X2
I went to see the newest Marvel Comics-inspired film today, X2: X-Men United. I thoroughly enjoyed this flick. I've been a fan of X-Men since I was a kid, and it was good to see some of my favorite comic book characters on the screen again.
I'm not going to give away the film's plot, but I will say that I enjoyed it more than the first film (which I thought was good too). The plot was interesting and well-paced, with the right amount of action sprinkled throughout. The actors seem to be more comfortable with their characters this time. And, this film doesn't just focus on Wolverine and Rogue. We get to know the other characters (Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm) better. And, we get introduced to some additional characters — Iceman, Pyro and Nightcrawler.
The special effects were improved over the first film — presumably because first film's success provided for a larger budget for the sequel. Nightcrawler's signature BAMF! teleportations were exceptionally well done, as was the Nightcrawler character himself. There were more weather effects from Storm this time, but I still feel like Halle Berry was miscast for Ororo. I never got the feeling that Halle Berry's Storm was a tough-as-nails warrior. Angela Bassett would have been a better choice in my opinion, but that's a minor quibble.
The one thing I really enjoyed in this film was the number of cameo appearances from the other X-Men. Colossus, Kitty Pryde, Jubilee and a human-form Hank McCoy (The Beast) all make brief showings in the early portion of the film. Hopefully we'll see more of them (and others, like Angel) in future films.
Overall, I'd give the film a 4 out of 5. It's not Oscar-quality, but it's a great comic-book adventure that doesn't disappoint. If you are a fan of the X-Men or comic books in general, this film is a must-see. I plan to see it at least once more before The Matrix Reloaded comes out on May 15.