Pretty dark but pretty enjoyable

Rating: 8/10 (29 May 2006)

The movie starts off a few months after the end of X-Men 2, with Wolverine and Cyclops still grieving over the loss of Jean Gray. If you've seen the trailers, then you have an idea of what happens next. A 'cure' for the 'X' gene is found and offered to mutants. Of course, the paranoid people in the government turn it into a weapon and plan to use it as a defence against rogue mutants, like Magento. Magento, of course takes exception to this and forms an army, with the intent on destroying the cure and taking over the planet. He enlists the help of dozens of mutants and storms the facility holding the cure. Of course, the government, armed with its new 'cure' weapons, is waiting for them and a battle ensues.
There is also a love triangle of sorts between Kitty Pryde, Iceman, and Rogue, as well as some time spent on developing other 'lesser' characters, both in the X-Men and the Brotherhood. Plenty of fun new characters are introduced, the best being Juggernaut (played very hilariously by Vinne Jones).
This movie is considerably darker than the others, with plenty of mayhem and death, so that may or may not be your cup of tea. Personally, I enjoyed the darker take on the X-Men instead of the usual superhero movie with the good guys winning and no one getting hurt.
I was pretty impressed by this movie. After reading reviews about it, I was expecting another it to be like Mission Impossible3, another cash grab with big actors and without a story. Instead, I was treated to a pretty decent story, plenty of action, lots of payoff and lots of characters getting killed. Needless to say, there are some major characters that either get killed or lose their powers, so expect the unexpected. You also need to stay in the theatre after the credits finish to see a special scene involving one of the major characters, otherwise, you'll have to wait for the DVD in the fall.