X2: X-Men United nailed the X-formula better than any other X-movie
For nearly two decades, 20th Century Fox produced X-Men films with a pretty simple formula. Each movie had a dual marquee plotline: one that was a grander, blockbuster-friendly event (and often a comic book adaptation), and one that provided a more personal emotional arc for a character. Sometimes they intersected in serviceable ways: The first film’s personal arc belongs to the runaway Rogue (Anna Paquin), who is horrified by her mutant powers, while Magneto (Ian McKellen), representing the other end of the spectrum,…