Ratner closes the current run, not great though.

Rating: 7/10 (25 May 2006)

A cure, a way to suppress the mutant gene that gives the new race its super powers has been found and is being offered to anyone who wants it. Magneto sees this, because of his childhood experiences, as a genocide aimed at wiping out the mutant race. He decides to take the fight to the Homo sapiens and destroy the mutant who is the source of this cure.
First off I think the film was okay. If anything it was too short, and that isn't something I find myself saying too often these days. An extra 15 minutes wouldn't have been too much of a stretch.
Ratner isn't a great director. Unfortunately he's following on from a director who got this franchise off the ground with two fantastic films that built on characters as well as having some nice pieces of action. Ratner uses the people to link bits of action together and the film is weaker for it. A lot of the story relies on you the viewer knowing the past two films quite well to fill in the blanks. Ratner has what seems to be a check-list of things to put it: Love triangle? Check. Super villain? Check. Hero's fighting amongst themselves? Check. Big action? Check. In jokes? Yep.
The characters may be a weakness, but the action is where the strength lies. The action sequences start within the first hour and there are some casualties, thinning the ranks from early on. The real eye-popping fight happens near the end when Magneto and his army of angry mutants turn up at the lab where the cure is being held to destroy the place. Cue burning cars being used as weapons.
As a summer blockbuster this is a really good movie. As the 'last' instalment of the current X-men franchise it doesn't do a good job. Go and see the film, enjoy it.
And wait until after the credits for a bit of hope for the future of the series.