"Don't Let It Control You." --- Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart)

Rating: 7/10 (3 December 2006)

"X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006)
Directed By: Brett Ratner
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Kelsey Grammar, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn, Shawn Ashmore, & Aaron Stanford
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (for intense sequences of action violence, some sexual content and language)
"When an individual acquires great power, the use or misuse of that power is everything, Will it be used for the greater good or will it be used for personal or destructive ends? Now this is a question we must all ask ourselves. Why? Because, we are mutants." --- Professor Charles Xavier.
The above quote sums up "X-Men: The Last Stand" well, considering that it is the supposed final installment in one of the greatest superhero sagas ever put onto screen and the director of the first two films, Bryan Singer, turned the director's chair over to Brett Ratner--yes, Brett Ratner, the director of numerous music videos and the "Rush Hour" series. Ratner gained a vast amount of power with the studio's decision to hire him and what he did with that power mattered greatly to every fan of this franchise. Well, did he use it for the greater good or did he use it for destructive ends? In all actuality, Ratner did both of these things. On one hand, he made a fun, exciting, and engaging film with many twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. On the other hand, there is a lack of a conclusion to this film, making this a disappointing final installment. It would seem that someone forgot to tell the screenwriters that this was "The Last Stand"not just another sequel. Or maybe this was their plan all along--call this the final movie so everyone rushes out to see it and then release yet another sequel a few years down the road. Let's hope that is the caseotherwise, the "X-Men" franchise has let me and many others down.
The world's population is split in half when a cure for the Mutant X gene is discovered. Should the cure be turned into weapons that could force mutants to give up their powers or should the cure be on an optional basis only? On top of that, Jean Grey (Janssen), who was thought to be dead, has returned and has gained far more power than any other mutant could ever wish to have. She is now the Phoenix, a "Level Five" mutant who could destroy the world in a matter of seconds if she so desires. Professor Charles Xavier (Stewart) and the other X-Men seek to help Jean control this dark, evil side of her powers, but Magneto (McKellen) wants to harvest her power to help his Brotherhood of Mutants. Jean, unable to control her alternate self, the Phoenix, cannot escape the upcoming war, which will be raged between man and mutantand between mutant and mutant. Can Professor X, Wolverine (Jackman), Storm (Berry), and the other X-Men stop Magneto, fight the war, and rescue Jean before Magneto gains ultimate power? Whose side will you stand on?
When Brett Ratner was named the director of the final installment in the "X-Men" series, fans were up in arms and it seemed as though everyone was expecting Ratner to fail? Fortunately, he didn't. In fact, the only thing he didn't do correctly was choosing to work with this script. Very few expected the change in screenwriters to affect the movie so highly. Unfortunately, it did. The screenwriters here handle most of the film well enough, but, when they falter, they fail miserably. So many ends are left unconnected. Characters that we have grown to love (or hate) vanish and are never seen again, leaving their fates up to interpretation. Many of the characters we loved from the first two films are given a limited amount of screen time in favor of new, pointless characters. In all honestly characters such as Angel (Ben Foster) and Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones) are completely useless and wasted on dull parts. They could have easily been cut out completely and it seems as though they were merely added for the sake of telling the fanboys that these comic book characters would be in the film. Had this been another sequel, I would have enjoyed this movie far more and, if another film is made, my opinions of this film will improve greatly. As it is the final movie, at this point in time, I find myself slightly disappointed. I wanted more of a conclusion to this amazing franchise and that was something "The Last Stand" lacked.
Do not get me wrong. I enjoyed "X-Men: The Last Stand". It is an action-packed, electrifying film that isn't afraid to kill off main characters or completely change everything we know about them. It held my attention constantly and, if another film is made, I would probably say that this is a great movie. As the end of a trilogy, I must say that it doesn't quite cut it. It's a notch below the previous two installments, in terms of emotional resonance and characterization, as well. Still, when this movie ended, I had had a good time and, when watching the three films back-to-back, I couldn't notice any real drastic decrease in quality. They all work together nicely. I simply hope that this is not, as the title suggests, the last stand for the X-Men and that we will be seeing another film in a few years' time--a film that concludes the series far better than this. Bring on the next "X-Men" film, because I am ready.
Final Thoughts: As just a sequel, it is great. As a conclusion of a series, it is just good.
Overall Rating: 7/10 (B+)