X-Men (film)

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X-Men
X-Men theatrical poster
Directed by	Bryan Singer
Produced by	Ralph Winter Avi Arad Richard Donner Tom DeSanto Lauren Shuler Donner
Written by	Screenplay: David Hayter Story: Tom DeSanto Bryan Singer Comic Book: Stan Lee Jack Kirby
Starring	Patrick Stewart Hugh Jackman Ian McKellen Halle Berry Famke Janssen James Marsden Tyler Mane Bruce Davison Rebecca Romijn Anna Paquin Ray Park
Music by	Michael Kamen
Cinematography	Newton Thomas Sigel
Editing by	Steven Rosenblum Kevin Sitt John Wright
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date(s)	July 14, 2000
Running time	104 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$75 million
Gross revenue	$296,250,053
Followed by	X2
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

X-Men is a 2000 superhero film based upon the fictional characters the X-Men. The film, which played a major role in the 2000s revival of comic book adaptations, tells the story of mutants, creatures that are the next evolutionary step in the chain of humanity, and have special powers that manifest at puberty. They are almost universally feared and loathed by the rest of humanity. The film explores the ideas of prejudice and discrimination in the United States.

Professor Charles Xavier (the world's most powerful telepath) takes gifted individuals and teaches them to control their powers for the good of mankind in Xavier's Academy for Gifted Youngsters. Mutant opponents include United States Senator Robert Kelly (Bruce Davison), a McCarthyesque politician trying to pass legislation crafted to expose the dangers of mutants, and Erik Lehnsherr (also known as Magneto), a mutant who blames humanity for the death of his family during the Holocaust. Believing that humans and mutants can never co-exist peacefully, he builds and tests a machine that turns humans into mutants.

The movie was directed by Bryan Singer. The screenplay was written by David Hayter (who has a cameo appearance in the film as a police officer in the Statue of Liberty area). A sequel, X2, was released in 2003 and a third film, X-Men: The Last Stand, was released in 2006. The film franchise also brought up interest in a solo Wolverine movie and a Magneto-centered film.

[edit] Plot

In a German Concentration camp in occupied Poland during 1944, a young Magneto is separated from his parents as they are herded into the camp. In a moment of panic and horror, the boy reaches out and begins to bend the metal gates of the camp with the power of magnetism before being knocked unconscious. Many years later, in Meridian, Mississippi, a young girl named Marie kisses a boy and sends him into a coma. In Congress, Senator Robert Kelly attempts to pass a "Mutant Registration Act", which would force mutants to publicly reveal their identities and abilities. Dr. Jean Grey speaks against the act, but is balked by Kelly. Magneto begins his plans to level the playing field between mutants and humans. Marie, now calling herself Rogue, is on the run from her home and heads to a small town in Canada, where she meets a cage fighter calling himself Wolverine. As the two head off down the road, they are attacked by a mutant called Sabertooth, an associate of Magneto. Cyclops and Storm arrive and save Wolverine and Rogue. When Wolverine regains consciousness, Professor Charles Xavier explains that Cyclops and Storm are part of a group of mutants who are trying to seek peace with the human race, educate young mutants in the responsible use of their powers, and stop Magneto from starting a war with humanity. Professor X promises to help Wolverine discover his lost past, as well as determine why Magneto is after him. Rogue, in the meantime, has begun to make friends at school and a boy named Bobby Drake shows a romantic interest in her.

Meanwhile, Senator Kelly is abducted by Mystique and Toad, and brought to Magneto, who tests a machine on Kelly that artificially induces mutation. Kelly, thanks to his new abilities, manages to escape imprisonment, and he eventually washes up on a beach. After an accident causes her to use her powers on Wolverine, Rogue is convinced by Mystique (disguised as Bobby) that Xavier is angry with her and that she should leave the school. Professor Xavier, using his mutant locating device called Cerebro, locates her at a train station and sends Cyclops and Storm after her. Mystique, still disguised as Bobby, infiltrates Cerebro and sabotages the machine. Wolverine arrives at the station ahead of the other two and convinces Rogue to stay with Professor Xavier. While Sabertooth and Toad attack Cyclops and Storm inside the train station, Magneto reveals who he was truly after by kidnapping Rogue. Xavier confronts Magneto during his escape, but allows him to leave after Magneto threatens to kill the police that have surrounded the building with their own guns. Senator Kelly arrives at the school, in a rapidly deteriorating condition--his body is rejecting the forced mutation and now disintegrating at the cellular level. Professor Xavier reads his mind and learns of Magneto's mutation machine, which draws power from Magneto himself, severely weakening him in the process. Xavier realizes that Magneto plans to use Rogue's ability to absorb other mutant's abilities on himself, this way Rogue can power his machine. Kelly's body meanwhile continues to reject the mutation and he soon dies when his mutation becomes completely unstable, causing him to disintegrate into a puddle of water. Knowing he must prevent this from happening to anyone else, Xavier attempts to use Cerebro to locate Rogue. Mystique's sabotage causes Professor X to fall into a coma. Jean fixes Cerebro and then uses it herself. She discovers that the machine is on Liberty Island, leading the X-Men to the conclusion that Magneto intends to mutate the world leaders who are meeting for a summit on nearby Ellis Island.

The X-Men arrive to stop Magneto as he sets up his machine atop the torch of the Statue of Liberty. They are immediately confronted by Mystique and Toad. Mystique and Wolverine become separated from the others, as Toad takes on Storm, Cyclops and Jean, with considerable success: kicking Cyclops into a side room, launching Storm into the second floor of the building and nearly killing Jean with his sticky slime, which he spits onto her face as she held him with her telekinesis. In the end, Mystique attempts to ambush Wolverine by disguising herself as Storm, but Wolverine recognizes her scent and stabs her. Storm eventually overcomes Toad and electrocutes him with a bolt of lightning. Just as the group arrives at the top of the statue, Magneto and Sabertooth incapacitate the group and continue with their plans. Magneto transfers his powers to Rogue who is forced to use them to start the machine. Wolverine breaks free and initiates a fight with Sabertooth. Wolverine is thrown over the side of the statue and Sabertooth redirects himself to the group to finish them off. Wolverine returns, and Cyclops, with Jean's help, blasts Sabertooth out of the statue. With Jean stabilizing him, Storm uses her abilities to send Wolverine to the top of Magneto's machine. With time running out, Wolverine attempts to stop the machine and save Rogue, but Magneto, now having regained some of his strength, halts Wolverine's claws. Cyclops manages to find a clean shot, wounding Magneto and allowing Wolverine to destroy the machine. Placing her hand to his face, Wolverine succeeds in transferring his regenerative abilities to a dying Rogue. Professor Xavier recovers from his coma, and the group learns that Mystique is still alive when they see her impersonating Senator Kelly on a news broadcast. Xavier visits Magneto in his plastic prison cell, and the two play chess. Magneto warns his friend that he will continue his fight, to which Xavier promises that he (and the X-Men) will always be there to stop him. Xavier checkmates Magneto and leaves.

[edit] Cast

• Hugh Jackman as Logan / Wolverine: A tough, rugged, belligerent loner who makes a living in cage fights. He has lived for fifteen years without memory of who he is, apart from his dog tags marked "Wolverine" and an adamantium skeleton. He has the ability to heal rapidly from numerous injuries, including the surgery that bonded the metal to his skeleton, which makes his age impossible to determine.
• Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier: Founder of the X-Men and the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, Xavier hopes for peaceful coexistence between mutantkind and mankind and is regarded as an authority on genetic mutation. Although he is restricted to a wheelchair, he is a powerful mutant with vast telepathic abilities. Along with Magneto, he is the inventor of the Cerebro supercomputer, which further amplifies his abilities.
• Anna Paquin as Marie / Rogue: A seventeen-year-old girl, forced to leave her family in Mississippi after putting her boyfriend in a coma by kissing him. If she touches anyone, she absorbs their strength, memories and abilities, potentially killing them. During her travels, she meets Wolverine, who becomes fatherly to her.
• Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto: A Holocaust survivor, he and Xavier were allies once — he even helped build Cerebro — however, his belief that humans and mutants could never co-exist lead to their separation. He has powerful magnetic abilities and a sophisticated knowledge in matters of genetic manipulation, which he uses to plan a mutation of the world leaders, allowing mutant prosperity.
• Bruce Davison as Senator Robert Kelly: An anti-mutant politician (and the only main character who is not a mutant) who supports a Mutant Registration Act, and wishes to bar mutant children from schools. He is kidnapped by Magneto in a test of his mutation machine, which causes his body to turn into a liquid-like substance.
• James Marsden as Scott Summers / Cyclops: He rescues Wolverine and Rogue from a truck explosion, taking them to safety to the X-Mansion where they live. He is the second leader of the X-Men behind Xavier, and is the team's field leader when they are out on missions as well as an instructor at the Institute. He is in love with Jean Grey and has a relationship with her. He produces a strong red beam of force from his eyes, which is only held in check by specialized ruby-quartz goggles and sunglasses.
• Famke Janssen as Dr. Jean Grey: In a relationship with Cyclops and works as the doctor of X-Mansion. She has powers of telekinesis and telepathy.
• Halle Berry as Ororo Munroe / Storm: She works as a teacher at the X-Mansion, and has the ability to manipulate the weather. Ororo has become bitter with other people's hatred for mutants, and while comforting a dying Senator Kelly says that she sometimes hates humans.
• Rebecca Romijn as Mystique: Magneto's loyal second-in-command, her mutant ability to alter her shape and mimic any human being is almost secondary to her role as "the perfect soldier". She is an agile fighter, expert martial artist, and seems completely facile with modern technology. It is unknown whether her blue, scaly skin is her normal physical expression or if it is a choice which sets herself apart from "normal" humans.
• Ray Park as Toad: A very agile fighter with a menacing streak and a long, prehensile tongue. Can spit a slimy substance onto others.
• Tyler Mane as Sabretooth: A ferocious, feline-like fighter who attacks Wolverine and Rogue in Canada before being stopped by Storm and Cyclops. He is a brutal and sadistic henchman of Magneto, and wields claws extending past each finger.
• Shawn Ashmore as Bobby Drake / Iceman: A student at Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters, who takes a liking to Rogue. He can change temperatures to subzero degrees and use the moisture in the air to create ice.

[edit] Development

Carolco Pictures purchased the film rights from Marvel Comics in the late 1980s, with Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Cameron in line to produce. Cameron's production company Lightstorm Entertainment was to help finance the film alongside Carolco Pictures, who was also to distribute. Acclaimed X-Men comic book writer Chris Claremont was involved in meetings with Stan Lee, James Cameron, and various executives from Carolco about the project. James Cameron left to work on Spider-Man and Carolco Pictures went bankrupt. The rights to the film property then reverted back to Marvel. Marvel Studios CEO Avi Arad created X-Men: The Animated Series, which aired on on Fox Kids. Its success led 20th Century Fox to purchase the film rights, with Lauren Shuler Donner slated to produce.^[1]

Andrew Kevin Walker was hired to write the script in 1994.^[2] Walker's draft included Professor Xavier hiring Wolverine into the X-Men, which consisted of Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Beast, and Angel. The Brotherhood of Mutants, which consisted of Magneto, Sabretooth, Toad , and the Blob, tried to conquer New York City, while Henry Peter Gyrich and Bolivar Trask attacked the X-Men with three eight-foot tall Sentinels. The script focused on the rivalry between Wolverine and Cyclops, as well as the latter's self-doubt as a field leader. Magneto's back story was that he caused the Chernobyl disaster. The script also featured the X-Copter and the Danger Room. Walker turned in his second draft in June 1994.^[3]

Two-time Academy Award nominee John Logan was next hired to work on the script; it isn't known whether he rewrote Walker's draft or started from scratch.^[4] According to Tom DeSanto, a director was attached to the John Logan script, though it isn’t said whom.^[1] Robert Rodriguez claims that he turned down the chance to direct.^[5]

Impressed with his work on The Usual Suspects, the producers felt that Bryan Singer was a perfect choice to direct. Singer initially turned down the offer because of his belief that comic books were low-level literature. DeSanto then brought Singer into a meeting with producers Lauren Shuler Donner, Avi Arad, and Stan Lee. After watching all of the episodes of the X-Men animated series, as well as reading many comics, Singer signed on to the project.^[1]

In 1996, Michael Chabon was approached by a 20th Century Fox exec who asked if he had interest in working on the script. Chabon's six-page proposal, which was rejected due to creative differences with the filmmakers, focused heavily on character development, particularly that between Wolverine and Jubilee. It also included Professor X, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, Beast, Iceman, and Storm. Under Chabon's plan, the villains wouldn't have been introduced until the second film.^[6]

While Singer was busy filming Apt Pupil, Ed Solomon was hired to write a new script.^[7] Joss Whedon was brought in to rewrite the Statue of Liberty climax, but he disliked the script and started completely from scratch. He claims that his changes were ignored because his "quick-witted pop culture-referencing tone" didn't match Singer's serious vision for the film,^[4] and only two dialogue exchanges from his draft appeared in the finished film.^[8]

Singer and DeSanto brought in Christopher McQuarrie from The Usual Suspects and together revised Solomon's script.^[9] David Hayter then rewrote the final shooting script, cutting out Beast and the Danger Room to accommodate budgets cuts by 20th Century Fox.^[1] The final writing credits include the story by Bryan Singer and Tom DeSanto and the screenplay by David Hayter. Walker, Logan, Solomon, and Whedon are uncredited.

[edit] Casting

Patrick Stewart, a fan favorite since his days in Star Trek: The Next Generation, was always the preferred choice for the role of Professor Charles Xavier.^{[citation needed]}

For the role of Wolverine, Russell Crowe, Mel Gibson, Gary Sinise, Keanu Reeves, Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, Glenn Danzig, Edward Norton, and Jean-Claude Van Damme were all reported to be under consideration.^[7] In March 1999, lifelong comic fan Keanu Reeves offered to take on the role.^[10] Crowe, Norton,^[11] and Gibson were all reported to have turned down the role. Danzig did confirm that he turned down the role due to commitments with his band and the upcoming tour in Europe. Other reasons included commitments for sequels and a future Wolverine spin-off, which Danzig found impossible to do.^[12] Eventually, in May of 1999, Dougray Scott was cast as Wolverine.^[13] However, barely at the start of filming Scott backed out due to scheduling conflicts with Mission: Impossible 2. Just days later, unknown Australian actor Hugh Jackman was cast.^[12] The casting of Jackman created a full-blown internet backlash, claiming the actor to be too tall. When the film was released many fans took back their words as Jackman surprised mostly everyone. In order to gain the muscular physique for the role, Jackman worked out non-stop, as he was cast while the film was literally filming. In some scenes, you can notice his muscular tone is relatively bigger than in others.^[14]

Aint It Cool News was the first to report that Ian McKellen was in contention to portray Magneto, alongside Terence Stamp who was reported to be another contender.^[15] In April of 1999, Tyler Mane was cast as Sabretooth. That same month, Keanu Reeves claimed that he had met with Bryan Singer on discussing any role in the movie. In the same interview, Reeves admitted he might not be right for the movie, and other actors would work out better.^[13] Filming was delayed, but Fox decided to push the release date forward to July 2000.^[16]

In May of 1999, both Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart were cast in their respective roles.^[13] McKellen had previously worked with Singer on Apt Pupil. For the role of Storm, Angela Basset was a strong fan favorite, and according to Singer, had even expressed interest.^[7] For unknown reasons, Basset couldn't be involved in the film. In an interview on TRL, Janet Jackson revealed that she was offered the role but had to turn it down because she was on tour and Halle Berry was eventually cast in June of 1999.^[13]

For the role of Cyclops: Edward Norton, Vince Vaughn,^[15] Loren Dean,^[13] James Caviezel, Luke Wilson, Ed Burns, Jonny Lee Miller, Thomas Jane, Jude Law, Paul Rudd, and Jason Lee^[17] were all reported to be under consideration. It must be noted that Keanu Reeves and Eric Mabius both expressed interest in any role, with one of them most likely being Cyclops.^[15] Caviezel was reported to go so far as accepting the role, though backing out weeks later.^[17] Unknown actor Sterling Wolfe told Harry Knowles of Aint It Cool News that he had read for the role, but hadn't heard back for over a month.^[18] In September of 1999, Dark Horizons reported that James Marsden had been cast as Cyclops.^[17]

Julianne Moore,^[15] Ashley Judd, Alicia Witt, Charlize Theron, Selma Blair, Minnie Driver, Jeri Ryan,^[17] and Maria Bello were all reported to be considered for the role of Jean Grey before Famke Janssen was cast in August of 1999.^[13]

[edit] Filming

Filming took place from September 22, 1999 to March 3, 2000 in Toronto.^[19] Wolverine's claws required a full silicone cast of Hugh Jackman's arm, and 700 versions for Jackman and his stunt doubles.^[20] Filming also took place in Hamilton, Ontario.^[21]

[edit] Music

Michael Kamen scored the film. Bryan Singer originally approached John Williams to compose the score, but Williams was too busy composing for Saving Private Ryan.^[22]

[edit] Reactions and box office

The film went on to become one of the biggest hits of 2000, taking in more than $296 million worldwide and becoming the 8th highest grossing film, domestically, of that year. MSN movies ranks X-Men as the greatest superhero movie to date.^{[citation needed]}

The success of the film is attributed to the revival of superhero and other comic book films in the 2000s. The Los Angeles Times wrote, "Its success started a cinematic windfall for all those old Lee, Kirby and Ditko characters, who were belatedly ideal for a moviegoing public in love with CGI wizardry and outsider heroes. ... The sequence in a Nazi concentration camp announced the sub-genre could take its source material seriously and succeed."^[23]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

X-Men (film)

• X-Men Movies hype at Superhero Hype!
• X-Men at the Internet Movie Database
• TheXverse.com: X-Men Movie News
• X-Men at Rotten Tomatoes
• X-Men at Metacritic
• X-Men at Box Office Mojo
• X-Men on Marvel.com