Analysis
The mutants are back in the first and biggest action blockbuster of 2003. The much anticipated and , of recent weeks, much hyped follow-up to the first luke warm X-Men movie has been unleashed on slathering fans all over the globe. In an attempt to stamp out video camera style piracy the film has opened across the world over the course of just a few days which has bumped the anticipation level up another notch and has made the release a global occasion that would seem fitting for such a big name movie.

The story begins with a fantastic battle scene between the new Nightcrawler character and a whole gaggle of presidential bodyguards. Nightcralwer's ability is teleportation and the way the scene has been choreographed leaves one breathless with fast cuts and dizzying camera pans. The effect is magical with the character vanishing in a cloud of grey smoke only to reappear in the blink of an eye directly behind the person he is fighting. This opening action scene is key to the rest of the movie not only as it sets up the driving force behind the whole movies plot but also immerses the viewer instantly in the type of action that can be expected throughout the rest of the film.

From the first film we again continue Logan's journey of discovery as he attempts to unravel the mysteries of his past. As he returns to Professor Xavier's school all hell breaks out when a group of soldiers headed by General Stryker storm the building. This section of the movie is where we get to see some minor mutant characters showing their abilities whilst under attack. We have the little girl that can scream so loud your ears almost bleed, the not so little guy who can turn his skin into armour plating and throw you through walls and the boy who can change the TV channel by blinking.....errrr.....well not everyone can be blessed with a flashy ability. Here we see Wolverine fight for the first time as aggressive and brutal as ever as he faces General Stryker and his men.

The strangely sexy Mystique character who was so underused in the first film gets her chance to be the center of attention in several key scenes showing off the excellent CGI effects that were created for her shape shifting. This is one film that has obviously been viscously attacked by mouse and software alike but never seems to suffer from unrealistic effects. Not once was my attention distracted by a set piece that looked odd or just didn't flow correctly.

Ian McKellen's sarcastic performance as the mysterious Magneto leads to some great one liners and as can be expected from the great man, a knockout performance once again with out him even looking like he broke a sweat. Hugh Jackman plays his Wolverine character with an over the top gusto that enhances the on screen aggression but once again has a silly haircut like a bad Elvis impersonator so you can understand why he has to defend himself so often.

Key Area	Rating (out of 5)	Comment
Action		The action is the star of the show with loads of flashy, high octane set pieces to be amazed at. Too many to cite them all but watch out for the previously mentioned opening sequence with Nightcrawler, the scene which see's Pyro attacking the police cars and the fight between Wolverine and the gorgeous Lady Deathstrike played by Kelly Hu.
Thrills/ Tension		Not a scary film but the tension increases to a high level in several scenes that involve our characters having to achieve their aim within a set time frame.
Violence/ Gore		Little blood or gore but the violence within the fight scenes can get quite graphic in the sense that ones imagination fills in the blanks.
Bare Flesh	NONE	Although Mystique is practically naked through out the film there is enough silicone makeup to cover the important bits.
Plot		A nice idea to have the good X-Men team up with some familiar bad ones from the first movie. The whole story is well thought out with very few plot holes and shows intelligence on behalf of the production team.

Verdict A film that should not be missed by sci-fi lovers and action freaks alike. You don't have to be an X-men fan or a comic book reader to enjoy this movie and if you missed the first film, well that was just a blessing in disguise. There is little comparison between this and the first film. I believe that Bryan Singer has listened to the voice of the fans and has brought about a film that is both entertaining, exciting and kind of sexy. A must see movie.

Movie Pictures (Click picture to enlarge)