X-MEN

I’m happy to report that you don’t have to know anything about the Marvel Comics craze "X-Men" to enjoy this movie. "X-Men" starts off with some startling attention grabbing scenes that span more than half a century. A boy uses his mental skills to bend the steel gates that separate him from his parents in a concentration camp at the end of World War II. Later in time a young girl - Rogue (Anna Paquin) - delivers a near death blow with her first kiss, and still later, she bands together with an undefeated brawler of super human strength who battles for his keep in caged boxing rings in the lawless regions of the Canadian North Woods. The brawler - Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) - wards off an attack with his razor sharp metal talons that protrude at will from his parallel iron skeletal infrastructure. Later they are saved by from a mysterious figure known as Sabre Tooth (Tyler Mane) by the forces of a blizzard conjured up by Storm (Halle Berry) and a laser eyed force of destruction called Cyclops (James Marsden). And that’s just the beginning!

They are all mutants - freaks of nature - each with their own unique gifts. Many wander aimlessly unaware of the others, until they are recruited by Professor X (Patrick Stewart) to harness their power as X-Men for the good of humanity. He even runs a school for troubled mutants to boost their self esteem and develop their powers to the best of their abilities. Others, like Toad (Ray Park) and the bodacious shape shifter, Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos), join Professor X’s arch rival, Magneto (Ian McKellan) who believes that war between the mutants and ‘civilized’ society is inevitable. He wants to make the normals more like mutants and has a diabolical plan to make it happen. "X-Men" has all the trappings of a futuristic spy thriller with a couple of kidnappings, multiple impersonations, and a knock down drag out fight inside the Statue of Liberty with the super heroes and villains armed with an arsenal of the latest special effects.

Fans of the X-Men Marvel Comic books will recognize many of the other characters who are named for their own peculiar ability, like Iceman and Cannonball. They have smaller parts making them ripe for further exploration in the sequels that are bound to follow. The writers of the movie (some un-credited) and director Bryan Singer have accomplished something that few comic book or feature length live action versions of cartoons have been able to do - create an action packed adventure that is grounded by the motivations of its characters. The special effects are not only used to dazzle its viewers, but actually work as extensions of each personality, from the self healing powers of Wolverine and the life sucking power of Rogue’s touch to the psychic brilliance of the wheel chair bound Professor X to the mental skills of his adversary, Magneto.

At its heart, "X-Men" is a sledgehammer plea for tolerance and understanding for anything or anyone that is different. Its story succeeds admirably in stressing the uniqueness of its characters that is perfectly in tune with today’s proponents of cultural diversity. What better way to express it than through the comic book fantasies of our youth? Remember! The first X-Men comic book came out in 1963 when the Civil Rights movement was in full swing. I don’t think this was a coincidence. And if you don’t agree? - "X-Men" is still a lot of fun.

Copyright 2000

It’s impossible to reference super villains like Magneto without exploring the origins of cinema’s master criminals. Langs movies are in the process of being re-mastered and re-released by Kino Video.

"Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler" (1922) / "Dr. Mabuse, King of Crime" (1922) - These

were originally shown together but both can stand on their own. The first explores Mabuse’s bid for power in the criminal underground and the second shows his descent into madness.

"The Testament of Dr. Mabuse" - (1932) Dr. Mabuse is a criminal mastermind who controls the underworld from his wheel chair inside an insane asylum. Comparisons of the good doctor to Adolph Hitler are inevitable. This was Fritz Lang’s last German film before seeking exile in Hollywood where he continued to make films until the mid-fifties before returning to Germany. His last film was "The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse" in 1960 with Gert Frobe, James Bond’s "Goldfinger," as the detective after Mabuse.

"The Usual Suspects" (1995) - Who is Kyser Soze? That tag line and the unique story about a gang of crooks hoodwinked into working for a master criminal launched Singer’s career. With a stretch of the imagination, the unique abilities of each crook can be seen as parallel to the abilities of the X-Men." It’s an ensemble piece as well that garnered a Supporting Oscar for Kevin Spacey.

"Apt Pupil" (1998) - Ian McKellan, who appears as Magneto in "X-Men," plays a Nazi War Criminal hiding out in suburbia in this surprisingly mature examination of the nature of evil. The research behind this must’ve had some influence on the opening scene in "X-Men." This is one of those films that demands to be seen more than once.

"Public Access" (1993) - This got critical attention at the Sundance Film Festival and paved the way for the financing of "The Usual Suspects" but for the life of me, I don’t remember it ever being released. I found it at the video store. It is an effective yarn about a mysterious stranger who starts a public access show to find out what’s wrong with the community. The acting is marginal, but the images are haunting. And surprise to me, was actually shot in 35MM with Panavision lenses giving it a first class look. It’s worth a look to see the emergence of an artist whose ideas on the nature of evil reached greater fruition on his next two films.

"Superman" (1978) - The one and only with Christopher Reeve. His attempt to change into his reds and blues in an open air phone booth was an in joke that got the same type of cheers when Wolverine referenced Cyclops’ lack of a spandex costume in "X-Men"

"Batman" (1989) - Michael Keaton is the caped crusader in an adaptation that has some dark elements comparable to "X-Men"