X2: X-Men United

Human Events, May 12, 2003

X2: X-MEN UNITED Quality: * * * Acceptability: -1

RATING: PG-13

RELEASE: May 2, 2003

TIME: 133 minutes

STARRING: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, Alan Cumming, Anna Paquin, Rebecca Romjin-Stamos, James Marsden, and Brian Cox

DIRECTOR: Bryan Singer

PRODUCERS: Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Avi Arad, Stan Lee, Tom DeSanto, and Bryan Singer

WRITER: Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris

BASED ON THE COMIC BOOK SERIES

DISTRIBUTOR: 20^sup th^ Century Fox

GENRE: Science Fiction

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Teenagers and adults

SUMMARY: X2: X-Men United continues the saga of the first movie, in a story about an evil military scientist who kidnaps Professor Xavier in orderto destroy all mutants on earth, including the Professor's powerful X-Men superheroes. A slam-bang comic book movie, X2 contains some surprisingly strong Christian elements, but includes some foul language, violence, and some sensual elements.

Though a bit overlong, X2 delivers the goods. It's actually better than the first movie. Most of the actors are allowed to flesh out their characters in many interesting ways, helped along by an excellent script. The movie's positive Christian content includes powerful redemptive elements and dramatic quotes from the Bible, but the movie has a humanist theme with strong New Age and pro-evolution elements. Parents should be cautious, therefore, about exposing their older children or younger teenagers to this sequel.

CONTENT: Light redemptive worldview with strong Christian elements including Christian hero refers to Jesus, prays and quotes Bible verses such as the Lord's Prayer and Psalm 23, and with strong moral elements, marred by humanist themes, strong pro-Evolution elements and New Age elements.