Very respectable, it’s more of a straightforward science fiction piece and plays it a lot more straight than most comicbook films now. They don’t shy away from the weirdness, but some of the goofier stuff from the comics is toned down to fit with the more realistic vision. The movie works because of the conflict and its characters, it’s a lot more nuanced and interesting than what you’d expect from a film like this. It’s not mindblowing or deep, but the elaborate race metaphor is a really nice touch and elevates the drama. Jackman, Stewart and McKellen are the standouts in a cast that’s otherwise mostly fine to mediocre. I quite like the worldbuilding, it feels very cohesive and there are plenty of stylistic touches to be found in the directing. The action’s fine if a little slow, the practical effects still hold up very well and even a lot of the CGI still looks pretty detailed for the time. As for the negatives, there’s some hokey dialogue here (anything that comes out of Halle Berry’s mouth is unforgivable) and I could’ve done without the brief moments of interpersonal melodrama. Occasionally it relies on tired clichés (e.g. the damsel in distress trope), sometimes it bends the rules of physics, but I don’t think it has any major issues. It’s unlikely to blow your mind, it kinda feels like a test drive, however it’s still pretty decent.

6/10