This film had so much potential to be the best

Rating: 6/10 (28 May 2006)

You would think that the final installment of the X-men would be the best out of the trilogy, and you would walk away from the theater feeling complete. Sadly, I wasn't. This film had so much potential to be the best but it failed. Although it does have some exciting and entertaining action moments, some cheesy one-liners and elements of the storyline can't be ignored that contributed to its failure.
Let's start with the good. Storm is my favorite X-men character so I was glad to finally see her take on a more important role, as well as see her use her powers to the max, combined with some fist-fighting action. I loved the opening scene where we see Prof. X and Magneto as friends, who have come to Jean Grey's house when she was a child. It showed another side of their relationship that made you understand Magneto more, especially after Prof. X died and Magneto scolds Pyro by saying he regrets that Prof. X had to die for their dream to live. The way he says this line is more mournful rather than evil in my opinion. I also enjoyed the battle between Iceman and Pyro, and seeing Iceman become all ice was thrilling. The scenes with Angel were great as well but I wish the character was used more in action scenes, instead of just flying across the sky (although these shots were beautiful).
But while these scenes were fun to watch, the film lacked emotional value that made the first two (especially the second) so strong. With the premise being that there is a cure for mutants, and what mutants think about it, the emotions should be the strongest out of the three but it was weak. You see hints of it but it is then never completed. For example, at the last minute Angel doesn't want the cure and he quickly but strongly counters his dad, before flying out the window. Storm explaining how mutants are not a disease, and that they shouldn't get the cure also are small glimmers into their emotions.
The real character who should be the strongest in all this is Rogue, but her crisis seems to rushed and predictable. Of course we know she would want the cure the most...so she can finally touch people without worry of killing them. There's more added pressure because she has a boyfriend (Bobby/Iceman) and he seems to be begging for something more intimate, especially as we see him become closer with another mutant Katie, and the skating scene says it all. It is that scene that sparks Rogue to leave and get the cure. But even a small talk with Wolverine (her first mutant friend) can't stop her or rethink the situation. She still gets the cure. Yet even at the end, Bobby isn't all happy or excited. Does he even love her or respect her decision at this point? In my opinion, the film might have been better if Rogue didn't get the cure because being a mutant is who she is (no matter what their power). Additionally, her power could have been very useful during the final battle, especially when Phoenix seemed to be going on a rage destroying things. As a result, I was really disappointed I didn't get to see Rogue in more action scenes since she didn't have many in the first two.
Other disappoints were the character Night-crawler was completely absent. I don't know if they couldn't get the actor who played him but Night-crawler still should have been in the film, continuing from the second. Same for Cyclops. Why did Wolverine have to be the one who saves Jean when Cycops is the one who loves her, and Jean loves back. Cyclops was barely in the film, and his only role in the film was that Jean killed the man she loved because she couldn't control her powers (the Phoenix). Hope, faith, and love were values made apparent in the first two and hardly developed in the third. Sure, Wolverine killed Jean because he loves her but why couldn't Jean overpower the Phoenix within herself because of her love for Scott/Cyclops? Just a thought.
While the film was still enjoyable and raises a lot of questions and issues, it had so much potential to be the best in the trilogy but in my opinion, it wasn't. At least X3 isn't the only comic book movie this summer, so there's still hope for a good one.