A solid effort that has a few shortcomings

Rating: 8/10 (26 May 2006)

Growing up, I was an oft comic book fan. I read a few, but I paid more attention to the TV series of the 1990's, which from what I've seen, heard and read since, followed the comics much closer than any movie could. So with great anticipation, I watched the first X-Men film back in 2000, and was fairly disappointed. Yes, it set up the foundations for everything else to come, but it just did not feel right to me. When X2: X-Men United came out, I was fairly stoked, but was ready to be disappointed again. Luckily, I was not. The film was excellent in all phases of the word, and stands as one of my favourite comic book adaptations.
But then, Bryan Singer left the production of the inevitable X3 and Brett Ratner stepped in. I can't say I was immediately impressed, but I was still very hyped to see it. After seeing the film, I can say that I was happy that it was not completely mangled from what Singer delivered in the first two films, but it still does manage to deviate a bit from what I can only imagine was the original vision for the film.
So there really is not a whole lot to say about the movie that most people do not already know about. A drug has been discovered that will help "cure" mutants of their powers, and let them be completely human. Of course, there are some who embrace this idea quickly, but many do not. Leading the charge is Magneto (Ian McKellan), whose ideals for mutants and humans have always clashed with that of Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart). So as this whole "cure" business begins to come together, many begin questioning their ideals about being mutants, and in a sense, take a stand (an obvious nod to the subtitle of the film) and choose how they will continue to lead their lives.
All of the core performances, no matter how big or small they are, are all well done. I was a little worried about how Kelsey Grammar would handle Beast, but he puts all worries to rest. Hugh Jackman continues his perfection of playing Wolverine, while Halle Berry is given so much more to do as Storm, that you begin to understand that she may not just be total eye candy (although she still does not prove to me that she deserves an Oscar). Stewart and McKellan continue their great performances, and returnees like Shawn Ashmore, Anna Paquin, Rebecca Romijn, Aaron Stanford, James Marsdan, Daniel Cudmore and Famke Janssen are all completely at home with their roles, and continue playing them gracefully. Newbies like Ben Foster as Angel, Ellen Page as Kitty Pride and Cameron Bright as Leech among others were questionable choices and additions to the cast, but unfortunately, are given very little screen time and real character developing moments to be anywhere near comparable to all the returning actors. Vinnie Jones is sadly underused as Juggernaut, but his few moments are memorable and show off his talent greatly. Cameos from Stan Lee and R. Lee Ermey are also quite memorable.
The story on the other hand, is iffy. It seems like the filmmakers really wanted to cram a lot into this movie, but still use many of the characters we know and love. So unfortunately, some come and go, and some unfortunately get very little screen time at all. And while the film completely changes some of the key story lines (like Dark Phoenix), it tries to continue the momentum of Singer's pictures, and not allow it to completely halt any of the continued ones that were in the first two films. While some changes are downright upsetting, others are handled very well and are easily acceptable. While Ratner may have directed it, you can still feel the heavy influence from Singer. For that reason, he does not completely mangle everything the films had going for them. He does add a lot more comedy, a lot more sex, and a lot more emotion, but he makes a solid attempt to stay close to what Singer had. While he does not handle the emotional scenes the same way Singer does, his valiant effort is not unnoticeable.
Ratner's main change from Singer was the amping up of the mutant powers, effectively upping the number of special effects within the film. And they are all a marvel to see. While being much more low key in the original films, they are very much present and being showcased here. All of the shots are well done, and look extremely realistic, even when we know what is happening is downright absurd. From Storm's weather changing, to Iceman's ice, to even Wolverine's quick healing, all are captured excellently, and help really bring to life the powers these people have. Beast's complete agility and fierce fighting are also great to see finally brought to screen after so long.
While Ratner made a solid effort to not completely destroy the X-Men series, I can't help but say that some of what ends up happening in this vastly shorter film, is a bit of a disappointment. What built into something excellent, ends on just a great note. Ratner lets it falter a bit, but his handling of the rest of the film is valiant and a compliment to Singer. I just cannot help but wonder what could have been done if Superman Returns had not finally been green-lit. It's a worthwhile close to the franchise (at least for now), and is very entertaining, but do not expect it to hold a candle to the second film.
8/10.