X2: X-Men United

Name: X2: X-Men United
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Released: May 2, 2003
Duration: 133 min
Rating: 68
Cast: Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen

2003

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 37 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 1138 Ratings

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8.5

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8.5	User Score Universal acclaim based on 1138 Ratings

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X2: X-Men United

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Movie Details & Credits

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: May 2, 2003 | PG-13

Starring: Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart

Summary: Mutants continue to struggle against a society that fears and distrusts them. Their cause becomes even more desperate following an incredible attack by an as yet undetermined assailant possessing extraordinary abilities. With the fates of mankind - and mutantkind - in their hands, the X-Men Face their most dangerous mission ever. [20th Century Fox]

Director: Bryan Singer

Genre(s): Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 133 min

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Critic Reviews

Michael O'Sullivan

The fantastic and at times deliciously nihilistic world of X2 is fully, believably three-dimensional. Read full review

Premiere Glenn Kenny

One of the things that makes this movie such a great rush is that while you’re watching it, it seems a good deal more subversive than it really is. Read full review

David Edelstein

My chief complaint is that these mutants are a little--well, vanilla. I wish the X-Men had a touch of kinkiness to go with their weird abilities. Read full review

Steven Rea

As it is, most of X2's action is restricted to the Northeast Corridor, with a climactic face-off in the western Rockies, where, in typical blockbuster fashion, everything goes kablooey and ka-bam. Read full review

Stephanie Zacharek

In some ways, X2 is an obvious improvement on its predecessor: It looks more expensive, and its special effects seem to swoop out of nowhere...But "X-Men" was undoubtedly the most elegiac comic-book adaptation of the past few years. Read full review

Wesley Morris

It's scenic, confidently directed and performed, dutiful, faithful, revelatory, informative, and largely involving. Rarely, however, is it any fun. Read full review

Mick LaSalle

The movie is overplotted, a soulless maze of special effects and relentless action. Read full review

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User Reviews

Thegodfatherson

Jul 29, 2013

Tightly scripted, solidly acted, and impressively ambitious, X2: X-Men United is bigger and better than its predecessor and a benchmark for comic sequels in general.

34 of 35 users found this helpful341

Prolific

Apr 25, 2021

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1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Hippopotamus94

May 18, 2021

⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

FilmMasterEd

Jan 6, 2016

X2: X-Men United kicks you in the balls so hard that you puke on your balls and also your ass." Let's see the suits use that quote in the X2 ads. The blurb is the work of fancifully named critic Neill Cumpston (as in cum stain?), whose review, as posted on the Ain't It Cool Web site, spoofsX2: X-Men United kicks you in the balls so hard that you puke on your balls and also your ass." Let's see the suits use that quote in the X2 ads. The blurb is the work of fancifully named critic Neill Cumpston (as in cum stain?), whose review, as posted on the Ain't It Cool Web site, spoofs geek addiction to Xtc.

X-Men, the first film made from Stan Lee's Marvel comic, grossed $300 million in 2000, but Cumpston felt shortchanged: "Remember how the first film had all that story (= for gays) in the first part, and you were like, 'How 'bout some ass-kicking already?' and then finally they got to it? Not this one. It's like, OK, there's the credits, and now here's the ass-kicking, and it starts and doesn't stop and you're all like, 'Pants, meet **** "

Props to Cumpston for wittily epitomizing the devalued state of film criticism. Who cares if X2 has a director, a writer or a thought in its head, as long as this $120 million epic turns loose mutants to metaphorically bruise our nether regions.

That it does. Everyone is pumped up and pissed off, starting with director Bryan Singer, who reportedly kicked chairs and screamed at the crew. His mood fits the movie. Hugh Jackman is again in fierce, lupine form as Wolverine, the mutant with metal claws. Pushing the bounds of PG-13 intensity, Wolvie stabs his spikes into Deathstrike (the dazzling Kelly Hu), whose talons are twice the size of his. The buzz is right: X2 is bigger, badder and better than X1.

It's also half an hour longer, a mixed blessing that allows for (yikes!) character development. The two mutant camps — one led by Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart), who wants mutants and humans to co-exist, the other led by Magneto (Ian McKellen), who preaches mutant supremacy — unite against Stryker (a terrific Brian Cox), a military psycho with a genocidal rage against mutants and their special gifts.

It doesn't help the X-Men's cause when a mutant tries to kill the president in the opening scene. We hear a sound — bampf! — and there stands Nightcrawler (zesty scene-stealer Alan Cumming), a blue-skinned, yellow-eyed, fork-tailed demon who teleports past security, damn near stabs the prez and behaves unlike the gentle soul he is, a German acrobat who enjoys deep religious dish with Storm (Halle Berry, still struggling with an underwritten role). It's clear that the good guys are being mind-controlled.

Romance also trips up the X-Men. Wolverine is losing telepathic Dr. Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) to laser-eyed Cyclops (James Marsden). On the junior X team, pity poor Iceman (Shawn Ashmore). His itch for Rogue (Anna Paquin, sporting gray streaks) requires safe scratching, since a mere touch from her can floor a guy. "We love what you've done with your hair," says Magneto, lobbing the line at Rogue like a **** Cupid. Fun stuff.

Hot stuff is Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as Mystique, a naked vision in blue when she's not shape-shifting to get it on with Wolvie as Jean, as Storm and as herself. Neat trick.

What's un-neat is how Singer and screenwriters Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris overload the film with new Xers. Pyro (Aaron Stanford) is viably flashy, but do we need the steel guy, the screamer, the girl who passes through walls and the kid with the forked tongue? By expanding the X-Men franchise, Singer dilutes the film at hand. As for the death of one major character, it's less an organic shock than an excuse to get soppy and philosophical.

But why rip Singer for defying the rules of ass kicking. If only he defied them more. X2 is a summer firecracker. It's also a tribute to outcasts — teens, gays, minorities, even Dixie Chicks. It's not without thought or feeling, except when its mind gets bent by the gods of box office. Then it's craven and empty. Success, meet compromise.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

DarkwingSchmuck

Mar 13, 2022

X2: X-Men United takes all of the elements that worked in the original and both expands and improves upon it to make a superhero sequel almost as strong as Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2, or Chris Nolan's The Dark Knight.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JeBjBo

Nov 16, 2021

After almost 20 years X2 still holds up, although some visual effects are dated. It has a stellar cast and Ian McKellen as Magneto is just metal.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

VoiceOfAmerica

Sep 28, 2021

Everyone is such a pervert in this film. I hate it so much and I will hate it for as long as I can.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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8	#8 Most Discussed Movie of 2003
10	#10 Most Shared Movie of 2003