X-Men 1.5
by Bryan Singer
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Famke Janssen, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Patrick StewartDirector: Bryan Singer
Writer: Bryan Singer
Producer: Avi Arad
Producer: Bill Todman Jr.
Producer: Joel Simon
Producer: Kevin Feige
Writer: David Hayter
Writer: Tom DeSanto
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, Live, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 104 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-11-25
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Movie Reviews of X-Men 1.5
Movie Review: I Can't Belive They Did This Right!
Summary: 5 Stars
I put off seeing this movie for a long time. I'm one of those fans that when I read a book I really, really love - whether a novel or comic book series - I usually hesitate to see the movie for fear of having it conflict with the way I already perceive the material in my mind's eye. Plus, comic book adaptations in particular have a rather spotty record in my opinion. The 80s/90s "Batman" live-actions were alright (except for the last one, which I only decided to break down and chance watching after being wowed by "X-Men" & "X2" and " Spider-Man") but weren't really true to the comics, and couldn't touch their level of quality. The Batman animated material, on the other hand, was a rare high mark for comic adaptations, they were very good, and though toned down and simplified for a younger audience, were overall true to the books. The Marvel adaptations - the early 90s "Captain America" movie, what I saw of the 90s animated "X-Men" and "Spider-Man" stuff...well, let's just say I found all the Marvel adptations prior to the last few years to be very unsatisfactory. To top it off, the ads for this movie made it look like it was going to be about as close to the comics as "The New Adventures Of Lois And Clark" was to the "Superman" comics, based on what I saw of it. Mystique and Toad way, way altered, the X-costumes gone and replaced by the black leather that for a while it looked like All the comics-derived characters were going to don (when I heard they were making "Spider-Man" I honestly expected them to stick him in some black leather get-up, with maybe a red mask or something) and so on...
But eventually, I capitulated and decided to take a chance, and just view this as an alternate vision of the X-Men concept, without expecting it to match up too closely. Lo and behold! I couldn't believe my eyes as the movie started unfolding - they were actually getting it right! In spirit, only a couple of the characters - the aforementioned Mystique and Toad - were markedly different from their comic book selves, while the rest of them - Wolverine, Xavier, Jean Grey, Magneto (for the most part), Cyclops, Storm, Rogue - they got the heart and soul right; and they got the whole Feel of the x-Men concept pretty close to dead-on. With so much matching up right, things like getting the costumes all wrong no longer seemed so unbearable.
Granted, there were a few things toned down or altered; Magneto's true origins, while tragic here, are presented less graphically for a wider audience. When you read enough of the actual comics you realize why it would have been a miracle for him to turn out any way other than how he eventually did. As for how he did turn out, while the filmmakers got his depth and drive, he came off as a bit more of a pure villain here than he usually does when handled right in the comics - he tends to waver closer to the cusp between hero and villain, and occasionally straddle or even cross it in the comics. And with Wolverine, it was a mistake the way they had his blood just magically evaporate or seep back into his body or however it disappeared when his wounds healed. His wounds do heal at a phenomenal rate, but the blood already spilled doesn't just 'go away'. I guess they figured it was the only way to show his healing power and make sure everyone understood what was going on.
But these are minor quibbles when put against the movie as a whole; you could be picky and deduct a half point for this and a tenth of a point for that, or you could add up everything they did right and find you've got a ten out of ten before you're halfway down the list. Even the casting turned out to be brilliant. Hugh Jackman and Ian McKellan, for example are definately Not who I would have picked for Wolverine and Magneto, but they proved me wrong and made the parts their own.
If you see this movie and like it (or love it) I'd also recommend X2 (naturally), Spider-Man (haven't seen the 2nd one yet so can't comment but it looks great), the animated Batman stuff, Darkman (not based on a comic but, made in 1990, it captured the spirit and feel of modern comics far better than any movie up to that point had), the X-Men comics (they've had a few rough periods over the decades but have usually been excellent, like they are currently), numerous other comic series (Spider-Man, Batman, Hawkman, Hulk, Superman, etc. - there's lots of trade paperback compilations of these right here on Amazon) and the Byron Preiss/Boulevard Books paperback (not comic book; it's all in prose) "The Ultimate Silver Surfer", featuring short stories by an array of authors, with "On The Beach" by John J. Ordover and "The Broken Land" by Pierce Askegren being among the best.
Summary of X-Men 1.5
Don't just relive the spectacular action... take it to the extreme with this all-new 2-Disc Collector's Edition release of X-Men, packed with hours of never-before-seen bonus features! Go beyond the movie with the Enhanced Viewing Mode, incorporating more than 60 extra minutes of deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes footage as you watch the film. Listen to in-depth audio commentary from director Bryan Singer. Learn all the most revealing production secrets, from Casting and Costumes to Scenery and Special Eftects, through brand-new featurettes. And get an exclusive sneak peek at the making of X2. This is X-Men like you've never seen experienced it before!In a time when race and religion don't separate people, but extra powers and mutated characteristics do, two longtime friends, Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) part ways, only to become rivals over the issue of how much patience they should have with "normal" people. Living lives that scare most humans lacking the "X-factor" (a special power such as telekinesis), they fight over changing the general population into mutants. Xavier decides to help mutants in a special school while waiting for humanity to be more accepting, while Magneto opts to change all "normal" people into mutants in order to create a mutant-only world. Leading a group of four powerful X-Men (and women) to rescue one lost girl (the mutant Rogue, played by Anna Paquin)--and the entire population of New York--Xavier recruits a new member to their group: Logan (Hugh Jackman), better known as Wolverine, joins the team with much reluctance, only to prove very valuable to the rescue effort.
Each member of the X-Men has mastered their special gift--the ability to create a storm (Storm, played by Halle Berry), telekinesis (Dr. Jean Grey, played by Famke Janssen), eyesight carrying laserlike destructive power (Cyclops, played by James Marsden), the ability to heal nearly any wound he sustains (Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman). The chemistry among these four sets the stage for some expert teamwork--and some hidden romance. The mutants' ensemble work drives the action sequences, such as in a train station battle with Magneto's crew--including Sabertooth (Tyler Mane), Toad (Ray Park), and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos)--that unleashes a lot of destruction, thanks to the striking special effects.
You don't have to be a fan of the hugely popular X-Men comic books to enjoy Bryan Singer's film, which is loaded with creativity, cool effects, and characters complex enough to lift it above run-of-the-mill action films. And Singer sets the stage admirably for the sequels that could turn X-Men into the strongest comic-book franchise since Batman. --Sandra Levin
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