X-Men Trilogy: Blu-ray Movie Review (2009)

With "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" being released this Friday, May 1, 2009, WeekinRewind takes the opportunity to look back at the last three films in the franchise, all of which have just been released on Blu-ray disc.

“X-Men” Blu-ray
Just in time for the May 1 release of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" comes the three previous films in the franchise, all dusted off for their high-definition transfers onto Blu-ray disc. The first film is the weakest of the lot, likely because director Bryan Singer had the enormous job of setting up not one superhuman character, but eight--all of whom have different powers that had to be mapped out and explained before the action could begin. It takes half the movie to do so, and yet only two mutants come into full focus--Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Rogue (Anna Paquin). The other six mutants have histories that are hinted at--particularly those of Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellan)-- but which otherwise are not fully explored. As such, to the uninitiated, this potluck of superheroes can be a confusing stew. “X-Men” is the story of misfits, a group of men and women who were born with genetic mutations that, at puberty, manifested not into acne or a pierced tongue, but into special powers. The plot follows the bad mutants, led by Magneto, who are trying to convert the leaders of the world into mutants so they will stop their witch hunt of mutants. Rising against them are the good mutants, led by Xavier, who embrace their differences and find meaning in being “unique.” The problem here is that much of the movie doesn’t take off. It’s too restricted by convention, which is surprising considering the locale of the inevitable finale between the mutants. Recalling Hitchcock’s “Saboteur,” it takes place high atop the Statue of Liberty, certainly a place of freedom that should have liberated the film of its stock action scenes and uninspired dialogue--but it doesn’t. Rated PG-13. Grade: C

“X2: X-Men United” Blu-ray
A vast improvement over the 2000 original, with the film picking up almost immediately where “X-Men” left off. New to the group are Pyro (Aaron Stanford), who could burn a hole through Hell, and Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming), who looks as if he were born there. After the film’s opening attack on the President of the United States, the administration, furious to be so brazenly challenged by Nightcrawler, goes into overdrive in its effort to ruin all mutants. To do its dirty work, it hires William Stryker (Brian Cox), a vet who plans to kill all mutants via a machine. The story is dense, but engaging, and for director Bryan Singer, you sense a kind of freedom. With his characters established in the last film, he now has the time to flesh out those characters and allow them their conflicts. It works. Across the board, the acting is strong, particularly toward the end, when it becomes moving as the film twists into the unexpected. Singer and his screenwriters know the value of a surprise and they deliver their share without dipping into the absurd. The result is a movie that surpasses expectations, a superhero flick that can take its place alongside the best. Rated PG-13. Grade: A-

“X-Men: The Last Stand” Blu-ray
Well, not really the last stand, though in this outting, the franchise does start to show some wear. Here, Xavier (Patrick Stewart) learns that there now is a cure for the mutant gene he and others possess, and that soon it will be employed, thus threatening their very existence. For Xavier and his posse, the only response is to fight back. Ian McKellan returns as Magneto, with two new characters introduced--Kelsey Grammer in a fine turn as the hirsute Dr. Henry McCoy and Ben Foster as the bewinged Warren Worthington III. The film’s action scenes are every bit as tight and as ingenious as you expect, though the series' familiarity is starting to weaken its core. Rated PG-13. Grade: B-