X-Men

There are some films which take the genre to some other level. This film is definitely the one to do so in the superhero genre.

Good : There's a whole bunch of good things that I can talk about. Bryan Singer does his best to tell the story, considering the comparatively weak script for an experimental film like this. This was the first time in YEARS that a superhero film was taken seriously. Given that there had been no introduction to any of the characters prior to this film, it does a really good job to make them interesting. Plus, it establishes the conflict between Eric and Xavier, which have been an integral part of many films that came afterwards. Not to mention, the character introduction, especially that of Wolverine, was incredible. We instantly know the basic characterization given to each of them, which was enough to get behind the movie. Hugh Jackman was the optimal choice for the role of Wolverine, and he proved it for next 17 years. Every single actor have done a good job in their roles. Also, I believe that X-Men films have been the best superhero films when it comes to "social" themes. We get to see the first of many times two friends with different world views clashing with one another. It has grown incredibly stale now, but was great to see back then and some other films after this, especially First Class and DoFP. The mutants wanting to be accepted by humans, and the other mutants wanting to destroy mankind - what other superhero series have given such a theme, or a similar one? This movie is the reason we are getting films like Infinity War, Civil War, Endgame, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. While I prefer these over the first X-Men movie, if it didn't bring the genre back on track, we would've never gotten such films.

Mixed : It feels dated. Had it been made today, it would've been a lackluster. It was clear that they were trying to experiment with this movie and still figuring out how to get things right. While they got most of the things right, they could've made the story a little more complex.

Bad : The story is quite a bit of a throwaway story. While there's an interesting twist, it still feels like the movie becomes a little goofy and cartoony after that twist. Some moments feel like they were shoehorned just to give some "comic accuracy", but they didn't feel justified. I believe that if you get the basic elements right, it doesn't matter if it's not deadly accurate with the comics. But if you want it to be so, make some baseline for that. Don't do it randomly.

Conclusion : It's a movie that set the genre back on track forever. While the story and script might feel a little lazy when viewed today, you can see that the execution of the ideas were as good as humanly possible. If you are a superhero movie fan, it's a must watch. Not because it's insanely great, but just as a reminder of what led us to where we are. I am a huge fan of the genre. All credits go to Nolan's Batman films, the good X-Men films and Raimi's first two Spider-Man films. I absolutely love the MCU and many DC films apart from Nolan's trilogy - Man of Steel, Wonder Woman, Shazam, The Dark Knight Returns, Superman/Doomsday, etc. But for me, like for the genre, it all started with the first X-Men movie. So, I have a very special place for this in my heart, as a fan.

Rating.

Score : 8/10

Grade : A-

I liked the action and the characters.! The story was good enough and the acting nice

After watching a lot of animated X-Men stuff, I thought that it was time to watch some live-action movies. I'd heard rumours that the X-Men franchise was rather hit and miss. Well, this was a very solid start.

Not everyone delivers a top performance, but I was so happy that my favorite characters delivered. Hugh Jackman does a relly good and charismatic job as the tough Wolverine coming from a place he doesn't even know himself. He ends up meeting Marie aka Rogue who brings him to Xavier's School for the Gifted. Their relationship is a highlight here.

Magneto gets a lot of star power from the magnificent Ian McKellen and a well done take on his harsh past which leads him onto his dark path in life conflicting with his old friend Xavier who are also given a nice portrayal by Patrick Stuart.

The otherwise talented Halle Berry wasn't as convincing as Storm, I must admit. The booming persona I knew was shifted to a quite monotonous one, and her powers weren't to show before nearing the climax. James Marsden was a good choice as Cyclops, but was kind of the same case as Storm without real punch to the performance.

But despite a few small bumps on the road, I enjoyed X-Men more than I had expected, because the story was actually really engaging when the focus was on the right elements like Wolverine and Rogue and how Magneto fulfills his plan. It's not the usual superhero movie where action and special effects are the main focus, but more like a psychological drama with some hero elements. That makes it stand out among the crowd.

But even though the special effects weren't the main focus they were awesome, hands down! It may be a movie from the year 2000, but back then the effects weren't used as much as they are today, so when they were good they really rocked the screen.

I would recommend X-Men to people who like a well balanced movie with a well told story spiced up with the right amount of action and special effects.

With so many movies out right now that are designed solely for entertainment puposes--from "Gone in 60 seconds" to "MI-2" to "Scary Movie"--it is promising to sit through a 90-minute film based on a comic-book that actually gives you an opportunity to think and be challenged.

Bryan Singer's "X-men: The Movie" is nothing more than an introduction to the lives of the characters from the comic book. The very fact that his movie doesn't try to add new elements, or change elements that already existed within the comic, is what makes it so successful.

X-men the comic series has been around for more than 30 years. And for good reason. It has dealt with all of the important elements that good storytelling includes--rejection, loneliness, hope, fear, distrust, love, selfishness, power, and the price you pay for doing what you believe is right. By consistently exploring various difficult elements of humanity, the X-men comic has been able to be not only entertaining but stimulating as well.

Thankfully, Singer's movie translation is no exception. "X-men" is very well executed, with excellent character work for the leads (Logan, Rogue, Magneto and Xavier), a good exploration of the motives of each character, and dialogue that is sharp and intelligent. However, lest you think X-men is only intellectual, let me assure you that the special-effects department has done an incredible job of mingling the human elements of the story with action. From Wolverine's claws to Rogue's devasating touch, from Storm's namesake displays of nature to Magneto's awesome power, "X-men" constantly finds new and arresting ways of showing-off each mutants power. And the closer you get to the end, the more exciting it is.

True, the movie was not perfect. Certain story elements were modified slightly for big-screen adaptation (nothing, however, that is disloyal to the ethic of the series). The soundtrack was only sufficient, rather than being something truly memorable. And not all of the characters were given equal time on screen (some important characters were completely missing).

But for a 90 minute movie that needs an action plot, it's obviously impossible to give all the X-men (and their evil counterparts) equal attention or character development. In fact, the sheer scale of the series alone all but requires a sequel to flesh out what was missing in this first, "Intro to X-men" movie.

Yet, as a beginning exploration of the "X-men" universe, this movie shines. It is attractive, fun and meaningful. Whether you're an X-men fan, you're looking for something that will make you think, you want an action movie, you enjoy sci-fi, or you just want to leave the theater feeling like you didn't just waste a couple of hours and seven bucks, go see Bryan Singer's "X-men." You won't be disappointed.

Though "X-Men" starts slowly, the slow buildup and great payoff proved that this film is worthy of the successful franchise it spawned.