Critics Scoreboard
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Average Critic Score:
64
(33 sources)
64
(33 sources)
-
90
Slate
It's a rich, impressive comic-book fantasy -- easily the summer's best "blockbuster." Read Full Review » -
90
Mr. Showbiz
The best kind of summer blockbuster -- the kind that makes you immediately crave a sequel. Read Full Review » -
90
LA Weekly
The film's strength and its entertainment lie in John Myhre's production design, its generally appealing cast...and, perhaps most importantly, a canny degree of self-parody. Read Full Review » -
90
Newsweek
For diehard fans, X-Men is full of in jokes and sly references -- For everybody else, there's the thrill of the unknown. Read Full Review » -
88
Charlotte Observer
Balances brains, brawn and heart in ideal proportions. The actors - some first-rate, all enjoyable - never get overshadowed by the special effects, which dazzle us without gory excess. Read Full Review » -
85
TNT RoughCut
One of this year's most dazzling entertainments, not to mention one of the best comic-book movies ever made. Read Full Review » -
83
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Singer deftly crafts a sleek, unusually tight film that balances comic-book adventure, pulp opera and the fear of being different. Read Full Review » -
80
Village Voice
When it comes to stoopid fun, X-Men could be the summer movie to beat. Read Full Review » -
80
Los Angeles Times
While X-Men doesn't take your breath away wire-to-wire the way "The Matrix" did, it's an accomplished piece of work with considerable pulp watchability to it. Read Full Review » -
80
Chicago Reader
Exciting mainly because anything can happen and does, the movie drags a bit as it approaches a climax set atop the Statue of Liberty. Read Full Review » -
80
Salon.com
A distinctively absorbing entertainment, offering just enough popcorn thrills for mass audiences and just enough chewiness for hardcore sci-fi fans. Read Full Review » -
75
-
75
Philadelphia Inquirer
Doesn't match up against the new millennium martial artistry of "The Matrix," nor do the special effects - but he knows how to establish characters and relationships. Read Full Review » -
75
-
75
Baltimore Sun
X-Men flies to the rescue with superheroes who have real substance. Read Full Review » -
75
Portland Oregonian
Loaded with fine performances, traffics in audacious images and generally comports itself with a great deal more grace and gravitas than most movies with roots in fantastic themes. Read Full Review » -
75
New York Daily News
A solid action story with inventive battles (one on the Statue of Liberty) and satisfyingly gooey special effects. Read Full Review » -
75
Miami Herald
The most enjoyable piece of pop fantasy of the summer; sleek, elegant, exciting and wildly, outrageously imaginative. Read Full Review » -
70
Film.com
Nearly the perfect balance between straight-faced pulp action and amused wonder at the outlandish world of comic books. Read Full Review » -
67
Austin Chronicle
The film's greatest strength lies in its ability to view itself as a modern moral fable of sorts. Read Full Review » -
63
Chicago Sun-Times
I started out liking this movie, while waiting for something really interesting to happen. When nothing did, I still didn't dislike it; I assume the X-Men will further develop their personalities if there is a sequel. Read Full Review » -
63
Boston Globe
Recedes to a string of mere action exploits. These are proficiently executed but, for all their visual authority, not much more than routine. Read Full Review » -
63
-
60
TV Guide
Stylish, exciting and an occasionally poignant sci-fi adventure spectacle. Read Full Review » -
60
Variety
Plays like a so-so middle chapter of an epic series rather than a fitting kickoff. Read Full Review » -
50
USA Today
Missing are well-choreographed action scenes, likable characters and involving plot twists. Read Full Review » -
50
Christian Science Monitor
The mood is awfully dark for an escapist fantasy, though, and the high-tech mayhem gets repetitious. Read Full Review » -
50
-
50
Entertainment Weekly
When the film version isn't assaulting you with gizmos, it's an awkward, depersonalized piece of hackwork. Read Full Review » -
50
The New York Times
Clumsy when it should be light on its feet, the movie takes itself even more seriously than the comic book and its fans do, which is a superheroic achievement. Read Full Review » -
38
Chicago Tribune
Superhero comic book movie with a script so feeble it might have been written with crayons. Read Full Review » -
20
-
10
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