X-Men

A great comic-book adaptation that combines elite Shakespearean actors, Hollywood celebrities, Singer's skillful direction and great visual effects. The casting is flawless, especially Wolverine and Toad. (11.05.2003)

One of those films that I really loved in the cinema back in the day and, even though I’m basically twice as old now, nothing has changed with the years. X-Men is an entertaining comic-book film that clearly doesn’t feel very comfortable in its own clothes (it’s somewhat cautious and insecure), which affects the impression a little, but doesn’t matter because the sequel already reaches the highest rating :-) The X-Men are still a favourite: Wolverine, Cyclops… shit, I forgot about Magneto. So, Magneto, Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm… shit, I forgot about Rogue... Magneto, Wolverine, Cyclops, Rogue, Storm, ... bugger, Professor X :-D (24.09.2009)

The second best comic book adaptation (after The Crow). Great cast and characters, interesting script, very good visual effects and above all an interesting idea, something you won't find in most comic book movies today. (24.08.2002)

Ein überraschend exzellenter Science-Fiction-Comic, der nicht nur als Trick- und Actionspaß funktioniert, sondern auch auf der Ebene der Charaktere und der Geschichte. Der Kampf zwischen Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) und Magneto (Ian McKellen) ist wahrlich elektrisierend und sicherlich kein traditioneller Kampf zwischen Gut und Böse in seiner Reinform. Es ist der von seinen KZ-Erfahrungen gezeichnete Magneto, der der ansonsten etwas abgenutzten Handlung Spannung verleiht. Aus seiner Perspektive wird der Konflikt zwischen Mutanten und Menschen als eine mögliche Wiederholung der Ereignisse des Zweiten Weltkriegs gesehen. Natürlich geht er nicht zu tief, sondern hält sich, wie es in Hollywood üblich ist, an Andeutungen von Ethik, aber mehr würden die X-Men auch nicht aushalten. Vor allem dank der hervorragenden Schauspieler und der anständigen Tricks ist dieser Film eine der besten Comicverfilmungen aller Zeiten. Ganz zu schweigen von dem offenen Potenzial für weitere Episoden... (11.09.2004)

Incredible psychology with unconventional action, fascinating characters, the perfect Magneto, and above all, a truly unbeatable hero Wolverine, thanks to whom the series gained its soul. Bryan Singer ruled here for the first time, but not the last, as the comic book king. (18.06.2005)

So finally, after watching First Class, I filled my gap and checked out the first installment of X-Men. I'm quite pleased with the film, even if it falls well short of the 5th installment in effects and script. Some of the characters are still not as detailed (Storm, Mystique). As sci-fi, of course, it is above average, hence the well-deserved 4 stars. (03.07.2011)

Is it six years already? I just can’t bring myself to believe that it’s that long ago that I first sat down in front of HBO and let myself be sucked into the world of mutants. Singer captures the viewer at the very beginning with a flashback to Poland in 1944 where we see a little boy trying to get back to his parents in the Jewish ghetto. An entrancing experience. The gradual meetings with other mutants and getting to know them better demonstrates Singer’s huge talent. The characters are written superbly and the viewer really worries about what happens to them. In terms of the acting, X-Men can’t be faulted. Hugh Jackson appeared as a flash out of nowhere and his Wolverine was perfected acted. The chillingly magnetic Ian McKellen surprisingly assumed the role of the one with the most wisecracks in the movie and Famke Janssen seems more beautiful here than she’s ever been (I fully understand Wolverine ;). Before I gave this a 4, but after careful consideration I changed it. Such sophisticated psychology deserves the highest score. (17.12.2006)

Visually cold and narratively very straightforward with a remarkably short running time considering account how many main characters are introduced. Bryan Singer's direction is clever and skillful, and with this work, he kick-started one of the best comic book sagas. Each of the characters is interesting, attractive, and emotionally appealing, so every viewer should be able to find their favorites. Technically, it is of course fine, although compared to other installments, it is evident that there is a significant increase in resources (filters, enhanced effects). Not only for that reason, the first X-Men film has a pleasantly intimate and minimalist impression and goes in a completely different direction than big blockbusters like Avengers or Batman. (16.12.2012)

As a pilot for a series (which this film has actually become in hindsight), it's great and flawless. A lot of iconic characters gradually appear on the scene, each of whom gets their due space, and Singer portrays the entire mutant community well by having the best comic book character in history being led by the hand by the other players constantly explaining everything to him. The script is smart and draws out not only the inevitable issue of mutants coexisting with ordinary humans, but above all a convincing and logically motivated villain, Magneto, whose potential far exceeds a single feature film. Maybe it's just a pity that the film goes by so insanely fast that it doesn't even manage to leave a hickey on our experiential threads, and instead of some stylish eye candy action we remember exclusively the awesome Wolverine claw-fucking his colleagues and the attractive Halle Berry, to whom the word mutant fits about as well as a sleeping pill to a corpse. Definitely a revolutionary achievement, which can be watched over and over again and whose success was the start of a great sensation. (04.03.2017)

So to be clear, X-Men is a pretty normal Hollywood slop, kept afloat only by some interesting special effects (although the ratio of interesting to terrible is about 1:1) and some good fights. What's left is a bland and flavorless product that typically depicts the ideals of a "factory for dreams". But not mine. (30.06.2006)

I can't help it, but I have been fruitlessly searching for what fascinated me about the movie in the past. There are moments here that are completely out of logic and don't even work in the comic book world. I understand that this is a groundbreaking film in terms of reviving interest in comic book adaptations, but it is lacking a more developed plot. It is only saved by the great characters, which were already created by comic book authors. (27.03.2014)

Another comic book adaptation, this time directed by Bryan Singer. The action, effects, music, sound, and acting are all on a very decent level, yet something was a little lacking for it to make 5 stars. Otherwise, I "looked down" on this title for a long time, until I finally got the original.) I'm really looking forward to the second and third ones. (29.03.2009)

The first time I saw this movie a long time ago, I didn't even finish it. That’s how bored I was. After many years, I thought I'd give X-Men another chance, and it turned out...more or less exactly the same. Although it didn’t seem so boring anymore, I still found it rather hilarious, even in places where it wasn’t intended to be. It all just seemed too weird, with the exception of Wolverine, excellently portrayed by Jackman. Before this movie, superheroes were considered to be some sort of freaks in costumes. After this movie, better and better superhero movies started coming, but I think of the first installment of X-Men as a kind of intermediary step which, if it hadn’t been for Jackman, would have been a total flop. (25.07.2013)