Ratner!! All is forgiven!! (spoilers)

Rating: 7/10 (24 May 2006)

Just got back from a midnight screening of X-Men: The Last Stand. Now maybe i'm only saying this because i'm still on a high from seeing the film, but Brett Ratner has delivered the goods on this one. I'm so relieved that the franchise has been (possibly) concluded with a film as satisfying as this.
Let's face it, The Rat has made some entertaining but ultimately forgettable films. However, thanks to a lean and gutsy script, top class performances and a desire to respect the two earlier films. Ratner has crafted not only a cracking summer blockbuster, but a comic book adaptation to be proud of.
The story moves along at quite a fast pace but still manages to deliver multiple story components that weave together brilliantly. Granted, I would have liked the film to have been a little longer, and some of the characters were harshly underused. But the sheer unforgiving and relentless nature of the story is so potent, I can see why they edited it to a tight 100 minutes or so.
My main disappointment was at the unfair killing of Cyclops so early in the film. He should have been there all the way through, fighting tooth and nail to get Jean back. Just like in the 'Phoenix Saga' story line from the comic book. Also, there could have been more recognisable mutants from the books. Oh, and Vinnie Jones as juggernaut wasn't a very good choice. Whenever he spoke, I cringed.
In closing. I thought the ending was so smart. The rebuilding of the Golden Gate Bridge served as the perfect metaphor for human/mutant relations.
Magneto looking like a broken man was poetic. And let's not forget the bit after the credits. It made me weep tears of joy.
Please make one more?