X2: X-Men United (2003)
88%RT Audience Score: 85%
Awards & Nominations: 6 wins & 41 nominations
Tightly scripted, solidly acted, and impressively ambitious, X2: X-Men United is bigger and better than its predecessor — and a benchmark for comic sequels in general
X2 is like a superhero buffet – it’s got everything you could want and more! The action scenes are so intense, you’ll feel like you’re right in the middle of the action. And the characters? Let’s just say they’re more complex than a Rubik’s Cube. Sure, some critics might say it’s not perfect, but hey, what movie is? If you’re looking for a fun, action-packed ride, X2 is the movie for you.
Production Company(ies)
Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions,
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action/violence, some sexuality and brief language
Year of Release
2003
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:2h 14m
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Language(s):English, German, Italian, Spanish
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 2, 2003 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 25, 2004
Genre(s)
Action/Adventure
Keyword(s)
Worldwide gross: $407,711,549
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $660,848,131
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 194
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 72,066,317
US/Canada gross: $214,949,694
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $348,405,886
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 153
US/Canada opening weekend: $85,558,731
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $138,679,730
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 48
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $110,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $178,295,892
Production budget ranking: 159
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $96,012,338
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $386,539,900
ROI to date (est.): 141%
ROI ranking: 792
Hugh Jackman – Logan, Wolverine
Ian McKellen – Erik Lehnsherr, Magneto
Halle Berry – Ororo Munroe, Storm
Famke Janssen – Jean Grey
James Marsden – Scott Summers, Cyclops
Director(s)
Bryan Singer
Writer(s)
Dan Harris, Michael Dougherty, David Hayter, Bryan Singer, Zak Penn
Producer(s)
Lauren Shuler Donner, Ralph Winter
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
6 wins & 41 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (247) | Top Critics (62) | Fresh (209) | Rotten (38)
X2 is pretty much all that you’d ever want out of a comic book movie — it’s smart, it’s breathlessly paced, the characters have at least 2 1/2 dimensions, and the action sequences are jaw-droppers, even on the small screen.
April 5, 2022
Alonso Duralde
The Advocate
TOP CRITIC
The truth is, the film is never again as good as its brilliant opening sequence.
January 10, 2018
Alexander Walker
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
X-Men 2 remains a decent enough sci-fi effort, which delivers on most of the levels fans could expect. Too bad it’s hampered by a plot that wouldn’t get green-lit for an average episode of Buffy.
January 3, 2018
Barbara Ellen
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
X2 still feels like a prologue. No matter how much goes on, you feel like nothing has happened.
July 14, 2015
Sam Adams
Philadelphia City Paper
TOP CRITIC
The light tone and modest character development of X-Men have given way to an avalanche of digital effects and a bloated symphonic score.
July 14, 2015
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Fortunately, bigger usually equals better here, and when it doesn’t, it equals just as good.
July 14, 2015
Keith Phipps
AV Club
TOP CRITIC
It does more than any other live action superhero film to convey the sheer wonder of superpowers.
July 23, 2021
Eve Tushnet
Patheos
Once again, there’s plenty of action, though the overdependence on wirework and computer-augmented fight choreography grows ever more grating.
November 9, 2020 | Rating: 5/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Superior to the 2000 original in every way and a classic within the comics/superhero film genre. [Full review in Spanish]
September 21, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Fico Cangiano
CineXpress Podcast
X2: X-Men United is better than its predecessor in every way.
June 3, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Danielle Solzman
Solzy at the Movies
Spends way too much time reverently aggrandising its mutant/outsider theme, when in reality we’re talking about people with non-pitiable superhuman skills.
November 18, 2018 | Rating: 1/5
PJ Nabarro
Patrick Nabarro
Like the first movie, it wraps everything up in spectacular action scenes powered by special effects that are all the more impressive because director Bryan Singer does not let them overwhelm the other elements of the movie.
October 31, 2018 | Rating: 3/4
Ron Weiskind
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette…
Plot
Several months have passed since the X-Men defeated Magneto and imprisoned him in a seemingly impregnable plastic chamber. One day, a mutant by the name of Nightcrawler infiltrates the White House and attempts to assassinate the President, setting off a chain reaction of anti-mutant measures by the government. Meanwhile, Logan is trying to discover his past. As scientist named William Stryker discovers Professor X’s secret school and Cerebro, Magneto’s partner, Mystique, is planning to break her leader out of prison. But when Professor X’s school is attacked by Stryker’s forces, Logan, Rogue, Iceman, and a few are lucky to escape. Those who remain meet in Boston, where they form an uneasy alliance with Magneto to stop Stryker and rescue Professor X.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
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