X-Men ’97 Review: For Us, An Excellent Adventure

X-Men ’97 is the reboot and continuation of the beloved 1990s cartoon of the same name and quite frankly is an excellent watch. Even with my lack of knowledge of the previous series, it is brilliant. It is well written, well-acted and has a sense of urgency regarding its storytelling. A story which on the surface is immediate and satisfying but also made me consistently think of the throughlines about the characters relationship and about acceptance: the differences between cultures and people, their own insecurities and how strong people need to be to accept others that are different. And these themes have never been more prevalent in real life.

It changed X-Men ’97 from an excellent cartoon to one which also had something to say to us. It made me start watching the original show and I can tell the difference. This show is more serious and for adults and is better for it.

X-Men ’97 was created by Beau DeMayo for Disney Plus and was released in March 2024. It has subsequently been renewed for Seasons 2 & 3.

X-Men themselves haven’t had a new game in forever, with Insomniac creating a new game for Wolverine, hopefully releasing by 2026. Marc Catalano talks about 10 Superheroes who should have their own game here. 

Story: Tolerance Is Extinction?

As a sequel to the original, the story does go through multiple similar strands. The story is about the characters and their progression. The way it was presented, I did feel invested and that almost every scene was relevant to the overarching plot.

X-Men ’97 is set about a year after the original series and the X-Men is still dealing with the fallout of the series culmination. Professor Charles Xavier is missing, presumed dead. Humanity struggles to accept them for who they are; they feel the need to defend themselves. Tolerance is extinction. And this is the ultimate question posed throughout by almost everyone. Erik Lansherr AKA Magneto is given a prominent role in the series, originally an arch enemy to the group but now forms an uneasy alliance with the X-Men. It shifts the moral quandaries to also ask “how long can someone’s core beliefs hold firm?” Are the groups ideas now outdated, too stubborn? The story does introduce known villains, so old fans will be well versed but they are appreciated nods to the original material. 

Professor Xavier & Magneto “debate” their beliefs

Asking Tough Questions

I love how X-Men ’97 wasn’t worried about asking these kinds of questions, for as great as it is to have “heroes”, they often can come across as goodie two-shoes. Having such a strong moral compass, does it make heroes boring? The writing was excellent at showing that the X-Men were human; they had fears, doubts, recriminations of past decisions. Unlike the original show, they also showed that relationships were important, whether platonic or romantic.

Can love conquer all other emotions? I also thought the main villain, even with limited screentime, again was well written to show off the other side of this coin. Another throughline being on a personal level, how we connect individually. Isolation can create a completely different being, which makes them think on a different level.

I really enjoyed how the story can be enjoyed on a surface level; on enjoying the story, what happens, the action is plentiful and well directed. The other side being another intellectual level which I understood; that people being ignored can create a dystopic view of the world, when all anyone wants, is to be seen, heard and hopefully understood as well as loved.

Relationships were important for the show – newcomer Sunspot was a nice addition.

Characters & Performances: Well Written

I thought the show was well written. Most of the cast had good screen time and the characters arcs were very good. Storm was especially good. The relationship aspect is something I enjoyed. From seeing Cyclops with Jean & Madeline to Jean and Wolverine. To Gambit, Rogue and Magneto. To Jubilee and Sunspot. Everyone’s wanting some company, and I was okay with this. The show is like a grown-up version of the 90s original.

Voice acting solid across the board, everyone was very good. I particularly enjoyed Storm and her redemption. Scott Summers was well written as someone who needs to lead but is wracked with confidence issues. Albeit I’ve mentioned relationships, some characters don’t shine until much later; Wolverine is one who isn’t really in it until the end, nor Professor Xavier. However, seeing smaller roles such as Nightcrawler were nice to see. I’ll add that the dynamic between Charles Xavier and Erik Lhenserr is excellent and was a highlight of the show. 

Again by the end of the show, Xavier and Magneto’s relationship is put through the wringer

Cinematography & Sound: Sharp & Authoritative

They’ve tried to keep X-Men ’97 as close of the original show as possible – and have succeeded. Several original cast members are back reprising their roles, most notably the sexy southern drawl of Rogue, as well as the actors for Storm and Wolverine. They also kept older actors in other roles: Catherine Disher, who played Jean Grey in the original, now plays Dr. Valerie Cooper. Ray Chase replacing the late Norm Spencer as Scott Summers/Cyclops, sound great in being the figure of authority, as does Matthew Waterston as Magneto, replacing the late David Hemblen.

Animation was created by Studio Mir and Tiger Animation and is an updated style. Very crisp visuals. The action scenes were very well done. There was a good balance between plot development and action. The action is bright, snazzy and visceral. I enjoyed seeing the character designs, the use of colour was vivid.

They got creative on occasion. Motendo/Life & Death Pt. 1 isn’t big on plot but their use of different visual styles in this level was imaginative. There were influences from Street Fighter to Tron. The iconic X-Men theme song is still an absolute banger of a track. The music itself was very uplifting at times. I’d say it was well done, albeit a lot of it didn’t stand out, apart from when the action kicked in, but that’s good – nothing was jarring or out of place.

Last thing to point out was that the camera shot work was excellent. From close ups to skyscraper views, to seeing someone splayed across a table, the camera also told a story without using words and I appreciated this. I particularly liked the use of “eye” shots. 

I thought a lot of X-Men ’97 was visually striking

Pacing & Editing: Quick & Enjoyable

Each episode of X-men ’97 is about 30 minutes is plenty of time to keep things moving smoothly. Each scene doesn’t last long either, keeping things ticking over. A lot of the action was well shot. There were plenty of eye closeups for “serious” moments. I thought the plot was covered well enough to easily keep track of it. I enjoy the ratio of downtime, quieter moments which made me appreciate when things got serious. Not much else to say here, I enjoyed watching this from start to finish.