X-Men

Written by: David Hayter Starring: Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, Rebecca Romjin-Stamos, Anna Paquin, James Marsden, Ray Park, Bruce Davison, Tyler Mane

There’s a recipe being cooked up in “X-Men,” and it seems to be a pretty good one. Take a couple of classically trained actors, a moody hero, and a few great looking women in tight outfits. Add superior special effects, some nifty martial arts sequences, a dollop of self-deprecating humor, and wrap the whole thing up in a very popular comic book series. Stir for 88 minutes (don’t make it too long!) and serve fresh. Then sit back and watch as this perfect summertime treat sucks in the money. If you manage to put the ingredients together correctly and hire the proper chef, everything will fall into place just fine. The time is “sometime in the not-too-distant future.” Human evolution has taken a few lurches forward in unexpected directions, creating a population of mutants with special powers. Naturally, these mutants provoke fear and hostility among the normal people, which is unfair, since most mutants are perfectly nice and just want to live their lives and not bother anyone. Most, not all.

One mutant, named Magneto (McKellan) is especially riled up about the abuse that his kind take, and wants revenge. (It seems that he has felt persecuted ever since his family was destroyed during the Holocaust. Yes that Holocaust.) Magneto has gathered together a band of like-minded mutants to help him with his scheme. Meanwhile, a good mutant leader, Professor X (Stewart) runs a school to help mutant children control their powers, and in his spare time tries to foil the plans of his erstwhile comrade Magneto. Rather than spend a lot of time on the plot (which won’t challenge anyone over the age of eight) it would probably be more helpful to review the team rosters: The Good Mutants: Professor X can control people’s minds. Storm (Berry) can control the weather. Cyclops (Marsden) shoots laser beams out of his eyes. Wolverine (Jackman) has a metal skeleton and sharp claws that shoot out of his hands. Dr. Grey (Janssen) is telekinetic. Rogue (Paquin) draws the “life force” out of anyone who comes in contact with her. The Evil Mutants: Magneto can control anything made of metal. Toad (Park, who, as Darth Maul, was the best thing in “Star Wars-Episode I”) has a really long tongue and can jump like, well, a toad.

Mystique (Romjin-Stamos) is a shape-shifter (she can change her appearance at will). Sabretooth (Mane) is very big and exceptionally strong. So who wins the epic struggle? Guess. Fortunately for future summer moviegoers, enough of the evil mutants are left over to provide a steady steam of sequels. Director Singer (who made the knockout “The Usual Suspects”) keeps the picture moving crisply. The picture is at its best when we are introduced to the mutants and their powers. (Some of the early scenes are especially compelling.) The climactic battle at the end is (dramatically, anyway) the most conventional segment, but Singer knows not to drag things on too long. There are a few sluggish scenes of exposition (probably unavoidable) but we never have to wait long for another bravura action or special effect sequence. Plus, perennial babes Janssen, Berry, and Romjin-Stamos are always on hand to liven things up when the going gets rough.

Fortunately, Hayter’s smart script has a bit more on its mind than the obvious good guys vs. bad guys stuff, which helps raise the picture above the level of a standard sci-fi thriller. The theme of discrimination (in this case, against mutants) runs throughout the movie. Although no one will mistake “X-Men” for “Schindler's List,” it does hit on the way the a group that is different (the “other”) can inspire hate and fear among the majority. Paquin’s Rogue is a teenager frightened of her own powers, which threaten to forever deny her human contact. Her sense of alienation--of not fitting in--is no different than that which many real-world teenagers feel; she just has different reasons. Not only that, she has a crush on an older man. Wolverine (hunk-of-the-month Jackman) is an angry outsider, new to the group. His is the classic “beautiful loser” character, and he even has a dark back story which is hinted at throughout the movie (and will no doubt provide fodder for future installments).

Though Wolverine stalks around in a rage for much of the movie, the script cleverly positions him as a proxy for the audience; as he learns all about mutants, so do we. (He even makes the jokes about the “superhero” trappings that keep the movie from taking itself too seriously.) In classic antihero style, Wolverine serves as a reluctant hero. Furthermore, he serves as a rival to Cyclops for the affections of Dr. Grey, providing a welcome comic subplot. Mutants get jealous too, it seems. “X-Men” is classic summertime escapism. Great looking, fun, and diverting, with a hint of extra depth that is just gravy. As always, a good recipe makes for a tasty treat. (7/15/2000)