Hitting theaters just two weeks before The Matrix Reloaded (in the U.S.), 20th Century Fox had to hope X-Men 2 would pack quite a punch to make enough business to weather the Matrix storm. Luckily for Fox and director Bryan Singer (X-Men, The Usual Suspects), it does. X2 is one of those rare sequels that is actually better than the original. Free of the constraints of explaining a concept and characters, X2 can focus on the story, which results in a much more exciting film. After an unknown mutant attacks the U.S. President, there is a public outcry resulting in renewed support for the Mutant Registration Act. With government approval, military leader William Stryker (Brian Cox) launches a covert mission to eliminate mutants, beginning by storming the X-Men mansion. As a result, all mutants must band together to fight Stryker.

X2 reunites most of the original cast, including Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, and Ian McKellen, plus adds some new mutants to the mix. Alan Cumming plays Nightcrawler, a mutant from Munich (whose German accent and dialogue prompted many chuckles at my press screening here in Hamburg). The acting for the most part was better than in the original, and the number and quality of special effects was definitely better. The film was still a bit too long, and certainly isn’t going to change the world, but for two-plus hours of entertainment and escapism, X2 is an x-cellent choice.