Not bad, but wasted potential

Rating: 6/10 (27 May 2006)

I have very mixed feelings about this film. SPOILERS... There were points I enjoyed, things I liked. As a fan of the comics, I saw many nods to the audience that were appreciated. The acting was strong (given what the actors had to work with), the action was good, but... there were several mistakes made with this. I can't help but think that these moments I enjoyed could have been in a movie that worked very well cinematically (which X2 did), which this didn't. Why knock out half of your established characters in the third movie of a trilogy and add new ones? I'll take one Mystique, who has been built into a strong character over the course of two films, than 10 anonymous mutants who only serve as a means to show off CGI. The treatment of Cyclops was inexcusable, and the death that happened halfway through the film angered me so greatly that I almost walked out. After the credits, I felt much better, but I still can't help but feel that so much more could have been done with this. If only FOX had been willing to wait a year and get Singer back at the helm. If only they hadn't trimmed Mardsen's part down for his involvement with Superman Returns. If only the script writer had worked with the characters that had been developed in the previous two films, instead of tossing them out the window and starting at square one. I guess I'll enjoy this one, but I think that I'll always dream about the film that could have been...