Year:
2003
Studio:
20th Century Fox
Feature:
4/5
DVD:
5/5
X-Men United
is the sequel to X-Men. In
this movie the X-Men have to join with Magneto to stop William Stryker
(Brian Cox) and his diabolical scheme to destroy all mutants. It's a
plan that involves assaulting the X-Men school and stealing Cerebro as
well as capturing Professor X. The X-Men will be hunted and they'll
track down the villain to the snowy Canadian north for a final showdown.
The original cast returns: Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier,
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Halle Berry as Storm, Famke Janssen as Jean
Grey, James Marsden as Cyclops and Anna Paquin as Rogue. Shawn Ashmore
gets promoted to a supporting role as Iceman while Alan Cumming makes
his appearance as Nightcrawler.
For the villains we have Ian McKellen and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos
returning as Magneto and Mystique. Aaron Stanford is the volatile
student Pyro who starts out at the X-school and ends up joining Magneto
at the end of the movie. Kelly Hu plays major new villain Lady
Deathstrike who is working for Stryker.
The special effects are really good. Cinematography is likewise great.
There are lots of little bits of X-lore in the movie. Colossus and
Kitty Pryde make cameo appearances and we also see Jubilee though not
using her powers.
Overall it's a good movie, straddling the line between fan service and
the mainstream audience. It's a plot with several twists and lots of
action sequences. The only part I wasn't thrilled about was the ending.
***** START SPOILERS *****
Although Jean Grey dying was appropriate for the X-Men, how she died
seemed a bit weak. She has the power to lift the jet and hold back the
raging waters of a burst dam but then can't get herself out at the end?
The space shuttle scene in the comic book made more sense for a death
scene.
***** END SPOILERS *****
Still, this is an awesome movie and a good sequel.
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Disk 1 Extras
Commentary Tracks
Director Bryan Singer and cinematographer Tom Sigel.
Producers Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter, writers Michael
Dougherty, Dan
Harris, David Hayter
Disk 2 Extras
History of the X-Men
The Secret Origin of X-Men (15 min)
Nightcrawler Reborn (7 min)
Pre-Production
Nightcrawler Attack: Multi-Angle Study (2 min)
Evolution in the Details: The Design of X2 (18 min)
United Colors of X (9 min)
Production
Wolverine/Deathstrike Fight Rehearsal (1 min)
The Second Uncanny Issue of X-Men: Making of X2 (59 min)
Introducing the Incredible Nightcrawler! (10 min)
Nightcrawler Stunt Rehearsal (2 min)
Nightcrawler Time-Lapse (4 min)
FX2: Visual Effects (25 min)
Post-Production
Requiem for Mutants: The Score of X2 (12 min)
X2 Global Webcast Highlights (17 min)
Deleted Scenes
Extended Wolverine/Deathstrike Fight (2:32 min)
Wolverine Kills the Intruder (0:22 min)
Mystique in Stryker's Files (2:54 min)
Nightcrawler Bamfs to Save the Students (0:33 min)
Jean and Storm in the X-Jet (1:04 min)
Jubilee at the Museum (1:18 min)
Pyro Starts the Campfire (0:21 min)
One of the Children is Sick after Bamfing (0:15 min)
Rogue Helps the Children Escape (0:31 min)
Professor X and Cyclops Escape (1:38 min)
Arriving to an Empty School (0:41 min)
Galleries
Characters
Locations and Sets
Mutant X-Rays
Nightcrawler Circus Posters
On-Camera Graphics
The Unseen X2
Trailers
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