Same problem as the Spider-Man Trilogy

Rating: 7/10 (11 November 2008)

As we all know, Marvel and 20th Century Fox made huge bank bringing Spider-Man and X-Men to the big screen. You knew based on the success of the first movies in each series and how they ended that there would be sequels. Spider-Man 2 and X2 X-Men United both picked up where the first movies left off and continued with great story lines and character development. However, the third installment in each series in suffered the same problem in much more depressing scripts and trying to bring about an ending. Being that this review is on X-Men The Last Stand I'll discuss that movie only.
The first X-Men movie, including the credits ran a total of 1hr, 44min. Anyone who saw the movie will tell you that this was more than sufficient time to establish the main characters and the original plot. X2, including credits ran for 2hr, 13min. This running length made perfect sense as the story showed the development of more characters and help segue into the 3rd movie. X3, including credits ran for 1hr, 44min. Had X3 had the same running time as X2, it wouldn't have seemed like the writers were trying to cram so much story into so little time.
Fans on X-Men knew that based on how Jean Grey died in X2 that the Dark Phoenix saga was inevitable. Also, the previews for the movie told about a mutant cure angle being used. However, both angles and others were merely used as part of the plot and not developed enough. The cure was explained as something caused by a mutant and now being marketed by the government to mutants. There was no explanation on how it came to be or how it was discovered. Jean and the Phoenix angle didn't need as much explaining as most X-Men fans knew of its origin. However, her killing Scott, Xavier trying to help her in the lab, Logan trying to help her, Jean returning home and the killing Xavier was way too rushed.
As for others, character development was lacking and disappointing for a cure Mystique, Juggernaut and Archangel. After being unwillingly cured, Mystique disappears from the plot except for later on being shown in a video room helping the government. Juggernaut's powers were explained briefly and for the rest of the movie he was basically Magneto's muscle. Archangel was shown as being the son of the president of the company that manufactured the cure. The only parts he had in the plot were escaping when his father tried to cure him, coming to the mansion and saving his father at the end.
As for the main story line, it didn't live up to how great the first two movies were. No one expected to see Scott or Xavier die in that fashion. Jean being in a power struggle with the Dark Phoenix was done well but not explored enough. Rogue wanting the cure wasn't a shock but they needed to explore how it would affect her emotional relationship with Bobby before she did. Magneto's war on humans from his outrage over the cure was expected but the recruiting was too rushed and the fight scenes weren't led into well.
I'd love to explain more of what disappointed my but I'd rather you see the movie for yourself and form an opinion. As for now, I hope that 20th Century Fox and Marvel would consider doing a new 3rd installment to ease the consciences of those who wanted more.