A Sloppy Conclusion

Rating: 6/10 (25 October 2006)

X-Men 3: The Last Stand
This film had the potential to be the greatest of the X-Men films. It's storyline, by far the best, could have been the most complex not only of the X-films, but also of any super-hero movie.
A cure is found for mutants. The mutants have to decide if they want to accept it or not; become "normal" human beings, no longer outcasts from society. Some radicals see this as a final straw as to what has been waiting to become Civil War. And it does; as our famed mutant villain Magneto (the only classy actor left, Ian Mckellan) assembles an army of mutants. And as this is happening, matters are further complicated by the return of Jean Grey (Famke Jansen), who has risen under the guise of her dark alter-ego: Phoenix. Her mission; kill everything and everyone with her unlimited psychic abilities.
Why is it, that this material is put to such little good use? What happened in the translation from idea to screenplay? How much was left on the cutting room floor? Even though all the supporting players from the last 2 installments are back, none are given the screen time they deserve; as a plethora of newcomers join the X brigade. These new mutants seem to have joined the film for the purpose of having new mutants; just as every mutant who dies, seems to have died just to make room. The situation is worsened b/c you do not care when one dies; you don't even have time to think about it. The film is racing forward at such breakneck speed, forcing in so many unnecessary action set pieces that you will get a headache. And as far as the "choosing whether or not to take the cure", every central character seems to take no time to actually think about this decision. They all make up their minds as soon as they here of it; all only have to speak a simple "yes" or "no".
Other problems with the film's logic bother me. Why can all the mutants in the army jump extraordinarily far? How does it go from daylight to night-time in a matter of seconds at the final battle? And why are the X-Men even trying to stop Magneto? To save one kid from being killed? They kill scores more of their own kind in the process to save this one stupid brat. What kind of logic is this?
Overall, this was one of the biggest cinematic disappointments I've ever seen. An insult to every thing that made Bryan Singer's 1st two masterpieces magical.