One word is needed to sum up this movie: WOW! Based on the X-Men comic book series, aficionados and newcomers to the sci-fi world alike will enjoy this movie. Even though the audience is never told why the X-men are mutants, the story line is as easy to slip into as a comfy pair of flannel jammies, yet it has an almost lingerie appeal.Created during the turbulent ’60s, the X-Men’s underlying theme revolves around tolerance for those who are different. Prejudice and the struggle for equal rights permeate the mutants’ battles between humans and themselves.Although all of the X-Men appear in this movie, Logan/Wolverine takes the lead, played by Australian actor Hugh Jackman. Via a flashback scene and a CAT scan, we learn that Wolverine is not a born mutant like the others, but a “construct.” He has absolutely no memory of how he came to be the way he is, and has drifted from town to town over the years. Like his animal namesake, Wolverine has a bad attitude. He’s not only a rebel without a cause; he’s one without a clue. He is angry, dark, brooding and smokes cigars. Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine is wonderful. If American audiences are not familiar with him now, they will be after this flick.During Wolverine’s travels, he comes across Rogue, a young mutant whose has the ability to temporarily absorb other mutants’ powers, making it impossible for her to have direct skin-to-skin contact with anyone. Played by Anna Paquin (from “The Piano.”), viewers will empathize with Rogue. Other X-Men characters are played by Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier, a powerful telepath confined to a wheelchair, James Marsden as Cyclops, a mutant whose eyes shoot powerful energy blasts, Halle Berry as Storm, who can control the weather, and Famke Janssen as Jean Grey, a telepath and telekinetic. Other than finding out Xavier is pro-humanity and that Wolverine and Cyclops do not like each other, the audience does not receive a lot of background information on the X-Men, but still come to like them. Another mystery is where they get the money to have such lush living conditions, a stealth plane and medical equipment that Ohio State hospitals would like to possess. Non-X-Men fans can only assume that Professor Xavier somehow convinces rich people to give donations with his telepathic abilities. Now for the bad guys. Magneto, a mutant with a multitude of powers, especially that for manipulating metal objects, is the leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants. As Xavier tells the X-Men, he and Magneto had been friends long ago, but their visions of human and mutant relations drove them apart. Magneto, proud not to be a human, believes that mutants are the next step in the evolution chain. As his contempt for humanity is quite apparent, it is not unfounded. The movie opens with a young Magneto being torn away from his parents by Nazis. This gives Magneto’s character an interesting edge in that he is not evil for evil’s sake, but is driven to do nasty things in the sake of self-preservation. We do not loathe this character, but we do not want to see him win either. Played by Sir Ian McKellen, Magneto was given a depth not usually found in a villain. Magneto’s lackeys, on the other hand, need some character development. The audience comes to know very little about them. Toad, played by Ray Park (or Darth Maul, for the Star Wars fans), is aptly named. With an extraordinarily long tongue and the ability to climb a wall like a gecko, he can fight the X-Men, but is easily rebuffed when the X-Men get their powers stoked. Sabretooth, played by Tyler Mane, is a 7-foot tall ogre that possesses incredible strength which comes in handy during ambushes, but is only a temporary distraction for the heroes. He has fangs, wicked press-on nails and solid black eyes, with no whites in them at all. He also roars. Sci-fi fans may not be familiar with Mane, but wrestling fans will.Magneto’s ace in the hole is the metamorphic Mystique, who can be anyone or anything. People, tables, chairs and the Statue of Liberty are no problem for her. Guys will especially like Mystique, played by Rebecca Romjin-Stamos, because she’s essentially naked during the entire film. Despite being painted entirely in dark blue and with well-placed scaly prosthetics, it is apparent that Mystique does not usually wear more than a smile.Bruce Davison also deserves an honorable mention. He is one of those actors you’ve seen in plenty of films and on TV but never knew his name. He plays U.S. Sen. Robert Kelly, a paranoid politician out to warn the American public of the mutant threat. Magneto, in his own special way, convinces the good senator to think differently, without even making a campaign contribution.This movie was excellent in terms of plot, character presentation, research of the X-Men genre, and special effects. It would be even more amazing if there were a sequel or two that could clear up what little gaps there are in this movie. X-Men opens this Friday. George Lucas, eat your heart out.