Moronic movie-making

Rating: 6/10 (27 May 2006)

This movie had one good thing going for it: The first half hour. For the first 30 min. or so, up until the first funeral, I loved it. Perfectly produced superhero movie. Story, action, comic-book references (the Danger Room!!), lots of cool stuff. Establishing a great threat as Phoenix kills the proff.
And then it all just goes poof! All gone. No characterization, nothing even remotely exciting or meaningful happens thereafter. It's just an extended version of the trailer. Nothing has an emotional impact, and the storytelling doesn't even begin to live up to the most basic of narrative requirements. How the bloody hell can the producers think that this is even remotely acceptable?
Yeah, the Golden Gate thing was cool. And all the characters, and the way they used their powers. That worked. I didn't even mind that there were so many characters who didn't have much to do. What I minded was the ridiculously poor storytelling ability and the complete lack of any emotional matter or motivation on the part of the major characters. Jean Grey/Phoenix, for most of the time, was just standing around like a zombie doing *nada*! The climactic scene with her and Wolvie contained no feeling whatsoever - none! That is the worst possible betrayal of the original story.
This is clearly the worst of the X-Men movies, and a tragic squandering of a great, great opportunity. I hated Hollywood yesterday and I'll hate them again tomorrow, but this movie made sure I hated Hollywood TODAY! Only the first half hour of this movie keeps it from being complete excrement, and all the four stars are for that opening third of the movie. As a whole, the movie deserves much less.
4 out of 10.