X2: X-Men United
Director Bryan Singer delivers the first subtle superhero movie. Yes, there
are great stunts and flexing muscles. Heroes slice and dice their foes, shoot
fire and ice, transport across time and space, and perform many other tricks.
But it’s obvious Singer and screenwriters Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris are
far less interested in these “Oh Wow!” moments than in uncovering
what makes the characters tick. Singer never allows the action to overpower
the story, while the script devotes a great deal of time to the characters’
relationships and motives. The result is a rare film that, amid all the highly
entertaining action, asks viewers to ponder metaphors.
General William Stryker (Brain Cox) is leader of a paramilitary unit whose
sole purpose is to keep tabs on every super-powered ìmutantî on the planet.
His wish to enforce the Mutant Registration Act is soon eclipsed by his desire
to skip all the paperwork and eradicate every known mutant.
The film covers many of the same themes as X-Men (2000), but re-introduces
its many characters for non-fans. Mind controller Jean Gray (Famke Janssen)
is still torn between her love for her husband Cyclops, the laser shooting leader
of the team, and her lust for Wolverine, the resident bad boy. Cute teen parasite
Rogue (Anna Paquin) is torn between the new additions: Iceman (Shawn Ashmore)
and Pyro (Aaron Stanford), whose names reveal their powers. Patrick Stewart
and Ian McKellen continue to lend class as, respectively, Professor X, the wise
leader, and Magneto, his nemesis. Perhaps the most obvious difference is what
an Oscar can do for a career: Halle Berry’s role of Storm has been considerably
beefed up, as have her powers.
The genius of the X-Men and all of the other Marvel superhero series created
by Stan Lee is that they were used to preach tolerance and understanding. No
one feels like more of an outcast than a geeky teenager and these comics spoke
to them, just as the movies made from the Marvel stable continue to do. (CK)
(Running time 2:04, rated PG-13)
Grade B
The Lizzie McGuire Movie
Following in the footsteps of such cinematic landmines as McHale’s Navy
Joins the Air Force comes The Lizzie McGuire Movie, a feature-film
version of the Disney Channel sit-com. Lizzie is a typical Southern California
junior high student with loving though befuddled parents (Robert Carradine and
Hallie Todd), a mischievous little brother (Jake Thomas), and best pal Gordo
(Adam Lamberg), who clearly likes Lizzie as more than a friend. Perhaps the
show’s most ingratiating quality is its habit of illustrating Lizzie’s insecurity
with an animated version that lets us know what she’s thinking.
The Lizzie McGuire Movie is not a spoof of the television show. It’s
more akin to The Facts of Life Go to Paris. Lizzie (played by wide-eyed,
15-year-old Hilary Duff), heads to Rome for a two-week class trip. Also on board
are Gordo, Lizzie’s nemesis Kate Sanders (Ashlie Brillault), and their chaperone
Miss Ungermeyer (Alex Borstein). It takes Lizzie less than a day to stumble
onto a dreamy adventure, as she meets Paolo (Yani Gellman), a handsome Italian
pop singer. She begins feigning an illness to avoid Miss Ungermeyer’s field
trips, only to sneak off with Paolo and his motorcycle. Her attempt at deception,
aided by faithful Gordo, is jeopardized by the fact that Lizzie bears a striking
resemblance to Paolo’s equally famous singing partner Isabella (also Duff).
In the sit-com universe, that means Lizzie will eventually have to impersonate
Isabella on a live television broadcast.
The Lizzie McGuire Movie is nothing more than a fluffy fairytale. It’s
the kind of movie in which romance consists of only one kiss, travelogue montages
are accompanied by Dean Martin songs, the idea of an American ninth-grader being
picked up by an older Italian lothario is fanciful instead of foolhardy, and
ìThe Endî is spelled out with fireworks. But it’s impossible to dislike. Miss
Duff combines the likable, down-to-earth spunk of Hayley Mills with the innocent
sex appeal of Annette Funicello, her unapproachable beauty counterbalanced by
a self-effacing humor. (MM)
(Running time 1:30, rated PG)
Grade B
This article appears in May 8-14, 2003.
