Customer Reviews

X-Men 2

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well, I don't know how this compares to the first X-Men movie novelization (because I was afraid to read it, after having seen the movie), but this one was written quite well. I can't say that I am terribly surprised by that fact, since it was written by the father of good X-Men stories, Chris Claremont, but I thought that the fact that it was supposed to be a movie would butcher it. However, I have my doubts that most of this will translate well over to the big screen. If the actors pull off the acting half as well as they should, Hugh Jackman and Famke Janssen will both get Oscars.

The characters grew and developed, seemed real and were three-dimensional. I actually cared about them in this book, as opposed to the first movie where I had the ignomious urge to see Wolverine get hurt just to watch the wounds heal up. (When people watch your movie just for a gimmicky special effect, you should rethink your script). Hopefully Stryker is cast well, because his is a key role. John Malkovich might do a good job in the role.

Anyway, pick up the book, its good. Read it after the movie though, that way you will get the most from both.

Harkius

If the movie brings across most of this as well as the book, it'll be far better than Spider-Man.

It was a relief to see our heroes more in character than in X-1. Logan (Wolverine) isn't exactly a white knight; we see more of his feral, berserker nature, his immense capacity for violence, and his private rationalizations. He ends up searching for his humanity more than his past. That's much more consistent with the complex Wolvie we love.

Jean Grey is troubled-by power quickly growing out of control and an attraction for Wolverine balanced precariously by her love for Scott Summers (Cyclops). (Dare I hope this is leading up to aspects of the Phoenix saga in X-3?) Thankfully, we see more of what she sees in both Logan and Scott and get a glimpse of her past. As a side note, I never thought the Jean Grey of the first movie could take Scot on and win. This isn't the same Jean.

Then there's Xavier, entirely benign in X-1 but a force to be reckoned with in this one-stopping whole rooms of people in their tracks, threatening the lives of all mutants and all humans in turn, and managing secrets like a master. As for Storm, I'm not exactly sure what Halle Berry is complaining about; Storm gets into almost every essential conflict in the story and uses her ability constantly. She may stay mostly static, but that's not exactly out of character and the personality is still better than in X-1.

Scott is out of commission for much of the story. Still, the authors added in missing tidbits from his orphanage past and relationship with Jean that, regretfully, will probably never make it into the movies. Overall, Scott comes off as more patient and gentle than in X-1, though a fiercer and more dangerous opponent. (Did anyone mention his contribution to wreaking havoc on the guts of a dam?)

As for the villains, they're both sick beyond belief. Of the two, though, Magneto was worse. Stryker just wants to kill all of mutant kind; Magneto is going to kill everyone else and his oldest friend. Magneto's treatment in his plastic prison isn't much different, in ways, from his concentration camp past and has forged him into a relentless, merciless, malevolent certainty. Even in prison, he has his own plans and manipulates those who think they're using him. His final betrayal earned my respect but squelched any possible sympathy for him. Mystique, meanwhile, is a vital and more than effective partner. (She's vital in Magneto's planning and the larger story.) Then there's William Stryker, linked to both Wolverine and Xavier and the self-appointed author and finisher of the proposed destruction of all mutants, himself father to one of the most dangerous mutants of all. (Based on Mesmero?) I'll take villains like these over high-powered non-entities like Juggernaut or Apocalypse anytime.

Other small blessings: I had nightmares of Nightcrawler being a willing participant in the assassination attempt on President McKenna (also depicted, thankfully, with some discretion). But he is merely a pawn; the real powers have ways of insuring their subjects' obedience. Kurt Wagner remains a lovable, innocent, gentle, humorous, irrepressible demon. And it's fun to watch a friendship and affection forming between him and Storm.

And then there are the kids; strained relations between Bobby Drake (Iceman) and John Allerdyce (Pyro) are blowing up, and Bobby's burgeoning romance with Rogue is delightful. Growing up and living as a high-powered mutant shouldn't have to be this hard. Rogue has her own role to play, but not much character development. Other characters flit through the book: Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat), Jubilee, Hank McCoy (Beast), Remy Lebeau (Gambit), Piotr Rasputin (Colossus), Teresa Cassidy (Siryn), and others. Some get more time than others.

Plot wise, things are complex but pretty tight. Nightcrawler's assassination attempt unleashes a storm of trouble centering (for good but initially unexplained reasons) around the X-Men. Too many people know too much about them, and both Stryker and Magneto recognize Xavier as the key to victory. Stryker raids the school (not entirely prepared for Wolverine or the training of Xavier's students) and later captures Xavier and Scott. Magneto escapes. Jean and Storm track down the mysterious mutant would-be assassin. Setting the stage for a five-way showdown between ordinary Americans, Stryker, Magneto, the X-Men, and other X-Men. Wolverine chooses between his past and the present. Jean decides between her two men, meets personal tragedy, and finds untapped reserves of strength to carry everyone through. Magneto, as always, has his own plans. Storm and Nightcrawler just have to save the world. Rogue and Bobby search for a place in the world outside Xavier's that is no longer there. And young John Allerdyce decides where his loyalties lie.

A few cautions: We still haven't really seen Storm's claustrophobia. And there's some junk at the end; the authors spent lots of time on the final battle for Xavier but the development of that conflict didn't make much sense. We'll see how the movie manages this scene. But the biggest and most important question is why Stryker raids the school. Then, too, I'd like more clarity on why Jean chooses the way she does...

The book is a real surprise and i know it will be that way to whoever reads it including the X-men fans. The plot is far better than the previous story. It is more intense and action filled.
The villians are more evil than Magneto was in the first story. It has a lot of surprises and gives a sense that people can be together no matter who or what they are.
I enjoyed it a lot and i hope that whoever reads the book after me will come to the same conclusion or at least acknowledge that it was the best X-men story so far that has been written. The book is 408 pages long and I hope people don't complain about its lenght.

It was genius to get Chris Claremont, the writer who deserves most of the credit for making the X-Men the popular characters they are today, to write the novelization of the second "X-Men" movie. I read this book after having seen the movie, and overall, it did what a good novelization is supposed to do -- fill in the blanks.

Claremont clearly still has a grasp of these characters, even the ones whose portrayals aren't 100 percent consistent with the characters he developed (and in some cases created) for the comic books. He weaves in and out of the heads of most of the major players at one point or another and uses interior dialogue or expanded or added scenes to fill in several of the holes left after a viewing of the movie.

My one criticism has to come in at the ending. It's fairly common for a movie to take liberties when adapting a novel. It's quite different to see a novelization take this kind of liberty with a movie -- the endings of the two are completely different. Like someone forgot to give Claremont the last few pages of the script different. Without spoiling either ending, the "big thing" that happens at the end of the film (setting up the third film quite nicely) doesn't happen in this book at all, and in fact, the character in question suffers quite a different fate. I can only assume 20th Century Fox decided to change the ending after Claremont already turned in his final draft of the novel. The film still holds up well, but once the third movie comes out, as a series of novels, this won't jive at all.

I remember going into borders looking for a good read. the x-men movie had recently been put into theaters, and I wanted to go see it but my parents really weren't interested so I knew I wasn't going to see it any time soon. I was combing the sci-fi section when I saw it. I really wanted it. I couldn't see the movie, so I would read the book.
I was through it in two days ( it's not short so you know, i just read fast) it was gripping, and I couldn't put it down. I found myself wanting to know what happened next.
it's about how Stryker (the man who made Wolverine who he is) kidnaps the professor and steals cerebro, so he can kill every mutant in the world.
Claremont is able to describe the character's emotions perfectly. He manages to tell exactly what is going through the character's mind excellently.
And there is more to come, Claremont is also writing the 3rd X-men book for the movie. I can't wait, it comes out on May 26, so preorder.
So if you liked the movie and want it in book form, get this. Or if you haven't seen the movie but want to, get this. It won't do you wrong.

I'm a really big movie fan and because I also love to read, I love to read movie novelizations. If a novelization is written well, it's such a pleasure to read more about your favorite movie characters, how the were feeling during certain parts of the movie, plus get to find out lots of extra trivia. And I must say, "X-Men 2" was written exceptionally well!

"X-Men: A Novelization" is a novelization from the 2000 action packed movies starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellan. Genetic mutants are very real in the 'not too distant future'. Made outcasts from societies, these mutants are rejected, feared, and hated for their superhuman powers. Some mutants want to strike out against mankind, these mutants being led by the powerful Magneto. But then again, there are some mutants who uses their special abilities for the greater. They battle against prejudice and agents of intolerance to save mankind, these mutants are the X-Men. But now there is a new enemy whose cunning and evil plan may lead to the destruction of all mutants and until the enemy is stopped, no one is safe...

First off I would like to say that I've never been an X-Men fan, never even have read any of the comics. It was only recently that I saw the movie "X-Men", read the first X-Men novelization, then saw "X-2". I found the movies a totally must-see experience! So naturally I wanted to pick up the novelization. A great read I must say!

Compared to the first movie novelization by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, "X-Men 2" was written with a better style. Instead of focusing on just one main character, Chris Claremont delves into each and every character, from the main X-men characters to the small characters of the soldiers or police involved. The action is put into words with great care, neither hunkering it down with too many details nor shortening the action into boring little incidents.

The only major problem with this book is the ending which I'm sure other reviewers have mentioned. What exactly had happened? It's totally different from the movie! My only question is, what's going to happen when X-3 comes out, which it inevitably will. Since the movie and book endings are different, how is the X-3 movie novelization going to turn out.

Overall, I can highly recommend this book for all "X-Men" or "X-Men 2" movie fans. I'm not sure if "X-Men" comics fans might enjoy this, since I don't know if the characters are very different from the comics. The movie was rated PG-13 so I guess this book is more for older teens and adults because of some swearing, violence, and sexual innuendos.

It was genius to get Chris Claremont, the writer who deserves most of the credit for making the X-Men the popular characters they are today, to write the novelization of the second "X-Men" movie. I read this book after having seen the movie, and overall, it did what a good novelization is supposed to do -- fill in the blanks.

Claremont clearly still has a grasp of these characters, even the ones whose portrayals aren't 100 percent consistent with the characters he developed (and in some cases created) for the comic books. He weaves in and out of the heads of most of the major players at one point or another and uses interior dialogue or expanded or added scenes to fill in several of the holes left after a viewing of the movie.

My one criticism has to come in at the ending. It's fairly common for a movie to take liberties when adapting a novel. It's quite different to see a novelization take this kind of liberty with a movie -- the endings of the two are completely different. Like someone forgot to give Claremont the last few pages of the script different. Without spoiling either ending, the "big thing" that happens at the end of the film (setting up the third film quite nicely) doesn't happen in this book at all, and in fact, the character in question suffers quite a different fate. I can only assume 20th Century Fox decided to change the ending after Claremont already turned in his final draft of the novel. The film still holds up well, but once the third movie comes out, as a series of novels, this won't jive at all.

I liked this book mostly because of its length, but also because it simply was told in a good way. Not too fast, not too slow. (Well, occasionally it was too slow, but that happened very rarely.) The end differs a little from how the movie ends, though, which is pretty hard to comment. After all, this isn't the movie - this is a book. And so, it seems stupid to say it is bad because it differs from the film, since people reading this book might not have seen the film. But, let's face it: They are likely to have seen it. Still, I think this book does deserve a four - After all, the new ending was more of the kind of ending that I like than the one in the movie. And since it's 400 pages long, it's perfect for vacations. And other occasions, as well.

About the story: It's pretty nice, and introduces many new mutants. In fact, this book features mutants never shown in the film, giving you a nice feeling of reading deleted scenes from the film.

As an old school fan of comic books in general, and the X-universe in particular, this book was a kick. I'm usually leery of movie tie-ins, like anyone who grew up reading novelizations of certain popular films. Some are just fun, they stay true to the spirit of the source material and convey some details you might miss while watching it. Others... uuugh. They're like having the movie described for you by a lobotomy patient, and quite often, there are one or two scenes included that may have been in the screenplay, but didn't make it into the actual theatrical release. I bought this solely because Claremont wrote it. I've yet to be proven wrong that no one knows these characters like he does; he actually does take them from the realm of fiction and makes the reader feel these are living, breathing people. It's a relatively quick read, the action rocks right along, but most of the time it's pure fun. This is a return to great form for this writer and it makes you want to see more new material from him.

I normally hate novelizations, but after seeing the movie (which i loved) i decided to try the novelization. I was happy to see that it had more than 150 pages, as most novelizations do. It was a substantial book and well-written. I like detail and depth and claremont does a great job in that area.
Now, for some reason, the endings don't match up. I suppose Singer made a change, and for the better i think. The movie ending creates more of a teaser for the (hopefully) next movie. The book ending was a bit boring and didn't really lead anywhere. But if you want to get another view of the characters and more insight into the movie, this book is a worthwhile buy