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Here we go with another batch of episodes from this excellent
animated series. For those of you who didn't get a chance
to check out my previous reviews (shame on you!), this interpretation
of the popular X-Men comics from Marvel is set earlier
in the mutants' progression. They are nurtured by Professor
Xavier at his mansion house, where they are taught to discover
the full limits of their powers and to act as a team. The
main characters are Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Spyke,
Shadowcat, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast and Storm. Regularly
returning villains are Magneto and Mystique and Sabretooth.
These five episodes are the last of the second season...
In
Shadow Dance, Nightcrawler is fitted with an experimental
contraption which could extend his teleporting abilities.
The theory is that he passes through another dimension when
moving instantly from place to place. His timing is slowed
down so that he can witness the environment he passes through.
Ravenous beasts almost kill him, so Professor X decides to
postpone the experiments indefinitely. However, the portals
have not properly closed, allowing the beasts to slip through
and make an entrance at the high school dance.
In Retreat, Mr McCoy (a.k.a. Beast) has a brush with
the law during a night excursion into the streets and refuses
to trust himself to leave the house again. Professor X suggests
a nature field trip in a national park for those students
a little behind with their Natural History. However, a group
of hunters on the trail of Bigfoot captures Beast, forcing
him and the mutant students to teach them a lesson in humility
and respect - but not before they are obliged to save their
lives in a flash flood.
In
The HeX Factor, there's a new mutant in town. Professor
X visits Wanda in an institute where they try to teach her
to control her powers, which are like those of a witch. Mystique
breaks her out to use as a weapon to go up against the might
of Magneto, but as a test prompts a battle between the Brotherhood
(the bad guys) and the X-Men, who have to learn to deal with
defeat for the first time ever.
In the 2-part story Day of Reckoning, Professor X forces
the X-Men into parnership against Magneto, but Cyclops hates
the idea and leaves. Whilst at the mansion house Mystique
manages to set a self-destruct countdown. The institute locks
down; only one young student escapes and goes looking for
Cyclops. Meanwhile, Wolverine has been captured and is forced
to go up against the Sentinel, an unstoppable mutant-killing
robot. The X-Men arrive at the scene and are forced into battle
while the whole world looks on via the media. Back at the
mansion Cyclops has to find a way into the building and save
the young mutants, but there's only seconds left before destruction.
Extras
are X-Men Evolution: Turning Point, a featurette explaining
the plot differences between seasons one and two; and Toad's
Test, seven easy questions which are answered before you've
finished reading the question.
This
is a good example of what can still be achieved with traditional
animation. It's fresh, fast, exciting and quirky. Newcomers
to the series might feel cheated here with the unresoved season
two cliffhanger, but they can't say they're not getting their
money's worth - well, not until the complete season discs
arrive anyway.
Ty
Power
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$13.47
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£6.99
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Region 1 Edition |
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