Can Wolverine get love off his mind?

Rating: 9/10 (27 May 2006)

The third and final? episode of the X-Men movie trilogy? brings us to the resolution of Logan's quest. Will he stay the lone wolf or get with the girl? The X-Men movies are all about the Wolverine, and whether true to the comics or not, X3 is true to telling a very satisfying story about love lost, love regained, and the challenges of relationships with telekinetic supermodels.
This movie works for me because I am a fan of the Powerful Moment (PM). That's when the movie subtly grasps you by your emotional gonads and smoothly jerks you gratefully to your tiptoes. It seemed that every scene when Wolverine tries to "get" the girl, the movie pulls off this PM effect. She may play some head-games and start throwing a few dishes, breaking a few windows (awesome CGI here), yet you can't help but love her too. (Stream of Consciousness: What if Galadrial /had/ accepted the One Ring?)
A few minor quibbles: The movie is a little too quick. Some characters from X1 and X2 are underused. The minor bad guys are a bit one-dimensional (unlike Sabertooth and Toad from X1, of course). Yes, Storm needs a boyfriend (the new hairdo is working). I also felt the X1 and X2 music was a tad more inspirational, but the X3 version wasn't bad and it grew on me as the film progressed.
Whew, okay, now for the good. Lots of new characters and mutant abilities are introduced in X3. I had no preconceived notions going into the theater (no, I have not read the comics), so I found the new mutants easy to accept and enjoyed all the imaginative variations on their talents. The Beast stands out as a winning new character who takes on depth as an intermediary between humans and mutants. And the question is answered: What happens when you put someone who walks through walls, someone who is super dense (in body and mind), and someone who negates mutant abilities together in room? A little lowbrow and predictable, but it does entertain.
No X-Men movie would be complete without Magneto wielding great monologues and large metal objects. Even his most tiniest of manipulations have great import (I gasped). It was also nice to witness Charles Xavier do his thing without Cerebro. Do we see that he has a hint of the dark side? Probably not, may be just a shadow on the screen. Finally, Mystique is always easy on the eyes, and I thought she played a nice key role although more minor than in the previous films.
I know I haven't given out a plot summary or listed actor and director credits, but I feel you can get those from other reviews or when you see the movie. See it you should. I am a big fan of the Wolverine and he doesn't disappoint.