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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 (who has retractable claws and amnesia), and Anna Paquin's Rogue (who sucks the life and superpowers out of anyone she touches). The plot has to do with a big gizmo that will wreak havoc at a gathering of world leaders, but the film is more interested in setting up a tangle of bizarre relationships between even more bizarre people, with solid pros such as Stewart and McKellen relishing their sly dialogue and the newcomers strutting their stuff in cool leather outfits. 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
Product Description
Bryan Singer directs and co-writes this big screen adaptation of the long-running Marvel comic strip. Mutants Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) are former friends, but look set to become mortal enemies when fascistic US senator Robert Frank Kelly calls for the registration of all humans with abnormal powers. While telepath Xavier, who runs an altruistic academy for superhuman 'X-Men', wishes to enlighten non-mutants and break down the prejudices which divide them, Magneto believes that the only solution is for the mutants to take over. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) - an aggressive loner with an admantium skeleton and the ability to heal his body of any wound - and teenager Rogue (Anna Paquin), who can absorb the life force of others simply by touching them, are selected by Xavier to join his academy, but it isn't long before Magneto's followers are attempting to capture them so that they can assist in his plan for world domination.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 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
By Ravenstone
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
By A Customer
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
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic superhero movie
This is the movie that freed the way for the current haust of superhero movies.
Great characters, excellent story and very well made. Read more
Great characters, excellent story and very well made. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Peter van Hooff
5.0 out of 5 stars
Efectos fuera de serie
Linda edicion steelbock de esta pelicula con asombrosos efectos especiales,buenos actores y buena trama que se deja ver sin darse cuenta, muy entretenida
Published 14 days ago by Marcelo Mourgues
5.0 out of 5 stars
nice item
This is very nice item and good packet !
This is very nice item and good packet !
I like it !
This is very nice item and good packet !
I like it !
Published 1 month ago by CHING HUA CHEN
5.0 out of 5 stars
"..GREAT MOVIE, COOL STEELBOOK.."
This movie kick started the comic book movies in a big way on release, still one of the best they made the original is still a strong movie after all these years, great story, cool... Read more
Published 1 month ago by S. Drury
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE FIRST OF X MEN FILMS
As i have the rest of The X Men films on Blu Ray i wanted to buy the first. The first film is actually my favourite. Looked very clear and sound quality great, compared to the DVD. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Melissa
5.0 out of 5 stars
great dvd
this dvd was great to watch are old video wasn't workin very well anymore so we decided to get a new dvd an we could believe how much you were selling it for so we bought one an it... Read more
Published 6 months ago by vburnley2012
5.0 out of 5 stars
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 13 months ago by Mrs. K. L. Paynter
4.0 out of 5 stars
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 14 months ago by Matthew1985Hatch
4.0 out of 5 stars
"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 22 months ago by @GeekZilla9000
5.0 out of 5 stars
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 23 months ago by josephine
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