Throwback Thursday: Does the original X-Men movie hold up?

The story

One thing that will always break a movie is a poor story. You can have the best actors in the world and an awful script will ruin everything. The opposite can be said as well – an intriguing tale is more likely to keep people invested. Upon reviewing X-Men, it’s safe to say that it falls into the latter category, as it ticked all the necessary boxes while also capturing everything that made Earth’s Mightiest Mutants so popular.

First and foremost, let’s talk about Magneto’s war. Had this been terrible, the film would have fallen apart. The character’s fight against humanity was evident from the beginning, but his conversation with Xavier in the hallway highlighted that he didn’t hate all humans – he was just tired of mutants being treated like trash. Everything about his story gave life to his cause, and though it may have been a bit extreme, that passion was needed to hit the point home.

Another example is Logan’s introduction. Wolverine was the star, but not the main focal point. Unlike the next two movies, his presence here didn’t diminish everyone else’s role. Thus, Cyclops had moments to shine, as did Jean Grey.

The second and third entries seemed to be all about Wolverine – a mistake that comic books fans still detest. We love Wolverine, but he’s far from the only X-Man worthy of the spotlight. At least the first film got the balance right.