Far better than I expected, although it lacks the emotional depth of its immediate predecessor

Rating: 7/10 (11 June 2006)

When I read that Brett Ratner was replacing Bryan Singer as director for "X-Men: The Last Stand" my hope for the project instantly diminished. After reading Ratner's plans to have a "fantasy mutant" of his own creation in the film whose purpose would be to satisfy the sexual appetites of men, I was really worried. And finally, after viewing the trailer, I really lost all interest - it looked like a typical action blockbuster, no better than "Fantastic Four" and lacking the better elements of the first and second films. I also picked up on the fact that there was really, REALLY bad dialogue in the trailer - which indicated to me that the film was in bad shape.
However, it's good. Not great, and not in any way, shape or form as good as the second film - but it's a small notch below the first film and still quite entertaining. Ratner imitates Singer's cold, blue-tint directorial style - and does so pretty well. There are obvious sequences where it isn't Singer and Ratner's penchant for loud action shines through - but it still works.
The acting isn't as bad as I had feared but ultimately the film's 88-minute running time prevents it from delving into the emotional depth of these characters. A character is killed early on with little hesitation and he comes across during the beginning of the movie as a self-absorbed jerk. Wolverine's mysterious background - which proved to be a highlight of the second film, as well as an emotional roller-coaster for him - is totally abandoned and he just becomes a live action figure. His rah-rah rally speech to the other guys at the end ("We're the X-Men!") is simultaneously disappointing and totally lame.
Nevertheless, I found myself entertained - and surprised that, overall, the film wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared it would be. For the most part, Ratner doesn't give in to his eccentricities (when I saw mutants on the trailer that looked like NIN groupies with goth haircuts I was worried) - and as a casual fan of the first two movies, who was surprised by their depth as superhero movies, I can say that I found this at least to be a suiting finale to the series (if there aren't any more sequels - the end seems to indicate there will be) - it may not be as smart or mature as the previous sequel but it provides a nice jumping point for the spawning of character-sequels such as the "Wolverine" movie that's rumored to be made next - and hopefully that film will provide a bit more depth for Hugh Jackman's character, because his lack of characterization this time around is one of the movie's lesser aspects.