The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

 

***The Following is a Review of the 252-minute Extended Version of the Film***

Based on the novel trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the third and final story in which members of a fellowship reunite to prevent the dark lord Sauron from destroying Gondor while two hobbits continue their journey to Mordor to destroy Sauron’s ring where they deal with new obstacles and revelations. Directed by Peter Jackson and screenplay by Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, the third and final film of the trilogy explore many storylines in which the world of men are being challenged with their fate rests on a hobbit who starts to lose himself to the power of the ring. Starring Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, Miranda Otto, Hugo Weaving, Bernard Hill, John Noble, David Wenham, Karl Urban, Christopher Lee, Brad Dourif, Sean Bean, and Andy Serkis as Gollum. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a towering and audacious film by Peter Jackson.

The film revolves around a fellowship who take their final steps to finish a quest to destroy a dark lord’s ring that is in the possession of a hobbit who is tasked to take the ring to its homeland and destroy it. It is a film that serves as a culmination of everything that had been told in previous stories where four hobbits, two men, a wizard, an elf, and a dwarf all choose to take part in a quest to destroy the ring of Sauron where there is a lot at stake. In this third film, the stakes are even bigger with Gondor being in danger from Sauron’s forces in both orcs and humans ready to attack while two hobbits are continuing their journey to Mordor with Gollum guiding them unaware that Gollum is going to betray them over what happened at Gondor. Meanwhile, the rest of the fellowship would split with two of them going to Gondor while the rest remain at Rohan planning the next battle against Sauron.

The film’s screenplay by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens does continue a cross-cutting narrative though it opens with how Smeagol became Gollum after he kills his cousin Deagol (Thomas Robins) over the ring that Deagol found. It then cuts to the main narrative where Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) continue their trek to Mordor with Gollum as they are unaware of his intentions. The narrative also plays into the brief reunion between members of the fellowship in Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), Gandalf (Ian McKellan), Merry (Dominic Monaghan), and Pippin (Billy Boyd) at Isengard in the aftermath of Rohan’s battle against the Uruk-hai where Gandalf finds the Palantir previously owned by Saruman (Christopher Lee) where Pippin makes a discovery into what Sauron is doing next. It would force Gandalf to go to Gondor with Pippin to warn its steward in Lord Denethor (John Noble) about Sauron’s upcoming attack. Instead, the grief-stricken Denethor refuses to listen to Gandalf aware of Aragorn’s claim to Gondor’s throne leaving the land and its city of Minas Tirith vulnerable despite its defense led by Denethor’s son Faramir (David Wenham).

The script does help complete some unique character arcs for the fellowship but also in the stakes were Aragorn’s lover in elvish Arwen (Liv Tyler) has chosen to stay in Middle Earth after seeing a vision of the future but her fate becomes tied to the fate of the Ring. Her father Elrond (Hugo Weaving) realizes that he must help Aragorn in going into a dark land as it relates to an army of the dead who had been cursed in their refusal to help Isildur (Harry Sinclair). The second act relates to the siege of Gondor where Gandalf leads its army to defend the city of Minas Tirith while Lord Denethor succumbs to madness believing Rohan has abandoned him. The third act does relate to not Frodo and Sam’s continued journey towards Mordor despite major obstacles with Aragorn finally accepting his role as Gondor’s king where he challenges Sauron.

Jackson’s direction is immense in terms of the large set pieces, settings, and myriads of tones that he would create throughout the film as it is shot on location in New Zealand including studios in the country for some scenes. The film’s opening prologue relates to how Smeagol became Gollum displays the horror of what the ring did to him as it would then cut to many years later where Frodo and Sam get ready for another day of walking with Gollum towards Mordor. The usage of wide and medium shots play into the world that is Middle Earth with its mountains, forests, rivers, valleys, lakes, and fields as they do function as characters in the film. One notable sequence where Jackson takes advantage of the locations is a sequence where Pippin lights a beacon at Minas Tirith leading to a series of beacons on the mountains lighting up. It shows that ordinary people in the mountains all have a role to play as Aragorn would see a beacon lit as it would play into Rohan answering the call.

Jackson also maintains some intimacy and calmer moments such as scenes of Gandalf and Pippin at Minas Tirith where they watch over the storm at Mordor where a beam shot from a castle at Mordor shots up. Jackson’s close-ups show the sense of fear and dread in Gondor with Sauron’s forces including the Nazgul led by the Witch-King of Angmar (Lawrence Makoare). Jackson’s direction knows when to create a sense of calm before the storm as it includes these tense moments where Gollum would try to create discord between Sam and Frodo with the former realizing what Gollum is up to. The tension also occurs involving Faramir and Denethor with the former taking on a suicide charge to reclaim Osgiliath only to return as its unconscious sole survivor leading Denethor into a state of madness just as the orcs have arrived at Pelennor Fields. The Siege of Minas Tirith is among one of the finest sequences ever created where Jackson highlights a lot of depth of field into how massive the orc army is that would later include the Haradrim and a group of pirates whom Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli would confront on their way to Gondor.

The extended version of the film, in its 252-minute running time, adds a lot more depth to the story where Jackson allow characters and moments to breathe more. Even in some of the smaller moments such as a brief conversation between Merry and Eowyn as the former reveals why he wants to fight. One major sequence in the extended version that was not in the theatrical version involves a confrontation at Isengard where Saruman (Christopher Lee) is bitter about his loss as he tries to attack Gandalf. It is also a scene that includes Grima Wormtongue (Brad Dourif) who had assisted Saruman but is at a sense of loss where Theoden offers his forgiveness. The extended version also does more with what happened in the Battle of Pelennor Fields that would involve so many things including a confrontation between Gandalf and the Witch-King of Angmar. The third act is where Jackson slows things down as it relates to Frodo and Sam walking towards Mount Doom as it include some dark humorous moments as well as a sense of loss in which Frodo starts to lose his own identity and cannot remember the life he once had.

The film’s post-climax does involve a lot of endings, yet it is more about the aftermath of everything that happened. Jackson approaches these loose ends where it plays into characters returning home yet nothing is the same for one character. Even so it would involve a brief return from Bilbo (Ian Holm) who has aged since having parted with the ring as he would ask about it. It is followed by the idea of death as the next big adventure while a character would return home with a task to finish the story that everyone had experienced. Overall, Jackson crafts a film that is epic in every sense of the word as it plays into a group of creatures trying to save Middle Earth from a dark lord.

Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of colorful lighting for some of the daytime scenes as well as the color grading and lighting textures that help maintain an atmosphere for some of the battle scenes as well as some scenes set at night. Editors Jamie Selkirk and Annie Collins do brilliant work with the editing in the usage of slow-motion cuts for some of the action and suspense along with fast-cutting for some of the battle scenes and dramatic moments such as Lord Denethor’s mad state as it relates to Faramir. Production designer Grant Major, with set decorator/supervising art director Dan Hennah, set decorator Alan Lee, and co-conceptual designer John Howe, does incredible work with the sets that include the look of Minas Tirith, the hall of the king, and some of the places in Mordor including Mount Doom. Costume designers Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor do excellent work with the costumes that include the armor that Merry and Pippin would wear to respectfully represent Rohan and Gondor as well as the look of the armor of the orcs and the final armor that Aragorn wears for its climax.

Hair and makeup designers Peter Swords King and Peter Owen do amazing work with the look of the orcs including the orc commander Gothmog (Lawrence Makoare) and the look of the elderly Bilbo. Visual effects supervisor Jim Rygiel does tremendous work with the visual effects for some of the set dressing of the locations including Minas Tirith as well as some of the creatures including the Ents for the brief scene at Isengard, the Nazgul, the oliphaunt, and the eagles would play a key role in the final battle. Sound designers David Farmer, Michael Semanick, and Ethan van der Ryn, along with sound editor Mike Hopkins, do superb work with the sound in terms of the atmosphere of the sounds in the battle scenes as well as other sparse sounds in some of the locations. The film’s music by Howard Shore is incredible for its soaring orchestral score that play into the bombast of some of the action, suspense, and drama with the usage of string arrangements, percussions, vocals, brass, and woodwinds to help add to the stakes and drama. The film also features a great original song written by Shore, Fran Walsh, and Annie Lennox in Into the West as it serves as a fitting finale for the trilogy.

The casting by Victoria Burrows, Amy Hubbard, John Hubbard, Liz Mullane, and Ann Robinson is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Marton Csokas as the elf leader Celebron, Bret McKenzie as the elf guide Figwit, Sarah McLeod as the hobbit barmaid Rosie Cotton, Lawrence Makoare in a dual role as the Witch-king of Angmar and the orc commander Gothmog with Craig Parker as the voice of the latter, Alan Howard as the voices of Sauron and the ring, Thomas Robin as Smeagol’s cousin Deagol who found the ring, Ian Hughes as the Minas Tirith officer Irolas, John Bach as Faramir’s second-in-command Madril, Bruce Hopkins as a Rohirrim officer in Gamling, Paul Norell as the ghostly King of the Dead, Bruce Spence as the Mouth of Sauron in the extended version of the film, Sean Bean as Boromir as a ghostly figure in the extended version, and Ian Holm as Frodo’s uncle Bilbo as the old hobbit who had once had the ring where he later asks Frodo if he still has it. Christopher Lee and Brad Dourif are excellent in their respective brief roles as the wizard Saruman and Grima Wormtongue with the former being an ally to Sauron that has lost everything as he tries to battle Gandalf while the latter is a spy of Saruman who feels remorse for his actions despite the abuse he receives from Saruman.

John Noble and David Wenham are brilliant in their respective roles as Lord Denethor and his son Faramir with the former succumbing to madness and grief as he continues to berate Faramir for not living up to expectations. Wenham’s performance as Faramir highlights a man who realized what happened to his older brother Boromir where he deals with his father’s criticism as he goes on a futile quest to win his father’s approval. Karl Urban is superb as King Theoden’s nephew Eomer who is the leader of the Rohirrim as he proves to be one of Aragorn’s most loyal figures as he also proves to be a warrior on the battlefield. Bernard Hill is fantastic as King Theoden of Rohan as a king who is reluctant to help Gondor but realizes what is at stake where he knows that he and Rohirrim are outnumbered but remains this great leader who can inspire many to fight. Miranda Otto is amazing as Eomer’s sister Eowyn as a woman who is in love with Aragorn but also wants to prove herself as a warrior where she would disguise herself as a man at the Battle of Pelennor Fields where she really kicks some ass.

The trio of Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, and Hugo Weaving are incredible in their respective roles as the elvish queen Galadriel, Arwen, and Lord Elrond with Blanchett appearing in a few moments such as guiding Frodo as well as appearing in the penultimate scene of the film. Tyler brings gracefulness to the role of Arwen, who has her own vision of the future as the decision she makes is linked with her fate of the ring. Weaving’s performance is doubtful of men until he decides to help Aragorn by reforging Isildur’s sword so that Aragorn can claim his throne. Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd are great in their respective roles as the hobbits Merry and Pippin who both go on separate journeys with Merry staying at Rohan where he becomes a squire for King Theoden while Pippin becomes the guard of the Citadel at Gondor where both hobbits prove their worth. Orlando Bloom and John Rhys-Davies are phenomenal in their respective roles as the elf warrior Legolas and the dwarf Gimli as two members of the fellowship who help Aragorn in convincing the Army of the Dead while becoming the best of friends while Rhys-Davies also does additional voice work for the Ent character Treebeard.

Ian McKellan and Viggo Mortensen are tremendous in their respective roles as the wizard Gandalf and the heir to Gondor’s throne in Aragorn with the former as a resurrected wizard who goes to Gondor with Pippin where he expresses his own doubts while he does what he can to lead Gondor into battle. Mortensen’s performance as Aragorn shows a former ranger who realizes the role he must accept where he would also take on a leadership role that includes a great speech in the final battle that shows that he is worthy to be king. Sean Astin is remarkable as Samwise Gamgee as Frodo’s friend who accompanies him to Mordor where he becomes aware of Gollum’s deceit where he deals with Frodo banishing him only to later return where he is the film’s conscious in doing what is right and to remind Frodo about the good of the world.

Andy Serkis is magnificent as Smeagol/Gollum as a hobbit who had become a creature that once possessed the ring for hundreds of years as he hopes to reclaim where he would do what he can to deceive all and reclaim the ring. Serkis’ performance also shows the descent of someone who used to be good only to succumb to greed as it is a performance for the ages. Finally, there is Elijah Wood in a spectacular performance as Frodo Baggins as a hobbit who carries the ring to Mordor where he starts to lose parts of his own identity as he would also descent to the ring’s power. Wood also has the most physically-demanding performance of someone that is just becoming tired as he has the weight of everything to be the one to destroy the ring followed by an aftermath that has him coping with everything he had dealt with as it is an iconic performance from Wood.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is an outstanding film by Peter Jackson. Featuring a great ensemble cast, top-notch visual effects, gorgeous photography, a riveting story of good vs. evil, and Howard Shore’s ravishing music score. It is a film that goes beyond the description of an epic as it is also the culmination of a grand story that shows four little hobbits making a big impact on a magical land with elves, dwarves, and human beings. In the end, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a magnificent film by Peter Jackson.

Peter Jackson Films: (Bad Taste) – (Meet the Feebles) – (Braindead) – (Heavenly Creatures) – (Forgotten Silver) – (The Frighteners) – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - (King Kong (2005 film)) – (The Lovely Bones) – (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) – (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) – (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) – (They Shall Grow Old Together) – The Beatles: Get Back

© thevoid99 2026

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

 

***The Following is a Review of the 223-minute Extended Version of the Film***

Based on the novel trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is the second part of the trilogy of stories in which the fellowship of the ring are splintered where two of the four hobbits travel to Mordor where they are accompanied by the creature Gollum while the rest of the fellowship deal with Sauron’s forces as they set to attack Rohan. Directed by Peter Jackson and screenplay by Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Stephen Sinclair, the film follows members of a fellowship as they go on a journey to destroy the ring of Sauron as they also deal with the wizard Saruman who has aligned himself with Sauron. Starring Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Bernard Hill, Miranda Otto, David Wenham, Karl Urban, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Brad Dourif, Sean Bean, John Noble, Christopher Lee, and Andy Serkis as Gollum. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a rich yet visceral film by Peter Jackson.

The film revolves around a fellowship that had been splintered by events and challenges where they all go on a quest to destroy Sauron’s ring at Mount Doom in Mordor. It is a film with three different storylines where Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) travel to Mordor by themselves where they meet the creature Gollum who agrees to take them to Mordor after Frodo takes pity on him. The other storyline has the ranger Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), the elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) travel to Rohan where they help King Theoden of Rohan (Bernard Hill) deal with Saruman (Christopher Lee) and his army who want to destroy Rohan. The other two hobbits in Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) escape the clutches of the Uruk-hai and go into Fangorn forest where they meet the Ent Treebeard (voice of John Rhys-Davies) to convince him and other Ents to wage war on Saruman for destroying parts of Fangorn forest.

The film’s screenplay by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Stephen Sinclair has a cross-cutting narrative that play into the different journeys the fellowship would go through. Especially after events forced the group to be splintered following tragedy and uncertainty that led to their separation where Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli decide to follow the Uruk-hai who had captured Merry and Pippin only to learn that the Uruk-hai had been killed by Eomer (Karl Urban), who is the leader of Rohan’s calvary in the Rohirrim, and his horsemen as they had been exiled by Theoden’s advisor in Grima Wormtongue (Brad Dourif). Going through Fangorn forest, they learn that the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) has been resurrected as Gandalf the White who had left Merry and Pippin to the Ents for safety while he joins the rest to Rohan to free Theoden from Saruman’s powers. The narrative involving Frodo and Sam as they struggle to find their way to Mordor until they meet the creature Gollum, who had once possessed the ring, who had been following them hoping to recapture the ring where he reluctantly to accompany them to Mordor. During their journey where Frodo learns that Gollum was once a hobbit named Smeagol, they also run into Gondor rangers led by Faramir (David Wenham) who is Boromir’s younger brother.

The script also play into character arcs where Merry and Pippin are forced to grow up as they deal with their own situations as they realize that the Shire would be in danger if they cannot convince the Ents to wage war on Saruman. Aragorn would go through his own arc as he becomes aware that he is a symbol of hope to Rohan including Theoden’s niece Eowyn (Miranda Otto) who becomes smitten by him even though he is in love with the elvish princess Arwen (Liv Tyler). The script also play into Arwen having to make the decision to leave with the elves who are all leaving Middle Earth as her father Elrond (Hugo Weaving) reveal her fate if she chooses to stay. Yet, Elrond would have his own conversation with the elvish queen Galadriel who is aware that Aragorn and Rohan are in danger of losing to both Sauron and Saruman.

Jackson’s direction is grand in terms of how big the visual presentation is at it is shot on various locations in New Zealand as well as studios in New Zealand. The film opens with events from the previous film where the fellowship run from Balrog where Gandalf would take a stand at the monster. What Jackson does is show what happened to Gandalf as the fellowship see him fall to his death only for Gandalf to fall while fighting Balrog. It then cuts to Frodo and Sam continuing to walk towards Mordor as they find themselves lost where Jackson’s approach to close-ups and medium shots play into the sense of the unknown in the locations they are in where they later meet Gollum who had been following them. Jackson would maintain this tense and eerie atmosphere for the scenes involving Frodo, Sam, and Gollum as they travel towards Mordor. Even as there are a bit of light-hearted moments in the tension between Sam and Gollum where the former comments about creating a stew with the need for some potatoes.

In the extended version of the film in its 223-minute running time, as opposed to the 179-minute running time in its theatrical release, where Jackson can do more with the story and flesh out the characters. One notable sequence involves a flashback scene with Boromir (Sean Bean) who had recaptured the port city of Osgiliath for Gondor as he would share his victory with Faramir. It plays into why Boromir was keen on having the ring as the scene also featured his father Denethor (John Noble) who believes that the meeting is about the ring as Boromir is reluctant to go. The sequence adds depth for Faramir’s own reasons in wanting the ring as it relates to his troubled relationship with his father. Jackson’s usage of the wide shots for the locations would add greater depth for the film’s climatic battle at Helm’s Deep. In its mixture of practical effects, miniatures, and computerized-visual effects, the battle of Helm’s Deep is truly a marvel in terms of how to create a battle with lots of extras and detail into every moment that is shown.

So much is happening during the battle as it would cross-cut on the narrative of Merry and Pippin convincing Treebeard and the Ents to go to war on Saruman as the extended version in the film reveal a lot of detail about Fangorn forest and its own magical powers. There is also more into what Frodo, Sam, and Gollum go through after being captured by Faramir where they encounter the Nazgul and orcs at Osgiliath as its aftermath would play into a key decision Faramir makes about the ring. The ending of the second film sets up what is to come ahead between the forces of Rohan and the fellowship while Frodo and Sam continue their trek towards Mordor with Gollum in tow. Overall, Jackson crafts a grand and gripping film about a group of individuals continuing their quest to destroy evil for good.

Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography with its approach to color grading for some of the interior/exterior settings at night as well as the look of the daytime exteriors for some shots in the valleys as well as scenes in the forests as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Michael Horton does brilliant work with the editing in the usage of jump-cuts for some montages as well as other stylish cuts to play into the action and suspense as it is another highlight of the film. Production designer Grant Major, with set decorator/supervising art director Dan Hennah, and set decorator Alan Lee, does incredible work with the look of Saruman’s tower at Isengard as well as the look of fortress of Helm’s Deep in its interiors and exteriors with additional work from conceptual designer John Howe. Costume designers Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor do excellent work with the costumes in the look of King Theoden’s armor as well as the look of the Rohirrim and the soldiers of Gondor.

Hair and makeup designers Peter Swords King and Peter Owen do fantastic work with the look of the Uruk-hai orcs, the elvish army, and King Theoden in his decayed state under Saruman’s spell. Visual effects supervisor Jim Rygiel does amazing work with the look of the Nazgul creatures as well as the look of the Ents and the motion-capture design of Gollum as it is a major highlight of the film. Sound designers David Farmer and Michael Semanick, along with sound editors Mike Hopkins and Ethan Van der Ryn, do superb work with the sound in the way the Nazgul sound and other sound effects that help play into the action and suspense. The film’s music by Howard Shore is great as its usage of heavy brass sections, soaring strings, heavy percussions, and somber woodwinds for some unique themes along with a few songs including a funeral song sung by Eowyn.

The casting by Victoria Burrows, Amy Hubbard, John Hubbard, Liz Mullane, and Ann Robinson is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Sam Comery and Olivia Tennet as a couple of young Rohan children who escape the Uruk-hai, Robyn Malcolm as their mother, Paris Howe Strewe as Theoden’s son Theodred who gets seriously wounded following an ambush by the Uruk-hai, Bruce Hopkins as one of Theoden’s military leaders in Gamling, the quartet of Robbie Magasiva, Jed Brophy, Nathaniel Lee, and Stephen Ure as Uruk-hai orcs, and Craig Parker as the elvish general Haldir. Christopher Lee and Brad Dourif are superb in their respective roles as the evil wizard Saruman and the spy Grima Wormtongue with the former being a once-respected wizard who has aligned himself with Sauron as he wants to destroy Rohan while the latter is a slimy figure who works for Saruman in poisoning King Theoden’s mind as he would also play a role in wounding Rohan.

In the extended version of the film, John Noble and Sean Bean are fantastic in their respective roles as Lord Denethor and Boromir with the former as Gondor’s steward who learns about the ring as he wants Boromir to Rivendell. Bean’s performance as Boromir is given more complexity as a man that is devoted to Gondor as well as trying to give his younger brother Faramir more credit. David Wenham’s performance as Faramir is excellent as a captain of Gondor who captures Frodo and Sam while he hopes to get the ring to win the approval of his father. Karl Urban is brilliant as Theoden’s nephew Eomer, who gets exiled by Wormtongue as he and the Rohirrim go on their own war against the Uruk-hai as he laments over his home and his uncle’s state of mind. Miranda Otto and Bernard Hill are amazing in their respective roles as Eomer’s sister Eowyn and King Theoden of Rohan with the former as a woman who wants to fight as she becomes smitten towards Aragorn as she also does what she can for the people of Rohan. Hill’s performance starts off as a man poisoned and disconnected from reality under Saruman’s spell and Wormtongue’s activities only to come out of it in trying to help his people as he laments over the power of the Uruk-hai in their hatred of everything and everyone.

The trio of Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, and Hugo Weaving are incredible in their respective roles as the elvish queen Galadriel, Arwen, and Lord Elrond with Blanchett’s brief appearance in her telekinetic conversation with Elrond about what is at stake with Weaving being someone unsure as he laments over the life his daughter Arwen would have if she chooses not to leave Middle Earth where Tyler brings a gracefulness of a woman who is aware of what she will lose. Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd are remarkable as the hobbits Merry and Pippin as the two hobbits who were briefly captured by the Uruk-hai until they are saved by the Ents where they deal with Saruman’s growing power and the need to convince the Ents to go to war against Saruman. John Rhys-Davies is marvelous in a dual role as the voice of the Ent Treebeard, who often talks in an unconventional fashion, and as the dwarf Gimli who does provide humor in some of the action as well as be someone who remains loyal to the fellowship where he does what he can to fight the Uruk-hai.

Orlando Bloom and Ian McKellan are great in their respective roles as the elvish warrior Legolas and the wizard Gandalf with the former being this skilled elvish warrior who deals with the severity of what Rohan is facing while doing what he can to fight off the Uruk-hai. McKellan’s performance as Gandalf is only on a few scenes as a wizard who gets resurrected where he also realizes that Rohan is in danger where he would go to find Eomer for help. Sean Astin and Viggo Mortensen are phenomenal in their respective roles as Sam and Aragorn with the former dealing with Gollum and Frodo’s declining emotional/mental state while the latter as a ranger who realizes that he must become a leader where he deals with many obstacles as well as a near-death experience during an ambush.

Elijah Wood is tremendous as Frodo Baggins as the hobbit carrying the ring where he deals with the severity of the quest as well as the ring’s power where he would start to lose himself. Finally, there is Andy Serkis in an outstanding supporting performance as the creature Gollum/Smeagol as a former hobbit who once held the ring where he guides Frodo and Sam to Mordor in the hope, he can reclaim the ring as there is a lot of complexity to his performance where he can the kind and light-hearted Smeagol or the meaner and manipulative Gollum.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a spectacular film by Peter Jackson. Featuring a great ensemble cast, vast set pieces including the Helm’s Deep battle sequence, intoxicating visuals, an exhilarating music score, and a story of good versus evil. It is a fantasy film that does a lot more in its exploration of what creatures face in the darkest of times as well as the need to find light in that darkness. In the end, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a tremendous film by Peter Jackson.

Peter Jackson Films: (Bad Taste) – (Meet the Feebles) – (Braindead) – (Heavenly Creatures) – (Forgotten Silver) – (The Frighteners) – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – (King Kong (2005 film)) – (The Lovely Bones) – (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) – (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) – (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) – (They Shall Grow Old Together) – The Beatles: Get Back

© thevoid99 2026

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

 

***The Following is a Review of the 208-minute Extended Version of the Film***

Based on the novel series by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the first in a trilogy of stories of different creatures who go on a journey to destroy the one ring created by the dark figure in Sauron by going to Mordor and destroying it. Directed by Peter Jackson and screenplay by Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, the first story explore how the ring is rediscovered where nine individuals travel through Middle Earth on a quest to destroy Sauron’s ring. Starring Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Sean Bean, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, and Christopher Lee as Saruman. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a grand and majestic film by Peter Jackson.

Set in a fictional ancient world known as Middle Earth, the film revolves around a young hobbit who inherits a ring from his uncle where a wizard realizes it is the ring created by the dark demon known as Sauron. There, the wizard, a hobbit along with three other hobbits, a dwarf, an elf, and two men go on a journey to Sauron’s homeland of Mordor to bring the ring to its land and destroy it. It is a story that is part of an immense epic that follows different creatures who venture on a quest to vanquish evil finally just as Sauron is set to return and destroy everything that is good. The first story is about a hobbit who is given this ring as he would accidentally wear the ring as he realizes its power and why so many want it. Yet, there are those who would become part of the fellowship who have their own reasons for not wanting to carry this ring as well as his own reasons for why he has abandoned his role in becoming king for one of the last free countries of Middle Earth.

The film’s screenplay by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens opens with a prologue about life in Middle Earth where rings of power were given to the races of men, elves, and dwarves only to realize that the dark lord Sauron (Sala Baker) has created one ring to rule over everyone in Middle Earth. It would lead into a war where men and elves formed an alliance to fight Sauron and his forces where a prince in Isildur (Harry Sinclair) severs Sauron’s hand but chooses to keep Sauron’s ring until it would be lost following an ambush years after the battle. Then it would be in the hands of a creature known as Gollum (Andy Serkis) who would keep it for centuries until it abandoned him where it would be in the hands of a hobbit in Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm). The prologue sets up the stakes as well as what Bilbo’s nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood) must destroy by going to Mordor and its volcano in Mount Doom where the ring was created. The first act is set 60 years after the events in which Bilbo found the ring as there is a birthday celebration for him where the wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellan) visits him. The celebration would be notable for Bilbo disappearing where Gandalf discovered that Bilbo has a ring that Bilbo found many years ago where Bilbo reluctantly gives the ring to Frodo. Gandalf would then discover that the ring is the one ring created by Sauron after Frodo reads the inscriptions after it was on fire.

Part of the first act has Frodo being accompanied by his best friend Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) and later joined by hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) as they to evade Sauron’s rangers in the Nazgul. After meeting a ranger named Strider (Viggo Mortensen) who takes them to Rivendell where the fellowship is formed that would include Gandalf, the elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom), the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), and Boromir (Sean Bean) of Gondor to go to Mordor and destroy the ring. The fellowship would be challenged by many forces including a new army of orcs in the Uruk-hai created by the wizard Saruman who had turned on Gandalf and aligned himself with Sauron. Even as Frodo becomes tempted by the power of the ring as is Boromir who wants the ring for his home of Gondor that is threatened by Mordor. Yet, the fellowship would go through obstacles with Strider revealed to be Aragorn who is a descendant of Isildur and the rightful heir to Gondor’s throne.

Jackson’s direction is grand as it is shot on location in New Zealand along with some scenes shot in studios in New Zealand. Jackson goes for a varying degree of styles in the direction through some wide and medium shots for a scope of the locations. Notably in scenes involving the mountains, rivers, and valleys as they function as characters into the film where it plays into the richness of Middle Earth with the Shire as this peaceful and isolated world of hobbits that very few outsiders visit. It is a direct contrast to other parts of Middle Earth such as the world of the elves in the forest where the elf-queen Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) lives in a Mordor where orcs and other dark creatures settle in as they get ready for war. The usage of aerial shots of the locations along with some intimate moments where Gandalf interacts with hobbits are unique as the usage of trick photography and visual effects do add a sense of wonderment into the film. Jackson also puts in some humor as it relates to the adventure that balances the suspense and drama throughout the film.

Jackson’s approach to some of the intimate moments such as a sequence where the fellowship of the ring are in the Mines of Moria as Frodo copes with being the one to carry the ring as the dialogue plays into Tolkien’s words about the choices everyone must make. Even choices that are the most difficult to endure as it would lead to some intense fight and action scenes. The usage of wide and crane shots are immense in its scale that includes the fellowship running from a demonic monster in Balrog. The third act in which the fellowship go to the elvish land of Lothlorien as they deal with their own struggles and encounters with the orcs. In the extended version of the film, in its 208-minute running time that expands 30 additional minutes from the theatrical release, where characters are fleshed out more such as Boromir who struggles with wanting to fulfill the wishes of his father as well as the need for something better where he sees Aragorn as the leader Gondor needs. Overall, Jackson crafts an astonishing and riveting film about a group of different creatures going on a quest to destroy a ring of evil to its land of darkness.

Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its unique color grading and look for some of the exterior scenes at the Shire and Lothlorien as well as some of the usage of light for the scenes in the mines and caves as well as the usage of blue light for scenes set at night. Editor John Gilbert does excellent work with the editing in the usage of slow-motion cuts as well as fast-cuts for some of the action along with moments in the drama and suspense where shots are allowed to last more than a minute. Production designer Grant Major, with set decorator/supervising art director Dan Hennah and set decorator/conceptual designer Alan Lee, does amazing work with the look of the sets, with additional help from co-conceptual designer John Howe, in how the homes at the Shire are presented as well as the world of the elves and Mordor including Saurman’s tower at Isengard. Costume designers Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor do brilliant work with the costumes in the clothes the elves wear as well as the armor that Aragorn, Boromir, and Gimli wear, and the look of the armor that the orcs wear.

Hair and makeup designers Peter Swords King and Peter Owen do fantastic work with the look of the characters, with additional help from John Howe and Alan Lee, as well as the design and look of the orcs including the Uruk-hai. Visual effects supervisor Jim Rygiel does great work with the visual effects in the mixture of practical effects in the look of the orcs as well as the look of the demonic figure Balrog and the motion-capture look of Gollum. Sound designers David Farmer, Michael Semanick, and Ethan Van der Ryn, along with sound editor Michael Hopkins, do superb work in the sound as the way swords and flying arrows sound as well as the way monsters sound as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Howard Shore is phenomenal for its orchestral score that is filled with unique themes through woodwinds as well as bombastic orchestral themes for some of the action and suspense as it is an absolute highlight of the film.

The casting by Victoria Burrows, Amy Hubbard, John Hubbard, Liz Mullane, and Ann Robinson is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Sarah McLeod as a hobbit barmaid in Rosie Cotton whom Sam has a crush on, Bret McKenzie as an elf escort in Figwit, Marton Csokas as an elvish elder in Celebron, Craig Parker as an elvish military leader in Haldir, Sala Baker as the dark lord Sauron, Alan Howard as the voice of the ring and Sauron, Bret McIntyre as the head Nazgul leader in the Witch King of Angmar, Harry Sinclair as Isildur, Lawrence Makoare as the Uruk-hai leader Lurtz, and Andy Serkis in a brief appearance as the creature Gollum and the voice of the Witch King of Angmar. Ian Holm is terrific as Frodo’s uncle Bilbo Baggins who had possession of the ring as he dealt with wanting a chance to leave the Shire for an adventure and complete his book while expressing regret about what Frodo must endure in destroying the ring. Liv Tyler is fantastic as Elrond’s daughter Arwen, who is Aragorn’s lover, as she would help Frodo go to Rivendell following his encounter with the Nazgul as she also gives Aragorn a gift for the journey he will take.

Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett are excellent in their respective roles as the elvish leaders Elrond and Galadriel as the former is an elf leader who saw what Isildur did in keeping the ring while he laments over Aragorn and Arwen’s relationship. Blanchett’s performance as Galadriel is graceful as a woman who admits to be tempted by the ring during her conversation with Frodo as she is aware of its powers and would give Frodo a gift for the journey. Christopher Lee is brilliant as the wizard Saruman who has turned evil and aligned himself with Sauron where he would create a new race of orcs that are more powerful than the orcs at Mordor. Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd are amazing in their respective roles as Merry and Pippin as two mischievous hobbits who join Frodo and Sam in the quest as they deal with the danger of the quest while learning how to fight with swords. John Rhys-Davies and Orlando Bloom are incredible in their respective roles as the dwarf Gimli and the elf Legolas as two mismatched members of the fellowship with Rhys-Davies providing a lot of wit as a dwarf who is strong and cunning while Bloom brings a level of finesse and expert marksmanship as an elf who is the straight man of the two.

Sean Bean is marvelous as Boromir as the son of Gondor’s steward who joins the fellowship where he is tempted by the ring where he struggles to do what is right while becoming protective of Merry and Pippin whom he would befriend as well as Aragorn whom he hopes would take on the role as King of Gondor. Sean Astin is remarkable as Samwise Gamgee, who is Frodo’s best friend and the film’s conscience, where Gandalf asks him not to leave Frodo where he helps Frodo on the journey while providing some witty comments during the film. Ian McKellan is great as the wizard Gandalf the Grey who learns about the ring Bilbo had been carrying for years as he also joins the fellowship as a magical figure who can deal with Saruman from afar. Viggo Mortensen is phenomenal as Strider/Aragorn as a ranger, who is also Isildur’s heir, who helps the hobbits in dealing with the Nazgul as he would join the fellowship where he also deals with the temptation of the ring that plays into his own reluctance to be King of Gondor. Finally, there’s Elijah Wood in a sensational performance as Frodo Baggins as a hobbit who is given the ring where he would accidentally wear the ring as he struggles with its powers and the task he must play.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a spectacular film by Peter Jackson. Featuring a great ensemble cast, rich visuals, a gripping story of temptation and the need to bring good into the world, Howard Shore’s majestic music score, and top-notch technical work. It is a film that is not just this exhilarating fantasy-adventure film but also a film that explores different people going on a quest to vanquish evil and bring good to the world. In the end, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a tremendous film by Peter Jackson.

Peter Jackson Films: (Bad Taste) – (Meet the Feebles) – (Braindead) – (Heavenly Creatures) – (Forgotten Silver) – (The Frighteners) – The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – (King Kong (2005 film)) – (The Lovely Bones) – (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) – (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) – (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) – (They Shall Grow Old Together) – The Beatles: Get Back

© thevoid99 2026

The Keep (1983 film)

Based on the novel by F. Paul Wilson, The Keep is the story of a group of Nazi soldiers in 1941 Romania who enter an ancient fortress that possesses a mysterious entity that would eventually wreak havoc on everyone. Written for the screen and directed by Michael Mann, the film is a fantasy-horror film that explore this mysterious object that is filled with dark entities that would prove to be troubling for everyone. Starring Scott Glenn, Alberta Watson, Gabriel Byrne, Jurgen Prochnow, Robert Prosky, and Ian McKellan. The Keep is a fascinating but messy film from Michael Mann.

The film revolves around a mysterious fortress in 1941 Romania that the Nazis plan to use during the war where it is revealed that a mysterious entity has emerged within the fortress killing many where a Jewish professor, his daughter, a mysterious man, and other deal with this mysterious entity. It is a film that explore this entity inside a fortress in a small Romanian village near the Carpathian Mountains where the Nazis hoped to have control of the Dinu Pass. Michael Mann’s screenplay does showcase this air of conflict between two German officers in Captain Klaus Woermann (Jurgen Prochnow) and the more sadistic Nazi official Major Erich Kaempffer (Gabriel Byrne) as the former doesn’t want to bring any harm to the Romanian villagers but is also a much more humane individual than the latter who would arrive later following an incident in the fortress in which two soldiers tried to steal a metallic cross thinking it is silver and full of riches only to unleash the mysterious entity known as Radu Molasar (Michael Carter).

Captain Woermann turns to the local pastor Father Mihail Fonescu (Robert Prosky) for advice as Father Fonescu suggests getting the Jewish historian Theodore Cuza (Ian McKellan) who is at a concentration camp with his daughter Eva (Alberta Watson) as they’re retrieved despite Cuza’s ailing health while a mysterious man named Glaeken Trismegestus (Scott Glenn) arrives from Greece to deal with this entity. Mann does maintain this air of intrigue yet the fact that there’s so much going on and a lot of ambiguity into this entity doesn’t do much with the story though it is clear that there is a lot more that Mann wanted to say as it plays into the state of the world as well as the fortress itself as one of the first scenes in the film has Captain Woermann meet a man in Alexandru (W. Morgan Sheppard) who has been watching over the fortress as he made a warning towards Captain Woermann as he and his two adult sons are never seen again. It’s one of these things in the film that feels like it got cut out as there’s a lot of things that are unexplained in the film.

Mann’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of not just the vast scope he presents but also brings in this mixture of horror, drama, suspense, and war into one entire film. Shot partially on location at Llanberis in Wales as well as additional locations in Spain with much of the interiors of the fortress shot at Shepperton Studios near London. Mann definitely maintains some unique compositions including a lot of wide shots to get a look of some of the areas within this fortress that is filled with this air of death. Even in some of the exteriors where Mann uses some medium shots to get a look into the locations as well as the village where the Germans arrive with Captain Woermann wants to ensure civility. There are close-ups that do play into the drama and tension throughout the film yet the script doesn’t do enough to play into the suspense mainly due to the fact that the film was tampered with during post-production as there are scenes in the film that do feel longer as it has a lot more to say but got cut as some of the cutting feels awkward.

The scene where the two soldiers try to get this silver icon out of the wall that would lead to the chaos is a terrifying moment as is the reveal of Radu Molasar but there are elements in which Mann wanted to do so much more but it never goes all the way. Even as the presence of Molasar would loom over the village as Father Fonescu starts to act crazy where there is so much that feels like there is more to say. The film’s climax that involves Trismegestus and Molasar feels unfinished which lead to an abrupt ending of sorts as it does play like it was meant to be longer. Mann clearly wanted more to do but the result is something messy with so many questions into the stakes and the motivations of Molasar as it never is fully realized. Overall, Mann crafts a compelling but under-realized film about a group of people dealing with a mysterious entity at a Romanian fortress during World War II.

Cinematographer Alex Thomson does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as it is a highlight of the film with its usage of striking lighting for some of the interiors inside the fortress as well as some naturalistic looks for some of the daytime exterior scenes. Editor Dov Hoenig, with additional and un-credited work by Tony Palmer, does nice work with the editing as it has some moments to play into the suspense but the additional work from Palmer unfortunately has some jarring moments in the editing as it help play into the truncated tone of a film that felt longer. Production designer John Box, with set decorator Michael Seirton plus art directors Alan Tomkins and Herbert Westbrook, does amazing work with the look of the fortress including many of its interiors as well as the design of some of the interiors in village houses. Costume designer Anthony Mendleson does fantastic work with the costumes as it play into the period of the times including the Nazi uniforms that Major Kaempffer wears along with his own soldiers.

Makeup effects supervisor/prosthetics designer Nick Maley, with creature designer Enki Bilal, does excellent work with the look of some of the design of the corpses with Bilal creating the look of Molasar. Special effects supervisor Nick Allder, along with visual effects supervisors Robin Browne and Wally Veevers, does terrific work with some of the film’s visual effects as it play into the usage of practical effects and optical shots for some of the powers that Molasar has as well as the glowing eyes of Trismegestus. Sound editor William Trent, with re-recording mixer Doug Turner, does fine work with some of the sound in the way gunfire and other sound effects sound though there’s moments where the sound is muddled due to a lot of the chaos that went on during the film’s post-production. The film’s music by Tangerine Dream is phenomenal with its intoxicating electronic score that has elements of lush synthesizers with elements of guitars as it help play into the mood of the film as it is one of its major highlights.

The casting by Jeremy Zimmerman is superb as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Frederick Warder and Bruce Payne as the two guards who tried to steal a silver icon that would unleash the terror that would haunt everyone, David Cardy and John Eastham as Alexandru’s sons who help him watch over the fortress, W. Morgan Sheppard as the fortress caretaker Alexandru whom Captain Woermann respects as he warns him about what is inside, and Michael Carter as the mysterious entity Radu Molasar who is this mysterious creature that is terrorizing everyone as it is a chilling performance though he is hampered by the film’s screenplay. Robert Prosky’s performance as Father Mihail Fonescu is an example of someone being miscast since Prosky doesn’t speak with a Romanian accent as he is someone who is trying to help Captain Woermann while dealing with some of the changes in Dr. Cuza’s behavior.

Ian McKellan is fantastic as Dr. Theodore Cuza as a Jewish professor who used to live in the village as he is taken from the concentration camp where he has an encounter with Molsar who cures his ailments as McKellan manages to even play into some over-the-top acting as a man trying not to get killed by the Nazis. Alberta Watson is good as Eva as Dr. Cuza’s daughter who is accompanying him as she is the lone female figure in the film who is seen by the Nazis as someone they can rape yet is also someone who is trying to understand what is going on as Watson has her moments in a role that is underwritten. Jurgen Prochnow is excellent as Captain Klaus Woermann as an infantry officer who reluctantly takes the assignment as he deals with the chaos involving the entity while also lamenting over Major Kaempffer’s sadistic tactics as he is a humane man that wants to protect the villagers and his soldiers from the chaos as well as questioning the ideas of the Nazis.

Gabriel Byrne’s performance as Major Erich Kaempffer as a Nazi officer who leads a band of commandos as he is a sadistic figure that spews Nazi rhetoric as it’s a role that is underwritten where Byrne doesn’t really get to do much but be an asshole. Finally, there’s Scott Glenn in a superb performance as Glaeken Trismegestus as a mysterious figure who seduces Eva while is also someone that is filled with a lot of ambiguity as Glenn is hampered by the script as it feels like there is more about him but is rushed because of the botch editing of the film though Glenn is able to bring in a performance is still intriguing.

The Keep is a good but extremely messy and flawed film from Michael Mann. While it has some incredible visuals from Alex Thomson as well as a great score by Tangerine Dream and some amazing set design. It is a film that feels like there is more to say in its original 210-minute cut that Mann had intended but instead the final version is at the 97-minute running time which feels more like a preview of something much darker. In the end, The Keep is a superb but undercooked film from Michael Mann.

Michael Mann Films: The Jericho Mile – Thief (1981 film) - Manhunter - L.A. Takedown – The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film) - Heat (1995 film) - The Insider – Ali - Collateral - Miami Vice - Public Enemies - Blackhat - Blackhat - Ferrari – (Heat 2) - The Auteurs #73: Michael Mann Pt.1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2022

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Based on the X-Men comic story by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, X-Men: Days of Future Past is the story where the surviving members of the X-Men led by Professor X and his longtime nemesis Magneto ask Wolverine to go back in time to 1973 to stop an assassination that led to an all-out war on mutants as Wolverine would meet the younger Professor X and Magneto. Directed by Bryan Singer and screenplay by Simon Kinberg from a story by Kinberg, Jane Goldman, and Matthew Vaughn, the film is a multi-layered story where Wolverine travels back in time in an attempt to save mutants as well as deal with what Magneto and Professor X were back then. Starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Ellen Page, Shawn Ashmore, Nicholas Hoult, Omar Sy, Evan Peters, and Peter Dinklage as Bolivar Trask. X-Men: Days of Future Past is a marvelous and sprawling film from Bryan Singer.

In a world where mutants are being exterminated by gigantic robots known as Sentinels, the film is about the small band of X-Men led by Charles Xavier/Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Erik Leshnerr/Magneto (Ian McKellan) trying to survive the last days of the war. Upon learning that Kitty Pryde has the power to send people back in time through their consciousness, Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) volunteers since he is the only one that is strong enough to withstand the rigors of time travel. Wolverine travels back to 1973 in order to convince the younger Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik (Michael Fassbender) to come together and stop Raven Darkholme/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from assassinating the Sentinels designer Bolivar Trask. While the remaining X-Men wait for the army of Sentinels to attack while protecting Logan and Kitty, Logan would face an even bigger battle in convincing Xavier and Erik to come together despite their major differences.

The film’s screenplay by Simon Kinberg explores not just the fragile relationship between the young Xavier and Erik as they’re driven apart by their own differences but also in how much their falling out has hurt them. For the young Charles Xavier, he has become a despondent and bitter man that mourns those he lost and cared for as he becomes addicted to a serum that allows him to walk but not use his powers. For Erik, he becomes far more angrier as he is locked 100 feet below the Pentagon for killing John F. Kennedy, though Erik claims he was trying to save him, while becoming more determined to ensure the mutants desire as the number one species. Then there’s Mystique who is the lost woman who also endured the loss of many friends as she is torn between the two ideals of Erik and Charles as she would also be ultimately responsible for the Sentinels program to come ahead and set the wave for the end of mutants.

The antagonist in Bolivar Trask isn’t really a villain but someone who wants to ensure peace in the world as he admires mutants but also fears them as he would create the Sentinels in the hope that it would save the human race. Yet, he would be unaware of what his creation would do as his impending death would only mean more trouble which adds to the dramatic stakes of the film. Wolverine becomes a much more prominent character in the film as he is someone that does carry a lot of emotional baggage as he understands what the younger Xavier, Erik, and Raven are going through. Just as Xavier had helped guide him when he was lost, Wolverine realizes he must do the same thing to the younger Xavier who had lost so much hope over everything as Wolverine has to remind him of an even bleaker future where the young Xavier would meet his older version as the latter needs him to hope again. It would prompt Xavier to reach out to Raven and Erik in the third act to tell them what is at stake in this very spectacular climax.

Bryan Singer’s direction is very sprawling in terms of not just the set pieces and different time periods that is presented. It’s also a film where it is about the stakes of a small number of mutants trying to survive this dystopian and apocalyptic world. Much of the direction has Singer not only use a lot of wide shots to display the look of a bleak world where the X-Men are in China awaiting for the last stand against the Sentinels. There’s also some unique medium shots where the characters are placed in the frame while Kitty is sitting in a chair as she is taking Wolverine back in time through his consciousness. Singer’s direction for the scenes set in 1973 has a mixture of different aspect ratios and footage as it plays to a place in time where things are less complicated but it’s in a world that is on the brink of Armageddon.

While Singer would inject some humors such as a very powerful sequence where Xavier, the young Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult), and Wolverine help Leshnerr break out of prison with the help of a mutant known as Quicksilver (Evan Peters). It is still an action-suspense film where it takes place in various locations such as the U.S., France, China, and other places as it is a very worldly film where a lot is happening. Some of it would involve the fallout over the Vietnam War as well as this climax in Washington, D.C. where Xavier, Beast, and Logan have to stop Raven and Magneto in their separate pursuits to kill which is also showcase in parallel to the final battle between the X-Men and the Sentinels in the future. Overall, Singer crafts a very spectacular and engrossing film about a group of mutants trying to band together to stop their own extinction from happening.

Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel does incredible work with the film‘s cinematography from the bleak look of fortress where the X-Men makes their last stand with its low-key lights to the more vibrant and colorful look of the scenes in 1973. Editor/music composer John Ottman does fantastic work with the editing with its stylistic approach to rhythmic cutting to play into the action and suspense while his music score is filled with some bombastic orchestral arrangements to play into suspense and drama while the soundtrack features songs from Roberta Flack, Jim Croce, and other artists from the 70s. Production designer John Myhre, with set decorator Gordon Sim and supervising art director Michele Laliberte, does amazing work with the set pieces from the Chinese fortress where the X-Men make their last stand to the prison that Magneto lived in as well as the school that Xavier used to run as it becomes a place of ruins.

Costume designer Louise Mingenbach does wonderful work with the costumes from the 70s clothing the characters wear in the 1970s sequence to the leather-uniform of the X-Men as they make their final stand. Visual effects supervisor Richard Stammers does brilliant work with the visual effects from the design of the Sentinels to the look of the dystopian world where the X-Men are at. Sound designers Craig Berkey, Warren Hendricks, and Chuck Michael, with co-sound editor John A. Larsen, do superb work with the sound from the way the Sentinels sound when they use their weapons to the layers of sound effects that occur in the action sequences.

The casting by Roger Mussenden is great for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable small appearances from Lucas Till as Havok, Josh Helman as a young William Stryker, Mark Camacho as President Richard Nixon, and Michael Lerner as a senator concerned about the Sentinels program. Other noteworthy performances that are major standouts include Omar Sy as Bishop, Fan Bingbing as Blink, Daniel Cudmore as Colossus, Shawn Ashmore as Bobby/Ice Man, Adan Canto as Sunspot, Booboo Stewart as Warpath, and Halle Berry in a terrific performance as Storm as she helps lead the other mutants for the final stand. Evan Peters is fantastic as Quicksilver as a mutant who is known for his speed as helps out Wolverine, Hank, and Xavier retrieve Magneto while Nicholas Hoult is superb as the young Hank McCoy/Beast who watches the young Xavier while using his powers when he needed as he would often spar with Magneto.

Ellen Page is excellent as Kitty Pryde as the mutant who can walk and run through objects while having the ability to put mutants back in time through their consciousness as she deals with what she had to do. Peter Dinklage is pretty good as Bolivar Trask though his character is a bit underwritten as he’s not a full-fledge villain but one that is just simply afraid of mutants but also has admiration for them. Jennifer Lawrence is wonderful as Raven Darkholme/Mystique as a former companion of Xavier and Leshnerr who is torn between their respective ideals while eager to assassinate Trask unaware of what she will do and what will happen to her. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan are amazing in their respective roles as the older Xavier and Magneto as two men who try to maintain their survival while displaying their own regret over the schism that tore them apart.

Michael Fassbender is brilliant as the young Magneto as a man who still filled with a lot of rage and frustration as he wants to wipe out the human race over not trusting the mutants while also wanting to kill Raven in an attempt to stop the future from happening. James McAvoy is incredible as the young Xavier as a young man ravaged by grief and bitterness as he refuses to see what lays ahead for him as he realizes the fears he has to face in order to save the world. Finally, there’s Hugh Jackman in a remarkable performance as Logan/Wolverine as the mutant who can attack with his metallic claws and heal pretty fast as he is sent back in time to convince Xavier and Magneto to come together while being aware that he’s the last person that can convince them considering the emotional baggage that he carries.

X-Men: Days of Future Past is a phenomenal film from Bryan Singer. Thanks to its ensemble cast, unique concept, and sprawling visuals, it’s a film that has all of the tropes of a blockbuster film while also being a film that is smart and not wanting to take itself too seriously despite its grim tone. It’s also a film that manages to stand on its own in comparison to films of the franchise where it shows some clips from previous films but also allows enough ideas into what to expect from the characters and such. In the end, X-Men: Days of Future Past is a sensational film from Bryan Singer.

X-Men Films: X-Men - X2: X-Men United - X-Men III: The Last Stand - X-Men Origins: Wolverine - X-Men: First Class - The Wolverine - X-Men: Apocalypse - Logan (2017 film) - Deadpool 2 – (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) - (New Mutants)

© thevoid99 2014

X-Men 3: The Last Stand

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 5/28/06 w/ Extensive Re-Edits & Revisions.

When the X-Men comic books finally became feature films in 2000 with director Bryan Singer in the helm. The response at first was mixed but positive since it brought new fans a nice introduction to the cast of the X-Men team while giving Australian actor Hugh Jackman a real breakthrough as Wolverine. In 2003, Singer reunited with most of the cast for the sequel called X2: X-Men United that not only received better reviews but spectacular box office numbers as fans praised the film for a stronger story, more characters, and better performances from the cast. What really shocked fans in the second film was the sacrificial death of one of the story's major characters in Jean Grey. Yet, when fans heard she would return as the Dark Phoenix, it was clear that the X-Men franchise was getting into better storylines.

Unfortunately, plans for the third film was becoming very troubled as the development for the story was troubling as Bryan Singer chose to leave the franchise with his team to work on the much-delayed Superman movie. Problems also occurred when Halle Berry chose to leave the franchise for her own attempt in stardom but after 2004's Catwoman got destroyed in the box office, she returned awaiting to see who would become the new director. After Layer Cake director Matthew Vaughn was signed on and then chose to leave, Rush Hour director Brett Ratner came into the helm where to some fans, it leaves a lot of worries but Ratner ensured that he wouldn't screw it up. With the focus on the Dark Phoenix plot and the war between the X-Men and Magneto's Brotherhood in the story, X-Men 3: The Last Stand is well underway.

With a screenplay by Zak Penn and Simon Kinberg with Brett Ratner as director, X-Men 3: The Last Stand revolves around a vaccine that cures the mutation gene which gives mutants the chance to be cured. While neither Magneto or his former friend Charles Xavier are fond of the cure, it only increases Magneto's hatred for humans even more as he declares a war against them. Making things worse for the X-Men team is the re-discovery of Jean Grey's body that has evolved into something far worse as she becomes the Dark Phoenix who joins the Brotherhood. With the X-Men short on allies, it's up to Xavier, Logan, Storm, and company to save the humans and make a stand against the Brotherhood.

Returning from the previous parts of the franchise are Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, James Marsden, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Daniel Cudmore, Ian McKellen, Aaron Stanford, and Rebecca Romijn. Joining the new cast are Ben Foster, Kelsey Grammer, Ellen Page, Shoreh Aghdashloo, Olivia Williams, Josef Sommers, Dania Ramirez, Vinnie Jones, and Cameron Bright. X-Men 3: The Last Stand has its moments but is a very un-compelling, messy film.

A new U.S. President (Josef Sommers) has maintained peace with mutants by being open to their cause with from its Secretary of Affairs in Hank McCoy/Beast (Kelsey Grammer).  When news about a cure for the mutant gene developed by Warren Worthington II (Michael Murphy), McCoy is worried as he turns to his old mentor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) about the cure and its source in a young mutant named Jimmy (Cameron Bright).  Xavier worries that it will give his old friend Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto (Ian McKellan) more reasons to fight as his comrade Mystique (Rebecca Romijn) has been captured.  With Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Storm (Halle Berry) helping to train young mutants for combat, both are unsure if their pupils are ready with Scott Summers/Cyclops (James Marsden) still in mourning over the death of Jean Grey (Famke Janssen).

With news of the cure reaching Xavier's school, mixed feelings arrive among everyone though Rogue (Anna Paquin) sees it as a good thing as she isn't fond of her powers.  Even as her boyfriend Bobby/Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) has been taking interest towards Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat (Ellen Page).  Magneto meanwhile, uses the news of the cure as a rallying cry to forge the Brotherhood with help from his new protege Pyro (Aaron Stanford) and other new mutants in Callisto (Dania Ramirez) as they help retrieve Mystique along with a couple of mutants in Multiple Man (Eric Dane) and Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones).  When Scott goes to Alkali Lake where Jean has reappeared as Xavier senses Jean only to realize something is right.  Logan learns that Xavier used psychic blocks to prevent a dark personality in Jean in order to protect her as Logan's feelings for her lead to an escape.

With Magneto realizing that Jean is alive and more powerful, he tries to get her to his side as Xavier pleads to not to let her dark side control her while Logan and Storm try to fight off Magneto's Brotherhood.  Following a devastating loss and pondering what to do, Logan tries to find the Brotherhood and what Magneto is up to while Warren Worthington's mutant son Warren III (Ben Foster) joins the school as he helps out.  After returning from Magneto's secret base and learning his plans, Logan, Storm, and Hank along with younger, trained mutants decide to fight Magneto and his Brotherhood and the more dangerous Jean who is now Phoenix.

When the X-Men franchise was in the hands of Bryan Singer and his team, it allowed Singer to get a chance to develop the characters and create something that was more than a typical blockbuster action film.  Singer's departure along with his team changes things as the franchise goes into the hand of a much more commercial filmmaker in Brett Ratner.  While Ratner does have a good ear for humor and knows how to get the ball rolling.  The problem is that he along with screenwriters Zak Penn and Simon Kinberg cram too many ideas, storylines, and exposition into a film that becomes very messy.  The script doesn't allow the audience to figure out what's going on or to slow the story down.  Even as there's too many characters to follow where things needed to be simplified or have some of central figure to follow.

Ratner's direction does have a few excellent moments such as the training scene as well as some intimate scenes at Xavier's school.  For the rest of the film, it seems uninspiring and overblown at times.  The action scenes move a little too fast while the dramatic moments comes across as cheesy and unnecessary.  While Ratner does try to put some humor in scenes where he gets one notable humorous action moment right, the rest of it doesn't seem to work.  A lot of the big action moments don't feel very natural as the overall film is an excessive mess that doesn't stretch itself or simplify things for its audience. 

Cinematographer Dante Spinotti does an OK job with the photography though at times, he goes overboard with visual flair and digital coloring that makes the film seem unnatural in its look. Production designer Ed Verraux does excellent work in creating the look of the school and the meeting of the Brotherhood through its forests where most of it is shot in Vancouver. Visual effects supervisor John Bruno and team do great work on the visual effects, notably the final battle sequence and Magneto's movement of the Golden Gate Bridge. Sound designer Craig Henighan also does excellent work on the sound while editors Mark Goldblatt, Mark Helfrich, and Julia Wong do a decent job in the cutting work in giving the story some speed although the fast cuts tend to lose sight on the story.

Costume designer Judianna Makovsky does great work on the costumes while giving the X-Men suits a new look of sorts while make-up supervisor Rosalina Da Silva and her team do great work on the makeup, particularly for the character of Beast. John Powell also does good bombastic work on the film's score that plays up to the intensity of the action as well as the dramatic moments of the film.

The film's cast features some great, small performances from Anthony Heald as an interrogator, Haley Ramm as the young Jean Grey, Cayden Boyd as the young Warren III, and the cameos of Stan Lee, Olivia Williams as an associate of Xavier, and the voice of R. Lee Emrey. Bill Duke as General Trask and Josef Sommers as the President are decent in their brief roles while Oscar nominee Shoreh Aghdashloo as Dr. Rao is sorted of wasted in a thankless role. Michael Murphy is also good while Ben Foster is OK as Angel though he doesn't get much to do. Omahyra and Eric Dane are memorable in their role as Brotherhood mutants while Daniel Cudmore is somewhat wasted as Colossus since he only gets one line in the film. Rebecca Romijn is also wasted as Mystique since by the first 20-30 minutes, she's gone which is a shame to a very enjoyable character that only Romijn could do. Cameron Bright is terrible as Jimmy as he spends most of the film giving the creepy gaze that he's always done in a lot of his performances.

Dania Ramirez is awful as Callisto as she tries to be all tough when it doesn't really work as her dialogue delivery is very amateurish.  James Marsden's role as Cyclops is also brief as only becomes a plot device in the part of Jean Grey's evolution as Phoenix. Of all the newcomers to join the film, Ellen Page, in her brief moments, is a real standout in the role of Kitty Pryde as she reveals all the insecurities and attitude in what it takes to be a mutant of power.  Shawn Ashmore also stands out as Iceman as he develops from a character who finally gets to use the full potential of his powers for the use of good as he has a great scene with Aaron Stanford. Stanford really shines as Magneto's new right-hand man who apparently still has a lot to learn about morals in his scenes with Ian McKellan. Vinnie Jones is another big standout in the role of the Juggernaut as he has some great, hilarious one-liners and some cool moments where he quotes, "I'm the Juggernaut bitch!"

Of all the new actors to join the series, Kelsey Grammer is very good combining his intellectual wit that he brought from Frasier to the role of Beast. Grammer brings full advantage of a mutant who understands both prejudice and intolerance while he got to do some amazing fight scenes as well. Anna Paquin, unfortunately, despite her efforts couldn't make Rogue into a strong character that was expected from the comic book fans. Paquin is forced to act frustrated and lonely as she ends up being really wasted after having a flawed if strong performance in the first film. Ian McKellan is great, as usual, in the role of the villainous Magneto whose fury upon the humans reveals his prejudice and how blind he's become from the person he was early in the film's first few minutes in a flashback scene. Patrick Stewart is also great as the more tolerant Charles Xavier whose fear of Jean’s full powers show that he's a flawed man trying to do what is right for everyone including his students.

Famke Janssen delivers a good as Jean Grey/Phoenix as a woman whose emotional and mental disability clashes with the woman that fans knew in the previous film and the dark, maniacal Phoenix. Janssen reveals the troubles of the character full-on as it's a woman we all know we don't want to mess with but have pity for. Halle Berry is good as Storm can do and delivers a kick-ass performance by flying, shooting out lightning, and doing all sorts of stuff though her dramatic moments are weak due to the script's shortcomings. The franchise's breakout star Hugh Jackman is good though not great as Wolverine as he does what he's expected to do though he's not really given the chance to be more out there as it's a step-down from the more developed role he had in the previous film.

Despite some decent moments and some performances, X-Men 3:  The Last Stand is a very disappointing film in the X-Men franchise.  Blame should go to Brett Ratner for just trying to do too much and give people what they want except giving them a cohesive story and a central story to focus on.  It's no doubt it's the weakest of the first three films though it's not the worst film of the X-Men franchise which goes to the debacle that was the prequel X-Men Origins:  Wolverine.  It's a film that does have some entertaining moments but not enough to satisfy its fans who enjoyed the previous films as X-Men 3:  The Last Stand is a full-blown mess. 

X-Men Films: X-Men - X2: X-Men United - X-Men Origins: Wolverine - X-Men: First Class - The Wolverine - X-Men: Days of Future Past - X-Men: Apocalypse - Logan (2017 film) - Deadpool 2 – (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) - (New Mutants)

© thevoid99 2011

X2: X-Men United

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 8/12/04 w/ Extensive Revision.

When the first X-Men film arrived in 2000, it was a hit in the box office as director Bryan Singer helped create a wave of comic-book superhero films that was followed by Sam Raimi's 2002 film Spider-Man. Realizing that a franchise could be made with the X-Men series, Singer went ahead to create a sequel that would improve some of the shortcomings of the first film but also broaden the story more. The result would be 2003's X2: X-Men United.

X2: X-Men United picks up where the first one was left as the story centers around Wolverine who is trying to find clues of his past and his transformation into becoming a mutant. At the same time, a failed assassination on the U.S. president by a mutant makes those in the X-Men team suspicious as they interrogate their nemesis Magneto while being in pursuit from an army colonel. Based on the comic book with the screen story co-written with director Singer before turning into a script by David Hayter, Dan Harris, and Michael Dougherty, X2 is a film that allows the X-Men series to go into bigger ideas along with themes of prejudice and chaos. With a cast that includes those from first film like Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Halle Berry, James Marsden, Anna Paquin, Famke Janssen, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Bruce Davison, and Shawn Ashmore with new actors to the franchise, Brian Cox, Kelly Hu, Alan Cumming, Cotter Smith, and Aaron Stanford. X2: X-Men United is one of the smartest and entertaining of Hollywood blockbusters.

Despite the repeal the Mutant Registration Act that was led by one of its original supporters in Senator Kelly (Bruce Davison), a teleporting mutant named Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner (Alan Cumming) has made an attempted assassination on President McKenna (Cotter Smith). With suspicions arising that the attack was orchestrated by Magneto/Erik Lehnsherr (Ian McKellan) who is currently in a special prison. McKenna asks Col. William Stryker (Brian Cox) to investigate as Senator Kelly makes a visit asking about Lehnsherr's whereabouts. Meanwhile, Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Storm (Halle Berry), Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), and Scott Summers (James Marsden) learn about the president's attack during a field trip with students as Xavier looks for Wagner's whereabouts. Logan/Wolverine returns to Xavier's school following a failed search for a base at Alkali Lake as he asks Xavier for help to search for lost memories. Xavier reluctantly refuses as he asks Logan to watch over the students as he and the rest of the X-Men investigate the attack.

With Jean and Storm trying to find Wagner to asks questions as it's revealed that he doesn't know what he's done. Xavier and Scott go to the compound to meet with Magneto. Magneto is under the influence of a drug as he reveals to Xavier he gave some information to Stryker leading to a trap as Xavier and Scott are captured by Stryker's assistant Yuriko Oyama/Lady Deathstrike (Kelly Hu). Back at Xavier's mansion, a raid led by Stryker happens as Logan helps many of the students escape only to be met with Stryker who knew Logan from many years ago. Haunted by Stryker's presence, he is saved by Rogue (Anna Paquin) and Bobby Drake/Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) to escape with their friend Pyro (Aaron Stanford) where they hide out at the home of Bobby's family.

At Stryker's secret hiding facilities, Xavier learns what Stryker is up to as he is forced to be under the control of Stryker's son Jason (Michael Reid McKay) who gets into Xavier's mind. After finding a device in a car that belonged to Scott, Logan makes contact with Jean and Storm as cops surround Bobby's family home after a call from Bobby's younger brother leading to Pyro to attack the cops that is stopped by Rogue. When Jean and Storm arrive with the X-Jet that includes Wagner, they try to evade the air force as they're eventually saved by the escaped Magneto and his henchwoman Mystique (Rebecca Romijn). Realizing what Stryker is up to, the X-Men realize they have to work with Magneto and Mystique in order to stop Stryker while Logan learns about what happened to him years ago in Stryker's hands. With the X-Men retrieving the students that were captured and trying to stop Stryker, one of them makes the ultimate sacrifice.

While the plot formula is similar to the likes of Spider-Man and other comic book stories, what sets X-Men apart is the fact that the X-Men are reluctant superheroes and in the second one, their reluctance is challenged more than ever. The story in the second one is far more superior, especially with the storyline of Wolverine trying to find his past that is the key story that moves the story. It allows that character to be more fragile as he yearns for the company of the X-Men and students that gives him a reason to fight. There's also more development in the characters along with themes of faith that is carried by Wagner who develops a relationship based on faith with Storm. The credit really should go to director Bryan Singer for tightening up the film's story and his eye-wielding direction that is crafty with fast camera angles and intense action and dramatic moments.

With cinematographer Thomas Newton Siegel, the film has this amazing, cold look in many of the scenes while its complemented with the work of production designer Guy H. Dyas, who helps brings an eerie, bleak look in many of the film's dark scenes in the Alkali Lake sequences. Helping with the film's spectacular visuals are the visual effects from supervisor Michael Fink who helps bring in intense, wondrous effects, notably for the Nightcrawler and Mystique characters who often do a lot of teleporting or in Mystique's case, change into other characters. With a film score by John Ottman, who also serves as an editor, the film plays up to what a comic-book action movie should be in style and substance as the score just helps move with the story and scenes.

Then you have the film's wonderful ensemble cast that includes some wonderful small performances from Bruce Davison, Cotter Smith, and Daniel Cudmore as Colossus who shines in the school raid scene with his powers while Ty Olsson stands out in his role as Magneto's prison guard Laurio is excellent, especially in a scene that involves him making with Rebecca Romijn-Stamos. Though Anna Paquin had a bigger role as Rogue in the first film, her role is cut down a bit though Rogue in this film seems a bit more comfortable despite her powers while she has nice scenes with Shawn Ashmore's Iceman, who really gets more time than the first since he's having trouble dealing with being a mutant while is the only person who uses his powers for good. Aaron Stanford is a bit more of the conflicted character as Pyro who seems cocky for his fiery power and when he meets with Magneto, you see how easily he can be seduced with power.

Rebecca Romijn does an excellent job as Mystique by just projecting a lot of movement and spark into her performance while Kelly Hu is excellent as the villainous Yuriko with her own powers despite rarely having any dialogue when she uses actions rather than words, notably in her fight scene with Wolverine. James Marsden is excellent in his role, despite not being scene for an hour in the film, as the more disciplined Cyclops who still has some tension with Wolverine, even for the affections of Dr. Jean Grey. Famke Janssen is really amazing in her more difficult role as Grey since she has trouble with her telepathy and her feelings over Wolverine while she becomes more and more reluctant about her own powers. Halle Berry meanwhile, is very good in her performance as Storm, especially by getting rid of a classy accent in the first film, where she has really wonderful scenes with Alan Cumming's Nightcrawler. Cumming is a notably standout as he is thought of a villain at first but then he comes out as a character of morality and goodwill, including in the jet crash scene where he risks his own life to save someone. Cumming brought a depth and conscious that is rarely seen in an action film.

Then you have four of the film's greatest performances starting off with the always-amazing Brian Cox as William Stryker. Cox brings a demeaning charm and intelligence to a villain who isn't just hell bent on destroying mutants but in his scenes with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, we see how far he'll go to destroy Wolverine's mind. Cox is devious and just a great villain who isn't a stereotypical villain but one that is enjoyable and hateful at the same time. Ian McKellan is another enjoyable villain but in X2, he kind of plays a good guy for a bit since he knows that mutants are in trouble and wants to help battle Stryker despite his own intentions for humans. McKellan brings a sly wit and charisma that is seductive even though he's a villain but one that is smart and cares for his group of people.

Patrick Stewart is also amazing in his classy performance as Professor X as he tries to find clues to the president's assassination attempt while trying not to be manipulated by Stryker's methods as he himself, becomes reluctant in trying to help Wolverine. Hugh Jackman is the easily the film's star and his performance in X2 outdoes the first as he displays more dramatic textures with a balance of action. Jackman brings humanity to Wolverine who tries to find clues to his past and when he does, we see how anguished and troubled he's become where he is forced to accept the role he will take part in.

X2: X-Men United is a fantastic film from Bryan Singer and definitely the best film of the X-Men franchise so far. Featuring a great ensemble cast and amazing technical work, it's a film that surpasses the first film in terms of a stronger story and a broader vision. Fans of the franchise will no doubt see this as the best of the film as it has more action and more engaging characters for them to relate to. In the end, X2: X-Men United is a fantastic film from Bryan Singer.

Bryan Singer Films: (The Usual Suspects) - (Apt. Pupil) - X-Men - (Superman Returns) - (Valkyrie) - (Jack the Giant Slayer) - X-Men: Days of Future Past - X-Men Apocalypse - (Bohemian Rhapsody)

X-Men Films: X-Men III: The Last Stand - X-Men Origins: Wolverine - X-Men: First Class - The Wolverine - Logan (2017 film) - Deadpool 2 – (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) - (New Mutants)

© thevoid99 2011