Excellent Third Installment!

Rating: 8/10 (30 May 2006)

I have read a lot of reviews on forums and on websites and a lot of negative comments were that there was no heart in the film - well this is dead wrong! Although Cyclops was terribly underused and I think a lot of Wolverines scenes should really have been him, the few scenes show a lot of emotion and showed a lot of passion for Jean. I was a little concerned therefore when Jean does what she does.
After that it was a roller-coaster of thrills and even genuine chills as the Dark Phoenix emerges - at first I was disappointed at the lack of Phoenix Effect but the effects they used for Phoenix were great - Very Dark Willow from Buffy!! And all I will say is there were a number of sniffs at the end of the Grey residence scene in the cinema.
Storm was much much better in this instalment and although I still feel Halle Berry is too weak a personality for her we do see some of Storm's steel in her - especially in the second fight with Callisto.
Other characters didn't really develop and this is the only real negative I have - I think Colossus says something like 2 lines, Mystique and Rogue both were pretty much bit parts - although apart from Kitty calling Vinnie Jones a "Dick Head" Mystique had one of the best lines when she is being interrogated. Other mutants came and went more as tips of the hat for comic fans rather than bringing anything to the story.
The Last stand will have you covered in goose bumps as the X-Men draw a line against the brotherhood in the end scenes and when Dark Phoenix finally goes completely postal all I will say is WOW! The soundtrack I was excellent and the scene in the house gave you a sense of urgency and even after the second time of watching it and knowing what was going to happen it still made me sit on the edge of my seat! Comic fans may be upset at the fact that the original story was changed so much, but I am a massive Phoenix fan and I am glad that they took such an excellent fresh approach to Dark Phoenix. I just wish they would have been braver and kept Cyclops instead of opting for the more popular Wolverine.