X2: X-Men United (2003)

X2: X-Men United (2003) is a sequel to X-Men (2000). The film picks up right where they last film left off. Wolverine continues his search for clues to his past. In this film, the genocidal Colonel William Stryker tries to use the computer Cerebro to kill every mutant.

The film addresses two themes: manipulation and faith.

Mystique, impersonates Senator Robert Kelley to get information which helps her free Magneto from prison. Stryker extracts information from Magneto while he is in prison. He also manipulates Professor X to get him to locate every mutant so that he can kill them.

As humans, we live in a world of manipulation. The Bible is full of stories where people try to manipulate one another. People sin by manipulating one another for selfish reasons. Manipulation never leads to good purposes. Satan manipulated Adam and Eve (Genesis 3). Satan also tried unsuccessfully to manipulate Jesus (Matthew 4). Jacob deceived Isaac. Laban manipulated Jacob. Absalom manipulated his father David. David manipulated Uriah to get his wife Bathsheba.

Faith

The mutant known as Nightcrawler (known as Kurt Wagner), who tried to assassinate the President presents the ideal way to work with other people. When Storm suggests to deal with people in anger, Nightcrawler, a Catholic, suggests that the way to deal with others is by faith.

As sinful humans, we try to deal with each other in a way that benefits ourselves. This is why so many people manipulate one another. In contrast to this, the Bible teaches us to live by faith. In both the Old and New Testaments, Godly people follow God by faith. They operate by faith (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Hebrews 11). Living by faith means that we don’t live selfishly. Being selfish is evil. Following God requires faith and that includes how we deal with other people.