X-Men — It's a rare comic-book movie that doesn't fall over its cape introducing all the characters, and X-Men is the exception, dropping us into a world that is closer to our own than Batman's Gotham City, but is still hom... more »e to super-powered heroes and villains. Opening in high seriousness with paranormal activity in a World War II concentration camp and a senatorial inquiry into the growing "mutant problem", Bryan Singer's film sets up a complex background with economy and establishes vivid, strange characters well before we get to the fun. There's Halle Berry flying and summoning snowstorms, James Marsden zapping people with his "optic beams," Rebecca Romijn-Stamos shape-shifting her blue naked form, and Ray Park lashing out with his Toad-tongue. The big conflict is between Patrick Stewart's Professor X and Ian McKellen's Magneto, super-powerful mutants who disagree about their relationship with ordinary humans, but the characters we're meant to identify with are Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and Anna Paquin's Rogue. There are in-jokes enough to keep comics fans engaged, but it feels more like a science-fiction movie than a superhero picture. --Kim Newman X2: X-Men United
X2 does a fine job of picking up where X-Men left off, giving fans more of what they liked the first time around. Under the serious-minded custody of returning director Bryan Singer, the second film of this Marvel comics franchise ups the ante on Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and the superhero mutants from the first film, pitting them against a mutant-hating scientist (Brian Cox) who's determined to wipe out the mutant race by tricking Xavier into abusing his telepathic powers. More a series of spectacles than a truly satisfying thriller, X2 introduces new mutant allies while giving each of the X-Men alumni--notably the temporarily helpful Magneto (Ian McKellen)--their own time in the spotlight. Well aware of the parallels between "mutantism" and virulent intolerance in the real world, Singer lends real gravity to the proceedings, injecting dramatic urgency into a continuing franchise that, in lesser hands, might've grown patently absurd. --Jeff Shannon« less
Kimmie G. (kimmie73) from GREENVILLE, AL Reviewed on 1/13/2010...
Good movie
2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Laura F. (papaschild) from KANSAS CITY, MO Reviewed on 11/28/2007...
Beautifully laid out gift box with lots and lots of cool extra features. Great for serious x-men fans.
4 of 6 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
Too Many X-Men!
Philip Ng | New York City, United States | 10/11/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Okay first things first! This DVD box set is great for the fans of the X-Men movie franchise. You get tons of extras, in addition to the two hit movies! You find over ten hours of behind-the-scenes and trailers to keep you busy!However if you truly want the complete package, then be wary, as while it's great, you may also want to pick up the first DVD prior to 'X-Men 1.5', as that DVD contains a hidden gag reel, preliminary designs for Beast and the Blob, in addition to the Fox special that was aired for the movie. This is if you need everything from the first movie!Also however for all buyers, be wary as there is still another movie in the works, with a possibility of an additional three after 'X3', so there will be more DVDs in the future, including possible re-issues of the movies with even more features, so buyer beware."
BUYER BEWARE!
flyer3468 | Philly, PA | 12/16/2003
(3 out of 5 stars)
"The movies themselves are great. The problem is the packaging. It's not the regular disc holders. They are like CDs, when you fold up the Set, they get loose and slide around. I had to return it once because Disc 1 and Disc 4 were scratched very badly. I suggest paying the extra 8 bucks to get individual cases or buy two seperate DVD cases to hold them."
Most discs will be scratched.
flyer3468 | 12/17/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I give this movie 5 stars. Only because of the movie.
The movie was awesome and this is a must buy collection.
But, do not order online, because you may have to return it.
The Full screen and widescreen dvds are bundled together with
a highly scratchable plastic notch thin holders, (in the middle).
I purchased this at wal-mart and found my self in the return line
for 45 minutes, while the customer service rep was helping me
switch out non-scratched discs. Remember, that movies are non-refundable and can only be replaced by the same movie."
Great Movies... Bad Package Idea
Stuart A. Oquin | 11/29/2003
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Both X-Men and X2 are incredible movies. I would highly reccommend both to anyone who enjoys superhero movies. However, the DVD release once again sets out to oversell to its loyal fans. When X-Men was released, every fan went out and bought it. The release of X-Men 1.5 was rude. It should have been released in the beginning so that fans could have bought the better one, rather being forced to buy 2. Now this 2 pack comes out. It looks great, but when X-3 comes out, what are they going to do a make a 3 pack? They are over marketing to make an extra buck. Movies 5 stars. Marketing 1 star. Overall 3 stars."
A cut above the rest!
Stuart A. Oquin | United States | 10/31/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Lately there have been a great many comic book based films coming out, and reportedly there are many more to come. Unfortunately most of these films are sloppy, rushed, and seem to care more about having flashy special effects than actually putting together a good plot, and a smart directing style. The first X-Men film set the stage for the seriousness that should be taken with a comic based film, X2 is the film that really deliver's on the promise of the first, and stands out as one of the best comic book adaptions (ranking with Tim Burton's Batman, and the Superman films). The inticate plot and multiple story derivations and side stories make it nearly impossible to look away from the screen. The action is upped in this second installment, and a feeling of urgency leaves the viewer on the edge of their seat. To add even further to the intensity of the film, several actors make breakout performances (Hugh Jackman), and some legends of film nail their roles with pin-point accuracy (Ian McKellen). In conclusion, this film has enough plot driven action to please the general movie goer, acting performances that will please us critics out their, and more than ample comic references to keep any X-Men fanatic bouncing for months. The bottom line, If you didn't get a chance to see this in theatre's, dont hesitate to pick it up on DVD. 1.5 makes for a perfect complement to the excellent X2...."