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A Reel Life film section

Winter 2000

X-Men (2000) movie review

Other Heroes

Movie poster, X-Men; Festivale film review

Movie poster, X-Men; Festivale film review

Join the Evolution

Evolution, tracked through fossils, shows gradual growth, then a jump. In the X-men universe, the next jump is a wide range of mutations creating, inevitably, super-heroes and super-villains.

The X-men, lead by Professor Xavier a.k.a. Cerebro (Patrick Stewart), seek peaceful co-existence with the humans. The others, lead by Magneto (Ian McKellan) Xavier's ex-friend, seek dominance. And between the two are the fear-mongers and bureaucracy who seek to establish compulsory registration.

Similarities between the Nazis gathering Gypsies, Jews and homosexuals, and those who seek to ostracise or 'save' homosexuals are drawn obtrusively. This is a comic-book/graphic novel world, after all - part of the Marvel universe.

This film is one of the new breed of action/adventure/special effects movies and you can expect characters and relationships to be drawn with very broad strokes. Having struggled through a second watching, this reviewer suggests that once is probably enough. However, if bam-bam action is your thing, go to it.

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reviewed by Ali Kayn
Due for Australian release 13 July 2000
For credits and official site details, see below
Search Festivale for more work by the film-makers below.

See also: X-Men; X-Men 2; X-Men 3

Just the facts:

Title: X-Men (2000)
Written by: Tom DeSanto (story) & Bryan Singer (story) David Hayter (screenplay)
Directed by: Bryan Singer
running time: 104 mins
rating: M


The Players: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Jansset, James Marsden, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Bruce Davison


Official website: Marvel Teams and Groups<
IMDb entry


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