X2 Commentary Thread: Don't Read This Unless You Want the Movie Spoiled, Bub

Ok, if you're dumb enough to come in this thread after reading its title, and you didn't want to know the details of X2, then you deserve to have the movie ruined for you. That being said, here's my review of X2.

Positives

First of all, this was much more what I expected X-Men to be like. I thought the first one was good, but it didn't have as much action as I would have liked in it, and its running time was really short in my opinion. But X2 definitely makes up for the original's running time. Overall: X2 is better than X-Men in my opinion.

Mystique's use of increasing the guard's iron level in his blood to break Magneto out was awesome, seeing Magneto manipulate it and pull it out of him. Plus she looked really hot while doing it in her "Rebecca Romeijn-Stamos" look.

I liked the concept of the X-Men having to unite with Magneto and his henchpeople. It was a nice twist on the whole X-Men constantly fighting Magneto plot of the comic.

Everyone was brilliant in their role. Alan Cumming was a great Nightcrawler, Hugh Jackman's Wolvie was great, we all know Ian McCallum can act, and so on and so on.

I also like the ever-increasing cast of X-Men and new villians being introduced. The Colossus cameo was great. Seeing Iceman show his powers off some more was also cool. Hopefully Gambit, Beast, Jubilee (with a larger role than just studying in class) will make an appearance in X3? Lady Deathstryke and Stryker were cool characters too, but I felt they got "Darth Maul-ed," wasted in one movie when they had more sequel potential. I also hope more of the classic X-Men villains get introduced, such as Juggernaut, Apocalypse, as well as the Sentinals.

Jean Grey's death: I totally did not see it coming; and I was just as shocked as the X-Men were. I felt like Obi-Wan watch Qui-Gon die, just sitting there watching it happen and not being able to do anything about it. I felt like screaming NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I really hope she comes back as Phoenix, which you are lead to believe.

Negatives

As I already said, Lady Deathstryke was wasted in this movie. She was a BMF; Wolverine shouldn't have taken her out completely and so quickly.

WHERE DID STORM'S ACCENT GO? SHE HAD AN AKWARD HEAVY ACCENT IN X-MEN, BUT NO TRACE OF IT IN X2. This bothered me throughout the whole movie.

Stryker's son controlling Professor X... wtf. Professor X would be too mentally strong for this to happen. Plus it was really confusing deciphering what was real and what was an illusion in Cerebro 2.

I couldn't figure out why Cyclops was shooting his laser at his girlfriend, but then Don explained to me that he was under mind control. Once again, too difficult to decipher.

Pyro. He really bugged me. "Ooh, I'm to cool to be an X-Man... I've got to flame-throw the cops and join Magneto." I really didn't like Pyro at all.

I can see how Jean Grey's death could be for drama purposes within the series, but wouldn't the more logical way to save the X-Men from an oncoming tidal wave be to have Iceman just FREEZE ALL THE WATER COMING AT YOU, STOPPING IT BEFORE IT HITS YOU ALL??? Again, this bugged me.

What was that acid stuff that was being used to mark the mutants? What was its purpose? I hope this gets explained more in X3 or it will really seem useless in the grand scheme of the series.

That's pretty much all I can think of now, but I'm sure I'll post more once other people start commenting. I'd give it 3.5 stars out of 4.

 

Hey Random... when Strykers son got past Xavier's defenses in the first place, he had the neural inhibiter in place. Once Jace took hold Xavier may not have been able to break free...

Iceman may not have had the control necessary in order to freeze that much water. Also, do you really think he and Rogue weren't making out in the plane the whole time? He was drained man...

The acid wasn't a marker, it was a sedative...

More comments coming after the second watching...

-b-

 

AWSOME! AWSOME! AWSOME!

 

it was really confusing deciphering what was real and what was an illusion in Cerebro 2
I think that was the point, to show just how convincing the illusions were to Professor X. As for the whole mind-control thing, think of it as Magneto withOUT his helmet...with that thing on, Professor X couldn't protect himself from the "heeby-geebies" that guy was dishing out.

WHERE DID STORM'S ACCENT GO? SHE HAD AN AKWARD HEAVY ACCENT IN X-MEN, BUT NO TRACE OF IT IN X2. This bothered me throughout the whole movie.
Halle Berry just bothers me in general. The accent was forgotten because she couldn't pull it off in X-Men (and many scenes were cut out) and you don't tell Ms. "Academy Award Winner" that she has to act in any way/shape/form. Aside from using her powers at every available chance, they had to give her the sub-plot of "I believe in you" thing with Nightcrawler...OMG!!! The last time that chick acted, was to get out of traffic court (("Road-Runner" sound, followed by running away))

I thought the action scenes were great, I liked Wolverine's one-man wrecking crew in the mansion; and the fight with Lady Deathstrike was cool. I've never really followed the comics...was she supposed to be a healing mutant (like Wolverine?) or was that just so the fight didn't end in thirty seconds??

I think the scene where Bobby/Iceman's brother turns them in...and the entire scene at the parent's house was a great example of how human (even family) are not always the most compassionate beings. And the line where Pyro tells the father Bobby's mutation was "his fault" reminded me of reallife issues, where relatives ask themselves "could I have prevented this"

Speaking of Pyro, I thought Aaron Stanford (Pyro) played the "hot-head" kid, who gets recruited away from the X-men, rather well. He and Shawn Ashmore (Iceman) played the Fire-and-Ice rivalry very well (they even fight over the same girl) looks like a future plot-line for X-Men 3!!!

 

X-men2 was the greatest movie for the past year!!! I loved the whole movie with the new characters(including Iceman and Pyro) becuase it gave the movie more feeling like the comics. I also liked the story and how they played with it. The only thing I didn't like was the ending! I knew about Phoniex and stuff and her dying was no problem because I knew about her after...but the lake thing at the end bugged me!!!!!! Not the fact that they had her voice over the lake she died in (that was really cool and when the professor said it would be alright I knew she was coming back in X3 but...but that whole shadow BUGGED ME!!! WHYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

 

Finding out that the acid was a neural inhibitor that enabled mind control helps understanding it a lot easier. I was talking about X2 last year with Jon and he was talking about the Legacy virus, (a virus that is harmful to mutants) as he was saying this was the rumored plot for X2 before shooting began. So the whole time I thought Stryker was trying to infect mutants with the Legacy virus, this probably explains a lot. It makes a lot more sense thinking of it as a neural inhibitor instead of a virus.

 

Great movie. While Wolvie was still the main star, we got more of a group effort this time. That was my one complaint about the first one, it was almost all Wolvie. Nightcrawler was beyond words, he really does steal every scene he is in. Storm has several nice scenes too. Jean was cool, when her eyes showed fire the first time, I was like "No way, they can't be going there." Then she sacrificed herself to save the team. I wonder if Phoenix is going to be the villain next time? If she is, I guess that means Scott will have a bigger role next time. Also, I wonder what people who have no clue about Jean/Phoenix will make out of that part of the movie.


Oh yeah, the "H" in neanderthal is silent. It bugged me that "teacher" Storm didn't know this.

 

Actually, according to Webster's, neanderthal can be pronounced both ways (and I'd never even heard it pronouned with the "h" silent, so I've learned something for today).

 

It bugged me that "teacher" Storm didn't know this
Again, Halle Berry just bothers me in general. She's the Keith Tkachuk of the X-Men (OVERRATED)

 

Mystique's use of increasing the guard's iron level in his blood to break Magneto out was awesome,
I thought Mystique is just awesome! I don't go in for baddies usually, but I think she's my favorite in the movie. I liked her in the last one as well and was rather bummed when they "killed" her. I'm glad she's back.

I liked the concept of the X-Men having to unite with Magneto and his henchpeople.
That was a good variation. Then he shows his true colors later.

Alan Cumming was a great Nightcrawler,
This actor always gives me the creeps. But this is the first role where I actually liked him.

Jean Grey's death: I totally did not see it coming; and I was just as shocked as the X-Men were.
When she left the plane, I knew. But not before. I liked that they made her more powerful and self-confident in this one. she just came off wimpy in the last movie.
I wondered about the end--whether she really was gone permanently or not:
See DR! You can bring a character back from the dead!

Lady Deathstryke was wasted in this movie.
The fight scene was pretty awesome! The idea that there was a second person like Wolverine was cool. I wondered throughout the movie what she actually did.

Plus it was really confusing deciphering what was real and what was an illusion in Cerebro 2.
Really? I didn't have any problems with that. Whenever the little girl was there, it was illusion. I had to wonder why Jason picked a little girl as his alter-ego, though.

I couldn't figure out why Cyclops
Don't get me started there. He just always strikes me as a weak character. Cute, but weak.

Pyro. He really bugged me.
Yeah, me too. All these characters have issues dealing with who they are and how they've been treated because of it. His adolescent self-centered angst was rather annoying.

Brian:
Also, do you really think he and Rogue weren't making out in the plane the whole time? He was drained man...


Krash:
Halle Berry just bothers me in general.
Yeah. Did you all see her in James Bond? He fight scenes were pathetic! And she wants an action film all her own? They'd better get some major instruction!

I think the scene where Bobby/Iceman's brother turns them in...
I agree. That was great. You get to see how even a family that seemed to be better functioning and loves their son could react to his being different. Gives you an idea how the rest of the mutants were treated by their own families and friends that weren't as caring.

 

I also really liked the scenes with Bobby's family. I forgot to add that in. Not to get off topic or caue controversy, but the following was just an observation of mine. Seeing the "normal" family react to their "defect" mutant relative was an interesting comparison to the way a modern gay and his or her relationship with his or her family is often portrayed. Classic example: "Have you ever tried NOT being a mutant?" I just found that to be a creative way to tie the movie into real life.

 

the way a modern gay and his or her relationship with his or her family is often portrayed
I caught that as well, and so did Amy and her "girlfriend" Greg...we all agreed that it put an interesting/honest real-life reaction to this mutant "life-style?"

Did you all see her in James Bond?...yes, and the idea of her character "Jinx" (hidden meaning???) getting her own action movie is about as bad an idea as Greedo shooting first!!! Again...Halle Berry just bothers me in general.

EDIT: Kim, what does "DR" mean???

 

the way a modern gay and his or her relationship with his or her family is often portrayed
no. no. no. NO!
God, not to take it out on u guys, but everyone is going around saying, "Oh! Wow! This movie relates to homosexuals so much...ect"

NO IT DOESN'T! IT RELATES TO ALL OPPRESSED MINORITIES(including homosexuals)!!!!!!!! AGH!!!!!! PISSES ME OFF!!!!! AGH!!

ok...sorry, had to get that out of my system.

Anyways, $85.85 MILLION over teh opening weekend, 4th biggest opening EVER!

 

$85 million is a nice opening weekend! However, I don't give too much faith in box-office numbers...it's just not a even scale compared to movie prices/theaters 20 years ago.

Jon...relax, nobody here (although I'm sure someone is trying to somewhere) associate X2's commentary on mutant accpetance with the gay rights debate. It was just interesting to note how much the 2 DIFFERENT situations had had many of the same oppressed minority problems.

Unfortunatly, a really good action movie could get lost in the but everyone is going around saying... stuff you mentioned, and that is pathetic.

Another thing Greg pointed out, in the book...Lady Deathstrike's eyes were changing from blue to brown (a sign of the mind-control drugs wearing off)...plus, Jean Grey survives, she blind...but alive. That would explain the picture of the entire X-Men (including Rogue and Iceman WITH Jean) in the Oval Office

 

I'm glad they went with the Phoenix ending and not the "Blind Jean" ending.

Also, the movie made a ton overseas as well. Total worldwide is something like 160 million. They just made back everything the spent and then some in one weekend.

5/6/2005 - X3. Bet on it.

 

Have you ever tried NOT being a mutant?
Yeah. I thought that was funny!

Krash: DR = Del Rey--the kriffin' people who killed Anakin Solo off!

 

I personally think the betrayal with Bobby's family relates to the way NAZI youth would turn in their own family members if they dissented to Hitler's policies.

 

It was kind of sad the way his family "left" him just because he was a mutant. It doesn't seem right!

 

I'm glad my parents supported me when they found out I was a mutant...but then again I don't have claws or can levetate stuff. hehehehe

 

The part that made me sad, about Bobby's family scene, was when he saw them in the window...huddled around the other brother. Like he was the "victim" of something Bobby did!

I mean when the kid tells the police, "they won't let us leave"...I knew he was turning in his own brother(kinda like Drew's comparision with Nazi Germany), but the parents took his side???

I get the impression that will be the last image Iceman ever has of his biological family; not exactly the "family picture" one should carry around.

 

*does Dr. Evil voice*

That was pretty COLD of his family, wasn't it?

*puts pinky to the corner of his mouth*

As for Grn's X3 prophecy, I think a cool title would be X3: The Uncanny X-Men.

That reminds me... that was another problem I had with the movie, the title. It was one of those "all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares" kinds of deals. Like it was called X2: X-Men United, which I took to mean they wanted to convey that both groups of mutants (the X-Men and Magneto's camp) united together, but not all mutants are X-Men. With Jean Grey doing her own thing, I don't think their efforts were very coordinated, or united.

 

Actually, that's not the title of the movie, The OFFICIAL title of the film is X2. The X2: X-Men United is just for promotional use.

I'll admite that was a sad last look at Bobby's family, but what was even sadder was when Jean died....yes...I did cry...BUT ONLY BECAUSE I AM A FAN BOY AND COMIC GEEK!

 

And you didn't see that coming!!!!

 

When Jean's eyes had a little fire, as she was fighting Cyclops...I thought "wow, they're gonna show her become Phoenix" I didn't expect them to do it so soon. I guess the next movie should be called: "X-Men III: the Search for Phoenix"

I didn't get upset at the idea of Jean "dying"...I only do that for when the kill Wookies, Rogue Squadron pilot/Jedi, and Solo kids (you're welcome Kim) in SW books. It didn't bother me, because Jean's death is part of the X-Men storyline, and they've done a good job of sticking with the basic story ofrom the comics (with subtle changes)