X-Men (2000), directed by Bryan Singer, stars Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Anna Paquin, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Halle Berry, Tyler Mane, Rebecca Romijin, Ray Park, and Bruce Davison. The film initially follows Rouge (Paquin), a teenager who leaves home after discovering she has powerful mutant abilities. On the run somewhere in Canada, she befriends Wolverine (Jackman), another powerful mutant with a tragic yet mysterious past. The two are soon attacked by a group of mutant terrorists led by the powerful Magneto (McKellen) who intends to use Rouge’s unique powers to bring forth the end of mankind, creating a world inhabited only by mutants. At the last moment, the duo is rescued by another group of mutants led by the righteously moral Charles Xavier (Stewart). Along with his titular “X-Men” which includes mutants Cyclops (Marsden), Storm (Berry), and his prodigy, Jean Grey (Janssen), Xavier works to improve relations between humans and mutants. With the help of their new friends, the X-Men set out to stop Magneto before he buries that dream for good.

The performances here are strong across the board, but the film suffers from stuffing far too many characters into a comparatively short runtime. This forces the film to focus heavily on certain characters and not others which is strange considering that the appeal of the X-Men has always been related to their dynamic as a team. Few of the relationships are given the proper time to develop, resulting in certain characters’ personalities feeling surface-level at best. Appropriately, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan really carry this film, providing a level of gravitas that elevates its’ overall quality. It is interesting that unlike most hero and villain dynamics, this relationship is a battle of brains as opposed to brawn. 

Although the film is mostly faithful to the comics in terms of the character portrayals, there are a few changes, some that work and some that don’t. The character of Rouge is changed significantly in the sense that the character is a teenager as opposed to a full-grown adult. As a fan of the X-Men, I don’t particularly like the choice. That being said, the motives behind it make sense. They did this in order to fuse the character of Rouge with the comic character of “Jubilee.” In an already stuffed film, it only makes sense to lessen the number of characters by any means necessary. The character of Wolverine is also a bit too sentimental for my liking in a way that feels like a departure from his traditional portrayals. I want this character to be angry and intense not sentimental and caring. It also feels odd that this film sidelines characters who are traditionally main players in the X-Men comics. Cyclops is relegated to nothing more than a tool for Wolverine to exchange witty quips with while Storm is essentially just a background character only featured to show off her cool powers. The teen romance between Rouge and Iceman also isn’t given the proper time to develop, resulting in a dynamic that feels cheesy and undercooked. All this being said, there are still some bright spots in terms of character dynamics. For example, Hugh Jackman and Famke Janssen have wonderful chemistry baked into their budding infatuation for one another. Although these kinds of successes are few and far between, they are strong building blocks for the eventual sequel. 

This film really set the template for modern superhero films and because of this, doesn’t really hold up to a modern viewing. The pacing is far too swift, actually leaving the audience with the feeling they want more, but not in a good way. The action sequences are clunky (although there is a certain goofy charm), the CGI is dated, and the third act is somewhat underwhelming in terms of action spectacle. All this being said, there’s still a level of charm to all the goofiness, really harking back to the popular X-Men: The Animated Series (1992-1997). Even some of the film’s worst one-liners are worth a welcome chuckle when looking at the film through a lens that is a bit more fun-loving. However, this goofiness still works better in animation than it ever will in live-action. 

As far as the technical aspects go, the film is much too grey but makes up for this visual boredom with great framing that channels a still from a comic book. There’s also some faithfully built sets that feel modernized without sacrificing the traditional style of the X-Men. 

Overall, this is a comic book film to admire as opposed to effortlessly enjoy. It’s much too dated to hold up to today’s scrutinies in terms of comic book films, but there is a certain bygone charm to a superhero film still trying to iron out the kinks of the genre. The themes are a bit on the nose, but its consistent social commentary feels faithful to what X-Men stories have always been about. There’s also a lot of intriguing setup for a sequel that makes me want to forget about how barebones this movie is in terms of character arcs. If you like superheroes, I’d recommend this as a sort of anthropological study of what comic book films used to be like. If you like the X-Men specifically, it’s a must watch. Anybody else can skip it. B-