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

Underappreciated characters

We all loved Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen’s Charles Xavier and Magneto. We also loved Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine one-liners and fight scenes. What doesn’t get enough praise, however, are the other characters in this movie – mainly, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique and James Marsden as Cyclops. Those are two characters who had incredible moments that seem to be forgotten.

Rebecca Romijn played Raven Darkholme flawlessly. She was the evil and aggressive character we wanted her to be. It could also be said that her fight with Wolverine was the best fight in the movie. And it wasn’t just all about the action, it was her facial expressions as well. When she licked her lips at Logan, it was seductive and cool. When she had her talk with the Senator Kelly and said, “You know, people like you are the reason I was afraid to go to school as a child” you felt it. She may be the most underrated performer in any comic book flick.

Then there was Cyclops. His chemistry with everyone was perfect – especially with Wolverine. All of his interactions with Logan looked like something right out of the comic book and you could just tell that he hated him. Moreover, he was also the calm and dorky leader he’s been since he was created.

The one thing that changed was his confidence, as he was more sure of himself, but this was a small change that made him better. In the end, it was Cyclops who saved the day. People forget that it was his optic blast that stopped Magneto, and it’s disappointing that he wasn’t used more after this project.