X-Men (2000)

I love the in-your-face politics of “X-Men,” from the 1963-born comic book to the 2000 film. The set-up: A group of super heroes, born with powers through genetic hiccups at birth, fight for the common good, even protecting those who discriminate against them. In 1963, it was all racial equality. This film, directed by Bryan Singer, tilts toward immigrants and gays. And 10 years on, this take remains fresh with Arizona’s new immigration law and the Pentagon still insisting that only straights are worthy of serving their country. But I digress. Here, the righteous X-Men battle the menacing Brotherhood of Mutants for New York City, after the latter attacks with a sort-of genetics bomb. (Hey, it’s still a comic book movie.) Surprisingly thoughtful, the movie suffers greatly from Halle Berry’s stilted performance as weather-manipulator Storm, some clunky action scenes, and dialogue that often floats like a rock in water. Leading the respective sides are Patrick Stewart as Professor X and Ian McKellen as Magneto, who were born for these roles. Or maybe the characters were written for them 50 years ago? B