X-Men: United (2003, PG-13)

*Disclaimer: Bryan Singer again. This was the first film of his that I ever saw, and I really loved it. Singer is one whose films I have a hard time watching now, and, since X2 is the film I probably have the fondest memories of, it’s the one that was the biggest bummer to lose. Obviously, the worst thing about predators like Singer, by far, is what they did to their victims, but another thing about them that sucks is that their crimes retroactively taint things I really liked.*

 
I’d say this is probably still my favorite X-Men movie.  Days of Future Past is pretty darn good, and that Quicksilver scene is a thing of beauty, but for me, United is where it’s at.  It has some great action sequences and pretty decent character work, and the stakes feel real and immediate throughout.

An attack on the White House by an assailant bearing the slogan “Mutant Freedom Now” spurs a host of new anti-mutant measures, both in the legislature and through less official channels.  Professor X’s school is set upon by those intent on harming the students, forcing many on the run or into hiding.  In order to combat the new opponent rising up against them, the X-Men form an uneasy alliance with Magneto and his mutant-superiority supporters.

Foremost for me, this movie has such a “lived-in” feel.  For maybe the only time in the franchise, the school really, genuinely feels like an actual school for mutants.  The characters use their powers for the big stuff, obviously, but they also use them for little, everyday things that people with powers would do in real life.  I love these casual moments, like a nameless student using his technopathy to channel-surf, or Bobby cooling Wolverine’s drink with his freezing powers.  We also get more exploration of the personal and/or social impact of being a mutant – there’s a difficult coming-out scene, and (awesome) new character Nightcrawler has a neat conversation with Mystique regarding their physical abnormalities.

The action is pretty topnotch.  The opening scene – Nightcrawler’s attempt to assassinate the President – remains the X-Men gold standard for me, and I love the big prison break and Wolverine’s climactic fight.  Apart from that there are a lot of other good, tactical uses of mutant powers in action scenes.  I especially like the attack on the school, where we see a varied range of defenses, and the film culminates in a nice tag-team effort.

A few new cast members of note here.  I’ve already mentioned Nightcrawler a few times, and Alan Cumming is just great.  With relatively limited screentime, he conveys the loneliness, exploitation, and guilt Nightcrawler has experienced due to his mutant genes.  Also, both he and his powers look amazing!  Bobby and Rogue’s friend John (a.k.a. Pyro) is technically in the first movie, but there, he’s more of a one-off sight gag than a character.  In this film, he gets actual characterization and a new actor, none other than Aaron Stanford (Birkhoff on Nikita and Cole on 12 Monkeys.)  I was interested in John and his fraught character journey, thanks in large part to Stanford’s performance, back when I first saw United, and now that I’m a much bigger fan of Stanford’s other work, the character grabs me even more.  Finally, we have non-mutant scientist William Stryker.  I’ve liked Bryan Cox ever since seeing him in Kings, and here, as always, he’s reliably good.

Warnings

Comic book violence, language, brief sexual content (including naked Mystique,) and thematic elements.