“X2: X-Men United” (2003) – Hugh Jackman’s Excellent X-Men Superhero Sequel

Writer/Director: Bryan Singer

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart and Halle Berry

‘An Excellent Sequel’

Comic-book sequels rarely live up to the high standard set by their superior predecessors. When a movie is extremely successful, it often becomes hard to craft a sequel. Most sequels fail to live up to their predecessors in quality. The issue is that the first first film sets a high bar that sequels cannot live up to. It’s hard to replicate the success of a classic movie. However, there are exceptions to the rule. Every so often once in a while there comes a spectacular sequel which manages to improve upon the original in every way possible.

“X2: X Men United” is one of those rare one-of-a-kind sequels that manages to improve upon the first movie significantly. Released in 2003, Bryan Singer’s iconic movie marked a powerful return to the larger-than-life world of X-Men. Boasting exquisite production-design, stunning action and powerful performances, it’s one of the best comic-book sequels I have ever seen. Although “X2” is engaging, it isn’t a flawless movie. It’s poorly paced, lacking the compelling ending of the first film. That being said, it demands to be seen. Simply put, it’s a dream come true for fans of the world-famous superhero team.

Following the events of the first film, “X2” tells the story of a group of mutants that struggle to survive. Patrick Stewart reprises his iconic role as Professor Charles Xavier, a teacher guiding mutants with powerful superpowers. However, Xavier’s dreams are threatened by new threats placing the lives of mutants in catastrophe. Assisted by Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Xavier strives to fight a new threat through efforts of a team that’s united. Facing a dilemma, Xavier questions whether it’s possible for mutants to survive in the modern era.

Bryan Singer is no stranger to the comic-book genre. His previous movie “X-Men” introduced the iconic superhero team towards a modern generation. With “X2”, however, Singer made his first ever comic-book sequel. It marked the filmmaker’s first attempt to create a sequel on a superhero team that’s powerful, but he succeeded. By bold cinematography, the filmmaker captures a superhero team going on a journey to save the world from catastrophe. Inspired with the first film, Singer expertly uses cross cutting to capture a superhero team that collaborates to save the world. Through stunning cinematography, Singer captures a superhero team’s legacy.

Another aspect of “X2” that contributes to its success is the action. One area in which the sequel improves drastically on the first movie is action sequences. If the action in the first “X-Men” was goofy, the sequel is able to resolve this issue by its realistic fight scenes. Singer deftly uses practical effects to stage actions sequences which feel real rather than superficial. For instance, the practical effects elevate the Nightcrawler introduction scene. During this unforgettable scene, Nightcrawler stages a secret attack on the White House. One admires practical effects capturing the action reminiscent of the “Mission Impossible” series. Through awe-inspiring action, Singer captures a superhero team driven to accomplish a mission.

Amidst the thrilling action entertainment, “X2” finds time for compelling character development. The film is extremely well-written and effectively uses foreshadowing to hint at dangers awaiting the X-Men. Throughout the movie, Singer utilizes clever foreshadowing to hint at dangers that the X-Men are facing. Whether its subtle signs of danger in mutant school or headlines in the news, the film is filled with clever clues on dangerous events which are going to occur. By this ingenious foreshadowing, Singer builds a compelling superhero team that viewers can easily relate to. It allows viewers to empathize with mutants in a way that they couldn’t in the first film. Foreshadowing is a tricky technique to use in comic book films. When viewers can easily guess what’s going to happen in a movie, it can often leave no room for surprises. That being said, it works extremely well. Through engrossing storytelling, Singer creates superheroes that are compelling.

One admires astonishing performances. Every returning actor reprising their role has chance to shine and leave a lasting impression.

Hugh Jackman delivers one of his best career performances as Wolverine. Jackman earned recognition for playing the sharp-clawed hero in “X-Men”. With “X2”, however, he brings out an emotional side to the gruff hero audiences hadn’t seen before. If “X-Men” depicted Logan as a dangerous animal without a heart, he is given more emotion in the sequel. Jackman is excellent at capturing emotions through strong expressions. With captivating expressions, he captures the angst, desperation and grief of a strong hero. It’s one of the best performances ever given by an actor in a comic-book movie.

Patrick Stewart is spectacular in the role of an intelligent professor with the abilities to control minds in danger. Stewart brings compassion to Professor X through his commanding voice. If the previous “X-Men” movies depicted Charles Xavier as a mysterious figure, this time he given more more depth through Stewart’s sublime performance. Whether he’s silently teaching Logan how to control minds or giving valuable advice to students, Stewart captures compassion of an iconic comic-book character. It’s a phenomenal performance from one of the greatest British actors working today.

Finally, Alan Cumming merits appreciation. As the mysterious Nightcrawler, he brings an air of mystery tot he movie.

Despite its fantastic performances, however, “X2” is not a movie without flaws. If there’s a minor shortcoming to the movie, it lacks engaging pacing. Singer’s choice to integrate romantic subplots into the movie is clever but doesn’t succeed. Due to this faulty technique, scenes capturing Rogue’s romance with mutants are not as engaging as the X-Men’s journey to save the world from catastrophe. Such scenes feel more suited to YA adaptations like “The Twilight” franchise rather than comic-book movies. Moreover, the film lacks a compelling ending. It’s an over the top finale that lacks satisfying resolution. The cliffhanger seems intended merely to set up a sequel. In this regard, “X2” is a sequel that falls short of expectations.

Nevertheless, comic-book fans will definitely enjoy “X2” and so will movie-goers seeking exhilarating entertainment.

An excellent tribute towards an iconic team of superheroes which work together to save the world from grave danger, it’s a sharp reminder of a franchise that forever changed comic-book movies taking the world by storm through its portrayal of heroes with a mystique collaborating in teams to complete dangerous missions becoming a powerful part of popular culture.

4/5 stars