The X - Men - movie

  

   I’ve waited for this movie for 20 years, and worried that, when or if it would finally be made, it would be equally disastrous to most comic book stories turned into a movie. Like Superman, Spiderman, Fantastic Four and countless others.
   But I’m happy to report that there was no need for my worry. From the Nazis genocide camps to present day Washington DC, this is a movie that is thoroughly faithful to the comic book. There are certainly differences, but scripters and director and the production team, are clearly faithful to the spirit of the books. We do experience Professor Xavier’s school for gifted youngsters, the anguish of Magneto and a world brought to the brink of a genetic war, by ignorance, prejudice, racism and hatred. The mutants powers are recreated in stunning ways. In short, the filmmakers have taken the adaptation to heart. They’ve not attempted to cheapen the great foundation by ridicule and jokes as Richard Donner did with the Superman - movies he directed, but built on the existing, rich foundation, and, quite frankly created a masterpiece.
   Xavier, Magneto, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Wolverine, Rogue, Mystique, Storm and Sabretooth are all basically portrayed the way they are in the X - Men monthly titles. Or at least as characters should be treated, when transformed by the comic book medium onto the big screen. In many ways the movie are far superior to the books, since the entire movie have a far more «adult» feel to it. It has brought the mood of the comic book medium, but discarded its trappings.
   X - Men veterans, like myself, easily recognize that the emphasize is on older characters, that the filmmakers have chosen to go for a classic storyline, return to basics, so to speak, more the way the X - Men were portrayed in the late seventies, early eighties, than they are today, but this is a choice I, for one, am quite happy about.
   But the skill of director Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects), goes further than to satisfy X - Men regulars. Everything is being explained from the ground up. It’s not mandatory to have read the comic book to enjoy the movie, but Singer and scripter David Hayter clearly have, and their past as X - Men fans, are clearly shining through. At least you would think that all of them has a past as fans. But Singer hasn't and that makes his feat even more amazing...

   THE STORY

   Doctor Jean Grey, teacher by the renowned Xavier Institute of Gifted Youngsters, is holding a lecture before the US Senate, in an attempt educate the assembly, to alleviate their fear.
   Senator Robert Kelly is spearheading the attack on mutants, the next step in human evolution, a new species emerging from human origin, in the beginning of the 21st century, calling for new, drastic legislation «to control the mutant problem». Fear and prejudice of mutants, both as a group and as individuals, is rampant. Kelly is riding on a wave of support in the general population.
   Magneto - Eric Lensherr - the powerful leader of a militant mutant faction, a survivor of the World War 2 Holocaust over half a century earlier, recognize the same signs, the same process that eventually led to the genocide of 6 million Jews, among them his family and friends.
   The stage is set, the lines are drawn, change is coming... and the world will never be the same again.

   btw One of the new scenes on DVD (removed in the cinema edition) is a hint of Jean's expanded powers, an implication that she will become Phoenix in the sequel.
   That makes me very, very happy.

BEFORE THE CAMERA

director: Bryan Singer
writer: David Hayter
producers: Lauren Shulen Donner/Ralph Winter
director of photography: Newton Thomas Siegel
production designer: John Myhre
executive producers: Tom de Santo, Avi Arad, Richard Donner, Stan Lee
composer: Michael Kamen
editors: Steven Rosenblaum, Kevin Stitt, John Wright
custome designer: Louise Mingenbach
visual effects supervisor: Michael Fink

  Phoenix, Jean Grey, and X-Men are all copyrighted by Marvel Comics. All characters (and the distinctive likeness thereof) are trademark of Marvel Characters, Inc. This site is made without Marvel's permission, but it's for fun only, and I do not benefit in any commercial/material way, by having this site.