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<blockquote data-quote="Spells &amp; Karma" data-source="post: 318768" data-attributes="member: 23"><p style="text-align: center"><strong><span style="font-size: 22px">X2 </span></strong>(2002)</p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fvignette.wikia.nocookie.net%2Fx-men%2Fimages%2F9%2F9c%2FX2_poster.png%2Frevision%2Flatest%3Fcb%3D20180411004744&f=1&nofb=1" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 450px" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">(Also known as <em>X2: X-Men United</em> or, here in the UK, plain old <em>X-Men 2</em>).</p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">For me, this is a fine middle instalment of a superhero trilogy. It builds on the themes introduced in the first, broadens the scope and leaves just enough unresolved to create anticipation for a second sequel.</p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">Despite having many of the same characters, settings and ideas, <em>X2</em> feels different from the first <em>X-Men </em>film. It's slicker, more surefooted and with a sense of scale that probably reflects the significantly larger budget (a quick search suggests the budget was two-thirds greater, which I can believe). It feels that this was the film Bryan Singer was aiming to make when shooting the first one. The payoff is that it arguably feels a little less intimate, though not as much as one would expect given the more expansive nature of the film. The same can be said of John Ottman's score, which enhances the grandeur and feels a little more nuanced than Michael Kamen's while at the same time feeling a tad more conventional than the original.</p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">Character choices for this second film work well for me - there's no misstep à la Toad - and the shades of grey between good and bad are explored wonderfully by the X-Men and Brotherhood working somewhat uncomfortably together, bound by a common cause. As in the first film, the human antagonist is arguably the biggest villain (Senator Kelly there; Stryker here), and even there his motivation is explored creating a degree of empathy. Brian Cox brings the requisite gravitas to the trinity of activists driven by different motives (Xavier/Magneto/Stryker). There's also Pyro's journey, with his loyalties shifting from Xavier to Magneto. Again, this is shown to be a response to the bigotry he's experienced and so gives food for thought. Aside from Stryker, the biggest new introduction is Nightcrawler. It's great to see him and Alan Cumming (last seen in O'Dramavision exploring Scotland with Miriam Margolyes). Lady Deathstryke also makes a great impression, an even more impressive feat given she doesn't say a word.</p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">Character cameos and tertiary players give some nice little Easter eggs for those who know the characters. Kitty Pryde's here again, though played by a different, younger actress than in the first. Hank McCoy appeared on a TV screen which was a really nice touch. Siryn got to wail (it's a curious choice to introduce her before Banshee, but far from the biggest continuity issue I have with this series). Jubilee and Artie are also present and correct. And I think Karma might have been one of the kids shown being held prisoner. Xi'an's name was certainly shown on a computer screen along with a host of other familiar characters.</p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-NEhFYAoenII%2FU2i5iVn6LvI%2FAAAAAAAAAGU%2FeJsFpJVQgJg%2Fs1600%2Fxmen12.jpg&f=1&nofb=1" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">Colossus has a fairly low-key introduction this time round. I'd have thought him a shoo-in for the main team due to his powers and distinct steel look. But I suppose there's only so much screen-time available and less is more when it comes to new characters as it can distract from the story.</p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">Jean's arc thrilled me the first time I watched this film and it still feels exciting. Knowing the big picture undermines its power a little, since I don't feel the third film was able to deliver what's promised here (I've never been a fan of the third film for many reasons, which I'll come to soon enough). But taking this independently, it certainly feels as though it's going in the right direction and back in the day it left me salivating at the thought of a third film.</p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">Watching this time round, I had a problem with the way things were left with Jason 143. Even with such chaos going on, I just couldn't buy that Charles would leave a fellow mutant and former student to that fate without even an utterance of protest.</p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">The choice to base the plot loosely on the <em>God Loves, Man Kills </em>graphic novel makes complete sense, given the strong themes and darker nature. I don't feel the film went quite as far in making its point, but then - even twenty or so years on from GLMK - I'm not sure superhero film lovers were quite ready for schoolchildren being murdered by lynch mobs, and I suspect there'd have been an outcry had film Stryker's attempted genocide been driven by religious evangelism.</p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center">I also applaud the continued focus on the Mutant Registration Act as it drove many stories during my comics-reading in the Eighties. It feels like a very logical response to super-powered beings (similar to the Sokovia Accords in the <em>Avengers</em> films, which were explored in greater depth and arguably to greater effect. But then <em>X-Men</em> did it first and in the comics, the seed for the whole<em> Civil War</em> storyline can be traced back to the X-Men's Mutant Registration Act).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Spells & Karma, post: 318768, member: 23"] [CENTER][B][SIZE=6]X2 [/SIZE][/B](2002) [IMG width="450px"]https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fvignette.wikia.nocookie.net%2Fx-men%2Fimages%2F9%2F9c%2FX2_poster.png%2Frevision%2Flatest%3Fcb%3D20180411004744&f=1&nofb=1[/IMG] (Also known as [I]X2: X-Men United[/I] or, here in the UK, plain old [I]X-Men 2[/I]). For me, this is a fine middle instalment of a superhero trilogy. It builds on the themes introduced in the first, broadens the scope and leaves just enough unresolved to create anticipation for a second sequel. Despite having many of the same characters, settings and ideas, [I]X2[/I] feels different from the first [I]X-Men [/I]film. It's slicker, more surefooted and with a sense of scale that probably reflects the significantly larger budget (a quick search suggests the budget was two-thirds greater, which I can believe). It feels that this was the film Bryan Singer was aiming to make when shooting the first one. The payoff is that it arguably feels a little less intimate, though not as much as one would expect given the more expansive nature of the film. The same can be said of John Ottman's score, which enhances the grandeur and feels a little more nuanced than Michael Kamen's while at the same time feeling a tad more conventional than the original. Character choices for this second film work well for me - there's no misstep à la Toad - and the shades of grey between good and bad are explored wonderfully by the X-Men and Brotherhood working somewhat uncomfortably together, bound by a common cause. As in the first film, the human antagonist is arguably the biggest villain (Senator Kelly there; Stryker here), and even there his motivation is explored creating a degree of empathy. Brian Cox brings the requisite gravitas to the trinity of activists driven by different motives (Xavier/Magneto/Stryker). There's also Pyro's journey, with his loyalties shifting from Xavier to Magneto. Again, this is shown to be a response to the bigotry he's experienced and so gives food for thought. Aside from Stryker, the biggest new introduction is Nightcrawler. It's great to see him and Alan Cumming (last seen in O'Dramavision exploring Scotland with Miriam Margolyes). Lady Deathstryke also makes a great impression, an even more impressive feat given she doesn't say a word. Character cameos and tertiary players give some nice little Easter eggs for those who know the characters. Kitty Pryde's here again, though played by a different, younger actress than in the first. Hank McCoy appeared on a TV screen which was a really nice touch. Siryn got to wail (it's a curious choice to introduce her before Banshee, but far from the biggest continuity issue I have with this series). Jubilee and Artie are also present and correct. And I think Karma might have been one of the kids shown being held prisoner. Xi'an's name was certainly shown on a computer screen along with a host of other familiar characters. [IMG]https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-NEhFYAoenII%2FU2i5iVn6LvI%2FAAAAAAAAAGU%2FeJsFpJVQgJg%2Fs1600%2Fxmen12.jpg&f=1&nofb=1[/IMG] Colossus has a fairly low-key introduction this time round. I'd have thought him a shoo-in for the main team due to his powers and distinct steel look. But I suppose there's only so much screen-time available and less is more when it comes to new characters as it can distract from the story. Jean's arc thrilled me the first time I watched this film and it still feels exciting. Knowing the big picture undermines its power a little, since I don't feel the third film was able to deliver what's promised here (I've never been a fan of the third film for many reasons, which I'll come to soon enough). But taking this independently, it certainly feels as though it's going in the right direction and back in the day it left me salivating at the thought of a third film. Watching this time round, I had a problem with the way things were left with Jason 143. Even with such chaos going on, I just couldn't buy that Charles would leave a fellow mutant and former student to that fate without even an utterance of protest. The choice to base the plot loosely on the [I]God Loves, Man Kills [/I]graphic novel makes complete sense, given the strong themes and darker nature. I don't feel the film went quite as far in making its point, but then - even twenty or so years on from GLMK - I'm not sure superhero film lovers were quite ready for schoolchildren being murdered by lynch mobs, and I suspect there'd have been an outcry had film Stryker's attempted genocide been driven by religious evangelism. I also applaud the continued focus on the Mutant Registration Act as it drove many stories during my comics-reading in the Eighties. It feels like a very logical response to super-powered beings (similar to the Sokovia Accords in the [I]Avengers[/I] films, which were explored in greater depth and arguably to greater effect. But then [I]X-Men[/I] did it first and in the comics, the seed for the whole[I] Civil War[/I] storyline can be traced back to the X-Men's Mutant Registration Act).[/CENTER] [/QUOTE]
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