If we were to go back in time about 10 years or so to the early 1990's, we would find ourselves in the midst of tons of speculation regarding a potential X-Men film. Who should play which character was the subject of a lot of fan debates, but above all of that was the simple, overriding fact that it was just plain impossible to effectively realize the mutant powers on screen. Everyone wanted the film, but no one ever seriously thought they would get made (or if they did, that they'd be any good).

So it was with no small amount of surprise that Hollywood did, in fact, get a film made, but that they also produced something that was quite good. Yes, certain elements had changed to accomodate the new medium of film, but the changes didn't detract from the overall intent of the X-Men mythos.

And the debate raged again, this time about the sequel. Given the success of the first film, a follow up was inevitable, but could it be any good or was the first try a fluke?

Amazingly enough, X-2: X-Men United is not only a better film than the first (admittedly, only slightly), but unlike many sequels, it adds to the richness of the world created in the first X-Men. X-2 isn't weighed down by the necessity of the "origin story," where it must introduce all of the main characters and what they can do. Even though the first film handled the origins well, it still slowed the film down a bit. X-2 assumes we've seen the first film and it just dives right in. We're given some brief backstory on the new characters, but for the most part the film doesn't stop to wait for straggling audience members to catch up.

In the first film, a Mutant Registration Act was narrowly avoided. This act would have required all mutants to register themselves and their powers, similar to the way gun owners must register their weapons. Persumably, the registration was going to be used as a means to regulate and control the mutant, which begged the question of what exactly would be done to mutant children that the goverment felt were too dangerous.

X-2 opens with a sequence that is absolutely astonishing and perhaps one of the best displays of super powers yet put on screen. This sequence involves a mutant named Kurt Wagner (Alan Cumming), who sometimes goes by the name Nightcrawler, and an attack on the White House. Wagner is a blue mutant with a prehensile tale and the ability to teleport instantly. He has honed this ability to the point where he can use it in combat. When fighting, Wagner seems to be in many places all at once and by the time he's punched or kicked an opponent, he's already teleported away before they have a chance to react. Wagner seems on a mission to kill the President and only a lucky shot to the mutant's arm saves the day.

Following the attack, General William Stryker (Brian Cox), a man with a personal hatred for mutants, attempts to gain new support for the Registration Act. In fact, he wants to take it a step further and actually conduct raids on known mutant locations. His first target, Xavier's (Patrick Stewart) mutant school. He receives permission for his raid and promptly attacks the school, successfully capturing a handful of mutants before Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Rogue (Anna Paquin), Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) and Pyro (Aaron Stanford) assist most of the mutants in escaping.

Meanwhile, Magneto (Ian McKellen) is still imprisoned in his plastic shell and his most loyal henchman (henchwoman?) Mystique (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) is plotting a way to set him free. Magneto is still at odds with Xavier. The two still share a desire for mutant prosperity, but Magneto believes that this will only come if the mutants are willing to rise up against the humans. Mystique succeeds in smuggling some metal into Magneto (in a most interesting way, I might add), allowing him to escape his prison.

Stryker's attack on the school has scattered the X-Men, but not before they learn that Stryker has found a way to control the mutants. In fact, it was Stryker's drug that forced Kurt Wagner to attack the White House. Stryker's intent is nothing short of the complete irradication of all mutants and this new threat creates an uneasy alliance between Magneto and the X-Men.

The obvious parallel to the X-Men stories is that of racial prejudice, but there are other social themes tucked in here and there as well. For instance, one key scene features Bobby Drake, or Iceman, revealing his powers to his parents. This "coming out" scene very obviously mimics homosexuality. Yet even such blatant allegory isn't handled in a preaching or heavy-handed tone. Bobby's mother naively asks if her son can simply just stop being a mutant, a poingantly funny moment.

The film doesn't make the mistake of suggesting that there are easy answers to either the fictional prejudice in the film or the real life prejudice the film plays off of. Yes, the characters wish we could all just "get along," but wisely also shows that we can't -- at least not without a significant struggle.

This is all pretty weighty stuff for what is essenitally just a summer action movie. The fact that the film manages to be entertaining on the level of pure action while still incorporating though-provoking themes suggests that such movies don't have to only be about explosions and fight scenes.

If there are any flaws with the film at all it's that X2 almost seems more like a middle story than a complete entity in and of itself. You must have seen the first film to understand some elements of this one and many of the plot points and the ending suggest that this is only a small part of a bigger picture. Word has it that a third X-Men outing is being planned. If this is true, hopefully it will settle some of the issues that were only started in this film.