‘X-Men’: xciting and xhilarating!

Pardon the indulgence in my passion for comic books, which is only equal to my love of books. Let me share with you why I enjoyed the latest X-Men flick. I will bet a hundred pizzas with anyone that the fascinating story, daredevil mutant characters and the fast-paced action scenes of X-Men: The Last Stand will easily blast away the current box office lead of the controversial but utterly boring Da Vinci Code once it opens in theaters worldwide.

Brett Ratner is a superb director; no wonder his first five feature films have grossed nearly one billion US dollars. Thanks to this capable director, screenwriters Simon Kinberg and Zak Penn, and the geniuse Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, who magnificently created the X-Men comics over 40 years ago. Hundreds of world-famous comic characters – including my childhood favorites Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, The X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Daredevil, The Avengers, Thor and Dr. Strange – are products of this extraordinary man’s imagination. Thanks a zillion, sir!!!

Although advertised as the third and final installment of the X-Men trilogy, this movie is so interesting and fun to watch, I demand a fourth X-Men. This movie shows us that the mutants with secret and special powers are often misunderstood and unappreciated by their kin and friends. Sometimes "normal" human beings feel threatened or pissed off by the special powers of the mutants, thus leading to unfair prejudices and even wrong notions that the mutant condition is a disease that should be "cured."

The growing harmony between humans and mutants is threatened when a tycoon – the father of a young mutant lad named Angel who grows wings – invents a scientific "cure" to transform mutants into "normal" humans. This cure not only confuses many mutants and gives them a painful choice of whether to continue with their unique powers and identity as mutants, or to conform and assimilate into the mainstream human population by undergoing the "cure."

The renegade leader Magneto (played convincingly by multi-awarded actor Ian McKellen) is the mutant who can manipulate metal and he rouses a group of rebellious mutants to defy the specter of the cure and believes in the Darwinian idea of survival of the fittest. The rebels seek a defiant existence, view humans as abnormal and as enemies. Another leader of the mutants and founder of the X-Men group, the telepath educator Charles Xavier (played well by Patrick Stewart), is an advocate of tolerance and he dares make the ultimate sacrifice for his peaceful ideals. The clash between these two groups of mutants with supernatural powers ignites the Armageddon of all wars, which showcases Hollywood’s global superiority in special effects magic.

Lovers of comic books, action, adventure, science fiction and of pure entertainment will enjoy watching the many colorful characters of the X-Men – Australian star Hugh Jackman returns to play Wolverine, the hyper-active, loner super-fighter with retractable claws and remarkable self-healing powers; Oscar Award-winner Halle Berry plays Storm, the mutant who can willfully alter weather conditions and fly; Famke Janssen plays Jean Grey the mutant with strong telekinetic and telepathic powers; Anna Paquin plays Rogue who absorbs the powers and endangers the life of any person she touches; Rebecca Romjin plays the shape-changing Mystique; James Marsden plays Cyclops, whose eyes can unleash an energy beam that can blast holes in mountains; Shawn Ashmore plays the Iceman, who can lower his body temperature and unleash wintry coldness at anything or anyone; Aaron Stanford plays the young villain fire-manipulator Pyro; Daniel Cudmore plays the hulky Colossus, who can turn his skin into organic steel; Kelsey Grammer plays the geneticist Dr. Henry McCoy who is also called Beast and who grows lots of blue-colored furry hair.

The X-Men plot is a writer’s dream, with room for boundless creativity. The story is as excellent as its characters. The superheroes are imperfect and often human in their weaknesses, internal conflicts, foibles, their problematic love lives, their confusion regarding self-esteem and other concerns, thus we can easily empathize with them and admire them.

For those out to just enjoy pure entertainment and sci-fi/action thrills, this film is highly recommended. For those of us who are also looking for human interest stories, good character development, logic in the plot and some edifying moral lessons, this film also delivers. The movie provokes us to ponder individuality versus conformity, also on ethnic minorities and how to co-exist with a different majority. Is conformity the answer to age-old problems of prejudice? Is it cowardice to give up one’s individuality to fit in, to avoid alienation from the majority and to escape possible discrimination? Is a person’s right to choose his or her destiny and fate inviolate or can society dictate upon us? Is great power a blessing or a curse?

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