Jizzah!
So last night I saw X2: X-Men United, so here is my review. If you have not yet seen the movie and do not wish to be spoiled, read no further.....
Still reading? I guess you couldn't bear to wait. Oh well. After sitting through interminable previews, only two of which made a favorable impression on me (The League of Extrodinary Gentlemen and of course The Matrix: Reloaded), I was thrilled to see the movie start, and, boy was I in for a treat. X2 picks up two months after the first film left off. Wolverine is off in the woods of Canada investigating a base at Alkali Lake in hopes of discovering clues about his past. Rogue has settled back into school life at the Xavier Institute, and has begun dating Bobby Drake, A.K.A. Iceman. Jean Gray has begun to experience strange fluctuations of her powers, and Cyclops is left clueless as to the cause. Meanwhile, the president of the U.S. is attacked by a mysterious blue-skinned teleporting mutant, setting the stage for a new anti-mutant backlash. This comes in the form of Colonel William Stryker, a crazed paramilitary scientist who blames mutations for all of his troubles. Plus, we soon learn that he has a connection to Wolverine's shadowy past. At this point, the X-Men become fugitives, and must team up with the recently escaped Magneto to end Stryker's sinister plans for the mutant population.
Fans of the comic book will be pleased to see cameos and extended parts for many of their favorites, such as Colossus, Jubilee, Leech, Beast, and Gambit. The action is intense, and the characters are true to their comic book counterparts. The only downside is that n00bs might not be so hot on it, as it builds heavily on the events described in the first movie. As a fan, though, this did not turn me off in the slightest. While the original film was only an OK film, seeing it is essential to understanding the background for the characters. With that background in mind, the action in X2 makes perfect sense. It is first and foremost a comic-book movie, and people who don't like the comic book will probably not be too huge on this movie. My rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 4.