"nightcrawler"

2003 · Bryan Singer · 133 min · Action / Sci-Fi

X2: X-Men United is the rare sequel that improves on its predecessor in nearly every dimension. The Nightcrawler White House opening remains one of the finest action sequences in superhero film history, the alliance between Xavier's team and Magneto adds compelling dramatic tension, and Brian Cox's William Stryker gives the franchise its most effective human villain. An overcrowded cast means several characters get sidelined, and the climax trades some of the film's intelligence for convention, but X2 represents the X-Men franchise at its most confident and cohesive.