The Big X-it

Rating: 7/10 (9 October 2006)

Bryan Singer did a fine job with the X-Men films. He laid out the framework with the original, then expanded the scale for X2, which emerged as one of the finest superhero films ever made. But he had to bow out for Part 3 because he was handling Superman Returns. Instead Brett Ratner had to pick up where he left off.
X-Men: The Last Stand is sadly a slightly disappointing conclusion to the trilogy, because Ratner doesn't have the same feel for the characters the way Singer did. It also has some of the same problems as the original. Too many characters, and not enough time to cover them all.
But X3 is not without it's merits. It's quite a rousing adventure. There are some interesting new characters, and a fairly intriguing plot with lots of possibilities. But they're not explored in the way Singer was able to do in the past. X3 emerges as only a good conclusion to this trilogy when it should have been a great one.
At the end of the previous instalment, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) nobly sacrificed her life to ensure the X-Men could escape from certain death. The rest of the gang have been trying to pick up the pieces ever since. Without much success.
Cyclops (James Marsden) distances himself from the group. He feels drawn back to Alkali Lake, the sight of Jean's untimely demise. Where he finds Jean very much alive. Only now she's been consumed by her mutant power, and named herself Phoenix.
Before the X-Men can even begin to deal with this revelation, a new crisis has stirred up human/mutant relations. Apparently a 'cure' has been discovered that can reverse mutations. This discovery has split mutants right down the middle. Those who have accepted what they are and have no wish to change. And those who find the idea of being 'normal' appealing. Like Rogue (Anna Paquin). As you may recall, she can't touch anyone without killing them. She is left with a dilemma. Whether or not to deny her true self just to fit in.
Meanwhile Magneto (Ian McKellen) sees this cure as a weapon to be used against mutants. He amasses an army of followers to pave the way for mutant domination. The only thing that stands in the way is the boy who holds the gene that created the cure in the first place. Being held at Alcatraz, Magneto intends to kidnap the boy, with the help of the Phoenix, to initiate mutant takeover.
X-Men: The Last Stand is certainly ambitious. It's just a shame it feels so rushed. At only 100 minutes, that isn't nearly enough time to address the wide variety of issues raised. And with the amount of new characters being introduced, the film sometimes feels like a queue for each character's place in the spotlight.
Cyclops for one only gets about ten minutes of screen time before he gets killed. Granted James Marsden never impressed me in the part, and doesn't here either, but that's quite a bizarre twist so early on. And Cyclops is not the only one to get bumped off. That goes for Xavier (Patrick Stewart) too. Disappointing considering he was sidelined last time as well. But his tragic death at the hands of the Phoenix is still quite shocking, and it does seem to lend a dynamic to the gang and their latest job.
Storm gets to play leader this time, which is not a good thing because whenever she takes charge, Halle Berry only shows off her limitations as an actress. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) should have been made head honcho, and sadly only gets a few good moments to shine. His goodbye to Rogue is nice. Its played without a single false note of sincerity. And the part when Phoenix seduces him, prompting him to decide should he kill Jean to save others is startling, which is followed through at the end.
Famke Janssen gets to have fun with the Phoenix. But I wish she could have played it a bit more edgily. It would have made the moral choices over what to do with her that much more fascinating. Kelsey Grammar's a charismatic Beast. Lending his rich voice to the character, he imbues him with the characteristic intelligence, and a pure heart of gold. And Iceman and Pyro get to have a great standoff towards the end. It almost seemed like WWF Wrestling!
I was disappointed Mystique was shortchanged this time around, especially since she was given such exposure previously. I thought the way she was written out of it was haphazardly handled, as if Ratner thought there were too many characters as it was, and they had to lose a couple early on.
Rogue gets sidelined almost completely and replaced by Kitty Pryde, a mutant who can walk through walls. A spunky little thing she is too, her power comes in handy at the end, making her a nice addition to the team. But Rogue's absence is still sorely felt.
X3 does have some grandstanding effects sequences and fantastic action set-pieces. There's a real corker where Magneto manipulates the Golden Gate Bridge to form a pathway to Alcatraz, and the final battle reaches almost epic proportions. The last 30 minutes are very absorbing. It's just a shame the direction isn't as solid as it has been previously.
There are individual moments that work. Magneto being made mortal is handled with genuine poignancy for the character, and the debate over whether or not it is right to give up being a mutant also works very well, but these moments just don't come often enough.
Overall, I did enjoy the film, but not as much as I wanted to. X2 is the real high point in the trilogy, where X3 should have been the series finest hour.