X2 (2003)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Bryan Singer

Writers (WGA):

Zak Penn (story) and
David Hayter (story) ...

Release Date:

2 May 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The time has come for those who are different to stand united

Plot:

The X-Men band together to find a mutant assassin who has made an attempt on the President's life, while the Mutant Academy is attacked by military forces.

Plot Keywords:

Mutant | Prison | X Men | Assassin | Storm

Awards:

4 wins & 32 nominations

Cast

Patrick Stewart	...	Professor Charles Xavier
Hugh Jackman	...	Logan / Wolverine
Ian McKellen	...	Eric Lensherr / Magneto
Halle Berry	...	Storm / Ororo Munroe
Famke Janssen	...	Jean Grey
James Marsden	...	Scott Summers / Cyclops
Anna Paquin	...	Rogue / Marie D'Ancanto
Rebecca Romijn	...	Mystique / Grace (as Rebecca Romijn-Stamos)
Brian Cox	...	William Stryker
Alan Cumming	...	Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler
Bruce Davison	...	Senator Kelly
Aaron Stanford	...	John Allerdyce / Pyro
Shawn Ashmore	...	Bobby Drake / Iceman
Kelly Hu	...	Yuriko Oyama / Deathstrike
Katie Stuart	...	Kitty Pryde

Also Known As:

X-Men 2 (Singapore: English title) (USA) (working title)
X² (USA) (alternative spelling)
X-2 (USA) (poster title)
X-Men 2: X-Men United (USA) (promotional title)
X2: X-Men United (USA) (promotional title)
X2: X-Men unis (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action/violence, some sexuality and brief language.

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English | German | Italian

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:18SG | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Canada:PG | Chile:TE | Denmark:11 | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Peru:PT | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Bern) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #39703)

Filming Locations:

Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Marvel Enterprises

Trivia:

On Yuriko's computer, the following files are listed: Guthrie (2) (Paige (Husk), and Samuel (Cannonball)); Harada, Keniucho (Silver Samurai); Kane, Garrison (Weapon X); LeBeau, Remy (Gambit); Lensherr, Eric (sic) (Magneto); Maddicks, Artie; Madrox, Jamie (Multiple Man); Xi'an Coy Mahn(Karma);Maximoff (2) (Wanda (Scarlet Witch), and Pietro (Quicksilver)); McTaggart, Kevin (Proteus); Moonstar, Danielle (Moonstar); Munroe, Ororo (Storm); McCoy, Hank (Beast); Callasantos, Maria (Feral); Cassidy (2) (Sean (Banshee), and Tom (Black Tom); Cheney, Lila; Creed, Victor (Sabretooth); DaCosta, Roberto (Sunspot); Dane, Lorna (Polaris); Drake, Bobby (Iceman); Dukes, Fred (Blob); Espinosa, Angelo (Skin), and; Gibney, kyle (Wild Child). On another screen there were a series of folders on the computer's desktop. These folders listed some well-known individuals or places from the X-Men universe, including: Omega Red (Russian mutant super soldier), Muir Island (Scottish mutant research facility), Project Wideawake (Codename for Sentinel project), Franklin Richards (son of Fantastic Four's Reed Richards and Sue Storm; born a mutant), and Cerebro (mutant tracking device created by Professor Xavier and Magneto). Closer inspection reveals that Stryker is keeping files on Pyro, Sabra, Dr Ceclia Reyes, Synch, Penance, Nightcrawler, his own Mystique and Lady Deathstrike, Copycat, Deadpool, Cyclops, Dazzler, the von Struckers, Jamie Braddock, David North, Sunfire, Boom Boom, Mimic, Dr Nathaniel Essex, Toad, Wolfsbane, Strong Guy, Kitty Pryde, Sauron, Forge... Curiously, there seem to be no files for Jean Grey or Wolverine, among others. There are also files on Alpha, Beta and Gamma Flights, Weapon X, Project Wide Awake (sic), Dept H, the Brotherhood, Graymalkin, Zero Tolerance, Massachussets Academy, Blackbird, the Danger Room, Legacy, Morlocks, Xavier's School, Omega Red, Cerebro, the Salem Centre, Franklin Richards, Kevin McTaggart, and of course Trash.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the climax when Jean Grey is trying to raise the airplane, she is saying "I know... the only way". A shot is taken of Jean's face outside and the plane is visible in the background but none of the people inside are visible. Yet in the previous shot the X-Men are looking out through the glass.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Professor X: [voiceover] Mutants. Since the discovery of their existence they have been regarded with fear, suspicion, often hatred. Across the planet, debate rages. Are mutants the next link in the evolutionary chain or simply a new species of humanity fighting for their share of the world? Either way it is a historical fact: Sharing the world has never been humanity's defining attribute.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Top Gear: (2006-07-16)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Sports Jam

brilliant

Bryan Singer, an incredible director, took the characters and spun the story into something beautiful. Alan Cumming's 'NightCrawler' was a revelation and the subtext of accepting homosexuality/being a latent Mutant was beyond great. The coming out seen with iceman and his family is phucking exceptional and Wolverine claiming he's their art teacher was perfect comedy. The brian cox character was greatly cast as was the ever so phucking beautiful Kelly Hu...

The opening of this film set the tone and the movie took off running and never once slowed down. Seeing Bryan and his crafty ways of revealing characters from future films by threading them in was seamless and eloquent. I am truly disappointed that Bryan's name is not attached to the third, i feel as though superman is going to be a superdud and he should've stuck with this.