Okay, here's the deal. I've told you guys before that I'm a closet comic book fan from way back. It was only recently, though, that I learned to appreciate them again. I'm long past the Archie and Jughead stage, though, and way on down the road from Richie Rich and Scrooge McDuck. One of my patients, Junior McDonald, came in after spraining his ankle at a high-school baseball game, and, he left behind a book in my waiting room. I picked it up on my way out, intending to drive by and drop it off at his house. Then, I stopped at the Carver Point Diner for supper, and I took the book in just for something to look at while I ate.
The book was called Watchmen. If you haven't read this book, I won't spoil it for you. But it opened my eyes to a trend known as the "graphic novel." It wasn't all rote action, quips and flat drawings. It was dark and depressing and the artwork was rich and the story was written in an adult tone. Well, I thought this had to be a fluke, so I called Johnny Ray Harper, who runs the local comic book store, The Paper Mill. Johnny Ray set me up with my own copy of Watchmen, and he hooked me with Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, a Batman story that would make a fantastic movie itself. From there, I learned about Sandman, most of the Dark Horse titles, and, of course, the X-Men.
After a crash course in the X-Men series history, I dove in, and I've been a fan ever since. And, I'd be lying if I said I didn't think the film version would either be a huge hit or a colossal blunder. I've seen my fair share of comic book-to-movie adventures go right in the dumper, and one in particular go from gold to garbage with one director change. I was as excited about seeing this new X-Men movie as I was dreading it. But, like any true pro, I gritted my teeth, handed over my cash, and said, "Okay, Bryan Singer, Boy Wonder, .... Let's see how you did."
Bryan, you done good, kid. Because the new feature, X-Men, is the first summer blockbuster to live up to every bit of hype it had going in.
Logan (Hugh Jackman), also known as Wolverine, has befriended a runaway teenager named Rogue (Anna Paquin). The two are mutants, and they're trying to understand this word, this curse and gift that makes them different than most of the world. They find their way to a man named Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), a telepath who runs a school that teaches mutants how to develop their powers and use them for benevolent means. Xavier's team already includes Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), a telekinetic; Storm (Halle Berry), who can control the weather; and Cyclops (James Marsden), whose eyes blast energy beams. Wolverine and Rogue are welcomed. Wolverine has bones laced with unbreakable metal, mutant healing powers, and a set of long metal claws that shoot out from the backs of his hands, and Rogue can absorb the life force of any human she touches, and can temporarily acquire a mutant's power with a single touch.
This team, known as the X-Men, is about to be forced to go to war with a team of mutants who don't share Xavier's benevolent ideals. Magneto (Ian McKellen) is a longtime friend of Xavier's, but his beliefs are worlds apart from the professor's. He thinks the mutants should make their power known and feared. His team includes the hulking Sabretooth (Tyler Mane), Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos), a blue-scaled shape-shifter who can take any form she wishes, and Toad (Ray Park, known to Star Wars fans as "Darth Maul"), who can shoot his long-tongue with deadly force. Magneto wants to conquer humankind before a powerful U.S. senator (played by Bruce Davison) can pass laws restricting mutants' rights.
If you haven't been able to read a metaphor or two in here yet, you're not trying. I won't kid you, either. X-Men has long been the topic of arguments and discussions as to whether it serves as an analogy for the treatment of the Jews during World War II, the entire Civil Rights Movement, or both. The X-Men have always been symbols of the misunderstood outsiders, the people who are feared just because they're different in some way. If nothing else, this film is one great idea to impress the need to end prejudice into children who might not otherwise think about it.
Lessons aside, this idea also makes this movie something more than most comic translations. It's a perfect way to kick off an ongoing series of films featuring these characters. Unlike the Batman and Superman series, both of which just jumped right in and ran, this film sets the tone nicely. This is not just an action series, it provokes some thought. It has grown-up sensibilities mixed in with the action, and that's a rarity in and of itself. And credit director Singer (The Usual Suspects) for allowing these characters to get as much depth as they can. The bond between Wolverine and Rogue, the rivalry for leadership between Wolverine and Cyclops, and the wonderful exchanges between Magneto and Professor X, the men whose friendship keeps them almost distinguished gentlemen toward one another despite their opposing views, it all makes for something more than just a comic book film. It makes this a grown-up "superhero film" that kids can also dig.
The acting here is above average here on all counts, most notably from Jackman and Paquin. Jackman is a relatively unknown Australian actor, but after this, count on seeing a lot more of him. Stewart and McKellan might have seemed a bit overqualified for their roles, but they lend a certain class to their parts. As for the bad guys, pro wrestler Tyler Mane is perfect as the rabid Sabretooth, and, yes, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos goes right to the head of the class for staying near-naked for most of the flick. Now I know what Captain Kirk always saw in those blue-skinned women in "Star Trek". And, for that matter, Miss Famke and Miss Halle in tight leather does wonders for this soul, lemme tell you....
Sure, there are lots of special effects, most of which are pretty flippin' great. There are action sequences and fights some comic book in-jokes and more than a couple of soap-opera plot twists. What would you expect from any self-respecting summer movie? The thing is, though, the film does not revolve around these sequences or tricks. Of course, there are certain effects to show off the mutant powers, but nothing that the film has to work in every ten minutes. Singer is smarter than most directors are, it seems, because he turns the tables on the formula and makes the characters central to the film, instead of relying solely on action and effects. They balance nicely with the underlying philosophies within the film, and this is downright amazing for a movie of this nature.
There's so much more I could tell you, but it would just stomp all over the plot to do so. Let me just say this: this is a film that the comic book fans will like, and people that have never read a comic book will like, too. You don't need a lot of backstory going in; you'll learn as you go, just like Logan and Rogue. You'll learn the ideas behind the mutant powers and the ideas of tolerance and acceptance as well. What will surprise you is that you'll never realize just how well you learned these notions until after you've absorbed them.
Folks, let me nutshell it for you. X-Men is the first movie this summer to be better than its "blockbuster" title might infer. Most "summer blockbusters" burn hot, and then melt away quickly. This film sets the stage for more X-Men films, but it makes you look forward to a sequel or two. As long as Joel Schumacher never steps his slippered feet onto an X-men set, this series could be every bit as dark and gothic and entertaining as Tim Burton's Batman films. Congrats, guys. You did the impossible. You made it work, and made it better.
Image copyright 20th Century Fox.
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