"Way to go, Furball." - Logan (Hugh Jackman)

Rating: 7/10 (20 June 2006)

For the most part, Marvel Comic movie adaptations suck. With the exception of the amazing surprise 'Batman Begins', the majority of them disappoint, like 'The Hulk', 'Spider-Man 2', 'The Punisher' and the dreadful 'Daredevil'. One of the only Marvel Comic movie franchises that is actually enticing is the 'X-Men' series. The first two were great successes, not to mention very good films that were both enjoyable and meaty when it came to the storyline. I had heard some pretty negative things about the third installment however, that it was sappy, confusing and ultimately a disappointment when compared to it's predecessors. After three weeks of putting it off, I finally saw 'X-Men III: The Last Stand', and I have to tell you, I really enjoyed it and actually felt it was the best out of the three movies.
Unlike the first two films, 'X-Men III' offers something the others didn't -- the surprise element. Three of the main characters die in this one in unpredictable places which take you really off-guard. Some people found this annoying, but I found it brilliant because unlike the other two movies this one keeps you guessing and anxious about what will happen next. The acting in this one is on-par with the other two films. Hugh Jackman is excellent as usual as the tough SOB that is Wolverine while Famke Jansen, James Marsden, Anna Paquin, Ben Foster, Michael Murphy, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Cameron Bright, Shawn Ashmore and Ellen Page are solid in their roles. Patrick Stewart is fantastic as the wise old Professor X and Ian McKellan steals the movie as the troubled and complicated villain, Magneto. I also loved Kelsey Grammar in it as the mutant politician turned X-Men hero. The villains are all exceptional including Aaron Stanford, everyone's favorite brit Vinnie Jones, and even Rebecca Rojimin whose acting doesn't really impress me but she does a pretty decent job in this role. The only disappointment in the cast is the Oscar winner -- Halle Berry. I never found her to be a particularly good actress, in fact 'Monster's Ball' was a fluke and the fact she won the Oscar for that was just Hollywood political correctness bullshit. Berry staggers her way through the role trying very hard to make you believe she's i n trouble, but she's just not a good enough actress to convince you. The only other down-point of the movie, is the terribly tacky dialogue. Some of it is just a little too much, but you have to keep reminding yourself 'X-Men' isn't 'The Godfather' it's a friggin' Marvel Comic book and of course it's going to have silly dialogue.
All in all I highly recommend this installment. There's a twist ending, and there's another twist after the movie is over and the credits have all rolled so make sure you stay after the credits. The movie has everything every superhero movie needs. It could very well be the best superhero movie o f the year, if the upcoming 'Superman Returns' doesn't step up to the plate June 30th. Grade: B (***1/2 out of *****, screened at AMC Arizona Center 24, Phoenix, Arizona, 6/15/06)