X-men 3 - a fitting finale - X-Men: The Last Stand Reviews

X-Men 3 has certainly copped a lot of flak from the fans of X1 and X2 mainly due to the fact that Brett Ratner was directing it and that it is the very last X-Men movie. In my opinion however, Brett Ratner did well and I certainly hope that this will not be the last movie. If it is though, it is a fitting finale. The plot follows the debate between mutants and humans alike after a cure for the Mutant X Gene is discovered. Mutants like Rogue (Anna Paquin) would definitely be tempted but others, namely, Magneto (Sir Ian McKellan) is completely opposed to it. X-Men 3 introduces a bevy of new characters and amongst them are the winged Angel (Ben Foster)the furry fan favourite, Beast (Kelsey Grammer). Angel is definitely the most underused and overhyped character. He appears on posters everywhere but if you've seen the various clips online that features him, you've seen about 98% of Angel. I was disappointed with the way they handled Cyclops (James Marsden). He is and always has been the leader of the X-Men but is absent for so much of the movie and I won't spoil what happens to him though I admit that the rumours are true. Another thing that I was not too happy with. I've always liked Wolverine but he got on my nerves for quite a bit in this show especially when it came to his relationship with the resurrected Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix (Famke Janssen). Halle Berry totally kicks ass as Storm and I'm glad to see her get a bigger role and take charge over the X-Men this time around and boy does she fly! It is always fun to watch Magneto get up to his dastardly manipulative ways and he totally overshadows Professor Xavier (Patick Stewart). The little speech that Magneto makes at a mutant gathering is powerful and totally reminiscent of his experience with the horrors of the Holocaust when he was a boy. It is probably why he feels so strongly against being rounded up and given the cure and I think that Ratner conveys Magneto's intentions very well indeed. Magneto probably did get what he deserved at the end and it's over for him now or is it? The best part of the movie would probably the last 1/2 hr or to put it simply, anytime during and after Magneto and his Brotherhood storm the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco. The fight between Pyro (Aaron Stanford) and Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) left me salivating for more and I wished that Colossus (Daniel Cudmore), Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat (Ellen Page), Mystique (Rebecca Romijn) would have more screen time and lines. I liked how Brett Ratner introduced so many more mutants because we could get a glimpse as to what amazing abilities other mutants have. The CGI is awesome and so is the wirework. And how cool would it be to have Dark Phoenix's powers where you can do anything you can think of...wow! The makeup for Famke Janssen is very nicely done as well and when Phoenix rules over Jean Grey, you can literally see the darkness and terror reigning on her face. Oh and do pay attention to what Xavier has to say as he is teaching a class accompanied by a video of his friend, Dr Moira MacTaggart, who is with a catatonic patient. And do stay after the credits as there is a little tease that will leave you going, "Whoa!" or "What was that?" (Depending on how much attention you pay to the details of the movie) On the whole it is definitely not as bad as some critics have panned it out to be. X-Men 3 in my opinion is definitely better than the 1st one and on par with the 2nd but I can't say which is better. My biggest problem would be the rapid cuts from one character's story to the next that occurs throughout the film, giving everything a very rushed and confusing feel. Clearly I must watch it again to fully appreciate X-Men 3. I've said it many times before and I'll say it again: The X-Men movies are the best comic book adaptation in the history of comic book adaptations. Brilliant! __________________ The Petri Dish Kid