"X2" expounds the mutant manifesto to familiarize the uninitiated (see the first "X-Men") before plunging headlong into some slam dunk action at the White House. A midnight blue being, who can realign his molecular structure, dissolve into a mist, pass through solid objects and reemerge whole at lightning speed, wends his way into the Oval Office to kill the President. He is Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming) - the latest mutant to bring a sense of wonder and mystery to the X-Men saga. And what a saga it is!

Hugh Jackman returns with a vengeance as Logan, aka Wolverine, to confront the demons of his past to make sense of his future. He becomes a reluctant role model, protector, and mentor to the mutant students at Professor Xavier’s (Patrick Stewart) X-Mansion when it is invaded by a covert military group headed by the megalomaniac Stryker (Brian Cox). He wants to kill all the mutants of the world. Stryker’s brilliant, though devious, plan is to make Xavier an unwitting accomplice by harnessing his psychic powers with a secret weapon. He also happens to be the one man who holds the key to Logan’s troubled past.

Many of the mutant regulars, like Storm (a luminous Halle Berry), Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), and Cyclops (James Marsden), band together like The Magnificent Seven to save Xavier and the world of mutants from Stryker. Nightcrawler becomes a surprising ally whose attempt to assassinate the President of the United States is one of the mysteries that belie the gentle nature that dwells within his religious soul. Bobby/Iceman (Shawn Ashmore), who appeared briefly in "X-Men," emerges as a full blooded character whose cold breath is enough to thwart the life source threatening capability of Rogue’s (Anna Paquin) romantic kiss. Yes! Romance blossoms amidst the carnage left in the wake of those out to put down the mutant population. Other romantic entanglements add flesh and blood to the heroics of "X2." Even the morphing Mystique (Rebecca Romijn Stamos) gets into the act after helping Magneto escape from a high security prison. (This is where it helps to be familiar with the first "X-Men" movie.) He becomes interested in one of Xavier’s newest pupils, Oscar/Pyro (Aaron Stanford) who can turn a simple flame from a cigarette lighter into a firestorm.

"X2"’s unique story structure calls upon Dr. Francis Xavier’s former friend and arch rival, Magneto, to help rescue him while still holding on to his own agenda, to speed up the evolutionary process and turn humans into mutants. The writers (four are credited with story and script) and director Bryan Singer have managed to turn Magneto into one the most complex comic book villains to hit the silver screen. Ian McKellan makes Magneto’s hatred of the human race - with Stryker at the top of the list - and his genuine feelings for the one mutant who could bring about his downfall, totally believable. Their unique relationship is the cement that holds "X2" together for the long haul even though they have few scenes together. Each one’s survival is dependent on the other’s. They are bound together by a shared past and an unmitigated belief in the future of a mutant world It’s their view of the rest of the human race that sets them apart.

"X2" ends with a knock down drag out fight between Wolverine and his more modern female counterpart - Deathstrike (Kelly Hu) in an underground fortress that houses the secrets of Logan’s transformation from a normal human being into the indestructible Wolverine. One of the hallmarks of the movie is how the reviled Stryker is turned into a tragic figure once the nature of his secret weapon is revealed. All the mutants get to use all their powers and super gadgets to save the world. The suspense level is pitched into high gear once it becomes clear that one or mere of the heroic mutants must die so that the others may live. But it’s all part of another devious plot to pave the way for the next chapter in ongoing X-Men saga. "X2" is terrific!

Copyright 2003

Here are a few films that came to mind that could have easily inspired some of the action in "X2."

"The Magnificent Seven" (1960) - John Sturges classic western based on Akira Kurosawa’s "Seven Samurai" a few years earlier. Seven men, each with a unique gift (get it?), with a gun, a knife, or sheer chutzpah are hired to protect a Mexican village against bandits. Just think of Styker in "X2" as the bandit out to steal Dr. Francis Xavier’s powers. It’s a stretch but it works for me. With Steve McQueen, Yul Bryner, James Coburn. Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, and Horst Bucholz as the Seven. Eli Wallach is the bad guy.

"The Guns of Navarone" (1961) - Commandos have to travel across Greece in WWII to take out super cannons in a fortress overlooking the Aegean Sea. Think Commando-like mutants who have to impregnate the underground fortress to rescue Xavier, Wolverine et al.

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 even if you don’t agree, "X-Men" is still a lot of fun.

Copyright 2000

It’s impossible to reference super villains without exploring the origins of cinema’s master criminals. Fritz Lang’s Dr. Mabuse films from the early days of German Cinema are a good starting point.

"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 asylum 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 peak just to see the emergence of an artist whose ideas on the nature of evil reached greater fruition in 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"