Is that all?

Rating: 5/10 (29 May 2006)

I'm an X-Men fan. I've been reading the comics and watching the cartoons since childhood, and I wouldn't be surprised if most of the people who have seen this movie have done the same. After the rousing success of "X2", I enjoyed it while I was watching it. It was entertaining, and I was never bored. However, when I walked out of the theater, it hit me how many opportunities were wasted. So many great moments, so many interesting characters... None of them utilized to their maximum potential. Warning: This will be a very candid, train-of-thought review.
Part of the problem is the screenplay. It's written by the same people who did "Elektra". Need I say more? Most of the dialogue is awful ("I'm the Juggernaut, bitch" What?). I also wish that the writers followed through with what they started. What ever happened to that rather intriguing friendship between Rogue and Logan? What about Angel, who should have had more screen time? What about Colussus, who certainly could have been featured more in the final battle? Was that REALLY the payoff that the Jean Grey/Scott Summer subplot deserved? Where the hell is Gambit?!?! What about more depth to the relationship between Magneto and Professor X? These two characters have years - decades, even - of back story. Where is it? Thankfully, actors like Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen are around to do what they can.
And what about this "cure" that we keep hearing about? I was really interested, but there was very little explaining its creation. Nor, was there any struggle between the characters of who was to take the cure, and why. Rogue seemed to be the only one who was not only extremely eager to take it, but the only one who cared about the friggin' thing at all! I know that the final battle was directly related to the cure and all, but there was no dramatic build-up to speak of.
Another problem is the running time. I would have gladly sat through a two and a half hour movie if it offered any development of the ideas that the final product had raised. Hell, "X2" is one of the best superhero movies because it took its time, and it offered more than mindless action. Also, many of the characters aren't given nearly the time they should. Take Mystique, for example. It's almost as if Rebecca Romijn was in a rush to finish, and they compromised. Who could blame her? And Rogue -whom, I might add, was being set up in the first film to play a major part in the trilogy - does nothing to speak of. And, I do mean nothing.
Yet another problem is director is Brett Ratner. I enjoyed "Rush Hour" and especially "Red Dragon", but this guy seems to have no clue how to properly block, light, and shoot action sequences (or, in this case, any sequence). Also, the pacing in this movie felt really off to me. There was never a chance to breathe. I would also like to know who gave these chuckle heads any permission to kill off some major characters. How could Stan Lee allow this? If the script was good, I might have allowed it. But, this is X-Men we're talking about here. Be careful who you get rid of, or the die-hard fans (like myself) will have a cow.
And can someone please tell me why Halle Berry's performance as Storm seems to change with each passing film? In the first one, she was close to how I imagined the character. By now, she is just playing Halle Berry with white hair. Which brings me to another problem with this movie: How have a LONG list of talented actors... LET THEM ACT!!! Hugh Jackman has always been the force holding these films together, and he does his best here. The only two other thespians in this one who gave me glimpses of what could have been were Famke Janssen and McKellen, who is excellent as usual. Ellen Page as Kitty Pryde was a welcome presence.
Overall, I'm very disappointed. This movie should not have been rushed in order to avoid competing with "Superman". Just look at the results. Now, I'm not going to name names (*ahem*Halle Berry), but... I know that several of the actors don't want to do another one. I'm only praying that the studio gives them enough money. There HAS to be another one, if only to wash away the memory of this...