The first two X-Men movies got the balance just right. The third entry? Not so much.

Rating: 5/10 (25 February 2010)

Warning: major spoilers! Another warning: comic book geek speaking!
Producing a good X-Men movie must be extremely difficult. The filmmakers ideally would have to appeal to both casual audiences and fan-boys, juggle an extensive cast, deal with the inherent pulpiness of the source material, work in dramatic character moments and heady concepts alike, and excel at action scenes and special effects. The first two X-Men movies were pretty much perfect, getting the balance just right. The third entry? Not so much.
On the surface, the "X-Men: The Last Stand" at least feels coherent with the previous entries, so director Brett Ratner deserves some credit for getting the tone right.
I also liked the idea of combining the "Dark Phoenix Saga", arguably the most iconic X-Men story ever written, with "Gifted", a modern classic. The biggest problem with "Dark Phoenix Saga" is that it doesn't really resonate with the X-Men's central themes of oppression and prejudice; bringing in elements of "Gifted" for thematic relevance was a smart move.
So much about what I liked. Unfortunately, the filmmakers screwed up about everything else.
The whole movie feels rushed. The plot is extremely simple, and the characters don't have enough space to breathe. Important characters are shoved to the background or unceremoniously killed off (Rogue, Cyclops). Other, less developed characters inexplicably take center stage (Storm, Colossus, Shadowcat). Wolverine gets so much screen time it becomes annoying.
With both characters and plot taking a backseat, the movie is reduced to an action- and cgi-spectacle. Sadly, the movie doesn't really impress on that front, either. Some scenes are sweet (the opening flashback, Magneto attacking the truck, Juggernaut chasing Kitty), but mostly, the effects are disappointingly mediocre.
From a comic geek point of view, I was also bothered by how much the movie diverges from the comics. The previous entries made some significant changes, but it always felt like the source material was highly respected. I didn't get that feeling when they killed off Cyclops, or introduced their versions of Calisto and her entourage.
Ultimately, "X-Men: The Last Stand" just doesn't work on a number of levels, and is a very disappointing conclusion to the trilogy.