"X-Men"
director Bryan Singer was determined to make X2 much more than
a traditional sequel. Singer’s ambitions for the new film
came as no surprise to the studio or to the film’s producers;
his respect for the comics characters – the seriousness
and weight, as well as enormous fun, with which he approached
"X-Men" – had earned the respect of the multitudes
of loyal comics fans and millions of moviegoers new to the X-Men
universe.
Singer
played the genre for real, giving "X-Men" a three-dimensional
tone and style that served as a template for and inspired the
reemergence of films based on comics properties. "Bryan grew
to really love the X-Men characters and their universe, so there
was no question about him directing X2," says producer Lauren
Shuler Donner, who began developing the first "X-Men"
film nearly a decade ago. Echoes producer Ralph Winter: "Bryan
has great insight into what makes the series such a popular piece
of pop culture. And his ability to make these characters real
– like they live next door – even though they possess
incredible and sometimes dangerous powers, is pretty extraordinary."
For
X2, Singer would be painting on the huge canvas of big studio,
event moviemaking, enjoying a larger budget and longer shooting
schedule than was available for the first film. X2 also would
ramp up the action, effects, locations and stunts that had captivated
the comics enthusiasts and new fans.
Using
the formidable resources at his disposable and no longer constrained
by having to introduce the characters and their powers, Singer
wanted to delve deeper into the X-Men mythology, and into their
abilities and relationships. "X2 is not a sequel," he
notes. "It’s the next adventure in a saga –an
evolution from the first film. We not only follow up with the
principal characters from the first picture and their respective
journeys, we introduce a new generation of X-Men, as well as some
new villains.
"Like
any good comic book, the X-Men universe is designed to expand,"
Singer continues. "These stories can go on forever. This
continuation of the saga has provided me with an opportunity to
expand the storylines and the characters – and to have a
lot more fun. X2 is edgier, darker, funnier and more romantic
than its predecessor."
X2
continues to deal with the themes
of tolerance and fear of the unknown, which have
been part of the X-Men universe since Stan Lee created the comics
40 years ago. "It’s still about misfits, prejudice,
about being an outsider and not being understood," notes
Lauren Shuler Donner. Adds Bryan Singer, "The ‘X-Men’
films pose the questions that we all have: Am I alone in the world?
Why am I so different, and how am I going to fit in? These questions
are universal and timeless, particularly among adolescents. We’ve
all felt at times like mutants."
A
new theme in X2 is "unity," as the X-Men
join forces with a most unlikely ally to combat a new and very
human menace. As the story opens, mutants are continuing their
struggle with a society that fears and distrusts them. Their cause
becomes even more desperate following a shocking attack by an
unknown assailant possessing extraordinary abilities. All signs
point to the work of a mutant.
The
assault renews the political and public outcry for a Mutant Registration
Act. Leading the anti-mutant movement now is William Stryker,
a wealthy former Army commander and scientist who is rumored to
have experimented on mutants.
Stryker’s
mutant "work" is somehow tied to Wolverine’s mysterious
and forgotten past. As Wolverine searches for clues to his origin,
Stryker puts into motion his anti-mutant program beginning with
a full-scale military offensive on Xavier’s mansion and
School for the Gifted. Magneto, newly escaped from the plastic
prison he was incarcerated in at the end of "X-Men,"
proposes a partnership with the X-Men to combat their common and
formidable enemy, Stryker.
ON
TOLERANCE
A
difference of opinion alienates only little minds.
--PROVERB
Love
thy neighbor, even when he plays the trombone.
--JEWISH PROVERB
Tolerance
implies a respect for another person, not because he is wrong
or even because he is right, but because he is human.
--JOHN COGLEY (1916–1976)
Tolerance
is a tremendous virtue, but the immediate neighbors of tolerance
are apathy and weakness.
--SIR JAMES GOLDSMITH (1933– )
