Let me get this out of the way first...
I wanna have sex with Mystique. A lot. Not Rebbecca Romijn, but Mystique. Blue skin and everything. I just love her attitude, style, body...the whole package. X2 gave her a much bigger role, and for that I'm thankful. The scene where she kicks the shit out of ten guys, then slides backward out of the room under a closing door (ala Indiana Jones) while giving them the finger was the best scene in the whole film. That is my kinda girl. 😀
That being said, and now that I've utterly destroyed my movie-critic credibility...
I loved this film from the opening scene to the end credits. It's a rare superior sequel, much better than the first. The addition of Nightcrawler was a stroke of beauty, and the way his teleporting ability was created was incredible to watch.
Every time you think that the huge special-effects scene or battle sequence was perfect, another one came along that topped it. And it never became too much, like the way-too-busy Battle of Geonosis in "Attack of the Clones". The characters were much more developed on a personal level, and the story itself was better written than I thought it was going to be. Magneto's ingenious escape from his plastic prison was great, showing how ruthless he can really be, not to mention showing his true awesome power.
Cyclops was under-used, however, and to me became more of a back-player in the whole story. I also would like to have seen more of Colossus, but there's always the next one.
The whole feel of this film was above and beyond the first. It ranks right up there with Spider-Man as the best a comic-book movie can be.
I won't give it away to those who have yet to see this fine film, but the ending took me completely by surprise! I never saw it coming. I wonder if it's a permanent thing, however. I actually hope it is, as it would give the whole story more meaning and impact.
This is the best time I've had at the movies in several tries, so I suggest shelling out the 10 bucks and enjoying this film.