Above average action flick.

Rating: 6/10 (6 November 2006)

While I admit that X-men has turned out to be a pretty good series in general, I also admit that the films have hardly broken new ground. You take a bunch of super powered freaks and put them up against other super powered freaks. What made X-men different from other comics was the human issue. The mutants at professor X's institute were out casts (Hell, there own parents usually didn't want them) and they typically had to use there powers for the good of mankind, to save the people who loathed them. The problem is, in movie form you're forced to cut down on the plot and put in more action. This tends to cut down what is generally, a layered and deep plot. That tends to be X-3's problem. You see, for ever well choreographed fight scene, we have 20 minutes of Rogue and Ice man sexual frustration. They also go so quickly from these scenes that I felt little towards the characters. I'm also disappointed in the choice of plot for the film. The whole "birth of the Phoenix" thing has been DONE TO DEATH. I know I speak for more than one true believer when I say, ENOUGH. I will say though, Bret Ratner didn't muck this up nearly as bad as I thought he would. He tries to go for fan pleasing (In one scene, a open mouthed Stan Lee stares at a floating car. Priceless!). Also, like all of the other X-men movies, the casting is top notch. Jackmen still makes a great Wolverine, Halle Berry is still a good storm, and new-comer Kelsey Grammar even pulls off Beast pretty well. Like I stated in the title, X-3 is a above average action flick with some great fights. If you're looking for the next masterpiece, you'll be sourly disappointed. Good job mister Ratner, see you in X-4?