BY DAVID SERVER | Many fans of the now inescapable comic book movie genre credit the whole wave to Bryan Singers 2000 comic book epic, X-Men. Featuring likable characters, clever dialogue, and a somber tone, X-Men won the hearts of comic-book fanboys and refined film buffs alike with its clever cinematic twist on the worlds most popular mutant superhero team. Now, Singer and almost his entire cast and crew are back with some 50 million more bucks for a follow-up  but does this sequel live up to the hype? With a pulse-pounding comic-book-style bang, X2 cranks up the action, humor, excitement, and special effects, and while it may not top some of the smaller more elegant touches of its predecessor, it certainly is a fantastic way to kick off the summer movie season of 2003, as well as a memorable and powerful action-packed entry into the ever-evolving filmic X-Universe.

The film takes place mere months after the events of the first X-Men film, with the feral but sensitive Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) hiking through the Canadian Rockies in search of his past and the mystery of his adamantium laced skeleton and claws. Meanwhile, back at the mansion, Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and the X-Men (James Marsden as Cyclops, Famke Janssen as Jean Grey, and Halle Berry as Storm) are still watching over the School for Gifted Youngsters (amongst them Aaron Stanford as Pyro, Shawn Ashmore as Iceman, and Anna Paquin as Rogue). Magneto (Ian McKellen) is still being held captive in his plastic prison, under the careful watch of anti-mutant Colonel William Stryker (Brian Cox) and his deadly and mysterious assistant Yuriko (Kelly Hu). When an assassination attempt is made on the life of the President by the mysterious demonic-looking mutant teleporter Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming), the X-Men must band together once more to reveal the larger more complex forces at work in an effort to protect all mutantkind.

The cast is strong all around, and certainly anyone who enjoyed the performances in the first film will be more than happy with those in X2. Hugh Jackman slips effortlessly back into the role of Wolverine without ever missing a beat. Hes as dangerous, tormented, and charming as he ever was. In one sequence, Jackman even gets to cut loose a little more with the famed Wolverine berserker rage, a violent rampage that the character enters when overcome with bloodlust in the heat of battle; Jackmans deliciously unrestrained (not to mention violent) performance here once again proves that he IS Wolverine, period. Brian Cox also turns in a very spirited and entertaining performance as Colonel Stryker  he hams it up in the best possible way, oozing sadistic charm with every line, right down to the dragging Southern drawl in which he coats his dialogue. He makes for a powerful villain for our heroes. Alan Cummings Nightcrawler is spot on, and he plays the character with just the right balance of religious zeal, mischievous curiosity, and almost childlike wonder at the events unfolding around him. If anything, I could have used more of him because hes so extremely entertaining and he does a really fantastic job with the part, so heres hoping if we get an X-Men 3, he gets even more to do. McKellens Magneto (who has been granted a new devilishly wry wit in this film) is once again instantly charismatic, seductive, and captivating  no complaints there. One sequence he shares with Stanfords Pyro is particularly chillingly memorable. The X-Men (Marsden, Janssen, and Berry) all give solid performances, but while Berrys Storm and Janssens Jean finally get more action this time around, Marsden is once again tragically underused. This guy is the perfect Cyclops! Will someone please give him some more screen time?! Hes barely in this flick, and its a shame because hes excellent in the role when he is around. The X-Kids (Paquins Rogue, Ashmores Iceman, and Stanfords Pyro) all provide impressively strong performances, especially relative newcomers Ashmore and Stanford, although their significance seems to dwindle as the film progresses.

This can occasionally become somewhat of a problem with the film; at times, its a bit too ambitious in that it attempts to give so many characters their own sub-plots that some of the arcs end up feeling incomplete or underdeveloped. For example, the relationship between Rogue and Iceman is sweet and well developed in the first half of the film, but it ultimately doesnt serve any purpose and is forgotten by the films climax. While many fans or the original movie complained that focusing so heavily on Wolverine seemed unfair to the other characters, it did allow for a greater sense of focus in the storytelling, which seems to be a little less present in X2. Often, certain sub-plots feel like they never seem to reach fruition, and others become crucial towards the end after having little to no significance for most of the body of the film. Regardless, the performances themselves are all spot on, so kudos to the cast.

Anyone who complained that the first X-Men didnt pack enough of a visual wallop be prepared to be knocked on your collective asses. The visual effects and fights in this movie are nothing short of flat-out balls-to-the-wall stunning. Whether its one of the surprisingly violent, kinetic fight scenes, or one of the multiple special effects laden chases or large scale battles, this film is littered with multiple sequences of pure visceral comic book splendor. There are moments in this film, moments that were nowhere to be found in the first movie, that will feel like they were ripped out of your favorite X-Men comic and then doused with the best that Hollywoods special effects wizards had to offer. Wolverine attacks a brigade of military commandoes in a frenzy of flashing claws and primal screams of rage. Storm creates a wall of tornado columns while piloting the X-Jet in a frantic last ditch effort to escape two pursuing F-16s. Magneto effortlessly demolishes his surroundings, bringing walls crashing down around him, with the aid of merely two tiny balls of iron. Nightcrawler single-handedly disarms an entire secret service unit in a matter of seconds, leaving bursts of blue smoke as he flips, twirls, kicks, and punches his way towards the Oval Office. These are the moments that make this film special  few comic book films, if any, have packed such a stunning visual punch thus far. X2 has certainly set that particular bar very high.

The film is equally energetically written. Thanks to the writing skills of newcomers Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris, the somber tone of the fist film is replaced by a more fast-paced, energetic, almost giddy quality which provides X2 with some real kick. The dialogue is sharp and entertaining, providing a constant string of high quality laughs between its multiple breathtaking action scenes. Also very impressive is the creativity used in the characters use of their mutant abilities - you really feel like these powers are ones that these characters dont see as extraordinary, and they use them in everyday ways (if you need a cool Dr. Pepper, find Iceman!), sometimes to humorous effect, and sometimes just to add a subtle sense of realism to the universe of the film. In both cases, this stood out as clever and effective writing. Unfortunately, while the film is written in ways that are both exciting as well as funny, there is never a scene as simple yet moving and effective emotionally as the scene between Rogue and Wolverine on the train from the first X-Men  those sorts of quiet moving scenes were the ones that really helped to build and establish the characters and give the film a real sense of humanity and soul. While thankfully the film does devote more than its fair share of time to develop characters in short bursts, the general lack of such powerful scenes as in this film is unfortunate. Ultimately, the action-packed story doesnt lend itself to a lot of emotional downtime, but you cant help but feel a little of the heart of the first film would have gone a long way in this follow-up.

Just to note, composer Michael Kamen (who worked on the first X-Film) has been replaced in X2 by composer John Ottman. Ottman delivers a beautiful, moving, and powerful score for X2, complete with an entertaining and memorable piece of theme music for the X-Men (one which I can hum, and for that I am thankful!). His score adds a real sense of strength to Singers visuals, and one cant help but wish that Ottman had been around for the first X-film.

One last important thing worth mentioning, which I really cant go into detail on without ruining one of the major plot points of the movie, is that the films ending struck me as somewhat ineffective in comparison to the rest of the film. The story seems to hit an awkward spot towards the end and then just downward spirals into a sort of oddly composed closing few minutes. This element notably affected my opinion of the movie because certain things that were meant to be very moving didnt strike me as very much so at all. Dont get me wrong, Im dying for Singer to conclude his X-trilogy (and hopefully bring in Beast), but the execution of the finale is just not quite there. A movie like this deserves a big finish, and for me it didnt completely deliver on that count.

X2 is the slightly less sensitive but much more exciting older cousin to the original X-Men. It looks and sounds 100 times better, but it spends so much time with its multiple parallel plotlines and rich visuals that some of the quieter but stronger character moments that made the first film so strong get left behind. Luckily, it makes up for any such shortcomings with quick-witted dialogue, great music, and a visual flair that simply does not quit. But thats whats great about the X-Men universe  each story is a chapter in a greater saga. The first film was very touching and intelligent, but lacked a bit in the visual department. This film is exciting, visual, and intense, but isnt quite as character driven. Perhaps with the third entry into the series, the perfect balance will be found. But in the meantime, youre not going to want to miss X2. As summer movies go, it doesnt get much better than this, and anyone who calls themselves an X-fan is going to want to give this flick a look or five. What else is there left to say except: Bring on X3!

GRADE: A