X-Men (2000)

After the success of Blade (1998), Marvel went ahead with another theatrical adaptation of its comic franchise X-Men. So what have we here? Bryan Singer directs this flick, casts the right set of actors to star in their respective roles in this movie, taking their careers to a whole new level.

So the plot of the movie is comprehensive: Senator Robert Kelly is pushing forward his controversial Mutants Registration Act and Jean Gray is advocating against this as it would create widespread prejudice and conflicts. Professor Charles Xavier, Marvel's Gandhi, loses no hope in quelling this strife while Magneto, consumed with astronomical hatred, intends to drive humanity to oblivion, as he believes in the law of natural selection.

It is shown in the beginning that young Eric Lensherr has suffered in the Holocaust and has witnessed humanity's ferocious maltreatment to those born different. It is that atrocity that further deepens his anger and venom as he believes that humanity has only evolved to persecute "what it does not understand". Now he believes humanity "has seen its days" and it is 'out with the old and in with the new'.

And let us note Hugh Jackman's performance as The Wolverine a.k.a. Logan. At first he shows no compassion for anyone but himself; though this is short-lived and he turns into a guardian to one runaway teenage mutant. He has no memory of who he is or his life before. References to his past make frequent appearances as a blur and he has trouble understanding why.

Storm a.k.a. Ororo Monroe is still the character from the comics, even without her counterpart's Egyptian accent. I guess Singer did not want to force Halle Berry to fake the accent as it would be uneven and eventually end up hammy. I would not mind that at all.

And this sub-story involving Marie a.k.a. Rogue, dwells on her inability to bond with humans before she runs away and bumps into Xavier's people. It shows us how a mutant can cope with her problem and learn that she is not alone. Personally, what she goes through is what many teenage mutants pass through even before talks of the Act.

Lastly Senator Kelly: I personally believe him to be a secondary villain, since he opposes mutants alike in the name of humanity. He receives his just dessert when Toad and Mystique abduct him for an experiment carried out by Magneto himself. That treatment turns his heart around, making him acknowledge that there are good mutants and bad mutants to look out for--and that answers his question from earlier on, "Are mutants dangerous?".

With the advance of computers since The Matrix (1999), several action scenes have captivated many viewers, fans and non-fans alike, including the fight scene on the Statue of Liberty between The Wolverine and Saber-tooth. Many scenes have demonstrated smooth CGI work on Storm's weather patterns, Wolverine's retractable claws, Pyro's fire, Cyclops' fiery eyes and, of course, Magneto's manipulation of metals.

And one thing this movie would probably be remembered for is this quote:

Logan: "Do you actually go out in these things?"

Scott:"What would you prefer, yellow spandex?"

The funny feeling is that in the comics and the 1990s animated series, Wolverine wore his signature yellow suit. But Singer ruled that out from this movie, believing it would be too campy or colorful in the matters so serious. Well minor changes in the costumes of the characters would not necessarily be subject to criticism, as too much color would not reflect the seriousness of the situations at hand.

Thus this movie deserves to be among the most successful comic book movies since Blade, giving viewers’ value for their money and a run for Singer's money.