So there you go: X2 was the peak of the X-Men series

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

X2, IMO, is Marvel's best film.

Yes, even more so than Spiderman 2.

CFE

100% agreed, I love X2, and, though i have some problems with it and some characters arent properly utilized, I cant there see there ever being a better X-Men movie.

 

[ReallyCoolGuy]

I hated X2... Controlling people's mind with a hole in their neck by body fluids that came from some teenage version of Mastermind... ????

 

[Visionary]

X2 was another overrated weak Wolverine movie, that sometimes featured the X-Men. I don't know why they're even making a Wolverine movie, I feel like he has sevaral already.

 

[X-Maniac]

X2 scores highly on my personal rating system, mainly because it is consistently good in most areas of film-making, despite its many flaws and a somewhat loose third act and climax (much like SR’s loose third act and climax!). Action, dialogue, acting, casting, heart, substance, etc, were all done very well in X2, and in a slightly more polished way than X1.The acting, dialogue, characterisations, heart and substance were better in Singer’s movies. The visual spectacle is more colourful and dynamic in X3, and more epic in scale, but other areas were weaker (not enough depth on Phoenix, Cyclops and Angel).

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

i agree with many points made in this thread.

i do agree that, in regards to these being comic book adaptations, x-men is the best of the trilogy. perhaps it is because it doesn't take from a specific story, and it's a rather basic x-men vs. brotherhood storyline, it makes less changes to the source material.

x2 obviously begins to make more changes from the source material, and x-men: the last stand is obviously the worst in terms of being an adaptation.

in terms of being a well made movie, x2 is probably the best, but it isn't without flaw. after seeing the movie a bazillion times, the climax is beginning to become a bit more boring to me. the x-men split up, and except for a poorly choreographed wolverine vs. lady deathstrike battle, there's really no action. x-men at least has an action filled climax, even if i think the rest of the movie isn't as good as x2. x-men: the last stand is the complete opposite of x-men. x-men is little action, but big on character development. x-men: the last stand is little on character development, but big on character. i think that both attributes are equally important, but in the end, i prefer x-men: the last stand over x-men because i think it has a much more exciting story.

in terms of remaining consistant with the previous films, i believe that both sequels do a good job of that. i don't have any problems with the consistancy of the sequels.

in the end, i don't know which i prefer between x2 and x-men: the last stand. x2 does less wrong, but when x-men: the last stand is working correctly, i believe that it is the best of the series. x-men: the last stand is to me, at the same time, the best of the trilogy, and the worst of the trilogy. in the end, i rate it higher than x-men, but it's hard to rate it compared to x2. at times i want to say x2 is the better movie, but there are definately many elements to x-men: the last stand that i prefer to x2, so it's a tough call for me.

at the end of the day, i love all 3 movies, and i'm very happy with the x-men trilogy that we got.

 

[X-Maniac]

i agree with many points made in this thread.

i do agree that, in regards to these being comic book adaptations, x-men is the best of the trilogy. perhaps it is because it doesn't take from a specific story, and it's a rather basic x-men vs. brotherhood storyline, it makes less changes to the source material.

x2 obviously begins to make more changes from the source material, and x-men: the last stand is obviously the worst in terms of being an adaptation.

in terms of being a well made movie, x2 is probably the best, but it isn't without flaw. after seeing the movie a bazillion times, the climax is beginning to become a bit more boring to me. the x-men split up, and except for a poorly choreographed wolverine vs. lady deathstrike battle, there's really no action. x-men at least has an action filled climax, even if i think the rest of the movie isn't as good as x2. x-men: the last stand is the complete opposite of x-men. x-men is little action, but big on character development. x-men: the last stand is little on character development, but big on character. i think that both attributes are equally important, but in the end, i prefer x-men: the last stand over x-men because i think it has a much more exciting story.

in terms of remaining consistant with the previous films, i believe that both sequels do a good job of that. i don't have any problems with the consistancy of the sequels.

in the end, i don't know which i prefer between x2 and x-men: the last stand. x2 does less wrong, but when x-men: the last stand is working correctly, i believe that it is the best of the series. x-men: the last stand is to me, at the same time, the best of the trilogy, and the worst of the trilogy. in the end, i rate it higher than x-men, but it's hard to rate it compared to x2. at times i want to say x2 is the better movie, but there are definately many elements to x-men: the last stand that i prefer to x2, so it's a tough call for me.

at the end of the day, i love all 3 movies, and i'm very happy with the x-men trilogy that we got.

I kind of agree Nell. I think where X2 succeeds OVERALL on an artistic/critical level (in moviemaking terms) is in not having any corny dialogue, not portraying key characters in ways that can be interpreted as heartless or selfish, not rushing its story and not creating action scenes that can be picked apart for behaviour/power flaws. But you are right that the third act is flawed - it's fine up to the part where they are all together in the dam control room, then it goes a bit chaotic and 'bitty.' Storm stopping Cerebro with a chilly wind falls rather flat in terms of FX and lacks a wow factor, and Xavier's Dark Cerebro effect is a rather low-budget sequence. X2's success lies in consistency - no bad acting, no bad dialogue, no bad writing, it doesn't feel like characters/events are being skipped over too quickly.

But X3 is a much more visually dynamic, physical and visceral movie and explores a much wider socio-political idea where we see a whole world of other mutants existing out there. If only Ratner had time to think more about some of the details. It wouldn't take much to improve the movie - insert most of the deleted scenes, have an additional scene where Angel and his dad make up after the Alcatraz rescue (as in the novelisation), have Callisto use her name in the church scene where she is introduced, and give more depth to Phoenix after she joins Magneto through dialogue or a monologue of audible tumoiled thoughts.

It's hard for me to say which movie is a personal favourite as each has something special is offer, and none of the three is perfect (there is something annoying or disappointing in each one!).

 

[Trevor Goodchild]

Hmm, do tell, what did you find ‘annoying’ about X1?

 

[X-Maniac]

Hmm, do tell, what did you find ‘annoying’ about X1?

At the time I saw the movie, I recall being annoyed with Storm and Halle's casting. I've since mellowed on that issue, but at the time it seemed a weak portrayal, with Storm only really living up to her dramatic name (and comicbook portrayal) in the final showdown against Toad. It's probably a combination of casting, acting and writing/dialogue.

I also felt we didn't find out much about Storm, Cyclops or Jean...the actual X-Men after whom the movie was named. I didn't like Rogue using that name so soon in the movie (at that point she is simply a runaway and not immersed in Xavier's superhero world). I didn't like it that Wolverine (who was using a codename and who had met Rogue, who was already using a codename) mocked the X-Men's own codenames. It felt disrespectful to the comics, and wrong since Wolverine had a codename himself. I'd have liked Xavier justifying their need for such names in such a hateful world where they needed to protect themselves; that scene could have been much better and offered more insight into the X-Men's ethos and their rationale for secret identities.

Off the top of my head, i can't think of anything else that stuck out as an irritation! So, other than those things, it's a classic piece of sci-fi introducing these characters, especially when made for just $75 million or whatever the meagre budget was.

 

[Havok83]

X2 is my favorite superhero film of all time. It most definetly was teh peak of the X series

 

[Phoenix_Flare]

X2 was gr888888888888!!!!!!!!!!!! The Phoenix's entry was what did it for me....X2 would've set up a gr8 arc for X3 and a planned X4...To me X2 showed the characters at their true potential some power wise and others dialogue wise, i.e Mystique had more lines, Magento killed, Storm actually made a storm and had more lines...and etc, etc...

 

[the a1ant]

X1 is my favorite X-Men film as a Storm fan. Despite all of the flaws, I thought that was the closest they got to the comic book character in the entire trilogy. Her deleted scenes also made the role a lot better.

X2 was my favorite overall film.

X3 is my least favorite, but action-wise great.

If they could've combined Ratner's action and adventure with Singer's intelligence/script, it could've been more awesome.

 

[storm-x-fan]

X2 was another overrated weak Wolverine movie, that sometimes featured the X-Men. I don't know why they're even making a Wolverine movie, I feel like he has sevaral already.

I totally agree with u

 

[BMM]

Which shouldn't be a problem for someone whose location is Wolverine's heart... .

 

[DoctorJones]

I definitely love X2, and it's my favourite comic book/superhero movie, after Batman Begins.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Watched both X1 and X2 today and i had forgot how good they were. I havent watched them in a while after the crushing and terrible dissapointment that X3 was to me.

But i watched both today and both are still great, thank god we at least got 2 good X-Men movies.

 

[OutcryX]

x-men 1 wasnt all that good. its great from the stance that it a freakin live action x-men move....but it really didnt showcase anything special about the team...

 

[X-Maniac]

x-men 1 wasnt all that good. its great from the stance that it a freakin live action x-men move....but it really didnt showcase anything special about the team...

Indeed. X1 was really the story of Wolverine and Rogue discovering the existence of the X-Men, and also developing the character of Magneto. The X-Men themselves merely 'existed', with no real depth to the three team members.

I'd be interesting to see the first team come together - why they would want to team up and stay at the mansion and don uniforms, why they would join Xavier's cause, all the doubts and arguments of that, their first working together against an enemy. That to me is an X-Men story.

 

[Phoenix_Flare]

I agree...maybe the "Young X-Men" spin-off would tell that story...

 

[TNC9852002]

I'm betting that a movie like that will get going after at least 11 years or so...The X-Men movies are too successful and fresh in everyone's minds to start a reboot or an origin film (especially if everyone will be recast)..

-TNC