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The new “X-Men” film opens up with a slam dunk, a surprisingly wonderful scene where a younger Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Eric “Magneto” Lensherr (Sir Ian McKellen) visit a young girl Jean Grey and her parents. It sets up three important things in the film, directed by Brett Ratner: one of the film’s central characters will be a newly ressurrected Jean now calling herself Phoenix; the rivalry between the two friends renewed and that the film’s CGI and makeup effects are top of the line. Sadly, a new exciting character to the X-Film universe, Angel, is introduced, and as the film progresses, will hardly appear in the picture. Which is the biggest problem with this otherwise lively film: so many characters, so little time, about 97 minutes to be precise. Then there is the film’s most disappointing sequence, and I’m happy that the young Jean and young Angel preceeded it. In the comics, there’s a classic, iconic staple called The Danger Room.
The Danger Room may be a good way to re-introduce some of the key players, such as Storm (Halle Berry), Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Rogue (Anna Paquin) and Iceman (Shawn Ashmore). What the Danger Room fails to do is to have any excitement about it. When the curtains are pulled back and you see ‘the reality’, you have to wonder how Logan loses cigars, let alone lights them. Even if the sequence shows off the classic X-Men WMDs known as the robotic Sentinels, I bet someone out there unfamiliar with the comic or even the 90′s cartoon asked what in the heck was that. I know what it is, what it represents, and even I shook my head and asked myself what the heck was that. The point of this sequence is teamwork, supposedly a trait not learned by those who were there at Magneto’s attack on Ellis Island (X-Men 1) or rescuing the Professor and the kids from Stryker in ‘X2′.
The film then kicks into high gear, moving at such a pace no one bothers to ask about what happened to a soul searching Cyclops (James Marsden) until a very much alive Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) tears things apart with her Phoenix Fury. In the meantime, Angel’s dad has developed a “mutant cure” which would ‘help’ mutants like Rogue who would like to live ‘normal lives’. There is a discussion on what is ‘normal’, and other smaller yet related debates, all of which were welcomed. Being introduced to Beast (Kelsey Grammar) in the film series proves to be a scene stealer. While the absence of X2′s Nightcrawler is missed, this other blue skinned character is the movie’s greatest coup. [And yes, I know why Nightcrawler isn't in the film. Given what happens later to the Professor, a cameo would have been suffice. But I don't think I need to play a video game to know why things are the way they are. Hooey on that.]
On the flip side, Magneto lines up a new Brotherhood, including right-hand man Pyro (the returning Aaron Stanford), the well-named Multiple Man (Eric Dane), mutant tracking lightning fast Callisto (Dania Ramirez) her pals Arclight and Psyclocke, a guy named Kid “Quill’ Omega, and the unstoppable giant Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones). Then followed by an army of various mutants who join with Magneto on his sucidal cause- to attack the inventors and the source mutant named Leech, on a revamped Alcatraz Island. If that were not enough of a threat, Magneto has convinced the confused Grey to stand by him. One mutant is missing, but for good reason. Mystique was under lock and key, and there will be a small shocker of why she is left behind. The only thing that didn’t make sense to me that why those who caught Mystique in the first place were not the ones guarding her, and, since the guards are armed with ‘cure guns’ why not use these gadgets on the prisoners? Like paraphasing Stryker in X2 “If you build a weapon, you got to make sure it’s working”.
Which now gives us the free for all FX fest which gives the audience the zip, zing and zap that has been missing in many sci-fi summer action films from the last few years. Some dialogue is clunky, but it is forgiven thanks to the dynamics of the action and that incredible third act. Brett Ratner and company pulled this one off, considering this was only on paper a little over a year ago. When all is said and done (and all isn’t said and done until the coda tagged on after the final credits) I still felt wowed and overwhelmed. I also felt cheated.
With all the strengths ‘X-Men The Last Stand” has going for it, the biggest weakness cannot be overlooked. The film is way too short; characters like Paquin’s Rogue are almost like afterthoughts. Cyclops, again, hardly missed when he disappears. Angel and Juggernaut show up but have so little screentime, it really is ineffectual. There has to be a fourth film, in order to really tie up loose ends, as there are many. This is the Last Stand, but only if the film doesn’t make a dime.
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X-Men : The Final Stand
Directed by : Brett Ratner
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Famke Janssen, Ian McKellen, Kelsey Grammar, Dania Ramirez and James Mardsen.
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6/6/06….
Reviewer/page editor note:
Okay, I’m putting this here so the readers can see it and it won’t get skipped over. I could leave an additional comment, but I thought it was best to edit by own review after seeing the heed of my warning involving spoilers ignored- not once, but twice in recent days. Believe me when I tell you that some of my CoP allies thought I have given too much away in this review. Yes, I know many things in this film are the worst kept secret since Spock died in the second Trek movie. I understand that there are places on the internet that have given away the whole farm, but at least *here* for the time being, I ask that you respect those who have not seen the film and not put up any more spoilers concerning the third act or the ending. After the film has come and gone from theatres, everyone could turn this into a neverending Emily Rose page for all I care.
Thanks for your understanding, readers.
-DJS
Darren Seeley (184 posts)Fave directors include David Lynch, David Cronenberg, Michael Mann, Anique Faqua, Walter Hill, John Carpenter, John Woo and James Cameron. An aspiring screenwriter, I wrote several spec scripts (platform: Final Draft) that I occasionally submit to contests, Inktip, and workshop through peer review sites like Triggerstreet and Zoetrope. I have attended The Austin Film Festival and Heart Of Screenwriters Conference in 2001 and 2002. CoP marks my third go around as an internet film reviewer of sorts. My previous film hub haunts were 'Dark Universe' and, most notably, 'The Projector Booth'. Location: MI,USA.
13 Comments
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Great Review Darren! I agree wholeheartedly. The film is too short. A lot of these characters deserved more than what they got.
I too was shocked at many moments. So many mutants sacrificed themselves in this movie, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. You can bet your ass that there will be an X4!
In X4 though, they have to have the new batch of X-Men take over–enough of Wolverine! I want to see more of Iceman, Colossus, Shadow Cat, Beast and Angel! Bring back Nightcrawler! And introduce Gambit!
Comment by Jose — Sat May 27, 2006 @ 4:47This was a great disappointment to me. Not only did I miss Bryan Singer, but the film was way too short and the screenplay messy. There are so many stars in it, they all have to fight for some lines.
I do admire the risk the makers took with some storylines, even though some events are somewhat harsh.
Stay seated after the credits…
Comment by arjan — Sat May 27, 2006 @ 10:31yes, i was too very disappointed..they really need to introduce Gambit
Comment by kia — Sun May 28, 2006 @ 7:53While Jackman is doing the Wolverine solo series Gambit can fill in the “bad boy” role. The plot of X4 will rely heavily on what actors decide to come back. And ANY actor/character can come back, no one dies and the cure was a failure. Someone suggested Dr.Nathaniel Essex/Sinister being the villian for X4. I think that would work. Why? Because he is obsessed with the Summers family. We could discover that Cyclops has been abducted. We could meet his brother Alex/Havok(oh hell yeah!) and with Storm gone maybe even meet Polaris. New characters that return could get more screen time. Angel hasn’t had an opportunity to get to know anyone yet. His promo shots with the uniform on are the same false tease that Rogue and Iceman’s were earlier in the series.
I wish the relationships of some of the characters had been explored more. Cain Marko/Juggernaut is the Professor’s step-brother. And Mystique is supposed to know Rogue, there is no indicator of this in the series. Of course, if Mystique returns(Stamos isn’t really interested though) she’ll join the X-Men. It’s happened in the comics and is a plot device that was used with Sabretooth and Emma Frost at one point or another. Earning trust, being compassionate…….not easy to do, but important lessons to learn.
Magneto needs to sit X4 out. His return later will mean more then. And then maybe, just maybe, Genosha can become part of the series. Cheer up…as long as the series makes money there will be more and things can be improved.
Comment by RobLion — Mon May 29, 2006 @ 10:34You and me think alike on this Rob at least on future X films (not counting spinoffs). But here’s a thought: what if Sinister is the X4 villian and has Scott? Perhaps he took a DNA sample of Jean Grey/Pheonix as well. And then Famke can return…as Madeline Pryor.
Note: I’d also like to see Cable show up, and hints of “Days Of Futures Past” somewhere within.
Comment by Darren Seeley — Tue May 30, 2006 @ 4:32And…considering the bucks raked in so far, X4 is not out of the question, I would think.
I was very happy to see Famke Janssen get a lot more screentime on this movie. She has developed from an adequate actress into a viable and very capable leading lady. But other than that, I found that this movie was rushed, the action scenes were few and far between (and not very good) and that there were too many characters filling the remaining screentime, reducing most of their performances to cameo’s. Not to mention the fact that the most interesting themes (children having to learn how to deal with the shortcomings of their parents, the decline of ethics in the main characters, and the whole ‘cure’-angle) were underdeveloped.
Comment by Mariken — Wed May 31, 2006 @ 18:02All this movie did for me is make clear that, for all his merits, Brent Ratner is no Bryan Singer.
This movie was a joy-ride from beginning to end. I will have to agree, there were way too many characters and very little time. I had no idea that i was looking at psyclocke. I mean tell me a Lil bit about the who is before me, and why they are important to the movement. The biggest disappointment for me was the fall of two/maybe three of x-men’s main characters… without them you have no x-men… without them, the hundreds of comic books that I’ve read, the Saturday morning cartoons that i have watched would never have happened… because the x-men movie adaptations were very shallow.
If i based my views on the x-men universe according to the 3 movies that i have watched…the x-men universe would not be as exciting, and the possibilities would be limited. I seriously think that a 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th movie is needed, because the series do no justice for marvel fans… well at least for me…if Xavier is where he is according to the film, then all of what I’ve read and watched on TV would not have ever happened…
maybe if the they bring Bishop, or cable into the mix, they can go back in time and stop some things from happening and then maybe we could have some truly awesome movie adaptations of the marvel universe
Comment by Calvin Stacey — Thu June 1, 2006 @ 1:18I take my last blog back…well at least some of what i’ve wrote… a friend of mine told me that he stayed to watch the ending credits, and this info did indeed make me happy, and feel a bit better about the franchise…. I still think that there were too many characters, and that the movie was rushed….A big NO NO!
[editor note: a spoiler was named - and edited out of- this comment. For those commenting after this, please refrain from major spoilers for the time being. Thank you. -DJS.]
Comment by Calvin Stacey — Sat June 3, 2006 @ 1:26X-Men 3 – extra scene at end (spoilers!)
I saw the X-Men 3 movie today; really good!
However, I was asked to fill out a “Producers’ Questionnaire” with part before and part after the movie….
I was filling in the part after the movie, and low-and-behold, an extra scene came on briefly AFTER all the credits were over….
spoiler:Xavier’s voice (don’t remember what he said) talking to a nurse in a hospital room…Has anyone else seen this, or was it just for “Questionnaire” people ?
[Ed. note: Apparently, someone didn't see the above. If folks must see the spoiler talk, highlight the text. In the future for the time being, please refrain from spoiler talk Thank you.. - DJS]
Comment by tool vicarious — Mon June 5, 2006 @ 15:51Quite predictable (for X-Men readers), but lets see what the Wolverine Spin-Off will bring. Just this whining Wolvie was kinda, well, a softie. When has the Wolverine ever cried like this? I mean, shouting, growling, snarling, grumling, to howl, to scream, to screech, to shout, to yell. In the Comicverse there was nothing about it. Well, lets see. Though its all about his women, but still, hey, keep going Stan!
To the last comment. If I`m allowed to say it:
Moira McTaggert (X-Insider) comes into the room, and Charles says: “Hello Moira”. That was it. Hope you enjoyed it.
[Editor note: highlight the above if you want to know the spolier. Further comments regarding the ending of X3 will be edited out, no exceptions.-DJS]
Comment by LeelooFive — Tue June 6, 2006 @ 22:38Can you give me the dialogue of X-Men?
Comment by heidi — Thu March 1, 2007 @ 9:37Is X-Men3
Comment by heidi — Thu March 1, 2007 @ 9:38I agree, X-men is a great movie but not really kick my but up…The heroes had a short views, It could be matter if they view it more than the limits, Last Stand is not the last I think cause there are some other heroes in X men comics aren’t there. The movie should have their extension, The kids love it, and I also love it, its just a little too floppy to watch because of the absence of the other heroes and the shortage of time exposed. I hope X4 will be so so so much good.
Comment by yanietootxp — Wed May 9, 2007 @ 4:45