Still holds up extremely well. Might even be timeless. It's pretty amazing that something this fantastical now feels somewhat grounded ever since the MCU came along and basically reinvented the mega-blockbuster, but here we are. The most refreshing thing about this revisitation was seeing how it managed to be serious without sacrificing fun or becoming all grimdark. No one is cracking wise in the face of a potentially world ending threat and the characters deal with complex internal struggles without becoming depressed, moody killers. Essentially allowing it to strike a balance between escapism and gravitas that no other superhero movie has really been able to replicate. It's also one of the few entries in the franchise to nail the whole team dynamic. One of my biggest nitpicks with Fox's handling of the property was how Wolverine-centric it was. So I appreciated how that while the character does still have a more central role here, Rogue is arguably just as significant and the other mutants are given their moments to shine. Except Cyclops who is just sort of there the entire time. The plot is deserving of praise as well. Featuring a threat that is legitimate, but not too grandiose and a well-done exploration of the social and political issues the X-Men encounter as the next step in human evolution. What really gives it power though is how it fleshes out its villain in a manner that allows us to fully understand his motives just as strongly as we do that of the heroes. Maybe even moreso. Because of that, 20 years later Magneto is still easily the best villain in any movie bearing the Marvel moniker to date. A huge reason this has aged so gracefully is that it didn't fall prey to the kind of hyper-ridiculous action that was prevalent in the early 2000s in films like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Daredevil. There's no goofy wire fu or other absurd acts of high-flying martial arts to be found. The powers are all displayed in a cool, straight-faced manner that further exemplifies why any of this works at all. X-Men manages to be self-respecting enough to ensure every aspect is handled with a sense of maturity, while avoiding the morbidity of Zack Snyder DCEU flick and remembering that it is in fact a piece of popcorn entertainment in the process. As a result, it is nothing less than one of the best comic book adaptations ever created.