X-Men: The Last Stand (Widescreen Edition)

- Spoilers Ahead -

I recently purchased X-Men 3:TLS and opened it eagerly. It starts out well, providing some background to key X-Men like Jean Grey and Warren Worthington III (aka Angel), and an old alliance with Magneto. However, as the action built-up, so did my disappointment. The farther the movie progressed, the farther the movie strayed from the franchise.

My most major disappointments include killing off major titular characters. You just don't do that to a comic book franchise because majority of the movie's audience will be comic readers who have their own personal favorites. There are repercussions on killing personal heroes especially that for which the movie is named! The X-Men is not a tragedy. It is a celebration of being different. My personal favorite is the Phoenix, but although I know that such a character can never ever be given extended existence, one like Charles Xavier should be timeless. Another is Scott Summers. You do not kill off Cyclops after killing Jean Grey (in the previous film). It's simply not right. I could think of a million other ways the film could run parallel to the comic book lines, on how Scott could have dealt with grief and actually move on.

On the issues of the Phoenix, I can probably write a book. Jean Grey's resurrection at Alkali Lake, is acceptable. What follows in the immediate scenes with Cyclops are not. Although the the movie's depiction of the Phoenix as a particularly insidious succubus is not distasteful, Ratner fails at capturing the essence of one of the world's most popular X-Men characters. The Phoenix is an entity and not a subconscious. Even the effects are bland. The Phoenix is called that because of the stylized fiery bird that engulfs Jean Grey when she is in that persona. I spent the whole of the movie waiting for that to happen as suggested in X-Men 2 (when Jean bursts into flame while freeing the Blackbird and holding back torrential waves). I feel stood up.

There are some excellent moments in the film, however, the Danger Room sequence was particularly delightful except for Storm's flying sequence (they've been making heroes fly for decades, and they can't get this right). Angel's refusal to get cured is another, and so is his appearance at the Mansion. Multiple Man is cool and so are the Morlocks. Callisto versus Storm is a classic feud as well. Other enjoyable developments include Anna Paquin's Rogue, focus on Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde), and the feuds between Iceman (Bobby Drake) and Pyro. Iceman's crystal form and Colossus's tinman costumes are excellent and should have been given more screen time.

Hugh Jackman's performance of Wolvie is as always excellent, and even most of Halle Berry's scenes as Storm is commendable although why they stick with Berry is a mystery to me. Halle Berry is short! Ororo Munroe is tall and regal -- being of royal Egyptian descent. But I'm willing to let this go. What is unforgiving is the scene where Storm and Wolverine walk together in the Mansion hallway. Wolvie is taller than Storm and that was a definite no-no. Storm is the tallest X-Man, save only for Colossus, and Wolverine is by far the shortest.

This third chapter in the X-Men movie franchise is a good take on action and a little bit of science fiction; however, the inconsistencies with comics are too much and too glaring and downright disrespectful. Watch this film if you'd like to see the X-gang in action, but don't expect this one to remain faithful to your characters. I would even go as far as to suggest watching the alternate endings to feel better after the disappointing end.

To Brett Ratner, next time you do a movie based on comic book characters, take time out to read a few issues. You fail miserably in the research department and only our love for the X-Men made this movie survive.

I'll be truthful; I didn't like this film very much. Of course, it had a lot to live up to, of course, with the previous two films high standard. The film opens well, with strangely disturbing versions of Xavier and Magneto visiting a young Jean. It also goes straight into to the action, the two main plots of the story soon becoming apparent. Both however, come second place to special effects in this film.

At just over 1 and 30 minutes, it would be almost impossible to cram a finale worthy of the trilogy without missing out some things. I just don't see why it had to be the emotion. With the cure side of the story, it seems we never get an insight into the characters worries and feelings towards it. If it had been 2 and a half hour, it would have been able to develop all of the characters, and the back stories would have been more relevant to certain characters. The phoenix part is also extremely disappointing, we aren't ever told why Phoenix does what she does and who is in control. You can only go so far as to blame Brett Ratner, he does a good job with the battle scenes but always seems to want to rush anything involving a character's emotion. I can imagine him on set hurrying along the actors as they try to get into character for the harrowing scenes. So if newcomer Ratner isn't the problem, what is?

As for the script goes. It's as if the writers truly want this to be the last film, killing off characters early to make way for new ones. Rogue is put on the back seat, even though the central theme of the cure should have her at the forefront. The final battle is also inexplicable, with both sides not really sure what they should be doing. It does allow for one of the great moments of the trilogy (Kitty and Juggernauts chase through - and I mean through - the facility). Still on the script, don't forget the corny lines ("I'm the Juggernaut, [...]!") and terrible ending which seems to forget the events of the rest of the film. Vinnie Jones and Halle Berry are both below par in the acting stakes even thought they didn't have much to work with. I don't want this to be the last stand as I think the saga deserves better than this. The previous films had intelligence and emotion, compared to explosions and annoyances.

Overall, it was worth seeing on the big screen, and I'm glad that I saw it. It is an "O-Kay" film. But again, you'll be a little disappointed as an X-Men fan. Maybe X4 will prosper without many of the main characters, well, one can only hope.

I watched the previous two movies in the "X-men" series, but I almost didn't watch this one. The reason is simple: pretty much all the reviews I read said it was awful. I should have known better than to pay too much attention to them!

I ended up going to watch "X-Men - The Last Stand" this morning, because my sister wanted to see it. I had a very welcomed surprise. This movie is probably the best in the series, at least so far. Of course, you shouldn't expect too much: this is a movie designed merely for entertainment purposes, and it is quite far from being a classic or anything similar to that. That having been said, it engages the audience easily, and it entertains.

This movie doesn't pretend to be more than what it is: a blockbuster with lots of action and not too much character development. However, that is all right in my book, at least in some of the films I watch. Yes, "X-Men - The Last Stand" could have been better, but it is nonetheless a film you will probably like, specially if you are already a fan of the series.

The inspiration for the plot is taken from the "X-men" comics, even though the story has been substantially modified. In a nutshell, a cure to treat mutations has been found, and mutants react differently to that discovery. The Brotherhood, a group of mutants whose leader is Magneto (Ian McKellen), plans to destroy the cure. The X-Men, led by Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), think that every mutant should be able to choose without pressures whether to remain one or not. In Prof. Charles Xavier's words "Since the dawn of existence, there have always been moments when the course of history shifted. Such a turning point is upon us now" (...) "I do not know if victory is possible. I only know that great sacrifice will be required. And because the fate of many will depend on a few, we must make the last stand".

There is also a secondary plot: Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), an X-Men that died in the second film of the series in order to save her teammates, is reborn, but as someone different, more powerful, and much more dangerous. Jean is now her alterego, Phoenix, a force that cannot be controlled, and that might well wreak havoc on the world. But is there any way of saving her? And will Professor Xavier, Scott (James Marsden), Logan (Hugh Jackman) and Storm (Hally Berry) find it, before it is too late?

On the whole, I think that you will like this film a lot, if you are already a fan of the series. It is more of the same, only a little better. In case you haven't watched the previous movies, give them a try before watching "X-Men - The Last Stand", because then you will understand better what is happening in this film. Of course, recommended :)

Belen Alcat

PS1: Don't leave the cinema as soon as the movie finishes, as there is a little and very surprising scene just after the credits finish rolling up. You will have to wait a few extra minutes, but believe me, it is worth it!

PS2: There are new additions to the X-men, the most noteworthy being Beast, that is Dr. Hank Mcoy (played by Kelsey Grammer).