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The Movie:  I'd been looking forward to "X-Men" for quite some time. I've never read the comic book, but I've been looking forward to see what director Bryan Singer("The Usual Suspects") can do with a bigger budget. Although his "Apt Pupil" was a dissapointment, "The Usual Suspects" and his debut, "Public Access", remain two of my favorite films. 20th Century Fox pushed this production to its limits, with a small budget and an even smaller time to get the film completed. The odd thing is that even though the film was rushed, it feels well-crafted and detailed; the story, on the other hand, feels like it's in a rush. That's not really a complaint, either. In a time where I feel that some films overstay their welcome, "X-Men" seemed to be over before it really began. Although the film clocks in at about 96 minutes or so, it felt like about an hour. Singer starts things quickly, then really never looks back. The question that's probably on the minds of most is, "if I've never picked up the comic book, will I understand what's going on?" The answer is definitely yes. The plot is sort of a new twist on the good vs. evil routine. In the future, some humans have evolved into mutants, humans that have special physical or mental capabilities.  A senator(Bruce Davison) is proposing a bill that will force mutants to register with the government as the movie opens. From there, we are introduced to the two teams of "mutants"; one that believes that humans and mutants should peacefully co-exist - the other that wants to strike the first blow in what they believe will be a war between the two sides. The "good guys" are lead by Professor X(Patrick Stewart), who is a telepath; following him are Cyclops(James Marsden); Jean Grey(Famke Jansen); Storm(Halle Berry) and the newest two, Wolverine(Hugh Jackman) and Rogue(Anna Paquin). On the opposing side, there's Magnito, a holocaust survivor who can move metal objects; Mystique(Rebecca Romijn-Stamos), Toad("Phantom Menace" and "Sleepy Hollow"'s Ray Park) and Sabertooth(Tyler Mane). It's a large cast of interesting characters, and obviously, in a movie this busy(and this short), some characters are going to get less screen time than others. This is particularly apparent with the supporting villians, who aren't given enough of a chance to be menacing enough to be much of a threat. The characters who do get some attention, like Wolverine, Rogue and Storm, definitely do manage to be engaging. The plot, which involves Magnito's desire to turn humans into mutants using a device that sort of reminded me of a set piece from "Event Horizon". I liked that an attempt has been made to make this film a mix of smart dialogue and the usual Summer effects; rather than just having the special effects wash over the audience, the story is detailed enough and the screenplay contains enough great one-liners to keep audiences interested. I haven't even gotten to the effects and look of the picture yet - both are extremely well-done. Although there were a couple of small sequences that didn't quite seem seamless, the majority of the action sequences deliver some dazzling visuals. This is certainly aided by the cinematography of Newton Thomas Siegel, who is gaining a reputation with films like "Usual Suspects" and "Three Kings" as one of the most interesting and creative cinematographers in this business - and it's definitely a reputation that's well deserved.  If I have one thing to say about "X-Men" is that I actually would have liked more. I found the characters and their individual powers fun to watch, and I actually found myself dissapointed when I realized that the film was almost over. A little more screen-time could have fleshed-out some of the supporting characters, but probably would have set the film's budget over the set $75 million dollar mark. It's been a pretty quiet Summer so far, and obviously that has built up even more expectations for this film. After watching it, I definitely think it delivers and should live up to, if not surpass, the expectations of Summer movie audiences. Definitely recommended.  X-Men(CD Soundtrack) |