Now the moment for superhero stories is at a delicate point, but until not long ago there was talk of whether they were peaking as movies. It is certainly debatable, although really its effect is dispelling what some of the genre films that paved the way they feel like relics and perhaps not so remarkable when seen again.
This is undoubtedly the case with some, but not so much the case with the first X-Men films, which already have their importance for helping to establish superheroes as a successful proposal and to solidify their formula to follow. But beyond that, a movie like ‘X-Men 2’ is very interesting to revisit, not only as an effective blockbuster that helped prepare an era, but also how presents virtues that the most recent super films have not known or wanted to maintain.
X Factor
20 years after its premiere, the sequel to Bryan Singer’s hit remains one of Marvel’s best mutant films, probably the best focused on them as a group (many will mention ‘Logan’ and even ‘Deadpool’, but they are operating as solo heroes). . It is worth checking on the occasion of the anniversary, being streaming on platforms such as Disney + or Movistar +.
After the events of the first film, mutants continue to be viewed with great suspicion by the rest of the world. The assault on the President of the United States by one of them, the Nightcrawler, will alarm the nation and speed up the approval of an act that requires its registration and monitoring. Driven by a military scientist, William Striker, the persecution of the race will take on darker shades due to the hidden intentions of this ex-colonel.
singer hit the nail on the head for this group of Marvel heroes to connect with the public, even if it was cutting back on some garish aspects (from iconic characters like Beast to the wacky uniforms). In addition to using the rules of average show cinema, he knows how to find strength in the difficulties experienced as a group that is persecuted and oppressed just for being different.
‘X-Men 2’: cinematic comic
The slower rhythm, closer to the nineties, is something that is thrown against him by fans more accustomed to the rhythm of current tapes. But there he finds his strength, allowing dramatic moments to breathe and all the characters can work (yes, their attempts to make them all have romantic plots don’t work). Scenes like the one with the Iceman revealing his condition to his parents, in addition to working as an analogy for the LGTBI experience, manage to resonate and give a trace to the story that many Marvel movies refuse to have with their light tendency, both in burning plot as in cutting the moment with humor.
It is undeniable that this care is what allows grow and convince beyond the show, which is there even without being accentuated through exaggerated digital effects. Scenes like the Lurker’s assault on the White House, Wolverine’s fights, Professor Xavier using the Brain or Magneto escaping from prison have the best of both worlds, conveying the feel of a double-page panel but moving with great cinematic elegance.
Those details are formidable and make ‘X-Men 2’ still exemplary 20 years later, even though many later tapes have only taken from her the most elementary formula. Few today have the magic it displays, including most of the later mutant films.
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