Say what you want about the first two X-Men movies, but I liked them a good bit. I grew up an X-Men fan and was stocking up on Wolverine titles before anyone but his mother knew who Hugh Jackman was. I don't necessarily think they are the absolute best super hero movies that have been made, but they were satisfying endeavors. The third movie, known as “The Last Stand,” doesn't hold up nearly as well. It has a share of positive aspects, it's not Ang Lee's Hulk bad, heck it's (arguably) not even Spider-Man 3 bad, but it's pretty disappointing just the same.

 

If the comic lore deviations in the first two outings bothered you then you are really going to hate this one. It goes further away from the original universe (perhaps taking more from the Ultimate version of the characters than the originals). This is the Phoenix saga (as was hinted at the end of movie 2) but more inspired by it than a true adaptation of it. In this tale Jean Grey becomes a power strong enough to rip the Earth apart, and the X Men are virtually powerless against her. They will have to find a way to stop her if humanity is to survive.

 

There's a complimentary plot of a "cure" for mutation. The mutants are divided on their opinions of the cure with some afraid that they will be forced into accepting it whether they want it or not. Some see hope in becoming normal again, being free of the afflictions handed to them by their mutations.

 

It's a good core pair of plots that tie together nicely. The problems come in when fleshing out the nearly 2 hours of movie time. It becomes a chaotic rush of plot without enough satisfying development. Many of the scenes by themselves are quite good, but when put together as a whole they leave the viewer unsatisfied.

 

One of the biggest problems is that the whole thing is too big. With the first movie we spent a couple of hours getting to know a select few heroes and villains. In the second we revisited those we knew, getting to know some of them better, and met a couple of new ones. In movie three the floodgates open. So much of what we knew before is changed, so much is new, and so much is going on that we don't spend the time needed to develop the subplots. Instead we glance over many, particularly those we already know, pay them lip service, then dump them unceremoniously out the window without another thought. I like the fact that the characters are not untouchable. There are no guarantees that any given character, no matter how beloved, will be alive or whole at the end. However, I think that some of them could have been given a bit more nobility in their demise while others could have used more attention in their development.

 

Wolverine, Storm, and Professor X are back as central heroes. We spend a good bit of time with them although they have, for the most part, ceased to be developing characters. Cyclops and Jean are back but are so different they really need to be introduced all over again. With Jean this works out fine, but with Cyclops Brett Ratner seems to be giving him the finger and telling him to get out for not paying his part of the rent.

 

Iceman and Rogue return with a potentially gripping subplot involving Rogue's inability to touch her boyfriend which leads her to consider taking the mutant cure. This could have been terrific but is basically a shadow of a story. Its impact is almost completely lost because of the lack of development. We see very little of Rogue overall which makes it difficult to have this kind of subplot with her. As much as I like Rogue the movie would have been better off without her (assuming the time spent on her would have been spent better developing other plot points).

 

Angel also has a subplot that is not given enough attention. At least his has enough detail to be engaging. Beast is to this movie what Nightcrawler was to the last one. He's introduced and given a lot of screen time. Kelsey Grammar was an outstanding choice as he gives Dr. McCoy the air of a highly intelligent person. He played that so well that I began to be afraid that was the whole of his character. Not so. Beast gets to show off what makes him an X Man. This is little more than an introduction, though, there isn't much development. My only issue with him is that some of the fighting looks too much like obvious wire work. When he lands after jumping from a building, for example, he does not hit the ground with enough weight. He looks lowered safely down.

 

Magneto, Mystique, and Pyro are back with a good bit of screen time. I could not wish for better characters or better actors for them. There's a bit of development for the first two, and it's well done. Juggernaut is introduced and so different from the classic character that he is potentially a sore spot for many fans. There are entire stories based around the unstoppable Juggernaut and how the X Men must find creative ways to defeat him. In this movie he is just another of Magneto's lackeys. He's a tough one to crack, but not the dangerous foe that I would expect him to be. There are numerous other new villains that are so lightly developed that you won't know their names unless you know the comics well, and even then many are so different that the comic scholar may question who it's really supposed to be.

 

One thing that saves the movie from the weak spots in the story is great action. There are some very well done sequences which are all the more impressive by the number of participants. Working with a master like Jackie Chan it's no surprise that Brett Ratner can put together some good action. His Rush Hour movies are Jackie's best American-made works by leaps and bounds. However, Bryan Singer's X Men movies had a much better balance of action and good story-telling.

 

Special effects in this movie are fantastic. Everything looks completely realistic. With all the powers that have to be displayed they are by and large convincing and clear.

 

This is a darker movie than the average blockbuster at the time. It does have some dramatic impact to go along with the story even though some viewers are likely to find it a bit campy. As much as the character changes are likely to bug many long-time fans there are a few moments that offer some nerd candy. One is a Danger Room session with a Sentinel cameo and a strong nod to the Days Of Future Past story line which was excellent (and projected to be the basis of an upcoming movie). The “Fastball Special” shows up as does a nod to the classic Iceman look.