Fanboys the world over have been dreaming about it - the moment Wolverine grits his teeth and extends his adamantium claws. Many of you won't have the faintest idea what that means, but now's your chance. Because the X-Men are finally coming to the movies.
The film relies on one central conceit: that we live in a world where some people, called mutants, are born with genetic defects that give them superhuman powers. Unfortunately, with those powers comes loneliness, as mutants are shunned by society.
Director Singer ("The Usual Suspects") had a tough task picking from the massive pool of stories and characters that the comic provided. He has chosen to concentrate on two specific mutants - the fiery Wolverine (Jackman) and Rogue (Anna Paquin), a tragic teenager whose very touch can be fatal.
After a car accident they stumble upon Professor X's 'School For Mutants', a place where the benevolent Charles Xavier (Stewart) teaches mutants to help mankind. However, they face a difficult foe. Xavier's old friend Magneto (Ian McKellen) has lost confidence in normal humans and assembled a team of evil mutants to destroy them.
So Xavier enlists Wolverine and Rogue into his team of X-Men - which includes the telekinetic Jean Grey (Janssen), Cyclops and weather-harnessing Storm - to defeat Magneto and his henchmen.
If "X-Men" does have a fault, it's that too often it feels like a prelude to the inevitable franchise. But as a film in its own right, there is plenty to enjoy. It's snappy, snazzy, witty, non-exclusive and there are some great performances, with newcomer Jackman - an Aussie stage performer - the standout.
With "X-Men II" already in pre-production, this is the start of a beautiful friendship with the big screen.