The emotional spectrum has widened, too, encompassing buoyant mirth and heroic tragedy.
X2: X-Men United (2003)
Runtime: 2 hrs 15 mins
Synopsis: X2: X-MEN UNITED, the remarkable sequel to X-MEN, picks up shortly after the first film's finale. At the White House, a would-be assassin--the acrobatic, teleporting blue mutant Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming)--menaces the president. Meanwhile, in the Canadian Rockies, Wolverine (Hugh... X2: X-MEN UNITED, the remarkable sequel to X-MEN, picks up shortly after the first film's finale. At the White House, a would-be assassin--the acrobatic, teleporting blue mutant Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming)--menaces the president. Meanwhile, in the Canadian Rockies, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) searches for answers to his mysterious past at the top-secret facility where he received his metallic skeleton and claws. Back at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) and Storm (Halle Berry) instruct students Rogue (Anna Paquin), Iceman (Shawn Ashmore), and Pyro (Aaron Stanford), while Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Cyclops (James Marsden) pay a visit to the imprisoned Magneto (Ian McKellen). However, Magneto has a secret weapon in the shape-shifting Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos). Soon allies and enemies alike will unite to defeat the hate-filled military scientist William Stryker (Brian Cox), who wants to rid the world of mutants. When Stryker launches a ruthless two-pronged attack that leaves the school under siege and Xavier and Cyclops captured, Wolverine and the remaining X-Men must spring to action to save their friends and prevent all-out genocide. Even better than its excellent precursor, X2 delves deeper into the X-Men mythology, introducing new characters and touching on essential storylines from the decades-long run of the Marvel comic book series. Providing larger action-packed set pieces and more advanced special effects, director Bryan Singer further develops the characters of Jean Grey, Storm, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Iceman, Pyro, and Mystique. Each member of the cast breathes vitality into their mutant characters with Wolverine, perfectly portrayed by Jackman, once again the wild heart at the center. A love letter to longtime fans of the comic and an amazingly entertaining movie for everyone else, X2: X-MEN UNITED is that rare breed of sequel that manages to improve on the original in every way. [More]
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen
Screenwriter: Michael Dougherty, Daniel Harris, David Hayter
Story: Zak Penn, Bryan Singer, David Hayter
Producer: Lauren Shuler Donner, Ralph Winter
Composer: John Ottman
DVD Info
Release:
Jan 4, 2008
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- Keep Case
- Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
- Dolby Surround - French, Spanish
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
- DTS 5.1 - English
Disc 1:
Additional Release Material:
- Audio Commentaries - 1. Brian Singer - Director, Tom Sigel - Cinematographer
- 2. Producers/Writer
Disc 2:
Additional Release Material:
- Featurettes - 1. "The Secret Origin of X-Men"
- 2. "Nightcrawler Reborn"
- 3. "Introducing the Incredible Nightcrawler"
- 4. "FX2 - Visual Effects"
- 5. "Evolution in the Details - Designing X2"
- 6. "United Colors of X"
- 7. "Wolverine Deathstrike Fight Rehearsal"
- 8. "Nightcrawler Time-Lapse"
- 9. "Requiem for Mutants - The Score of X2"
- 10. "X2 Global Webcast Highlights"
- Documentaries - 1. "The Second Uncanny Issue of X-Men"
- 2. "Wolverine/Deathstrike Fight Rehearsal"
- Alternate Scenes - Deleted/Extended Scenes (11)
- Trailers - Theatrical Trailers
Interactive Features:
- Multiple Angles - "Nightcrawler Attack"
Text/Image Galleries:
- Stills/Photos - Galleries (26)
Reviews
Parallels to 9/11, John Ashcroft, the Patriot Act and the rest of the Bush administration's racist thuggery are obvious; the movie creates a stirring tide of activist force.
It works perfectly and is never less than believable in an unbelievable, comic-strip kind of way.
Suffers from the same problems as its predecessor -- too many characters, too much going on -- but it's funnier and more inventive.
Wolverine makes the movie -- a wry, raw, charismatic character, embodied by the excellent Hugh Jackman.
Hugely enjoyable sequel that’s every bit as good as the first film.
So much inventive stuff that it takes your breath away--from massive set pieces to amazing stuntwork to tiny details.
Singer and his screenwriters know the value of a surprise and they deliver their share without dipping into the absurd. The result is a movie that surpasses expectations, a superhero flick that can rightfully take its place alongside the best.
Bryan Singer ... makes sure the animating theme of this series -- the freedom to be different in the face of intolerant authority -- doesn't get lost in the din of battle.
Possibly one of the best superhero franchises in history, X2 is thoroughly engaging, well acted and well plotted. Bryan Singer is a master of the genre.
Like the first film, this one once again failed me to draw me into the world of the X-Men.
As a big screen comic book, X2 is the most rewarding I have yet seen.
A fitting salute to a comic that has spanned many decades and fans of all ages.
Related Forums
by: mugenmaster 7/21/07
Pictures
News
posted by Fred Topel September 30, 2007
Gavin Hood devoted a few minutes of time at a Rendition press day to answer questions about the upcoming project on...
posted by Scott Weinberg July 20, 2007
Fox has (finally) signed a director for their upcoming "Wolverine" spin-off, and the lucky helmer is ... Gavin Hood,...
posted by Scott Weinberg July 06, 2007
At first I was completely annoyed when I read the news. Then I heard who was writing the remake, and I felt a little bit...
posted by Gitesh Pandya June 14, 2007
With schools letting out for the summer, Hollywood rolls out a pair of PG-rated films hoping to attract kids to the...


Top Critic
