X2

A lot has happened in the three years since the first X-Men grossed $157 million at the box office and won the praise of critics and fans alike. As we all know, the global threat of terrorism grew boundless on that dreadful day back in September of 2001, and as of this writing, the United States is still mired in a polarized conflict in Iraq. With these factors in view, the timing couldn't be better for a movie to explore the heavy issues that these events (among others) have raised. Specifically, humanity's role in prejudice, tolerance and acceptance in an ever-changing and hostile world.

The fact that these issues are explored so well in the long-awaited X-Men sequel -- simply titled X2 -- is hardly surprising, since the first film also explored them in an effective way while still fitting the bill as an exciting, inventive and engaging summer blockbuster. What is surprising is how tame the sequel feels in other ways when compared to its predecessor, which was filled to the rim with spunk, vibrancy and wonderment. That's not to say that X2 isn't a good film -- it is. It just doesn't feel as tight or as focused as the first movie, and despite some incredible action sequences, the film is marred by a weak premise, contrived emotions and too many characters fighting for screen time.

Things are not looking good for Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and his School for Gifted Children. Mutants are still seen as freaks of nature by the very people that they are trying to protect, and the government's imminent passing of the Anti-Mutant Registration Act will surely dash any hopes of a peaceful co-existence between humans and mutants. Complicating matters even further is the vengeful William Stryker (Brian Cox), who attacks the X-Mansion in an effort to settle a personal vendetta with Xavier and rid the world of mutants once and for all. Now the X-Men must team up with some unlikely allies for their biggest challenge yet, or one man's fear of the unknown will lead to catastrophe.

Among those returning to their roles are Patrick Stewart as the wise Professor X, Hugh Jackman as the reckless fan-favorite Wolverine, Ian McKellen as the evil Magneto, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as his sexy shape-shifting cohort Mistique, and Anna Paquin as Rogue. Characters briefly seen (or mentioned) in the first movie also return for expanded roles, including Shawn Ashmore as Iceman and newcomer Aaron Stanford as Pyro, while others are introduced for the first time, such as Alan Cumming as the demonic teleporter Nightcrawler and Kelly Hu as the menacing Lady Deathstrike.

All of this may sound fine and dandy, but it makes for a very busy film that, even at roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes, buckles under the weight of its own ambitions. Sure, there are some top-notch action sequences (particularly when Nightcrawler teleports himself around the White House, Magneto makes a spectacular escape from his glass prison and Wolverine meets his match with Deathstrike) but otherwise, some characters are left on the sidelines while others deal with their issues in ways that are redundant, contrived or less effective than they were in the first film.

An even bigger problem is that the entire foundation rests on Stryker's incredibly fabricated and convoluted plan. While his personal vendetta with Xavier may make him more interesting than other movie villains who are out for world domination, his plan becomes more unbelievable and far-fetched as the film progresses. On the other hand, Stryker's presence does add more background to the development of Wolverine, who is still by far the most interesting of all the X-Men (even if his ultimate revelation does try to replicate the surprise of The Empire Strikes Back).

Flaws aside, there's no doubt that die-hard fans will savor the tasty tid-bits that X2 has to offer. In keeping with the theme that the mutants serve as the next step in the evolution of humanity, Jean Grey advances to another level that will be much better served in the next film (should there be one). More importantly, the level of romance also kicks up a notch, with things getting more tense in the Wolverine-Jean Grey-Cyclops love triangle, while Rogue, who had a thing for Wolverine in the first movie, chills out with Iceman this time around.

As for the more prevalent characters, Hugh Jackman once again commands every scene and gets the best lines in the movie. Halle Berry (or should I say, “Oscar-winner Halle Berry”) and James Marsden have little more to do than they did in the first film (which wasn't much), while Anna Paquin's Rogue is relegated to more of a supporting character this time around. As for the newcomers, Alan Cumming is a welcome addition to the team as Nightcrawler, while Kelly Hu provides some sexy menace despite uttering hardly a single word of dialogue as Lady Deathstrike.

Where the first X-Men was an excellent introduction to the popular comic that pleased fans and non-fans alike, X2 seems like a tougher sell for the non-fans. It also goes on for about 20 minutes too long before it concludes with an ending that feels somewhat anti-climactic when compared to the big battle that closed the first movie. Having said that, X2 is still a worthy superhero film that effectively kick-starts the summer, and more importantly, does so by addressing the human issues that are still prevalent in this day...or any other.