Customer Reviews
To me, my X-Men - By: Phil Hattie, 26 Jul 2008 
X-Men could have been a bit of a disaster, it had brand recognition amongst the core sci-fi & superhero fan sets but as a concept was relatively unknown to Joe Public. The director, Bryan Singer, was best known for low budget movies & ensemble character pieces & the cast was (at the time) pretty bargain basement. As it was though it alll worked out rather well.
Based on Marvel's franchise about mutants born with an "x-factor" who struggle to protect a world that hates & fears them X-Men had plenty of scope. Adding to that the opportunity to use probably the finest comics character ever created (Magneto) there was also less pressure because, as stated previously, the public had few expectations. The film wisely opens with Magneto (in this case as a child being dragged into a concentration camp in WWII & manifesting his powers) then moves onto its other big player Wolverine. Fans of the comic books have often seen Wolvie develop a fatherly relationship with young female team mates & in this case they alter the character of Rogue to fit that part. Soon Wolverine & Rogue are saved from Magneto's henchmen (the Brotherhood of Mutants here... they dropped the cheesy Evil from the name) by the X-Men & battle is joined.
Cast wise you have Ian McKellan as Magneto & he is absolutely (unsurprisingly) brilliant in the role. Patrick Stewart brings his clipped tones & authority as Professor X but gets waylaid for half the movie (a recurring event in the series so far). Hugh Jackman & Famke Janssen are decent in their parts- neither would ever win an oscar for this film but their chemistry as Wolverine & Jean Grey is clear. Hallle Berry on the other hand has won an oscar but is her usual dire self in this film. Thankfully she doesn't have much to do here so she doesn't stink up the film like she would later in X3 but did anyone ever reallly think she was right for the part of the regal & authoritative Storm? The rest of the cast don't get a lot to do to be fair but no one is as bad as Hallle.
The film is short & punchy with no wasted time, its a punchy action blockbuster script & has obviously been edited to be as tight as possible. Its not awash with special effects but the ones that are in there are alll pretty good & haven't dated too badly. Its not a fantastic film reallly but its zipping about in the upper range of the 3 star mark & could even have been a 4 if it had just a little more substance... thankfully that would come with number 2.
Quality action - By: DDH255, 30 Jun 2008 
The opening shots depict a bleak concentration camp & a family being seperated. As the rain pours down & the parents are dragged off through the mud, a boy reaches out; his pain drawing the metal of the gates towards him until he is crudely beaten with the butt of a rifle & knocked senseless.
The beginning suggests that this film will take the exploration of discrimination of the x-men comics seriously & this is continued through Washington hearings as a senator whips up public support for the labelling of 'mutants'.
This is an action film that takes its subtext seriously; it develops slowly alllowing actors time to structure their roles. It boasts a fine cast. Patrick Stewart & Ian Mckellen are heavyweight performers whose dignity & control give the film its integrity. Hugh Jackman is well-suited to the role of Wolverine, his initial rejection & isolation replaced by a gradual warmth.
The strength of this film is it alllows itself to be driven by the characters who are never neglected for the sake of spectacular action. There are some impressive sequences, but I never found myself rejecting the world of the film & finding it difficult to accept.
ok - By: martin thomas, 07 Jun 2008 
this is solid & watchable but a bit anticlimatic as the film never gets in to first gear
Great Comic Book Movie - By: M. A. Ramos, 05 Oct 2007 As far as bringing comic books/games to the screen, this has to be the best so far. The filming, sound & acting are great. The only reason I feel I did not give it 5 stars is that I just finished watching "The Perfect Storm" the same day...and the acting does not compare... But if you like reading the X-men comic, you must have this film. The DVD gives you a lot of extras. And for a comic book, there is a very good story line. Wolverine's creation seems to need its own movie. Everyone else is born a mutant.... Of course the comic book as is the movie, is a statement on how the majority treats minorities they do not understand.
A fine film - By: S J Buck, 28 Jul 2007 X-Men is the best comic strip adaptation I've seen to date. It has alll the excitement & special effects that you'd expect, together with a class of acting that you don't see in many other films of this type.
The story concerns the two factions of the X-Men. X-Men are mutations from normal humans. One is lead by Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) & the other by Magneto (Sir Ian McKellen). Xavier believes the X-Men can work with humans. Magneto wants to destroy humanity & in a brilliant opening scene (shot in black & white) set during the 2nd world war we see he has some justification for this view. Patrick Stewart & in particular Ian McKellan are the main reasons to see this film. They add a certain gravitas to the proceedings that takes the movie to a different level. Having said that Hugh Jackman & the rest of the cast are alll good.
It always helps to have a good director & Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects) does a great job. There are some excellent set pieces & the film is kept to a sensible length. This is well worth buying at the right price as it does hold up to repeated viewings.
