SEQUEL DELIVERS MORE THAN THE USUAL MUTANTS.Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic BRYAN SINGER and his growing army of closeted mutants are back for another go-round in ``X2: X-Men United,'' and if the film's exploration of intolerance (it's bad) remains cartoonlike at best, at least Singer has enough money this time to deliver the kind of wham-bam thrills that were sorely lacking in the first installment. While overstuffed o·ver·stuff tr.v. o·ver·stuffed, o·ver·stuff·ing, over·stuffs 1. To stuff too much into: overstuff a suitcase. 2. To upholster (an armchair, for example) deeply and thickly. with characters and story, ``X2'' sports enough cool characters and exhilarating set pieces to make you sit tight through the dull bits and tolerate most of the superficial silliness. ``X2'' picks right up where the action left off three years ago, assuming a certain familiarity on the audience's part when, in fact, all the original ``X-Men'' invited was immediate amnesia. That's OK because you catch on quick enough as Singer and screenwriters Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty trot out the movie's dozen gifted mutants who are, as the title implies, united (sort of) this time against an old stand-by boogeyman, a renegade military wacko (Brian Cox) looking to ostracize os·tra·cize tr.v. os·tra·cized, os·tra·ciz·ing, os·tra·ciz·es 1. To exclude from a group. See Synonyms at blackball. 2. To banish by ostracism, as in ancient Greece. the Xers into oblivion. Singer is aiming for an epic here after the rather truncated introductory episode. But even with a running time of two hours, 13 minutes, there isn't enough space to do all the characters justice. Not that they're all deserving; in fact, if there's a third ``X-Men'' movie, the filmmakers would do well to jettison jettison (jĕt`əsən, –zən) [O.Fr.,=throwing], in maritime law, casting all or part of a ship's cargo overboard to lighten the vessel or to meet some danger, such as fire. the least interesting of the lot. Suggestions: Lose Storm (Halle Berry) and her goofy blond wig; boy toy Cyclops (James Marsden, the gang's Joey Tribbiani); and Pyro py·ro n. pl. py·ros Slang A person who has a compulsion to set fires; a pyromaniac. (Aaron Stanford), a teen anti-hero anti-hero, principal character of a modern literary or dramatic work who lacks the attributes of the traditional protagonist or hero. The anti-hero's lack of courage, honesty, or grace, his weaknesses and confusion, often reflect modern man's ambivalence toward who's dark and dangerous in a ``Dawson's Creek'' sort of way. Pyro is sort of a junior version of Magneto magneto: see generator. magneto Permanent-magnet alternating generator used mainly to produce electrical current for the ignition system in various types of internal-combustion engines, such as aircraft, marine, tractor, and motorcycle engines. (Ian McKellen), inserted apparently because McKellen isn't much of a draw with the adolescent girls the film needs to become a blockbuster. But McKellen is this movie's greatest untapped asset; every scene he's in crackles crackles a small, sharp sound heard on auscultation. Caused by dry, bristly hair and insufficient pressure on the stethoscope head. Also characteristic of emphysema, especially when it is subcutaneous. with wit and energy. Likewise, Hugh Jackman's Wolverine wolverine or glutton, largest member of the weasel family, Gulo gulo, found in the northern parts of North America and Eurasia, usually in high mountains near the timberline or in tundra. (who does see a lot of screen time) remains a most appealing carry-over, and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and Famke Janssen really come into their own as mutant babes on opposite sides of the fight. X2: X-MEN UNITED - Three stars (PG-13: sci-fi action violence, some sexuality, brief language) Starring: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Brian Cox. Director: Bryan Singer. Running time: 2 hr. 13 min. Playing: Wide release. In a nutshell: Better than the first installment, still not as good as it could be. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Famke Janssen as Jean Grey, left, and Halle Berry as Storm fly high in director Bryan Singer's ``X2: X-Men United.'' |
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