X-Men 2 Review

This time round Wolverine and co take on another threat to their existence, and the existence of every mutant worldwide. This time it comes in the form of ex-military man William Stryker (Brian Cox) who, after the attempted assassination of the American President by a mutant, is given orders to wipe the species from the face of the planet. Led by Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) the X-Men set out to defeat Stryker's plans, even if it means teaming up with former adversaries…

Film sequels are often inferior to their original counterparts (and it does help if you've seen the first 'X-Men' movie) but 'X-Men 2' proves to be the exception to the rule with better acting, better stunts and bigger explosions - all the pre-requisites for a great summer blockbuster are here! There's plenty for both fans and non-fans of X-Men to enjoy with a nice level of humour running throughout (Wolverine's soda is chilled by Iceman's breath and Pyro can always offer somebody a light), and the first action set piece is worth the price of admission alone. However, if any criticism can be levelled at 'X-Men 2' its that the film is overly long (despite its relatively short two hours running time) - and this fanboy at least can't help but think of Star Trek's Capt. Picard whenever Patrick Stewart speaks! However these really are minor criticisms of what is overall an exiting film that really delivers on all counts.