Movie Review
X-Men: The Last Stand
Posted by Brian C. Gibson (brian@filmschoolrejects.com) on May 29, 2006
Final Grade:
As an average movie-goer B
As comic fanboy D
X2 was by far the best and most exciting super hero film ever made (Sorry Spidey). The third and “final†film in the series promised to be a climactic action orgy of epic proportions, but when I walked out of the theater I couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of disappointment. Oh, and don’t be an idiot…there is a scene after the credits that you have to see.
The mutant world was left in peace following the attacks of William Stryker, but the lives of Charles Xavier’s (Patrick Stewart) X-Men would be forever changed. Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Cyclops/Scott Summers (James Marsden) are both left mourning the death of Jean Grey (Famke Jannsen) while also trying to teach some of the younger students what it means to be an X-Man. The mutant community is again turned upside down when a “cure†for mutation is created and offered to willing mutants. Along with this cure comes a heated debate, and mutants begin taking sides. Eric Lensherr/Magneto (Ian McKellen) uses the cure as a catalyst to rally up the most dangerous mutants in the world and wage the war of all wars against humanity that only the X-Men can stop.
I was so hyped up to see this movie that I actually woke up early to see a 10:00 am showing. After seeing both trailers for Ghost Rider and Superman Returns, I was definitely in the mood to see some comic-book action. Knowing the directorial timeline of this film, I was very apprehensive about the whole Brett Ratner thing (Rush Hour, Rush Hour 2, Rush Hour 3…need I say more?). I thought Bryan Singer directed the first two films of the series with masterful precision as well as fully understanding how to please both the box-office as well as the existing fanbase for the franchise. When Singer left X-3 to direct Superman Returns I was happy that Superman was in good hands, but all I could think about was what would happen to my beloved X-Men?
This movie was everything I expected out of a summer blockbuster, but not anything that I expected out of the third and supposedly last X-Men film. The direction in this film did not maintain any continuity with its previous counterparts. Characters seemed to disappear and reappear without almost any warning, and the dialogue seemed to be aimed at making a humorous film rather than a climactic battle in the Marvel Universe. Also, the film deviated so far from the comic that it gave me a sick feeling all throughout the film. I was warned before seeing this film that some mutants would die and some would lose their powers, but I was not prepared for which characters. I realize that this is a film based on a comic book and the filmmakers can do anything that they want with the storyline, but do not kill off characters that are not dead. Though I have to admit, there were subtle details that paid homage to the comic fans that have supported the franchise since the beginning.
From a film standpoint though, I loved this movie. It was exciting and filled with edge of your seat action that gripped me until the very ending. The special effects were amazing and the amount of mutant characters along with their crazy powers made this the first awesome box-office film of the year. Let’s see, if Wolverine were in Mission Impossible 3, the movie would be over in 10 minutes because he would kill everyone in his path without blinking and Poseidon would not have happened if Storm were around to stop the tidal wave. The X-Men are the sole owners of summer box-office, well until maybe someone from Metropolis rains on their parade.
Lastly, make sure you stay after the credits to see an important scene that may answer some questions. This film was bittersweet for me because while it was awesome, it broke my heart and sent me home to cry under my Spiderman bed sheets about what Bret Ratner did to the Marvel universe.
Upside:
Seeing some of the most climactic battles and amazing effects that Hollywood has to offer, this film is the summer’s first box office smash
Downside:
Incredibly disappointing for any fan of the X-Men comics
On The Side:
Josh Holloway was offered the role of Gambit, but turned it down because the character was too similar to his character on “Lost”
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7 Comments
May 29th, 2006 at 8:42 am
Don’t be sad - much like a soap opera, I don’t think anyone in that movie is really dead. They’ll be back in some form or another.
And what?! Because ONE guy didn’t take a role, they completely eliminated Gambit from the whole thing?! Pretty much everyone I talk to about that movie is crying because they wanted to see Gambit kick some ass.
My favorite part of the movie? The mutant that looks like Prince. Hahahahaha!
May 29th, 2006 at 12:16 pm
Ben Foster, the guy who played Angel, was actually auditioning for Gambit before they scratched the character for Angel
May 30th, 2006 at 12:28 pm
I didn’t mind The Last Stand and i’m familiar with the comics too and did miss not having Gambit yet again, but I’ve been generally impressed so far at how they have been able to bring the 2d characters to life. However, yes this was the weakest of the trilogy yet. Unfortunately I ended up missing the specail end part after the credits–I just found out about it now :(
May 30th, 2006 at 2:29 pm
Gambit, gambit, gambit, are you really mad they didn’t cram another white guy onto the screen? How about Bishop? Or is one black mutant enough? “Black and a mutant, wow that’s just too much diversity there” - Hollywood. This movie was stupid, I was very much dissappointed, way too much time spent on the Phoenix, how can one of the baddest mutants (Mystique) just up and loose her powers (that was gay). Didn’t stay for any special scene after the credits, oh well. I was just kinda corny, I understand killing of people that you wouldn’t normally expect to die, but the professor, that’s just silly. Also Jackman is a really annoying Wolverine, I wish that Charles Bronson had been born in a different era so that he could have played Wolverine. He would be a good cast, short, salty, old, crotchety, canadian, half man half animal. Jackman acts too suave and not grizzly enough, plus he’s like 6′2″ and that right there doesn’t make any damn sense. For true X fans what are people always calling Wolverine in the comics? Runt. I’ll give this movie a D, and for the comment about the mutant chick who looked like prince I too was shocked to see ALMOST another black person in this movie, but sadly, no.
May 31st, 2006 at 1:08 am
Why would they do that, though? The Angel character seemed so weak to me…I mean I understand the whole secondary (or tertiary?) storyline of his relationship with his father and all the misunderstanding there, but all he does is spread his wings out, fly out a window, and then mysteriously show up again at the end to save his dad!!!! Some people are talking about how badass Angel is, but I would have preferred to seen Gambit since he’s always the one I hear about…although maybe not if they would have given Gambit the same treatment they gave Angel.
Ahhhh!!! There’s too many characters to develop and not enough screentime!
May 31st, 2006 at 10:02 am
Well I think there were three reasons for Angel instead of Gambit. First, 100 minutes is not enough time to develop a character fan fav like Gambit. Second, Singer eluded to the original x-men being in the same movie (Jean Grey, Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, Angel). Also, I don’t think Hugh Jackman or the new diva Halle Berry wanted to lose any more screen time. Jackman probably wants to keep momentum into his Wolvie films.
July 27th, 2006 at 3:11 am
[...] It is easy to say that there are bigger, more mature, and incredibly more controversial films out in theaters this week, with Da Vinci and X-Men: The Last Stand as two easy examples. With upcoming summer blockbusters like Superman Returns and The Break-Up poised to hog the spotlight, a family gem like this could easily get overlooked by anyone who isn’t toting around the American standard 2.5 children. And while I cannot say that Over the Hedge is going to be more spectacular than X-Men or more interesting than Da Vinci, I can absolutely guarantee that it is the most fun you will have at the movies all summer! [...]