X2: Sequel

As mentioned before, I am a fan of the X-Men franchise, especially its subtle analogies and references to the American civil rights movement which contain universal human and societal values such as prejudice and equality that are still widely applicable to our world today. One of the major appeals of the X-Men franchise is the number of unique characters, many of whom are very well developed and deeply layered as a result of the long-running success of the series (comics, cartoon and movie). It is difficult to pick a favorite character and even more difficult to pick a favourite instalment of the franchise, not only because they are so many of them and I have not read or watched all of them but also because there are several publications that are very good in my opinion, which makes it almost impossible to pick a personal favourite. That said, I do rate X2 (2003), the second movie and sequel to the first X-Men (2000), very highly, since it is a complex and intricately written story where all the characters have their own personal trajectory and dramatic moment of epiphany (a classic ensemble piece). I also have a deep impression of this movie since I came to it in rather unusual circumstances. I first watched X2 in the cinema with a friend in Summer 2003 in the middle of doing my GCSEs (UK Public Examinations). We met up in London and as we both wanted to take a break from our studies, the buzz of X2 in the cinema caught our attention. Not having seen X-Men (2000), I had no expectations going into X2 and I found the movie to be entertaining enough, though I almost forgot about it upon leaving the theatre, partly because I was in public examination mode and was quite busy and stressed by all that was happening around me. Summer 2006 was my first summer at university (Oxford) when I saw the cinematic airing of X-Men 3: The Last Stand, which also caught my eye, though not due to its connection with X2 which I had almost completely forgotten three years on. This movie marked a departure from the first two instalments as the original director, Bryan Singer, who had established himself as a close associate of the movie franchise, left the project to direct Superman (2006) instead (and he is reported to have said that he ‘regretted not directing the third X-Men movie before, during and after watching it‘). It was an entertaining flick with loads of action and special effects which I enjoyed watching live in the cinema. In fact, watching this movie prompted me to catch up on the previous two instalments. I hence rented copies of X-Men and X2, and watching the first, original movie clarified many things in my mind about the story, since while it was not difficult to follow and appreciate the thematic content of X-Men: The Last Stand, I had always wondered about the basic premises of the story (who the X-Men were, how the mutants had come about, what they were trying to achieve etc). The first X-Men was brilliant, as it powerfully established the thematic bases of the story and set the stage for the conflict and moral dilemma between the two groups of mutants led by the two super-mutants (Professor X (Charles Xavier) and Magneto (Erik Lensherr). It also introduced two important characters: Wolverine and Rogue, who would set the story in motion with their unique powers and play prominent roles in this and subsequent movies. Watching X2 again was a unique experience, since as I watched the complex narrative unfold, I gradually came to the realisation that I had seen it all before, three years prior at a London cinema…! All the details of the characters and the subplots of the dense narrative became familiar to me and less than halfway through I was able to recall how the rest of the story would unfold and how the movie would end (no spoilers here except that the ending to X2 was most touching, tragic and consequential to the rest of the franchise and future instalments). It was a strange experience, having my long term memory jogged by something that I had already seen but long forgotten, and watching it in sequence alongside its prequel (X-Men (2000)) and sequel (X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)) not only filled me with all the necessary details of the grand dramatic scheme but also made me think about the story from very different perspectives, which was quite exhilarating. I skipped Wolverine (2009) as I was busy preparing for my Finals then (and to this day I still have not watched it), but I remember anticipating the screening of X-Men: First Class (2011) as I had clear and fond memories of the original trilogy and was genuinely excited to watch the reboot of the franchise (and excellent it was in recounting the origins and background of the entire story, namely the lives and adventures of young Charlies Xavier and Erik Lensherr). I was even more excited about X-Men: Day of Future Past (2014) (too bad I had to miss The Wolverine (2013)) and was mightily impressed by its dramatization of time travelling and parallel timelines. Logan (2017) is on my to-watch list, and I have heard excellent things about it as it tells the end of Wolverine’s life. Hats off the creators of the X-Men movies which consist of so many excellent works.