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Amazon.co.uk Review
Although the superhero comic book has been a duopoly since the early 1960s, only DC's flagship characters, Superman and Batman (who originated in the late 1930s), have established themselves as big-screen franchises. Until now--this is the first runaway hit film version of the alternative superhero X-Men universe created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and others. It's a rare comic-book movie that doesn't fall over its cape introducing all the characters, and this is the exception. X-Men drops us into a world that is closer to our own than Batman's Gotham City, but it's still home to super-powered goodies and baddies.
Opening in high seriousness with paranormal activity in a WW2 concentration camp and a senatorial inquiry into the growing "mutant problem", Bryan Singer's film sets up a complex background with economy and establishes vivid, strange characters well before we get to the fun. There's Halle Berry flying and summoning snowstorms, James Marsden zapping people with his "optic beams", Rebecca Romijn-Stamos shape-shifting her blue naked form and Ray Park lashing out with his Toad-tongue.
The big conflict is between Patrick Stewart's Professor X and Ian McKellen's Magneto, super-powerful mutants who disagree about their relationship with ordinary humans, but the characters we're meant to identify with are Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and Anna Paquin's Rogue. There are in-jokes enough to keep comics fans engaged, but it feels more like a science-fiction movie than a superhero picture. --Kim Newman
On the DVD: X-Men 1.5's two-disc set offers little more than the original X-Men release. The six extended scenes which can be incorporated into the feature on Disc 1 were already available on the initial DVD version (though they're cleaned up a bit here), and when played within the film's original cut they seem disjointed and tacked on, adding very little to the overall story.
Disc 2, meanwhile, will have little appeal to any but the most diehard of fans. The X-Men 2 Sneak Peak, the X-Men 2 trailer, the Daredevil trailer and the Activision Wolverine's Revenge trailer are little more than adverts. The four-part documentary, meanwhile, is impressively interactive (with multi-angle segments and two play modes), but unfortunately it's also a bit dull and self-congratulatory. --Robert Burrow
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
As most of the world knows by now, X-Men is the live-action version of the of the Marvel comic strip, directed by Bryan Singer (of the Usual Suspects fame). Set in the not too distant future the X-Men are humans who thanks to genetic mutation have inherited special powers. On the surface, having special powers sounds great (you might think) but in X-Men the mutant race is an oppressed and persecuted minority, due to the bigotry, ignorance and fear of much of the non-mutant population. Furthermore an ambitious and influential Senator (Bruce Davison) wants to introduce a registration policy for mutants in an attempt to further restrict their civil rights. In response to this the mutant community is split into two camps led by Professor X, aka Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto, aka Erik Mangus Lensherr (Sir Ian McKellen). Magneto believes in the supremacy of the mutant population, which he is willing to use force to prove, whilst Professor X merely wants, equality, integration and peace. With fundamentally opposing views the two camps are set on a collision course with the future of the human race at stake.
X-Men is an entertaining action movie and it has some great fight scenes but it is pitched at its intended mass audience and carefully falls short explicit violence making it pretty much suitable for all but young children. However, although the X Men movie comes from a comic book background and is definitely aimed at a mass audience it also has a message and is a lot more highbrow than most super hero adaptations. X-Men for example opens with a scene in a Nazi concentration camp with a young Magneto witnessing his mother being shepherded off to the gas chamber and from this it is pretty clear that Director Bryan Singer is deliberately making a point and drawing a comparison. It is also worth noting that at the time of the X Men's creation, back in 1963, among the major political figures in pre civil rights America were Martin Luther King and Malcolm X and it is easy to draw comparisons with Professor X and Magneto. Comparisons can also be drawn between X-Men character Senator Robert Kelly and a certain Senator McCarthy. What is more, X-Men is particularly pertinent at a time when there is so much tabloid speculation and scare mongering with regard to genetic engineering.
With X-Men, Director Bryan Singer, a self-confessed fan, has stayed remarkably loyal to the comic books and has served up a commercial but extremely enjoyable film with impressive special effects, which has inevitably spawned a sequel and (in all likelihood) a franchise, which makes me for one very happy. Full of great characters and great performances from the likes of Hugh Jackman (as Wolverine), Anna Pacquin (as Rogue) and Famke Janssen (as Dr Jean Grey) and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos (as Mystique). However, it is the excellent pairing of the Royal Shakespeare company's McKellen and Stewart opposite each other that really adds gravitas to the proceedings and my only real dissapointments were seeing the excellent and beautiful Halle Berry (as Storm) being under-used and the relatively short running length of 97 minutes.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A thoroughly enjoyable romp, with Hugh Jackman as wonderful eye candy for us ladies. Ian McKellern plays Magneto with wonderful seriousness, as does Patrick Stewart as Xavier. Even the painful pronounciation of X-Avier wears off after a while, and you're left with a great swashbuckling adventure. Cyclops is suitably strong and silent; Storm is mysterious; Wolverine is gloweringly dark, sinister and deadly attractive; Rogue is winsome and slightly sad. Worthy of a sequel, no doubt about it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I loved this film and the DVD is super although I wish there had been a commentary. My favourite thing about the film has to be the intriguing characters that are so much fun to watch. They were all so fascinating and had original powers. Wolverine was perfect as he wasn't the usual goody goody super hero type guy. I loved the love triangle thing going on between him and Jean and Cyclops, it led to some great scenes, jokes and chemistry between them all. My favourite character had to be Storm though. Halle Berry is a goddess and such a beautiful actress. Her power was definitely the best showing her powerful side after seeing her caring and gentle side before. I'd recommend this film for everyone because it has a bit of everything - action, adventure, romance, jokes etc
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent Film
I love all the X-Men films and this is one of the better ones. Also it's even better in blu-ray. Thoroughly recommended
Published 1 month ago by Mrs. K. L. Paynter
Xmen 1
Item turned up faster than estimated. Product did have slight chip on disc even though it was sealed as new. Return was sent and absolutely no problems at all. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Matthew1985Hatch
"There is a war coming. Are you sure you're on the right side?"
The first film of a new franchise is always tricky, trying to satisfy existing fans and introduce the characters to a new audience is an almost thankless task - you can't please... Read more
Published 10 months ago by GeekZilla
getting the set
i enjoyed the first x men very much, it was interesting to see how a comic story would be adapted to the movies, they managed to pick the right actors for the roles and none of... Read more
Published 11 months ago by josephine
Unintentionally funny
The plot was transparent and predictable, the characterisation was non-existant and the dialogue was obviously written by people with learning difficulties. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Scriabin's Sunset
I WAS AWESTRUCK!
X-MEN is the first in a well known sci-fi fantasy epic series, the most recent chapter being X-MEN FIRST CLASS. Read more
Published 11 months ago by G. Stephenson
Mutants are not the ones mankind should fear.
X-Men is directed by Bryan Singer and based on Marvel Comics characters. The screenplay is by David Hayler and based around Uncanny X-Men written by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Spike Owen
recommened
being a fan of xmen before i saw this movie i was looking forward to this i wasnt disapointed. recommend****
Published 20 months ago by mr mark mooney
Languages & Subtitles
Blu-ray all zone
Ratio of the feature film:
2.35:1
Languages of the feature film:
DTS Master Audio 5.1: English
DTS 5. Read more
Ratio of the feature film:
2.35:1
Languages of the feature film:
DTS Master Audio 5.1: English
DTS 5. Read more
Published 21 months ago by James
very please
As comic movies collector I am very please with the purchase of this DVD, specially cause I am a big fan of how a movies are made and this DVD delivers!
Published 22 months ago by Marcos E. Ruiz Rivero
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