All the Strong Points there, except the Music Score

Rating: 6/10 (26 May 2006)

I was delighted to see my fears were unfounded as the 3rd outing still had something new to offer, except for periods where it felt like "X Men: 90210". There were imaginative set pieces, huge plot twists, a good amount of Wolverine, and the "Mutants are People too" vibe. What kept it from being a gripping and driven film is the absence of a compelling score (see IMDb trivia about this movie and "Superman Returns"). It is easy to tell when a movie is not greater than the sum of it's parts. I think of "U.S. Marshalls", the sequel to "The Fugitive"; there was something not quite there in the pacing, or in the framing of the shots, or the subtlety in the lighting. There are few FX shots that are that kind of 'wow' these days, and only near the end do the fireworks really begin.
However, the script was thankfully bulletproof. With all characters well established, the arc of each character's stories are exciting to watch, and I can only say that the Blue Beast was too boring to justify the amount of screen time given. Here the Hairy over-sized cookie monster has to muddle through boring C-SPAN political dullness that gave me flashbacks of the Intergalactic Senate in the "Star Wars" prequels. None of that procedural mumbo jumbo carries an ounce of the story's momentum. Whatever is discussed can just be recapitulated as a CNN news report, or in a few lines of dialogue.
But back to the Music Score, John Powell's bland scoring was lacking when the right moment was needed, or, the film mix needed tweaking. Actually, the showing I was at had some sound glitches in the beginning two reels, so that may have been a factor as well. I think the story material more than makes up for the weaknesses, and you may find yourself choking a tear or two. I recommend those who have seen the other X Men movies to go see how the X Men world turns.