Disappointing Way to end the Series

Rating: Null/10 (3 June 2006)

Actually, I don't understand why they decided to end this -- it's been profitable and there was a lot of goodwill invested in the characters after the first two. Certainly there's more interest in this than there ever was in, I don't know, an Elektra movie or something.
But as a conclusion this is pretty shoddy. If you know and like the characters you'll like this -- the real pleasure of this series has been the spot-on casting throughout. The movie really rides on that, as well as the accumulated goodwill, because other than that it all feels hurried. Far too much story in far too little space: we see three major characters die, more change their roles drastically, maybe a half-dozen new characters are added on both sides, apocalyptic fights right and left (that don't go on as long as they need to). The whole thing feels really pro forma, like the movie makers weren't interested, ultimately, in it. It's very strange.
There are two sizable story lines here that could've stood on their own as movies; smashing them together does nobody any good.
It still has it's moments: Jackman is still wonderful as Wolverine, I think Berry is more comfortable as Storm. There's a lot of in-jokes for the fans, and even in this denuded state it's not actively awful. But it could've been a lot better -- it just feels depressing, as it stands.