X2 kicks off summer full of sequels

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A small movie a few years ago introduced the world to one of the biggest comic books of all time in motion picture form.

“X-Men” came to the silver screen with a silver spoon in its mouth, with a hot director and an all-star cast, to make the mutants from the comics come to vivid life.

X2: X-Men United

It also introduced to an unknown Aussie actor named Hugh Jackman to the world.

This year, “X2: X-Men United” comes to the silver screen with a golden spoon, with every cast member returning.

This time, the X-Men, Storm (Berry), Wolverine (Jackman), Cyclops (James Marsden), Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) must save the world again. This time, they are fighting off Gen. William Stryker (Brian Cox).

They’ve got help, though. It seems Magneto (McCellen) and Mystique (Romijn-Stamos) have crossed the line and become good mutants to help the X-Men find a hidden military compund where Stryker has made another Cerebo, a working replica of Professor X’s (Stewart) mutant tracking dome.

Stryker, however, has murder in mind. He wants all mutants on earth to be dead and kidnaps Prof. X to get the ball rolling.

The X-Men also welcome another mutant named Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming), a blue mutant who can teleport to and from anywhere he can see.

Mutants from the first movie, including Rogue (Anna Paquin), Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) and Pyro (Aaron Stanford) among countless others return with smaller impacts on the story, but were given a greenlight to bigger roles in forthcoming movies when Wolverine says, “they’re on order, they should be here in a few years,” referring to the X-suits and when the younger X-Men will get to wear theirs.

“X-2: X-Men United” is bigger and better than the first. Here’s how: The special effects are better. The actors are all more comfortable in their respective roles. Singer’s direction is tighter. The story moves quicker, even though it’s roughly 40 minutes longer than the first.

“X-2” kicks off a summer movie season full of sequels. If the others are as good as this one, we’re in for a great summer.