X-MEN

Reviewed by Stephen Humphries,—of<br/>South Africa<br/>(currently living in the U.S.)

Dressing an actor in boots, a cape, and spandex-tight clothing could destroy a movie director's credibility forever. But Bryan Singer, director of the recent sci-fi hit X-Men, has created the best superhero movie since Superman by getting the tone of the movie just right. Sure, there's violence and some dark edges characteristic of the genre, but this film has the heart that the Batman series lacked.

The story is about people born with a different set of genes, giving them superpowers—such as the ability to walk through walls, read people's minds, conjure up storms, and or shoot lasers from their eyes. One of them even has the power to heal himself almost instantly of wounds and injuries. You might say that they're a little different from the people you bump into in your neighborhood.

And that's the problem. The rest of society is suspicious of these mutants, and wants the government to pass laws that will limit their freedom. One group of mutants, led by a character called Magneto (Sir Ian McKellan), resents humanity's discrimination and wishes to turn the tables to transform the rest of humankind into mutants. The heroes of the movie are the X-Men, a group of good mutants led by Dr. Xavier (played with great presence by Star Trek's Patrick Stewart). They band together to fight the rebel mutants. Their goal is to get the rest of humanity to understand and ultimately accept them.

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