Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Two mutants, Rogue and Wolverine, come to a private academy for their kind whose resident superhero team, the X-Men, must oppose a terrorist organization with similar powers.
X-Men (2000) was a landmark superhero film that revitalized the genre and proved comic-book adaptations could be taken seriously, earning high Novelty for its then-distinctive tone blending social allegory with action spectacle. The plot is functional but somewhat rushed, juggling too many characters in its origin framework. The acting is solid across the board — McKellen and Stewart elevate the material — but few performers get enough screen time to truly shine. Cinematography is competent and atmospheric but unremarkable by modern standards. The climax atop the Statue of Liberty feels underwhelming and hurried, keeping the Ending below average.