Unbelievable

Rating: 9/10 (29 May 2006)

I had heard very mixed reviews of 'The last stand' and so was unsure what to expect from the film and was worried that the trailer had shown the best parts of the film. However my hopes for this film were exceeded. It was brilliant, the special effects were unbelievable and the stunts were great.
It could be said that this film has less emotional development than the last two films but I don't believe this to be so. All the 'X-men' are fighting their own moral and ethical battles within the storyline of the film which gives a greater understanding behind the reasons for the actions they take.
Additionally it is revealed that a large number of the 'mutants' have far more evolved powers than we first thought, Jean in particular (but going into too much detail on that front will probably totally ruin the film for anyone who hasn't read the comics or internet spoilers). However i will say that her powers are far far more advanced than indicated in the first two instalments and her anger against certain characters came as quite a surprise. Additionally within the film the true extent of the powers of Iceman and Kitty Pride are revealed.
Furthermore the character development of Storm (which was perhaps slightly overdue) was magnificent and well played by Hallie Berry. Hugh Jackman was (as usual) superb as Wolverine and Kelsey Grammar was (for want of a better phrase) 'absolutley wickid' as The Beast. He brings presence to his role and the character itself is just brilliant. Also the respect that Magneto and the professor have for each other, and their commitment to their dream (via their own, quite different routes) was a really important touch which brought a far greater emotional explanation for each of their actions within all three films.
Therefore overall I would give the film a 9/10 simply because I feel it could have been slightly longer to allow greater character development but other than that it was a brilliant film which i would recommend fans of the films to see. I was hoping for a film to match the other two (both of which I gave an 8/10) but what I watched turned out to far exceed my hopes. Unbelievable special effects (on par with films such as Narnia and King Kong 2005)and superb emotionally driven plot line. A great film.