FANS of Star Wars, Star Trek and their fast-moving, multi-character ilk are always happy to see their heroes over and over again.

X-Men, the latest movie franchise inspired by a Marvel comic, falls into that category, and more than one visit will be required to make sense of the plot.

The good news is that Bryan Singer's second crack at an X-Men action movie with brains will reward repeated viewing because the characters are cracking good company. What's more, there is even more of them than in the first instalment, which was already crammed to overflow with humans and mutants. So much so that the story could barely breathe.

X-Men 2 is as busy with all forms of life as King's Cross station on a Friday evening, and anyone not familiar with the comic-book capers or the first movie will struggle for the first 30 minutes, maybe more, to work out quite what is going on - but should still enjoy the ride.

In essence, there is a war going on between humans and mutants, and as is the way with such matters it is turning brutish and more complicated. That is the backdrop to a series of star turns by each X-Man, in the tradition of cartoon heroes and the Harlem Globe Trotters.

First mutant to make an impression is gymnastic newcomer Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming, even camper than usual with a German accent and blue body). He 'teleports' himself to the heart of the American President's Oval Office, disappearing like a puff a smoke (how apt), only to return with all the physical force of a Schwarzenegger.

The President has upset ex-Army commander Stryker (Brian Cox, British actor playing American baddie yet again), and it now rests upon Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) to forge an uneasy, yet necessary, alliance with imprisoned fruit-and-nutcase Magneto (Ian McKellen) to quell Stryker's insurrection and maintain some kind of order between humans and mutants.

The X-Men get busy with their diverse powers: Halle Berry's weather-changing Storm setting temperatures soaring in her blonde wig; Famke Janssen's Jean Grey making you wish you had her telepathic powers and Hugh Jackman's Clint Eastwood-style Wolverine pursuing his quest to discover who he really is, while flashing his hand-blades at every moment of anger, memorably leaving a cat most unimpressed.

X-Men 2 is mad but madly enjoyable Hollywood blockbuster cinema with enough dark moments about destiny and natural order to give it the X factor.

Updated: 10:55 Friday, May 02, 2003