In theaters

X-MEN. Running time, 96 minutes, PG-13; directed by Bryan Singer, written by David Hayler.

Unlike other films based on comic book superheroes — especially “Batman,” “Superman,” “Flash Gordon,” “The Phantom” and “The Crow” — Bryan Singer’s “X-Men” has the enormous job of setting up not one superhuman character, but eight — all of whom have different powers that must be mapped out and explained before the action can truly begin.

In “X-Men,” a film based on the wildly popular Marvel Comics comic book series, this set-up takes half the movie, which would have been fine had more than two of its eight principal characters — or mutants, as they’re called here — come into focus.

Unfortunately, they don’t. The only two mutants that take shape in “X-Men” — and become more than just their superhuman powers — are Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), who can heal nearly any wound on his body and who has knives for knuckles, and Rogue (Anna Paquin), whose touch is the kiss of death. The other six mutants have histories that are hinted at — particularly those of Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellan) — but which otherwise are never fully explored.

To fans of the series, this inattention to detail probably won’t matter much — they know these characters intimately and will delight in finally seeing them brought to life on screen. But to the uninitiated, this potluck of superheroes can be a confusing stew, which the woman seated next to me verbalized beautifully in a frustrated whisper to her son: “Who’s the nude woman in all the blue makeup?” she asked. Thrilled by the vision, the boy, who never once looked away from the screen, hissed, “Mystique!”

“X-Men,” as directed by Bryan Singer (“The Usual Suspects,” “Apt Pupil”) from a screenplay by David Hayler, is the story of misfits, a group of men and women who were born with genetic mutations that, at puberty, manifested not into acne or a pierced tongue, but into special powers. It’s no wonder it’s such a hit with teens.

In addition to Rogue and Wolverine, there’s Storm (Halle Berry), who can do amazing things with weather; Cyclops (James Marsden), who can shoot laser beams out of his eye; and Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), who seems to have the cat’s meow of special powers: She’s telekinetic and telepathic. Unfortunately for them — and ultimately for us — Singer pays little attention to these three, who are used mostly as flamboyant set pieces that occasionally dart about the screen with all the bombastic flair of a Mary Kay convention.

What the film offers in way of story isn’t especially special for a film that’s been in the works for years. In fact, the story is so thin, it could have used some super powers of its own.

In its most streamlined form, the plot goes like this: The bad mutants, led by Magneto (who looks nothing like he does in the comic book series), are trying to convert the leaders of the world into mutants so they will stop their witch hunt of mutants. Their thinking is this — if you become us, then you will leave us alone.

Rising against them are the good mutants, led by Xavier, who embrace their differences and find meaning in being “unique.” They don’t want a world in which everyone is the same, and thus launch a war against the bad mutants to prevent it from being so.

The problem is that much of this never takes off. The film is restricted by convention, which, in the end, is somewhat surprising considering the locale of the inevitable finale between the mutants. Recalling Hitchcock’s “Saboteur,” it takes place high atop the Statue of Liberty, certainly a place of freedom that should have liberated this film of its stock action scenes and rote, uninspired dialogue — which it doesn’t.

Grade: C

On video

THE NINTH GATE. Running time, 133 minutes, R; directed by Roman Polanski, written by Polanski, Enrique Urbizu and John Brownjohn.

Satanic librarians, unite!

At long last, Hollywood is serving that underdog of all niche markets with Roman Polanski’s “The Ninth Gate,” a film that gives devil-worshipping bibliophiles real reason to fall from grace.

This latest from Polanski features Johnny Depp as a rare-book dealer who hooks up with billionaire Boris Balkan (Frank Langella), a cool piece of work who wants to authenticate his copy of “The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows,” a 17th century satanic text whose engravings allegedly hold the power of hauling the devil straight out of hell.

Issuing Depp a check, Balkan sends the man overseas to Europe, where he not only hunts down and studies the text’s two remaining copies, but where he also comes upon a flying nude Euromodel (Polanski’s wife, Emmanuelle Seigner), the fiery death of a wheelchair-bound baroness, and a swanky hooded orgy ripped straight out of Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut.”

In fact, it’s at this orgy that Polanski has his most fun in a film without much fun: He blatantly stages the scene to look like Kubrick’s — rows of burning candles, naked people milling about in shimmering cowls, the location a posh mansion — and then snubs his nose at it in a way that’s so funny, and so surprising, it won’t be revealed here.

“The Ninth Gate” has none of the depth and energy of Polanski’s best films (“Rosemary’s Baby,” “Tess,” “Chinatown”), has nothing new or interesting to say about the occult he’s courted for years, and features an ending that’s the Antichrist of all anticlimaxes, but, in spite of all this, it nevertheless has an energy and moves in its own groove.

There are moments here when Polanski reveals his greatness — the way a room is lit, a scene is cut, the stage is stacked — but those moments are too fleeting, leaving the viewer only with a mildly satisfying whole.

Grade: C+

Christopher Smith is the Bangor Daily News film critic. His reviews appear Monday and Thursday in the NEWS, Tuesday and Thursday on NEWS CENTER at 5:30 and NEWS CENTER at 11, and Saturday and Sunday on “NEWS CENTER Morning Report.”

THE VIDEO CORNER

Renting a video? NEWS film critic Christopher Smith can help. Below are his grades of recent releases in video stores.

Angela’s Ashes — B- The Ninth Gate — C+ Ride with the Devil — C- What Planet Are You From? — D The Whole Nine Yards — B+ All About My Mother — A Down to You — D The Hurricane — A- My Dog Skip — B+ Scream 3 — B- Hanging Up — F The Talented Mr. Ripley — A Scream 3 — B- Anna and the King — A- Sweet and Lowdown — A- Topsy-Turvy — A Bicentennial Man — D+ Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo — C- The Emperor and the Assassin — B- The Green Mile — A Light it Up — C+ Play it to the Bone — D+ The Third Miracle — D Girl, Interrupted — B Miss Julie — C Next Friday — B- Man on the Moon — C- Snow Falling on Cedars — C American Movie — A Eye of the Beholder — F The End of the Affair — B+ Felicia’s Journey — B+ Sleepy Hollow — B- The World is Not Enough — B+ American Beauty — A Bringing Out the Dead — B- The Straight Story — A Anywhere but Here — B+ Being John Malkovich — C+ Dogma — F