X-Men: I was surprised at how underwhelming this movie was. Bryan Singer ("The Usual Suspects") got it moving some of the time, but it was mainly a banal hash of so-so action and bland dialogue. Moreover, the "prize" (i.e., what the X-Men had to rescue - another X-person with mutant powers) didn't strike me as all that necessary to the evil person's ultimate design (I'm sure it was explained, but I was pretty bored and I guess I wasn't listening). Also, the powers of the X-Men were unimpressive. A dude with a whipsaw tongue; a big, hairy strong guy; a guy with steel spikes from his hands; a weather changer; and a woman who has some limited telekinesis. The only two that were interesting were some guy with laser eyes and a comely
blue woman who was a shape-shifter. Lastly, the political message (the mutants as the new Jews at the mercy of a modern Joe McCarthy played by Bruce Davidson) was trite. Mystery Men was better. Grade: C.
