selenak

...Bryan Singer continues to prove he's excellent with ensemble movies. A lesser director would have, given the popularity of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, been tempted to turn this into Wolverine: The Movie. Not this one. The balance is kept, and we got another intelligent action film with plenty of interesting characters.

Given that I adore Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan, I'm glad both Xavier and Magneto were prominent in this film's storyline. And they were superb. Still, I think Singer is out to torture me by not giving them more than two scenes TOGETHER per film. Though to be fair, it would have been difficult, given the demands of the plot, to give them more this time around.

Jean Grey: and again I salute Mr. Singer for giving her more to do than just being there for Wolverine to lust over. (As for that aspect, again, kudos to the script for choosing to play it adult: she's attracted to him but doesn't love him, and has made her choice long ago.) Her evolving powers are a thread throughout the movie, and it's pretty easy to guess what X-Men 3 will be about.

Poor Scott/Cyclops gets only a few scenes at the beginning and at the end, which is a pity because James Marsden is excellent and milks those few scenes for what they were worth. It's not every actor who can emote so well without being able to use his eyes, and I predict Scott's anguish at the end, and the way Wolverine reacts, will cause many a hurt/comfort story. (Not to mention some slash.)

Mystique gets much more to do in X2, which includes some tantalising tidbits, such as the slip of the tongue which reveals she thinks of Magneto as Erik (not Master or Magneto as movieverse fanfic had it), her concern for him, and what appears some flicker of concern for the X-Men mutants, too. She's shown as smart, inventive, and her reply to Nightcrawler to his question why she doesn't stay "in disguise" all the time, if she could, tells us a lot: "Because nobody should have to."

Bobby/Iceman and John/Pyro, who only had cameos last time around, this time got as much screentime as Rogue and showed Anna Paquin is not the only gifted young actor in this franchise. Speaking of Rogue, she's much more self-assured this time around; best Rogue moment, for me, was when instead of screaming or protesting she simply, quick and efficiently, used her gift to reign Pyro in. Well that, or the really very sweet kiss with Bobby.

I know Joss Whedon and the X-Producing team didn't part on good terms, but SOMEONE clearly has seen "Becoming II". That scene with Bobby's mother was so very much like the one with Joyce and Buffy. "Have you tried not being a mutant?" (If Bobby is Buffy and his mother is Joyce, it's arguable whether Pyro or Wolverine is Spike. "Professor Logan" indeed.) Of course, one could argue both scenes are parodies of comings-out.

Brian Cox, the first Hannibal Lector (in "Manhunter", long before "Silence of the Lambs"), is a very good and ruthless human villain here. He even gets his human, vulnerable moment when talking with Xavier about his mutant son whom Xavier had failed to teach, and what his son's mutation did to his wife. Makes the impact when we find out what Stryker did to his son and what he plans for the mutants all the more chilling of course.

Alan Cummings as Kurt/Nightcrawler: is very endearing. As for his German - it's okay. No, he doesn't quite sound like a native, but hey, the slightly odd accent could be due to his mutation. He's certainly way better at German pronounciation than those stooges screaming "Jawohl!" in your avarage Hollywood movie, and somebody from the scriptwriting department took the trouble of getting the phrases right.

Now, for X3 - again Mr. Singer at the helm, more Scott, and please, please, more Xavier and Magneto in the same scene!