As the final hours of last Thursday night dwindled, legions of fans put on their last coats of makeup and finishing costume ornaments as they made their hajj to the cinema and prepared to be overwhelmed by the holy lights of “X2.” (A word of advice to such enthusiasts, as was learned by the unfortunate gentleman sitting in front of this critic: if you’re going to go the Wolverine route with claws, skip the popcorn — some things are just more trouble than they are worth.)
Just what sparked this phenomenon? Well, at the heart of it all is the X-Men comic books. But for the majority of the people who will dish out their hard-earned money for a ticket to the first true “event” movie of 2003, the roots of the hype lay in the prequel to “X2:” “X-Men” from the summer of 2000. And so, with all the hoopla surrounding a sequel that raked in over $85 million this weekend, it seems only fitting to revisit the original film:
The human species has taken a turn that not even Charles Darwin could have fathomed and been split into two categories: ordinary humans and mutants. Mutants seem to possess all the capacities of a normal person but are enhanced with special powers that are individually unique.
The world has become divided over the “mutant problem;” some advocate forcing mutants to register in recognition of their potentially dangerous abilities. Others argue for mutants’ sovereign rights as a species of the planet.
And within the mutant community there is, too, division. Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart, “Star Trek”) heads a school where he seeks to train mutants how to hone their powers and use them for good. He believes that humans and mutants can get along and peacefully coincide.
Erik Lensherr (Ian McKellen, “Gods and Monsters”), aka “Magneto,” came to distrust humans during the Holocaust and, as a survivor, is fighting to promote an all-out war between mutants and humans that will lead to mutant domination. “We are the future,” he insists.
Magneto and Xavier each have various mutants in their camps as they do battle with each other while working to promote their agendas to the human community.
The message of the film is clear: Xavier is the “good guy,” and his peaceful agenda the “right” one. Mutants are merely a metaphor for minorities, and the film’s concern is with race relations.
By casting such a hyperbolic cast of characters, the story’s authors have managed to dumb down the real issues of this world and paint broad strokes of black and white, refusing to acknowledge the very narrow instances of grayscale that are paramount to reality. The irony of the Xavier character should be noted, though: His school is exclusively for mutants, which means, in a sense, that he runs an un-integrated school.
The film also crosses into unnecessarily sensitive waters when it opens with a scene set in Poland, circa 1944. A young Magneto uses his powers to bend gates as his parents are taken away. The Holocaust is a rather recent and horrific part of history and not one that needs to be fictionalized to fit into a comic-book-derived action film.
And while some may argue that the opening is simply being “true” to the comic book, the reality is that the filmmakers shouldn’t feel beholden to the source when it only serves to harm their cause.
As an effects and science-fiction movie, “X-Men” is successful as it regularly serves up candy for the eyes thanks to its premise of creatures with abilities of a magical nature. The entire film works to set up for a dramatic New York City finale and doesn’t disappoint in the end. It also promises a sequel, setting up “X2” well.
Last summer’s smash hit “Spider-Man” reminded us that “with great power comes great responsibility.” “X-Men” seeks to deliver a similar message but simply aims too high and finds itself caught up in ideological waters far too deep for a comic-book film. “X2” does an adequate job explaining crucial plot aspects, so unless you particularly crave a lowbrow work of the imagination with some quality special effects on the side, there is no reason to waste your time with “X-Men.”
Grade: C
