Synopsis: In this second installment of the popular X-Men series, Professor Xavier and crew are forced to join in an alliance with Magneto and his minions against General Stryker. Stryker's one objective is simple…the complete eradication of all mutants from Earth.

Now for the Zone's Eye View:

By Michelle Snow

Director: Bryan Singer

Cast: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, Bruce Davison, Anna Paquin, Kelly Hu, Aaron Stanford and Shawn Ashmore

If you haven't seen the first movie, I do recommend doing so before seeing this sequel. If you don't, you'll still be able to figure out what's happening. But X2: X-Men United assumes you already have, so the action starts up almost exactly where the first one left off. 

An attack on the President of the United States, seemingly by mutants, leads the President to give his approval to a military action plan proposed by General William Stryker [Cox]. But it seems Stryker has an ulterior motive, He doesn't want to just control the mutants. He wants the complete eradication of them all. He absolutely despises mutants and we learn later, not only is it personal, but he's had encounters with Professor Xavier [Stewart] and Magneto [McKellan] before. 

In the meantime, Storm [Berry] and Jean Grey [Janssen] are sent to capture the elusive mutant known as the Nightcrawler [Cumming] and Wolverine [Jackman] is left at the school to "babysit". Among his charges are Rogue [Paquin], Iceman [Ashmore] and Pyro [Stanford]. Wolverine is still searching for his origin and is shocked to find he recognizes Stryker's voice. Could Stryker be involved in his past? No time to find out as he must get his charges to safety after Stryker and his men storm the school.

In the meantime Mystique finds a way to break Magneto out of his plastic prison, in a scene that is quite possibly the bloodiest in this PG-13 rated film. And as Magneto tastes freedom, Stryker captures Prof. Xavier and Cyclops [Marsden]. It seems Stryker has found a way to harness Prof. Xavier's power for his project.
Can the remaining X-Men work together with Magneto and Mystique to stop Stryker? Can they save the Professor before it's too late? Let's just say there are plenty of close calls and double-crosses before we reach the end. The end, by the way, where we also get a glimpse of Grey possibly evolving into her Phoenix character. Foreshadowing for the next movie perhaps?
This film is amazing. The actors absolutely nail their character's personalities and quirks, making them more than just comic book adaptations. Of special note are Hugh Jackman, who has just made the character of Wolverine his own. And as Nightcrawler, Alan Cumming is so in character, you almost forget there's a real man under all that makeup. Also, as one would hope from a sequel, the actors seem more comfortable overall with their characters and with each other. You really feel like these characters have known each other for years. 

I also like the way the characters were paired off for various missions in this movie. When Storm and Grey go after Nightcrawler, it dawns on me that we have two strong, capable female characters going on a mission without a male character to "back them up". There's also a burgeoning romance between Rogue and Iceman made all the more bittersweet by the fact that their respective mutant powers don't really allow them to touch each other. 

Let's not forget the other star of this movie, the special effects. Without them, there are no mutant powers or killer action sequences. And the special effects in this movie are just breathtaking. From Nightcrawler's split-second teleporting to the cyclones Storm calls when the X-Men have to evade being blown up by military planes, the effects are so well done that they move the story along without calling special attention to themselves. Of special note is the fight sequence near the end between Lady Deathstrike [Hu] and Wolverine that kept me totally enthralled both times I've seen the film.

The movie is a little on the long side, at 2 hours 15 minutes, but the action is so well paced, you won't really mind. Just don't drink that soda all at once or you'll never make it to the end. With healthy doses of romance and comedy mingled in with all the action, this movie just runs rings around the first one.
X2: X-Men United is easily one of the best movies you'll see all summer.

9.5 out of 10