's past, the one who endowed his skeleton with a different kind of metal.
In the second film, we get acquainted in more detail with new characters that only flashed in the first.
Pyro, a mutant, can control fire, but not create. In the first film, he was played by Alex Burton. In the second, the actor changed, he was played by Aaron Stanford. In the film, he helps his classmates, but nevertheless, he is attracted by the dark side. In the comics, he was neutral.
The second character to be shown in more detail is Bobby, aka Iceberg. As in the first film, he was played by Sean Ashmore. An iceberg can lower its body temperature. This is manifested not only internally, but also externally. It can radiate extreme cold and freeze objects with the touch of a hand.
The movie turned out to be interesting, first of all, because the film reveals the storylines of the characters more. For example, the love triangle (Scott-Jean-Logan), the past of Wolverine. There are still a lot of questions.
Either way, the movie looks easy. And every time I watch it, I get a lot of fun.
"X-Men 2" is an example of an excellent sequel, following the golden rule of sequels - to multiply all the advantages of the first film, which by the way was very good in itself.
The relationship between humans and mutants is becoming more serious and tense, the law on the registration of superhumans has been postponed again threateningly appears on the horizon, and the X team must team up with Magneto and his faithful companion Mystic to fight a common enemy - former military William Stryker, known for his hatred of mutants.
"X-Men 2" is really good in every respect. It is interesting to follow the story, there is no unnecessary or useless scene, every small event or action is woven into the general plot and serves for its development. There is no action just for the sake of action, there are no new characters just for the sake of new characters, every detail will somehow play a role.
All the key characters of the first film returned in the sequel, and even added a few new – Night snake, Piro, Lady Deathstroke. For Wolverine, a small backstory was written in the form of flashbacks, and in general, the characters became more alive and human.
In addition to Logan himself, who, as usual, stands at the center of the story, again, I can not help but note the magnificent Magneto performed by Ian McKellen, Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart), and the naturally charming Mystic (Rebecca Romaine), which is devoted to several key scenes that move the plot of the film. Very pleased Famke Janssen, who in the first film was good in the role of Jean Grey, and here and quite simply chic, the evolution of her character admires.
The action also took a significant step forward. All combat scenes look much more dynamic and spectacular, and special effects have become better.
Bottom line: X-Men 2 is a great comic book, which for me personally surpassed the first part. An exciting story, bright characters and excellent action guarantee a boring pastime. More than two hours of timekeeping fly unnoticed.
X-Men 2 - the second part of the superhero action movie about mutant people based on the comic book of the same name by Marvel publishing house. As an ardent X-Men fan, I enjoyed every moment, every scene and dialogue of this film. After watching the first part, I expected a sequel and hoped in my heart that the sequel would not stain the dirt of the perfectly staged original. My prayers, as I think of all the other fans, have been heard and more. The second part of the franchise about mutants turned out to be more serious, tense and mysterious than the airy and bright original. The creators decided to expand their view about the world of mutants, in the aftermath, we open many secrets and secrets that hidden the subconscious, as Wolverine and other characters. For the sequel, the film company 20 century Fox, due to the huge success of the original, made 110 million dollars (remember that the budget of the first part was $ 75 million). And with great success spent the money on what they were allocated for — a film that is one of the best films about superheroes, which gave the platform for the next projects. I always ask myself, “Why does a film with a smaller budget look more colorful, more spectacular, more harmonious than a movie with a bigger jackpot?” At the moment, I have only one suitable answer: desire. The director of this film, by the way, Bryan Singer, who directed the original, tries to make the film as his art and gives a lesson to every director who is going to make a fantastic action movie. In Singer's films, visual effects are always appropriate and charming. He doesn’t put them in the movie, whatever they are, as if for a tick. Works through every detail in the film and most importantly learn from their own mistakes, which explains why the sequel was better than the original. Also, we should not forget about the scenario, which has been modified several dozen times and is seen for the better. They did not stint on the set for the Stryker base, which was so large that the film crew moved around it on bicycles. It was the largest film set in North America. And of course, most importantly, we were again pleased with their lovely work old cast.
Result. If you liked the first part or you are a fan of a good fantastic action movie, then you must watch it. Well, if you are a highly intellectual connoisseur of cinema, then I would also guarantee you to sit down and relax before watching this wonderful masterpiece.
Enjoy your visit.
Honestly, I haven't read the X-Men comics, so I can't compare the original comics to the film adaptations. Many comic book lovers say that the latter are better, while many say that you should still watch movies. Well, I join the second group and boldly say that the film adaptation of the X-Men is worthy of viewing by any connoisseur of movies and comics.
I watched the first one a month ago, and last night I decided to watch the sequel. To be honest, the first part I didn’t like, it seemed too boring to me and thought that the sequel would also be like this. But while watching the second one, I began to realize that I was wrong, and "X-Men 2" is a worthy and best sequel for this franchise. There are few cases in history where the sequel is better than the original, and this film is one of those.
The plot here has become more exciting, dynamic, spectacular, with sharp turns. In the first film there were many characters and a small timekeeping, so they never had time to fully reveal. Here, their characters were brought to the peak of disclosure and even began to change, for which it was interesting to watch them and, most importantly, empathize with them.
There was also an acute dilemma, i.e. the actors were constantly faced with a choice between two options, and they had to choose the right path. There are sacrifices to save others. It makes it even more tragic, which makes the film much better.
The actors played great. Hugh Jackman in any role is matchless, and the role of Wolverine is one of his best roles. Halle Berry came to the fore and played heroically. It's a pity that after the movie "Catwoman" her career plummeted into a hole, but it's only her fault. You have to choose the right (!) roles. You can also note the actress Rebecca Romaine (Mystic), who delighted the eye with her beautiful form and transformations.
Special effects here are much better and not strained. Another film was decorated with a beautiful musical accompaniment, which was always in place and corresponded to what was happening on the screen.
In the end, I can only say to the creators: Bravo, Singer, Bravo, Marvel, Bravo, all the actors. A worthy continuation of the franchise. I suggest everyone watch.
It’s funny that at the time when I began my acquaintance with the X film team, the second film did not cause me a storm of enthusiasm and rather caused bewilderment by its complexity and gloom. But since then, I have listened to critics and acquaintances who met this picture with delight. And the film began a long way to my heart: with each viewing it became better, the plot unfolded from all its facets, and the story took for a living. And now I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this film is one of the most important film adaptations of comics.
I watched X2 and was amazed at how well this film was made: everything that was good in the last part remained at a high level, and the shortcomings of the past turned into a whole host of advantages. And perhaps the main advantage of this picture can be called an excellent work with the plot: after all, without jokes, the writers managed to paint a story in which an important role is played by a whole ton of characters, and at the same time none of the individual parts of the narrative and none of the personal subplots do not pull blankets on themselves and all together are woven into an amazing symphony of the general plot. Judge for yourself in the film parallel to each other, sometimes intersecting, influencing the rest of the parts and promoting the whole story moving as many as five or six branches of the narrative. Moreover, the story itself is characterized by an incredible density of what is happening and takes only three days, having time for all the time even better to reveal the existing characters, lead to their development and even bring what is happening to the global level.
And what is especially gratifying is that with such a wealth of protagonists, the Xes chose Colonel William Stryker instead of the Apocalypse, Vicious, Guardians or any other giant threats. Which once again proved that in order to represent a real danger to superheroes, it is not necessary to acquire superpowers: sometimes a good intelligence multiplied by power and dubious moral qualities is enough. And Brian Cox in the role of this bastard looked just wonderful and especially pleased that he did without any villainous clichés or strange manners. Also today, young people were pleased: that Sean Ashmore as Bobby, that Aaron Stanford showed Piro. And Rogue performed by Anna Paquin was not left without attention. And in general, the entire old guard that came from the last film looked in their roles simply as infused: McKelen and Stewart just showed class, and even Halle Barry and James Marsden were able to catch the wave, and Famke Janssen and Rebecca Romaine are just beautiful, in the end Jackman played his game for a hundred. And even newcomer Alan Cumming in the role of Kurt caused exceptionally positive emotions.
And also positive emotions caused the action available here, and especially pleased with the fantasy with which Singer approached its implementation. The same attempt in the White House still looks like a five, and the brutal massacre during the intense storming of the school does not turn into rivers of blood only at the behest of His Majesty’s rating, and if the same fight Logan with Lady The mortal blow performed by the brilliant Kelly Hu looks somewhat outdated, as well as the flamethrowing of Piro, then the creativity of the approach to the abilities of Magneto when escaping from prison or during the storming of the dam can only cause applause. And even the constant hints of Phoenix do not look like an alien element inserted solely for the sake of a sequel, but lead to a very dramatic denouement.
In general, in 2003, Bryan Singer managed to produce a real serious comic book, which undoubtedly had an impact on the Nolan trilogy and the modern Marvel Cinematic Universe. And when modern keyboard fanatics begin to extol the current films for how well they manage to combine so many characters, raise serious topics and not look like crazy nonsense, so I want to advise them to look back in time in order to see this old film to pay homage and get a lot of fun from X2, which is still able to give heat.
8 out of 10
- What are you teaching, Professor Logan?
- Drawing.
Continuation of the famous franchise about people with superpowers. After the events of the first film, Wolverine sets out to unravel the mystery of his past and how he got his Adamantium skeleton. But will he like what he finds? At the same time, someone is trying to discredit mutants in the eyes of ordinary people. Colonel William Stryker is obsessed with the idea of discovering the secret of Cerebro and using it to harm all the mutants of the earth. The X-Men will have to fight the government again, as well as return the escaped Magneto to prison.
This is one of the weakest films in the X-Men Cinematic Universe. Apparently, the filmmakers clearly did not expect this franchise to grow so much. And certainly did not know that Wolverine will receive a series of spin-offs including the original. This film has an indirect relationship to the first film. It is a weak connection that includes only small details. It is then that Bryan Singer will learn to leave clues and references to subsequent paintings, and while he is by trial and error looking for the right rod.
I am glad that all the actors from the first film returned to their roles. Plus, the series was replenished with new characters, such as the Night Snake, Piro, Iceman, etc. And a few more small cameos show smaller mutants who have yet to play at full strength in subsequent films.
If you do not take into account the other films of the franchise, then X-Men 2 turned out to be a very worthy continuation of an excellent comic book.
- What subject do you teach, Mr. Logan?
- Drawing.
The film has clearly become more cheerful. I like the story better than in the first part. It is now aimed at a wider audience.
A lonely beast, Wolverine, clearly decided to cling to the pack.
And everything around him again.
Not much can be said about the actors, as the cast has not changed, except for Piro and Nightcrawler. Everything is beautiful, everything is in its place.
There's not much to say about the movie because it looks like the first one, but as it doesn't often happen with sequels, it's just as good. Because this is a logical continuation, only tormented by the question of how much time has passed, on the one hand a couple of days, on the other a couple of months. Hair Ororo (Storm) has become shorter!
8 out of 10
The second picture “X-men”, as expected, was to surpass the first, as the subsequent were to surpass their predecessors. And with 27 drafts of the script written, Bryan Singer succeeded.
Plot. The story goes on. This time, mutants are targeted by the President of the United States. A certain unknown person makes an attempt and leaves knives at the scene with a message: “Freedom to mutants.” In turn, Charles Xavier regards these actions as a well-planned campaign aimed at war between humans and mutants. While our Professor asks Magneto "Who is Who," a mutant school is raided. All the threads in this story are drawn to a military scientist - William Stryker (Brian Cox), who once conducted experiments on mutants, and today decided to end this annoying occupation.
The cast. On the screen, new positive characters - Kurt Wagner (Alan Cumming), as well as those who in the first film were still children, and did not quite reach full roles - this is both Rock, and Bobby. In addition to them, there are new negative characters - Yuriko (Kelly Hu), which consists of adamantia as well as Wolsomakh (Hugh Jackman). By the way, thanks to this equality of forces among the heroes, you begin to worry a little for the Wolverine in the final battle. The other beloved heroes have not lost their charm. Each of them in this part also clearly demonstrates his character, draws his image in more detail.
Details. The fact that the creation of the second part of Brian Singer approached more deeply says the detail of individual scenery and scenes. For example, the construction of the scenery of the Oval Office took 2 months, and in the process of writing the script, the director demanded from the writers a detailed study of what would happen if the dam broke. In my opinion, such a huge work cannot but affect the quality of the picture as a whole. We see a new level of X-men.
In general. This part makes it clear that everything is just beginning. And this war is not just a small showdown between mutants, but a search for the possibility of coexistence between humans and mutants. More heroes, more timekeeping, more meaning.
10 out of 10
In 2000, the film adaptation of the cult comic company Marvel "X-Men", dedicated to the adventures of people with supernatural abilities, was released. The first film is a separate universe of X-Men with its own plot and intrigue. So, the first film weaved intrigue with the mysterious past of Logan, better known as Wolverine. And now back in 2003, the sequel “X-Men 2” appeared on the screens.
Synopsis A mysterious mutant with the gift of teleportation makes an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate the President of the United States. In an already aggressive world against mutants, a new wave of discontent breaks out. Professor Xavier begins to suspect that the attack may have been staged to make the mutant situation worse. Soon, a mysterious raid is made on a school of mutants, as a result of which several mutant children are kidnapped. Logan, Jean Grey, Storm and several other young mutants must save their friends and loved ones.
Game of actors In principle, I have no complaints about the actors. It’s just pretty hard to judge a role they play when it’s a comic book character, and therefore it’s a positive or negative character. However, I would just like to praise the actors for creating their characters without copying the character from anywhere. So, for example, I liked Famka Jansen as Jean Grey.
Directorship As in the case of the first part, director Bryan Singer shot the picture in such a way that the main focus is on the main intrigue, namely, the disclosure of the mystery of the assassination attempt on the President and the consequences of this disclosure. Moreover, the director made it possible for the viewer to plunge into the atmosphere of the world with mutants, where some people take it for granted, and some perceive it as genetic freaks that need to be exterminated. The director also tried with scenes of fights and fights, so that they looked really beautiful and impressive on the screen.
Scenario The plot of the picture reveals the story of the origin of Wolverine or Logan as he appeared in the first part. In the film, we meet the aged villain William Stryker, who has long conducted cruel and unforgivable experiments on mutants with the aim of their complete destruction. But to carry out this inhuman plan, Stryker develops a cunning plan, which becomes the main intrigue of the film, which I do not want to disclose, because any interest in watching the film will disappear.
Result Summing up, I will not vociferously paint my impression in order to convince the audience that the film must be seen. Personally, I am not a fan of fantastic action films, as I find them rather boring. But X-Men is a special case. I love the story, the characters, the idea is curious. So since I liked the first movie, I can safely say that I liked the sequel.
10 out of 10
Director Brian Singer, along with his X-Men, has made a real revolution in the fantasy genre of cinema. First, his film marked the beginning of a new era in which all sorts of superheroes took over, pulling large sums out of producers’ bank accounts, but at the same time emptying the pockets of viewers with much greater skill. Secondly, it turned out that to create a large-scale and spectacular summer blockbuster could do quite a modest amount, and the end result is not inferior to more expensive projects of similar subjects. Naturally, the bosses of the 20th Century Fox studio were not going to part with the chicken that lays golden eggs and immediately announced the creation of a sequel to the original tape, which was titled “X-Men 2”. Bryan Singer returned to the director's chair and at his disposal was already a much more solid budget, which he traditionally put into a real business, rather than wasted on unnecessary fees to arrogant stars. The entire main cast, led by Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellen. The performers happily returned to the characters who gave their career a rapid impetus and played their parts at the maximum of opportunities, proving on their personal example that at first glance, an optional, entertaining movie can raise serious topics and dilute the escapade of special effects with a considerable amount of genuine drama, which could be envied by much more serious productions from recognized masters of the old school. “X-Men 2” fully met the expectations of fans of the first film and in some ways appeased disgruntled fans of print publications, who could not but criticize the work of Singer because of his willfulness and definitely blasphemous, in their opinion, the treatment of heritage from Marvel. The second film of the franchise turned out to be much darker, tense and mysterious than the light, airy first part. The creators decided to delve into the world of mutants as far as possible and revealed to us many secrets and secrets that the subconscious of Wolverine and many other heroes hid from us. "X-Men 2" looks more like a spectacular drama than a mindless colorful blockbuster. Honestly, I have not been able to review the sequel as many times as the original, but in terms of semantics, it is almost the strongest part of the franchise. It’s worth talking about in more detail.
So, the plot of the film again returns us to the school of mutants Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart), whose students, with the participation of the rebellious hero Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), managed to turn away a large-scale catastrophe and did not let the wayward Magneto (Ian McKellen) deal with leading world leaders, simultaneously sending the villain to prison. As for Wolverine, on Xavier’s tip, he went to look for answers to mysteries related to his past. At first, it seems that the world of the near future has turned away the impending catastrophe, which could result in a global war and the mutually beneficial coexistence of mutants and ordinary people, nothing can undermine, but not everyone is satisfied with this course of events. A rather unexpected personality from the distant past enters the arena - Colonel William Stryker (Brian Cox), a longtime hater of the mutant community, who wants not only to register them, but to destroy them at the root. To do this, he vitally needs none other than Wolverine, because once they have already cooperated and if the hero did not escape in time, the planet would begin a real genocide of the X-Men. In addition, Magneto should not be written off, who promised that the walls of a plastic prison would not deter him and he again returned to active action. Thus, Professor Xavier and his team have to keep the defense on two fronts at once and simultaneously look for a way out of such a tense situation. The war is approaching again and now the walls of the school can no longer guarantee the safety of gifted children. What about kids? The whole world is on the verge of collapse.
Despite the fact that the X-Men 2 was positioned by the studio as a blockbuster that should collect hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office, the creation of Brian Singer looks surprisingly serious. Of course, the director saturates the timekeeping with a lot of beautiful shots that can be taken and put into frames, like works of art, and also does not forget about the good old sarcasm from the unsurpassed Wolverine, but still this film is worth watching from a much more dramatic position. Brian Singer again decides to put Wolverine in the center of the story and shows us the secrets of his past. We will learn how he became the owner of his claws and why his entire skeleton is covered with a rare metal, which on Earth is almost impossible to obtain. And the physiological component of the problem is just the tip of the iceberg. Much stronger emotions cause the relationship between Wolverine and Stryker. We understand that Hugh Jackman’s hero has not just fallen under the influence of the military and it becomes clear that the latter is a genius of manipulation and for his own purposes he can seduce anyone. But why would he do that? Why does he hate mutants with all his heart? In fact, Brian Singer could make Stryker the same template hero that was in the first part of Senator Kelly (Bruce Davison). But since the tone of the sequel is chosen in much darker colors, the unambiguity in the franchise is no longer welcome. Wilm Stryker is driven to radical action by a profound personal tragedy that has left his mind confused. But even more frightening is that his ideas are supported by a considerable number of compatriots who want to get rid of mutants as soon as possible.
The peculiar friendship of Charles “Professor X” Xavier and Eric “Magneto” Lenshirr also got its development. And, it is worth noting, their relationship is no less interesting than the meeting of Wolverine and Stryker. The heads of the two opposing mutant groups have never set an end in themselves to destroy each other. Yes, they have completely opposite views on life and the methods of their actions are strikingly different, but nevertheless the characters have deep respect for each other and even worry about the safety of mutants from opposite camps, regardless of what they did. Only here, unlike Magneto, Xavier never forgot about people, faithfully defending not only his wards, but also innocent inhabitants. Other historical heroes like Rogue and Jean Grey also get their share of attention. Their storylines, although not fundamental, but nevertheless their participation in the narrative is quite justified. And if the leading characters are mainly responsible for the drama, then the secondary ones allow the masters of special effects to walk around in full and put a lot of obstacles in their way, which can only be overcome with the help of amazing abilities of mutants.
The second part of the X-Men absorbed the best moments of the first and tried to get rid of its most critical shortcomings.
The visual style of the painting has improved. The special effects over the three years that have passed between the releases of parts have become much more convincing. And Brian Singer began to use them in more relevant scenes. Musical accompaniment has finally become consistent with the video series going at the moment. So the outside of the picture looks great.
There are also no complaints about the plot, for the comic book it is very elaborate and even logical. The actions of the characters can be understood and understood. Some questions raise the motivation of Stryker, but the desire for revenge may well outweigh humanity and compassion.
All the old characters remaining in the film adhere to the old characters and images. Of the newcomers, we can note Brian Cox playing Stryker. He was able to vividly embody the image of an ideological fighter against mutants. And despite being a human being, he became a truly dangerous opponent to the X-Men. Despite the fact that Kelly Hu, who played X-23, says only one phrase in the film, she perfectly fits into the image with her appearance and especially plastic movements. Alan Cumming, who embodied the Night Snake, managed to show all his loneliness and faith.
I really liked the movie. This is a pretty bright and plot and visual picture, really making you interested in this universe.