"X-MEN" (2000) (Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Minor Moderate Extreme *Moderate Moderate Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild Minor Heavy None Mild Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate Minor Minor Moderate Extreme QUICK TAKE: Action/Adventure: A team of superhero mutants tries to thwart the plans and efforts of another band of mutants who are determined to get even with the everyday humans who fear and/or try to repress them. PLOT: In the not so distant future, various people with genetic mutations are considered freaks and/or dangerous aberrations. One McCarthyesque politician, U.S. Senator Robert Kelly (BRUCE DAVISON), even wants to impose legislation designed to expose all such people. Among them is Professor Charles Xavier (PATRICK STEWART) the telepathic, wheelchair-bound leader of the X-Men, a group of mutants whose purpose is to protect and teach their own kind about how to survive in a world where they're the definite minority. Among Xavier's longtime students is Cyclops (JAMES MARSDEN), a man whose eyes emit laser blasts; Jean Grey (FAMKE JANSSEN) another telepathic mutant with telekinetic powers; and Storm (HALLE BERRY) who can manipulate and control the weather. Xavier's counterpart is Magneto (IAN McKELLEN), a man who, despite his powerful control over magnetism, couldn't escape the horrors and prejudice of WWII era concentration camps. As such, and feeling prosecuted once again, he's determined to avoid and/or control such hate from surfacing once more. Among his devoted followers are Sabretooth (TYLER MANE), a gargantuan and seemingly undefeatable giant of a man; Toad (RAY PARK) whose physical abilities mimic his namesake species; and Mystique (REBECCA ROMIJN-STAMOS) a blue-skinned mutant who can transform herself into anyone else. When loner mutants Wolverine (HUGH JACKMAN), a man with retractable claws and the ability to heal quickly, and Rogue (ANNA PAQUIN) an alienated teenage girl who can absorb the powers of and thus kill anyone she touches, are attacked by Magneto's cronies, Xavier begins to question what his former acquaintance might be planning. Upon learning that Magneto's diabolical plan involves Rogue and an upcoming United Nations Summit meeting, Xavier and his team set out to stop the mutant terrorists before they harm others and cause even further problems with their human counterparts. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of the comic book (or cinematic comic book adaptations in general) or of someone in the cast, they probably will (the film's target audience is prepubescent and younger teen males). WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For sci-fi action violence. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: HUGH JACKMAN plays a solitary figure with a surly/bad attitude who's trying to remember his past and is clearly capable of defending himself with his large, retractable metal claws. He also uses some profanity, but strives to rescue Rogue when she falls into danger. PATRICK STEWART plays the wheelchair-bound leader of the X-Men, a stately figure who wants peace amongst the mutants and their "normal" human counterparts. IAN McKELLEN plays the most powerful mutant who can control magnetism, hates all "normal" humans and has hatched a plan that will prevent his kind from being prosecuted again. FAMKE JANSSEN plays one of Xavier's first students who has telepathic and telekinetic powers. JAMES MARSDEN another X-Man who can shoot laser beams from his eyes and doesn't like Wolverine's attraction to Jean Grey. HALLE BERRY plays yet another member of the X-Men who can control all aspects of the weather. ANNA PAQUIN plays an alienated teenage girl whose ability to absorb the powers of and thus kill anyone she touches makes her a dangerous but isolated character. TYLER MANE, RAY PARK and REBECCA ROMIJN-STAMOS play Magneto's dangerous and deadly followers, the latter of whom is scantily clad (in a sci-fi way) at best throughout the movie. BRUCE DAVISON plays a McCarthyesque senator who despises all mutants and wishes to impose legislation that would publicly label them. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this PG-13 rated film. Violence is rated as extreme due to multiple fight scenes where characters pummel and beat each other (or use mutant powers - laser blasts, extreme weather - against one another), but most of that occurs in a comic book style fashion. During such scenes, various characters are injured or killed, although the extent of the latter is never confirmed (we see bodies but don't know if they're unconscious or dead). Some of those scenes (and others) may be suspenseful or scary to some younger viewers, and a few of them contain some blood/gore (the worst of which is seeing a man dissolve/melt into a gelatinous blob and then run off a table). Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes and some brief cussing occurs (in the form of 1 "s" word, an anatomical reference and other mild/minor expletives and colorful phrases). A voluptuous woman walks around essentially nude (save for blue body paint and some strategically placed "scales" (although she's usually only seen in shadows or dimly lit areas), brief drinking and smoking occur, and the film is filled with all sorts of topics (such as prejudice, tolerance, genetic mutations, etc.) to talk about. Should this summary not completely answer your concerns about the film's appropriateness for anyone in your home who wishes to see it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our more detailed content listings for specific examples of what occurs in the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Some people in a bar have drinks, while Wolverine orders a beer. In a flashback/nightmare, we briefly see some passed wine/champagne carried on a tray. BLOOD/GORE We briefly see that one of Wolverine's claws has penetrated a man's skin (with just a tiny bit of blood). Wolverine has some bloody gashes on his head that quickly and completely heal in a matter of seconds. We briefly see a needle being inserted into Wolverine's arm. We see part of a bird sticking out from Toad's mouth after he just zapped it with his sticky tongue. We see three of Wolverine's claws sticking out through three slightly bloody holes in Rogue's back. We see all sorts of large veins under Senator Kelly's skin and then see him quickly dissolve/melt into a gelatinous blob that runs off a table. We briefly see what looks like blood running out of a wound on Wolverine's body and then see some bloody gashes on his face. Later, we see Jean Grey lift some bloody gauze from his wounds that have now healed. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE An early and brief scene shows German soldiers/guards separating concentration camp families. Sen. Kelly is portrayed as a ruthless, McCarthy-like politician who fears the mutants, thinks they're dangerous and wishes to have them publicly listed so that everyone will know who and where they are. A man is an ungrateful barroom brawl loser and tries attacking Wolverine. Wolverine often has a surly/bad attitude toward others. Magneto and his followers have both for wishing to harm Professor Xavier, his team and the "regular" humans. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence," "Blood/Gore" and "Jump Scenes" may also be unsettling, suspenseful or perhaps frightening to some kids, all dependent on any given child's age, level of maturity and tolerance for such material. After Rogue kisses a boy, his face begins to shrivel a bit, large veins show up and be begins to convulse as Rogue screams. As Wolverine fights Sabretooth, Rogue finds herself trapped in a truck that's caught on fire. Magneto starts an apparatus that seemingly causes him and Senator Kelly great pain/distress (their related expressions might be disturbing to some kids). Some briefly seen nightmares/flashbacks that Jean Grey experiences through Wolverine (that feature odd and quickly cut scenes) might be disturbing to kids. GUNS/WEAPONS Rifles/Machine guns: Carried by WWII era German soldiers/guards. Knife: Pulled by a man ready to attack Wolverine. Shotgun: Held by a bar owner on Wolverine. Retractable claws: Used by Wolverine to defend himself and/or attack others. Laser vision: Used by Cyclops to defend himself and/or attack others. Handguns/Shotguns: Aimed by police at Magneto who then uses his powers to turn those guns around on the police, including firing one and having the spinning bullet stop right at a cop's forehead. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "You're so full of sh*t," "You're a d*ck," "Stupid" (calling someone that), "Balls" (testicles), "Freak," "Shut up" and "Geeks." Some kids may be enticed to imitate all of the highly stylized fighting that occurs during the film. Retracting all but one of his claws, Wolverine essentially but purposefully gives "the finger" to another character. JUMP SCENES As Jean Grey inserts a needle into Wolverine's arm, the unconscious man suddenly and quickly jumps up and grabs her. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A heavy amount of action-oriented, dramatic and occasionally suspenseful music plays throughout the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 1 "s" word, 1 slang term using male genitals ("d*ck"), 5 hells, 3 damns, 1 S.OB. and 1 use of "Oh God" are used as exclamations. SEX/NUDITY Although we don't see many full or long views of her (and when we do she's usually in shadows or dimly lit areas), Mystique is a voluptuous and completely blue-colored woman who's essentially nude save for some scale like coverings that conceal her otherwise visible breasts (in shape), crotch and a few other areas of her body. Wolverine jokes with Jean Grey about her not being able to wait until she could get his shirt off again (for medical purposes, but said in somewhat of a flirtatious/sexual manner). As a mutant transforms from a gelatinous blob back into human shape, we briefly see his bare butt halfway during that transformation (thus the normal shape of his buttocks isn't clearly defined). Storm shows a bit of cleavage. SMOKING Wolverine smokes a cigar while the owner of a bar/fighting establishment also smokes. TENSE FAMILY SCENES An early scene shows distraught families being separated in a WWII era concentration camp. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT People and animals that suffer from mutations. Prejudice toward others who are "different" than the presiding "norm." WWII era concentration camps. Whether Magneto and the Professor are allegorical representations of Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Senator Kelly's points about the public having the right to know the identity and whereabouts of those he's deemed different and dangerous. Magneto's stance that mutants are the future of humankind and that normal humans no longer matter and must be put down. VIOLENCE A boy unknowingly uses telekinetic powers to bend a WWII era concentration camp fence while German soldiers violently try to constrain him. Wolverine fights a man in a closed cage brawl and all we initially see is the loser being smashed up against the cage fencing. Another man then chooses to fight Wolverine and kicks him backwards before delivering several hefty punches and repeatedly kneeing him. Wolverine then punches him hard several times, rendering the man unconscious before kicking him again on the mat. A man pulls a knife on Wolverine, but he spins around and partially impales the man with his retractable claws. The owner of the establishment then holds a shotgun on Wolverine who quickly spins around and breaks the shotgun in half. Wolverine's truck crashes into a fallen tree, sending him flying through the windshield and many feet down the snow-covered road. Sabretooth then shows up, grabs Wolverine and tosses him aside. He then uses a large log and knocks Wolverine through the air back onto the hood of his truck. A truck explodes. Mystique kicks Sen. Kelly back against his seat, wraps her feet around his neck and then repeatedly kicks him in the face. Toad zaps a bird with his long tongue and eats it. Instinctively reacting to a perceived threat, Wolverine runs his claws through Rogue's body (but she's okay after sampling his healing powers). Senator Kelly falls a long distance into a body of water, but survives the fall. Sabretooth grabs and lifts up Storm by her neck. He then smashes her back against a glass window. Toad knocks off Cyclops' visor, thus causing his laser vision to go unchecked and blast through a train station's ceiling, causing huge chunks of it to fall down inside it. Storm causes a lightning bolt to strike Sabretooth and blast him backwards through a wall. Magneto uses his powers to tear open a train passenger car and then sends Wolverine flying backwards through the car. He then sends something flying through the air that strikes Rogue in the back and knocks her down/unconscious. As police aim their weapons at Magneto, he uses his powers to lift up two cruisers and then send them crashing down onto two other cars. Professor Xavier then uses his powers to make Sabretooth grab Magneto by the neck. In turn, Magneto turns the cops' weapons around on them and fires one gun at a cop, stopping the spinning bullet right against the cop's forehead (he isn't harmed). Xavier is injured and falls into a coma after using a machine that had been tampered with. The effects of Magneto's radiation machine cause a man to quickly dissolve/melt into a gelatinous blob that runs off a table (thus killing him). Sabretooth picks up a cop and seemingly impales him with something before tossing him aside. We then see that Mystique has killed or rendered unconscious another man and then later hear that she previously killed Kelly's aide. Toad lands on a person, killing or knocking him unconscious and wee then hear him do the same to another person. Wolverine smashes a metal detector alarm. Wolverine fights Mystique who's appeared in the form of Wolverine (with each striking/kicking the other and tearing up their surroundings with their claws), while Toad kicks Cyclops backwards and knocks Storm and Jean Grey aside. Toad then smashes and kicks Storm around and spits some form of suffocating slime on Jean Grey's face. Storm knocks Toad backwards with a gust of wind and then zaps him with a lightning bolt. Wolverine stabs an opponent in the gut with his claws, presumably killing them (but we later learn that isn't the case). Wolverine stabs Sabretooth with his claws and the two then fight each other atop the Statue of Liberty, both delivering many blows and nearly falling to their deaths. Cyclops shoots several people with his laser vision (one isn't killed, we don't know about the fate of the other). Reviewed July 12, 2000 / Posted July 14, 2000

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