Regrettably I did not enjoy it.

Rating: 1/10 (29 May 2006)

I have been a very big X-Men fan for the last twenty-five years and enjoyed the first two films because they remained somewhat true to the spirit of the characters and the story dynamics. So it was with great anticipation that I awaited the third film. Even with the change of the director I figured it would not be so different in tone and theme.
However I was wrong on both counts.
When I go see a film such as an anticipated sequel I ultimately satisfied to some degree by simply being able to immerse myself in the world of some of my favorite characters. In some cases the sequels I have seen are good at keeping true to the characters' nature and relationships and thus continuing the fun. In this case however I was conflicted because: 1.) on one hand I loved seeing the characters played by some of my favorite actors (a BIG kudos for whoever thought of about casting Olivia Williams as Moira McTaggart -- what a hottie!) and 2.) I did not like the plot choices that the screenwriters and director made in this film.
RE: Character Deaths If you see this film and are a die-hard X-Men fan you may agree that certain characters getting killed off made the overall dynamics of the story rather un-X-men-like. Having certain characters romantically involved with one another which was different from the comic book also make it feel a bit weird. I will not elaborate further but if you see the film and know the comic books you may agree with me on this.
By the way one could argue that these unanticipated deaths actually enhances the overall storyline because it raises the stakes for the audience since none of the characters are immune from death. And a few deaths are okay, but it seemed like a little overkill (pun intended) in this film.
RE: Plot Yes, there is a story contrary to popular opinion. And it's not too bad really, however there are a LOT of story lines going on simultaneously which makes you think if the film were any longer or convoluted that wthe audience would simply lose track of the progression in the story altogether.
RE: In the End By the way if you do go see this film stay for the scene after the credits. I am beginning to do this more and more and they do throw in a final scene after the credits that you will not want to miss.
RE: Directing Choices Ultimately I believe a director is hired for how he presents his stories. While Ratner is more than competent in his abilities to direct this film, how the story ultimately plays out in terms of tone is also his responsibility. This is a darker X-Men, true. But I believe the amount of deaths that exists in this film -- i.e. soldiers getting disintegrated -- was unnecessary for telling the story and overall rather disturbing. We know it's CG when you see it, but to see people being atomized over and over again is just sickening and unnecessary.
In X2 we know a bunch of the baddies are going to die due to their own grenades however Singer at least has the good taste to not indulge in the violence. In X1 and X2, the spectacle is not the story but a tool at the hands of the director. In X3 it seems that fact is somewhat forgotten.
Even though I walked out of X3 rather happy to see some of my favorite characters, after a few hours the overall impact of all tha violence left a bad taste in my mouth and I came to the conclusion that I really did not like this film.
RE: The Future Is X-Men: The Last Stand the end for the X-Men? I doubt it. There's still plenty of material that could be used for sequels. However I wish the Donners reteam with Singer for the next project. He seems to have been pretty good at keeping spirit of the project on track.