X-Men (2000)
★★★ — X-Men (2000)
Bryan Singer came to X-Men off the back of The Usual Suspects (1995) and Apt Pupil (1998), making him an unusual choice for a big studio comic book property, though Fox were clearly betting on his ability to handle morally complex material rather than spectacle alone. The film, based on Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Marvel Comics series first published in 1963, had spent years in development hell before Singer took the reins, with the studio carrying real commercial anxiety about whether superhero films could work at this scale after the critical disaster of Batman and Robin (1997). Produced on a $75 million budget, it arrived at a moment when Hollywood was quietly reconsidering the genre entirely, and its $296 million worldwide gross effectively rewrote those calculations. Hugh Jackman was famously a late replacement for Dougray Scott, who had to drop out due to his Mission: Impossible 2 commitments.
This is still the best of the Marvel franchise imo. The one that kicked the door open for modern superhero cinema. Before Spider-Man, before the MCU, there was X-Men in their gritty leather suits, brooding mutants, and a surprisingly grounded tone that made comic book films feel serious again. It might look a bit dated now, but back in 2000, this was huge. Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is instantly iconic and it's wild to think he's played the role for 25 years. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen as Xavier and Magneto are perfect casting. Their ideological clash gives the film real weight, and their chemistry carries so many scenes. The story is simple but effective, and the ensemble is strong even if a few characters are a bit undercooked (sorry, Cyclops). The action holds up decently, and there’s a real sense of world-building that laid the foundation for better (and worse) films to come. Cheesy in places, sure. But it was the right film at the right time, and it still hits that nostalgic sweet spot. A bold start to a franchise that would go on to… well, let’s just say, mutate.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 2000 | Watched: 2025-04-07
Where to watch (UK)
Stream: Disney Plus
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Sky Store
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Physical: Amazon UK
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from Bryan Singer: X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) · X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) · X2 (2003)
More with Hugh Jackman: Logan (2017) · Van Helsing (2004) · X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) · X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
More from the 2000s: Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) · Daredevil (2003) · Apocalypto (2006)
More adventure: Alice in Wonderland (1951) · The Eagle (1925) · Louisiana Story (1948) · The General (1926)
More action: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · The General (1926) · Hand of Death (1976) · Daredevil (2003)
