Film Review: X-Men

Superhero films are a dime-a-dozen these days. Regardless of whether you think that's good or bad, we all have the original X-Men film to thank. Prior to this, superhero movies were limited in scope, scale, and conception; after all, comic book stories are so larger-than-life that it's hard to adapt them for the big screen (much less justify a big enough budget for it). With the X-Men (and arguably Blade, released a couple of years earlier), filmmakers took a chance on modern effects and techniques to bring a whole team of heroes to life, ushering in a massive wave of comic-book movies that would eventually lead to Marvel's rise as a new studio: a cinematic force to be reckoned with.

As the first-ever X-Men film, it has its share of limitations, especially compared to later films. Action is kept to a minimum; the biggest highlights being the train station scenes and the big climax on Liberty Island. Special effects are plentiful, but used sparingly. What really matters is that you get to see a whole world of mutants showing off their varied powers. The film blasts so many memorable details with sporadic bursts of short scenes, crafting just enough spectacle to wow us, but also just enough to tell the story it needs to.

It is a decent enough story. The film takes its time tracking various characters and bringing them together, so we get a solid and well-composed introduction to the X-Men and the world they inhabit. There are a ton of characters involved, but the film juggles them well enough. A good amount of attention is given to Wolverine, Rogue, Magneto and Professor X, who are all endearing characters we can appreciate. Most of the others tend to be lacking; there is no real development involved with Storm, Cyclops, Jean Grey, or Mystique (and Toad and Sabretooth stand as two of the weakest villains in the franchise, for they are lacking in presence and depth). All things considering, the film covers so much ground that there's really no room for extraneous character beats; what matters the most is the plot, which is intriguing, as it builds up to a fairly decent climax. At its core, it's a film that underscores themes of prejudice, which provides all the dynamics for the character and the conflicts they go through.

This film is very tightly-composed, with excellent photography and very rapid editing. It is especially noteworthy how the film manages to relay so much information with a constant stream of short, revealing images. Acting is a little dry, but the casting choices are mostly perfect. Hugh Jackman is easily the most iconic character of the lot, thanks to his perfect portrayal of Wolverine. Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Anna Paquin, and Bruce Davidson are great in their roles, and I enjoyed watching Famke Janssen and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos. I got to admit that the more I watch this film, the more I dislike Halle Berry as Storm (she does deliver one of the worst lines ever in this film). Writing is pretty blunt, but it gets the job done. This production uses some very slick and cool-looking sets, props, and costumes. Special effects hold up mostly well, with just a few weaknesses. The music score is alright.

The first original X-Men film was an inspiring hit at its time, but would only be a small taste of even greater things to come. It still holds up thanks to its storytelling and nuanced attention to detail. It's worth seeing at least once, especially for genre fans.

4/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Good | Film: Good)