If X-Men showed that superhero movies could be done properly, X-Men 2 showed that they could be great. For the longest time it, along with Spider-Man 2, were regarded as a pillars of the genre, sequels to movies that ditched any remnants of the 90s camp and forged forward with serious, character-driven stories. Of course, we now have the Nolan Batman films and the top tier Marvel Cinematic Universe to contest with them, although, even so, Singer's mutant sequel is still on the high-end. Unlike its predecessor, X2 holds up completely, both thematically and in terms of technically whizzery. The opening assault on the White House with Nightcrawler still looks incredible, the handling of Wolverine's origin fits wonderfully in the contemporary plot and the deftly executed coming out allegory worked alongside the original's holocaust metaphor brings the subtext of the series from simple social commentary to grand exploration of innate human prejudices. Indeed, the fact that the main villain is a human, not just an ideologically opposed mutant, adds an extra layer of complexity, showing a fear of those who are different that stems from more than just inferiority. The ending beat, with Xavier telling the President both species must work together, is a particular exciting one (one that, along with the Dark Phoenix tease, was wasted). It's telling that most subsequent movies have used X-Men 2 as the centre of the universe (Origins: Wolverine dug back into the Stryker's past, The Wolverine hinged on Logan's love for Jean and Days Of Future Past was all about getting us back to the status quo it set up); it really is the leap forward. What's your favourite X-Men film? Share your ranking down in the comments.
