Conclusion to mutant saga lacks human element.

Rating: 4/10 (26 October 2006)

The prospects for X-Men 3 were, on the face of it, fairly promising - the same able cast as the first two instalments, bolstered with the (quite frankly, genius) casting of Kelsey Grammar as Hank 'Beast' McCoy. Indeed, the movie starts very well, introducing some genuinely sympathetic characters in the form of Angel and Leech (the early scene of Warren's attempt to hide his mutation is an extraordinarily affecting one for a movie of this kind). Even more impressively, it then goes on to bravely dispense with some of the series' key characters, creating a genuine sense of unpredictability (although, it has to be said, these deaths could have been handled with a hell of a lot more respect). From then on, though, the film gradually descends into what can only be described as a bloated mess.
The problem here is too many characters, too little development. After spending two movies (plus the opening of this one) fleshing out the backgrounds of the X-Men we are left with a film that is, for the most part, a series of increasingly OTT fight scenes tacked on to a cheesy paint-by-numbers plot. Perhaps the most important character in the movie, Famke Janssen's Jean Grey, does little more than walk around in a daze, occasionally becoming either angry or horny. Elsewhere, stories are either underdeveloped (see Rogue's sub-plot) or completely unfinished (despite his being one of the few characters in the movie to retain any kind of pathos, Warren/Angel's contribution to the final third is simply a blink-and-you'll-miss-it enactment of one of the biggest superhero clichÃ©s of all time). Even such essential characters as Wolverine and Magneto are left with little to do but fight and look cool, while new addition Juggernaut fails to even muster the latter - Vinnie Jones appearing, quite frankly, ridiculous in every scene he intrudes on. Furthermore, comic-book fans will be disappointed to discover that the considerably important relationship between Professor Xavier and Cain Marko/Juggernaut is not merely glossed over but totally unmentioned.
Stir in one of the most atrocious and intrusive scores since Batman & Robin and you have a film that is enjoyable bombast at best and, at worst, a lactose-dripping nonsense-festival. In its favour, it has a few great set pieces and some rather impressive special effects. Little recompense, though, for the total lack of involvement and the rather offensive stench of Camembert that it frequently emits.