X2: X-Men United

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X2: X-Men United (2003)

 - Parental Guidance for Children Under 13 Years (For Strong Language, Violence and Mild Explicit Content)

Running Time: 133 minutes (2 hours and 14 minutes)

Genre/s: Action

               Adaptation

               Adventure

               Fantasy

               Science Fiction

               Superhero

Released: May 2, 2003 (US Release Date, Available for Worldwide Viewing)

Presented by 20th Century Fox

Writers: Daniel Harris, Zak Penn, David Hayter, Michael Dougherty and Brian Singer

Director: Brian Singer

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, James Marsden, Brian Cox, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Rebecca Romijin, Alan Cumming, Shawn Ashmore and Aaron StanfordThey're the Strangest Heroes of Them All, and they're back with an explosive follow-up to the X-Men franchise called, X2: X-Men United. Welcome once again to Dateline Movies, and today we'll be reviewing the second installment in the X-Men Movie Franchise. It's packed with new villains, cool characters and awesome action. Since Brian Singer's time travelling sequel titled X-Men: Days of Future Past is out now we should probably review this first, the second best X-Men film in the franchise.

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What's the movie about?

3 years after the X-Men saved the world from Magneto, played by McKellen (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring) and his Brotherhood, the team continues to do their regular works on teaching the Mutants of tomorrow. However, a mysterious militant from a past of an X-Man, namely Wolverine, played by Jackman (The Prestige), comes bursting to the door of the X-Mansion. His name is Colonel William Stryker, played by Cox (Manhunter), and he and his forces are out for the X-Men's leader, Professor X, played by Stewart (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine). Why do they want him? They need him to operate their own version of Cerebro, a device made by Professor X to find humans and Mutants alike, all across the world.

Meanwhile, a sinister force threatens to eliminate the President of the United States, with a note to free all of Mutant kind. This force is non other than the elk-like hero named Nightcrawler, played by Cumming (Spy Kids). But could there be more to this than meets the eye? Can Nightcrawler be brainwashed? The X-Men are determined to investigate.

Left with no other options, Wolverine assembles the X-Men, comprising of Cyclops, played by Marsden (Disturbing Behavior), Storm, played by Berry (Swordfish), Jean Grey, played by Janssen (Goldeneye), Iceman, played by Ashmore (The Day), Rogue, played by Paquin (Fly Away Home), Nightcrawler and Pyro, played by Stanford (Tadpole). However, in order to save Professor X and the rest of the world, the X-Men have to make an uneasy alliance with their greatest enemies, Magneto and Mystique, played by Romijin (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me). This won't be easy, because they'll be facing a government agency who really hates Mutants and they need to rely on Magneto to help them.

What I think of the movie?

The movie can only be described in one word, Awesome! The most notable aspect of this film is the cast. From Gandalf to Captain Picard, this movie has all the talents. The story is also decent. It shows us a message that properly reflects the modern world, which is how far a certain person would go to destroy something that he or she believes as a threat to our world, even if they don't actually do. In other words, this movie is about the reality of inequality in our world. It even indirectly addresses issues like racism and hate crime. The movie is also undeniably faithful to it's source material, which is the powerful X-Men story, "God Loves, Man Kills", which is about Reverend Stryker (instead of colonel) causing mass mutant genocide all over the world. The ending is bitter sweet, because the conclusion shows the presumed death of Cyclops's fiancee, Jean Grey. We also saw the tears shed by the fellow X-Men. Overall, this film is a magnificent masterpiece crafted by a talented Brian Singer's directional techniques. It's moving, timeless, and outstanding in all proportions.

I am really pumped to watch the sequel, Days of Future Past, which would feature Peter Dinklage, who will play Bolivar Trask, the man who would build the murderous Sentinels, which would end the world. We all know him as Tyrion Lannister from the acclaimed television series, Game of Thrones. What makes it more exciting is that both the cast of First Class (which is set on the 60s when the X-Men first formed) and the present roster of the team, including Magneto and a reborned Professor X (who died, with Jean Grey and Cyclops on X-Men: The Last Stand). I hope they bring back Cyclops and Jean Grey in the film since they played major roles on the X-Men's expeditions.

With that, I hope you have enjoyed this review of X2: X-Men United here on Dateline Movies. Be sure to Like, Tweet or Share before you leave. Do you have a movie you wish to be featured or a list topic you want to talk about? Comment below, and I might just use your suggestion. Thank you again!

Spotted!: Hidden Surprises and Trivia (Spoiler Alert!)

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1. The X-Verse - I would put all these Hidden Surprises one by one if I could, but it's gonna hurt me a lot. So I decided I'll do this really big surprise in a single one. In the scene where Mystique disguised herself as Lady Deathstrike, she accessed the computer, and while she's collecting data, we get to see (if you can) nearly every name of an X-Man, a Marvel hero or villain. Listed below are the identified names discovered.

List of Hidden Surprises discovered on Surprise 1:

Folders Monitor (Bottom of Second Picture):

A. Omega Red

B. Franklin Richards

C. Muir Island

D. Project: Wideawake

E. Cerebro

Profiles Monitor (Top of Second Picture, First Picture)


A. Remy LeBeau 

B. Eric M. Lensherr

C. Ororo Munroe

D. Jamie Madrox

E. Kevin McTaggert

F. Maximoff (2, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff )

G. Danielle Moonstar

H. Xi'an Coy Mahn

I. Artie Maddicks

J. Keniucho Harada

K. Guthrie (2, Paige and Samuel Guthrie)

L. Garrison Kane


Other Hidden Surprises (Unconfirmed Discoveries by Others)


A. Fred Dukes

B. Victor Creed

C. Elizabeth Braddock

D. Bobby Drake 

E. Amara Aquila

F. John Allerdyce

G. Maria Callasantos

H. Angelo Espinosa

I. Lorna Dane

J. Roberto Da Costa

K. Sally Blevins

L. Kyle Gibney

M. Alison Blaire

N. Cassidy (2, possibly Sean, Thomas, and or Theresa, )

O. Legacy Virus

P. Morlocks

Q. Alpha Flight

R. Department H

S. Weapon X

T. Beta Flight

U. Operation: Zero Tolerance

V. The Brotherhood (This is not Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants)

W. Bolivar Trask

X. Gamma Flight

Y. Danger Room Schematics

Z. Wade Wilson

AA. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters

BB. Nathaniel Essex

CC. Salem Center

DD. The Blackbird Blueprints

EE. Massachusetts Academy

FF. Jonas Graymalkin

GG. Scott Summers

HH. Cecilia Reyes

II. Forge

JJ. Tabitha Smith

KK. Hollow

LL. Kurt Wagner

MM. Katherine Pryde

NN. James Braddock Jr.

OO. Nicole and Claudette St. Croix

PP. Raven Darkholme

QQ. Illyana Rasputin

RR. Christoph Nord

SS. Vanessa Carlysle

TT. Yuriko Oyama

UU. Everett Thomas

VV. Ruth Bat-Seraph

WW. Andrea and Andreas Von Strucker

XX. Douglas Ramsey

YY. Karl Lykos

ZZ. Guido Carosella

AAA. Shiro Yoshida

BBB. Calvin Rankin

CCC. Mortimer Toynbee

DDD. Rahne Sinclair

There are several more of them but they are so many to count. See if you can spot them in your DVD.

For more information about the listed characters, please click their respective links, and comment below if I missed something.

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2. The Director - If you've seen M. Night Shyamalan and Peter Jackson having cameos in their respective films, than there's no doubt that director Bryan Singer would make one his own in this very film. In the scene where Cyclops and Professor X were visiting Magneto in his glass cell, there is one security guard who was pushing Professor X's wheelchair. Can you guess who he is? That's right, it's Bryan Singer as a security guard.

3. To Serve and Protect - Bryan Singer again makes another cameo in the movie. As Mystique, who is disguised as Lady Deathstrike, scrolls through the computer files, where we saw the first Hidden Surprises, the profiles of the security guards are shown, one of which is Bryan Singer. The other guards are the other people that gave contribution to the movie and several other films in the X-Men franchise.

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4. X-Man of Steel (Not That Guy!) - During Stryker's forces' attack on the X-Mansion, there were several identified Mutant children attempting to escape and tried to find protection from them. One of which was Colossus, the Russian X-Man of Steel (like I said, not that guy you're thinking). Colossus is notable for turning his skin, into a powerful armor of metal. He was spotted at the scene where in a student was nearly captured, until he transformed into metal. After the failed attempt of the hostiles, Colossus threw one of them into a wooden wall. Daniel Cudmore played him in this cameo, and returned as Colossus again in X-Men: The Last Stand. 

For more information about Colossus, click here.

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5. Can't Touch This - On the same sequence as above, there was a girl who walked past several soldiers, passing through them. This is Kitty Pryde, and she has the power to be intangible. She is also Colossus's girlfriend in the comics. She was played by Katie Stuart in this movie, and Ellen Page portrayed her in the sequel. She can be seen as the girl who walked past the soldiers, dodging their every move.

For more information about Kitty Pryde, click here.

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6. Scream - Yet again on the same sequence as the previous ones above, there is another familiar Mutant. On the part where the soldiers bust a door, there was a Mutant that screamed really loudly, until she was shot down by the forces. This Mutant is Siryn, the daughter of Banshee, who has similar powers as her.

For more information about Siryn, click Theresa in one of the list of Hidden Surprise Number 1 and for his father, click here.

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7. An Interview With An X-Man - On the scene before Mystique disguises as a female in order to insert metal into the blood stream of an off-duty security guard, the camera zooms into a television screen which shows Dr. Hank McCoy in an interview. This is fellow Mutant, Beast, who is notable for bearing blue, furry look and one of the geniuses of the team. Although he is human here, this might be set before his mutation worsens. However, in X-Men: First Class, where in he was played by Nicholas Hoult, he already became furry when his failed experiment was applied. This may be a continuity error somehow. He was also played by Kelsey Grammer in X-Men: The Last Stand.

For more information about Beast, click here.

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8. Beam Me Up, Scotty!: On the scene where in Magneto's Brotherhood and the X-Men were flying on their jet, take a look at the radar of the jet. It carries Star Trek symbols. This is an in-joke because Patrick Stewart, who played Professor X in the franchise, played Captain Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and onwards.

9. You Made Me: When Storm and Jean Grey tracked Nightcrawler in an abandoned church, the three talked and when Jean Grey mentioned the word "professor", Nightcrawler's look gave a face of familiarization. The Professor is the man that made the Adamantium skeleton for Wolverine. Although he is not present in the movie, he beard striking resemblance to Stryker here.

For more information about the Professor, click here.

Dateline Movies Present: 7 Jack Movies

Dateline Movies Present: 7 Jack Movies

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Hollywood really likes to use the name Jack a lot. Welcome to Dateline Movies, and we'll be having our first countdown. Today, we'll be talking about the 7 Nearly Forgotten Movies with the name Jack in it. Please note that the list is arranged according to critical reception and obscurity. Now, sit back, and relax as we countdown from number 7. (Arranged from worst to best)

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7. Lightning Jack (1994)

 - Parental Advisory for Children Under 13 Years (For Explicit Content)

Running Time: 98 minutes (1 hour and 33 minutes)

Genre/s: Action

                Adventure

                Comedy

                Western

Released on March 11, 1994 (US Release Date, Available for Worldwide Viewing)

Presented by Village Roadshow Pictures

Director: Simon Wincer

Writer: Paul Hogan

Starring: Paul Hogan, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beverly D' Angelo

It's alright if you don't know this movie. For one reason, this movie is entirely forgotten thanks to the critical panning it got. Lightning Jack is a story about a wannabe outlaw. Apparently, not much is remembered here. Cuba Gooding Jr. and Paul Hogan, who is Lightning Jack, at least did make a worthwhile chemistry. That makes this movie a little neat, and that's why this gets the number 7 spot.

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6. Jack (1996)

 - Parental Advisory for Children Under 13 Years (For Mild Explicit References)

Running Time: 113 minutes (1 hour and 54 minutes)

Genre/s: Comedy

                 Children

                 Drama

                 Family

Released on August 9, 1996 (US Release Date, Available for Worldwide Viewing) 

Presented by Buena Vista Pictures

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Writers: Gary Nadeau and James DeMonaco

Starring: Robin Williams, Diane Lane, Bill Cosby, Jennifer Lopez and Brian Kerwin

This one deserved a little more recognition and a whole lot more praise. Jack, in my opinion was a remarkable piece of film making. Jack follows the titular character, who has a bizarre aging problem. He is a 9-year old in a 40-year old body. Although it does have a lot of similarities with the much more popular Big, which has Tom Hanks growing up after a wish gone wrong, it's still worth the watch. With a cast composing of Robin Williams, Jennifer Lopez, Diane Lane and Bill Cosby, plus an outstanding director in the person of Francis Ford Coppola, it's entirely impossible for this to become a flop. Unfortunately, it was a flop. It fared poorly in the box office and was critically panned as well.

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5. Jack Frost (1998)

 - Parental Guidance is Advised (For Language)

Genre/s: Comedy

                Children

                Drama

                Family

Released on December 1, 1998 (US Release Date, Available for Worldwide Viewing)

Presented by Warner Bros. Pictures

Director: Troy Miller

Writers: Jeff Cesario, Steve Bloom, Mark Steven Johnson and Jonathan Roberts

Starring: Michael Keaton, Mark Addy, Kelly Preston and Joseph Cross 

Okay, it's not entirely memorable after the critical reception on it's initial release, but it was still worthwhile watching it. Jack Frost stars Michael Keaton as a deceased father who comes back to life as a snow man. In the movie, he tries to reconnect with his son before his soul passes to the other side. What makes this memorable is its touching message about father and son. The likable performance of Michael Keaton made this our 5th Jack movie.

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4. Casino Jack (2010)

 - Restricted (For Violence, Mild Nudity and Strong Language)

Running Time: 108 minutes (1 hour and 48 minutes)

Genre/s: Comedy

                 Drama

                 Thriller

                 True Story

                 Mystery

                 Politics

                 Satire

Released on December 17, 2010 (US Release Date, Available to US Only)

Presented by Art Takes Over Films

Director: George Hickenlooper

Writer: Norman Snider

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Kelly Preston, Rachelle Lefevre, Jon Lovitz and Barry Pepper 

I highly doubt that you remember this one, because honestly, I have never heard of this one before I decided to make this list. This one at least fared better than the previous movies above. Casino Jack stars Kevin Spacey as a con-man trying to get it all. Although the movie benefits from Kevin Spacey's performance, it still falls flat because of its uneven storytelling. This is in spite of the fact that the story is meant to be a reenactment of real life. All these account for the movie getting the number 4 spot.

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3. Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)

 - Parental Advisory for Children Under 13 Years (For Intense Violence, Mild Language and Some Disturbing Scenes)

Running Time: 114 minutes (1 hour and 54 minutes)

Genre/s: Action

                 Adaptation

                 Adventure

                 Fantasy

                 Drama

                 Science Fiction

Released on March 1, 2013 (US Release Date, Available for Worldwide Viewing)

Presented by Warner Bros. Pictures

Director: Brian Singer

Writers: Christopher McQuarrie, David Dobkin, Darren Lemke and David Dobkin

Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane and Eleanor Tomlinson             

If you're thinking of the classic fable about a boy who receives magic seeds that turn to a giant beanstalk and eventually discovers there's a giant in the sky, well you thought right. If you think this is a kid-friendly movie, which faithfully adapts the source material, well you thought wrong. This nearly forgotten Brian Singer film features a slightly altered view of the story. In the film, there was a war between humans and giants, and unfortunately, Jack restarted the long postponed revolution. The title itself and the uninspired plot is what made this movie forgotten. Not even the talented cast, which included Ewan McGregor, Ian McShane, and Stanley Tucci could save the movie. To make the movie even more disappointing is the fact that it was directed by Brian Singer, the man who made the two X-Men films (excluding the bad 3rd one) and Superman Returns. The box office performance was also a bust, and these are the reasons why this comes 3rd in the list. Although it did fare better in the reception than the movies above.

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2. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2013)

 - Parental Advisory for Children Under 13 Years (For Strong Language and Intense Violence)

Running Time: 105 minutes (1 hour and 45 minutes)

Genre/s: Action

                 Adventure

                 Drama

                 Espionage

                 Mystery

                 Terrorism

                 Thriller

Released on January 17, 2014 (US Release Date, Available for Worldwide Viewing)

Presented by Paramount Pictures

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Writers: Tom Clancy, David Koepp and Adam Cozad

Starring: Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner, Kenneth Branagh and Peter Anderson

If you're a huge fan of Tom Clancy's works, than you may have watched this one. It's not the best of his work, but it packed enough action and thrills to keep this one from going entirely forgotten. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit follows an agent discovering a financial attack plan, courtesy of the Russians. It has a huge ensemble cast, with Chris Pine, Kevin Costner and Keira Knightley leading the charge. Kenneth Branagh tried so hard to make this movie epic, as well as having a role in the film, but his efforts didn't make the cut. Although it did a fair reception, it didn't help to make this movie entirely memorable.

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1. Jack Reacher (2012)

 - Parental Advisory for Children Under 13 Years (For Strong Language, Illegal Substance Presence and Mild Violence)

Running Time: 130 minutes (2 hours and 10 minutes)

Genre/s: Action

                Drama

                Mystery

                Narcotics

                Terrorism

                Thriller

Released on December 21, 2012 (US Release Date, Available for Worldwide Viewing)

Presented by Paramount Pictures

Writer and Director: Christopher McQuarrie

Starring: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Werner Herzog, Richard Jenkins and Robert Duvall

Technically the best among all the films in this list in terms of critical success, this Punisher-like film follows Tom Cruise as a private investigator, attempting to uncover the mystery behind a shooting linking to five unrelated victims. It's also the second film by Christopher McQuarrie in this list. It's not entirely like Marvel's the Punisher since it lacks ultra violence, gore and the usual huge array of arsenal. The only thing that really matches with Punisher is that the movie focuses on a violent man, who simply helps others and is not trusted by the authorities. This film is actually a great stylized movie, which boasts perfect performances from Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, Werner Herzog and Robert Duvall, while accompanied by thrilling surprises abundant in the film. Unfortunately, this film's critical reception was mainly mixed to positive and the story is almost straight forward, thus it's not entirely remembered. On the bright side, it was a commercial success especially in relation to the performance of the other films mentioned here.

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With that, I hope you have enjoyed this list here on Dateline Movies. Be sure to Like, Tweet or Share before you leave. Do you have a movie you wish to be featured or a list topic you want to talk about? Comment below, and I might just use your suggestion. Thank you again!