X-Men: Critic Reviews

A rarity, a comic-book movie with a satisfying cinematic design and protagonists you want to watch.

X-Men plays like a so-so middle chapter of an epic series rather than a fitting kickoff.

All these characters with their odd powers are inherently absurd and they throw a barrel of wrenches into the machinery of a coherent narrative.

A distinctively absorbing entertainment, offering just enough popcorn thrills for mass audiences and just enough chewiness for hardcore sci-fi fans.

It's a rich, impressive comic-book fantasy.

It sucks that this choppily edited film appears rushed and incoherent in ways that cheat the story of its human resonance and the stunts of their anticipated pow.

Of course, the wide-open ending practically shrieks "sequel," so rest assured this is only the beginning of a new super-franchise. Here's hoping Joel Schumacher doesn't get his hands on it.

X-Men's myriad of positive attributes generally compensate for its less-than-enthralling stretches.

Comic-book adaptation has brains, brawn, and style.

Good direction and talented ensemble

A very good comic book adaptation with great performances, true entertainment value, and wonderful direction thanks to Singer.

A superb cast and spotless direction from Bryan Singer make this one a summer must-see, and a film that goes right alongside the first Batman and Superman as genre bests.

As summer movies go, X-Men is remarkably crisp and economical.

Relative newcomer Hugh Jackman is a real find as the brooding Wolverine.

Apart from the brushed metal production design and pin-sharp camerawork, this offers only moderate excitement.

Simply a fluffy, big screen version of a simple comic book -- nothing more, nothing less.

What makes this film such a success is its seriousness on the subject of proper and improper responses to oppression, its unique and memorable characters, its cleverness and visual imagination, and its refusal to degenerate into a bloodbath.

Superior to any Batman except the 1989 movie.

Finally, a movie based on a comic book that actually succeeds.

I don't say this often, but bring on the sequel.

Call it a gift from cinema heaven.

Not as disturbingly dark as Batman, but yet it still has the hard gritty edge that keeps the audience riveted to the screen.

Singer was wise enough to keep the fight scenes silent instead of featuring the usual inane banter of most comic-book movies.

X-cellent, X-citing, X-quisite, X-hilarating. Shall I go on?

Entertaining and reasonably intelligent.