X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) User Reviews

Good, but still disappointing

[elvato87 · 7/10 · 29 May 2006]

First of all, let me say that X3 was a great action film. If you want to have a great time at the movies, this is a fun film to watch. However, as a fan of X-Men and the film trilogy, there were some problems with the film.

There are a lot of characters that are undeveloped. It's not such a problem with the one's we already know, but it is for the one's that we don't. There's also unneeded information for certain characters that aren't really in the movie. Certain characters play big roles, but we don't get to know them. Others have minor roles, and the info is meaningless. For instance, a character is introduced in the prologue to the movie, but is barely seen in the remainder of the film. The movie was way too short. It seems like everyone's in a hurry throughout the film. If it had been 2 and a half hours, it would have been able to develop all of the characters, and the back stories would have been more relevant to certain characters. The movie is action packed and fun, but it really doesn't draw you into it the way the first two did, say for a couple of scenes.

Overall, it was worth seeing on the big screen, and I'm glad that I saw it. It is a good film. But again, you'll be a little disappointed as an X-Men fan. 7/10.

One final thing, stay after the credits for the final scene. It seems nobody saw the entire movie.

X Men make last stand due to bad screen writing and poor plot

[scout19d · 6/10 · 18 June 2006]

Wow, where do I start on this fiasco of a movie. In regards to my affection for the first two movies in the series, please see my rating for them. I gave them both high marks, and had anticipated the third movie with much joy and glee. My glee turned to flee not long into this horrible flick. The only thing that remotely saves it from being a total disaster is the graphics, and the hope that you will see it develop into a good movie. If you wasted 8 buck o roonies like myself to see this in theater, well don't feel bad, because some poor jokers sat out all night to see it on opening night. This one is even debatable on rental. Let it go to the special section, or as I call it "The Last Stand."

So you don't want to be a mutant...

[moviemanMA · 7/10 · 26 May 2006]

Who wouldn't want the ability to walk through walls or fly away into the sky? Who wouldn't want to be able to lift cars hundreds of feet into the air or turn a cloudy day into a gorgeous sunny afternoon? For some this is a dream come true. For others than can't function without destroying their natural way of life, it is a curse. The premise for the latest installment of the X-Men saga is just that.

X-Men: The Last Stand goes deeper into the mutant versus human controversy. All of the favorites are back with the addition of some needed support. The main focus of this film is the introduction of a vaccine that can rid a mutant of its powers. It is called, "The Cure". Magneto, played once again by Ian McKellan, gathers his Brotherhood for a war on the mankind once more. His eyes are fixed on the one person who holds the answer, a small, innocent child with a gift so powerful, Magneto will risk everything for it.

Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) upon hearing gathers his group of X-Men to stop the menacing Magneto. He is short a few of his troops from the last film. Cyclops is still lamenting over the loss of his dear Dr. Jean Grey. When he can't take it anymore, he drives out to where he last saw her. Her voice has driven him to the edge until she appears. Who he meets isn't Jean, but her true self; Phoenix. She is Jean's alter ego, the most powerful mutant Charles or Magneto ever encountered.

Director Brett Ratner of Rush Hour fame delivers an action packed, special effects driven adventure. His style is unlike that of the previous X-Men films. His version is more along the lines of a regular action flick. A lot of explosions, stunts galore, and a so-so script. What made the other films enjoyable was the emphasis on the characters. This film has almost too many to include. Although some weren't present and some don't make it, there are too many side stories going on than are needed.

The mutants are always a blast to watch. Hugh Jackman returns to his old guns, relying on witty remarks and vicious attacks on unsuspecting victims. Somehow it doesn't get old. Kelsey Grammar is introduced as Dr. Hank McCoy, better known as Beast, a blue skinned, blue haired genius who wants nothing more than this war to cease. Also introduced is Angel, who sadly doesn't play too much of a role. On the other side of the battle is Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones). A one man wrecking crew whose momentum is unstoppable to the strongest of obstructions. Beside him is Callisto, a speedy little devil whose impact is virtually just filler. There is more emphasis on characters like Kitty, the girl who can walk through walls, and Collossus, a metal strongman, and less emphasis on Rogue and Mystique.

Without these characters in play, the film is special effects driven. Impressive CGI graphics and and intelligent use of the mutants powers go a long way in the making of this film. Characters like Storm (Halle Berry) rely solely on the effects provided by Ratner and his team or visual effects artists.

As far as summer blockbusters go, this film isn't one to be trifled with. It presents a lot of aspects that a blockbuster should have: a lot of big name actors, reliable story lines, stunning effects, and most importantly, an appeal to a large audience. The movie might be a little bit mature for children, but comic book fans and fans of the films will thoroughly enjoy this. The only remaining question left is; will there be another?

Enjoyable, Satisfying Conclusion

[tolkien_18 · 7/10 · 30 May 2006]

I must be one of the few, it seems, who enjoyed X-Men: The Last Stand. I have been an X-fan for many years and my expectations were still met by this film. Do I think that it could have been a bit better? Certainly. The script seemed to pack too many elements into a short running time. With those issues solved I believe that it would have been fantastic. Still, I felt that X-3 was almost on the level with X-2's greatness. It has taken another viewing and some time to reach this point. At first, I felt betrayed at the many liberties taken with story elements. But after I left the theatre, I could not shake the feeling that I needed to view it again. After the second time, I came to grips with the film and now like it quite a bit.

Contrary to some critics' reviews, I do not believe that X-3 became overshadowed by action. There really is quite little of it until the finale, which feels quite epic. There are excellent character moments sprinkled throughout. The acting is generally superb across the board. More Ian McKellen is always nice, and Hugh Jackman impresses again with Wolverine. Kelsey Grammar actually does a respectable job with Beast. The other characters all do well with what they are given. There are a few poorly written one-liners that reminded me of the ones in X-Men 1, but the script is mostly intelligent with powerful themes such as the Cure. Another difficulty is that the film cannot pay the proper amount of attention to the many characters, including the new ones. But they still all seem to contribute something to the larger plot movement in the film. Ratner's only obvious difference from Singer is his frenetic pacing and energy. X-3 really moves quickly, and this does not have to be a negative. I also enjoyed the emotion that was hinted at in X-2, and came into full force during X-3. I do not think that it reached sentimentality or was melodramatic; it really felt powerful. The stakes really do seem to be high for the final chapter of this trilogy. The viewer finds this out quickly concerning Cyclops and Mystique, later with Jean and Xavier (in a particularly awe-inspiring scene), and during the finale in a nice moment with Jean and Wolverine. I think that many of the problems people are seeing in the film resulted from the pressure the entire production team was placed under in order to develop and finish the entire film in less than a year.

But all in all, I have really come to enjoy it as a satisfying film that met my high expectations. Look at it this way if you must. Try to see X-3 as not a stand-alone film but more as the third portion of one large story. The first X-Men had the difficult job of introducing a large ensemble cast of mutants and establishing a story and tone (other superhero films with one primary character have it much easier). X-2 had the most enviable position as most of the characters had already been partly developed and it did not have to conclude the entire story. It could work mostly on its own, just having to leave threads open for the next one. X-3 had the extremely difficult task of closing out the entire trilogy for good. I see it more as the third portion of one expansive tale, thus in the larger scheme it must move quickly toward a complete conclusion. In my opinion, the many actors under the abrupt switch in direction did an x-cellent job.

Director ruined movie

[CAL_FORD · 6/10 · 10 October 2006]

X1 and X2 were different movies then X3. X3 has a new director who apparently could care less about the quality of the show or its characters but instead cares about the $$$. All aspects of X3 were rushed and poorly thought out. You could even see in the faces of the actors the uncomfortable sense of "hurry and up get the movie over".

The only reason it received a good rating from Users is the momentum from the first two movies, on its own X3 would be a failure. It is obvious X3 was a sell out and a lead in to more $$$ in 2007's Wolverine. Why why why did the director change! Sad to see a great series die off.

A generally enjoyable film with a few major flaws

[mcewenks · 7/10 · 27 May 2006]

First off, X-Men: The Last Stand was by no means "drivel." In combination with the previous ventures, moviegoers and fans will receive a decent whole. The plot itself is not convoluted, but there are numerous mini-plots for just about every other character in the film. The huge number of plot lines Ratner chose to cast wound up limiting the film, removing key emotional elements. The film just was not long enough to adequately cover everyone's story. The music did not add anything to the movie either, it seemed tacky and amateur. Through length, plot numbers and music, X3 failed to properly and satisfyingly tie up the trilogy.

Problems aside, X-Men did succeed in creating a fabulous action-driven film. Ratner and Fox worked magic on the special effects side of things. I was particularly impressed with the opening scene, which found a 20 year younger Xavier and Eric (Stewart and McKellan) at the house of Jean Grey.

Despite being somewhat of a letdown, the film does bring in some interesting parallelism to the first two films. Speaking of the first films, I recommend viewing them right before or soon after seeing the third, as viewing them reminds you that you do care about the characters (being underdeveloped in X3). Most should find the third entry reasonably enjoyable and miles ahead of poorer entries into the superhero genre (Fantastic Four, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Ultraviolet, and the extraordinarily bad Batman Forever and Batman and Robin).

Not Singer's X-Men, but a worthy coda to a fantastic trilogy.

[marshall_web · 7/10 · 29 May 2006]

It is safe to say that every X-Men fan, or any movie fan for that matter would have much rather seen Bryan Singer finnish out his first two X mens into a brilliant trilogy. I was very unsure that Brett Ratner, who has directed some pretty decent movies, not great, but not terrible could do a good job. Much to my chagrin Brett Ratner exceeded my expectations on how well he could direct the final chapter of this comic masterpiece.

Although I feel a comic book movie has yet to top Batman Begins, I feel that all superhero movies owe it to the X men for 'relaunching' this superhero craze that we have been blessed with, and for that we have to thank Singer.

For those who have seen the movie you can agree with me that Ratner did not give us the in depth character build up that Singer gave us. Instead, giving us a fun action packed movie, with a little character glimpse at Wolverine and a touching moment between Kitty and Bobby. However, that is not the director that Ratner is. Ratner is 'an action' director, one who focuses mainly on fight sequences and explosions mixed in with some mild humor, and that is what made this movie work.

Although Singer's genius was deeply missed in this third chapter, I do not feel we need to be ashamed at the third movie. I know we all feel that Singer could have given us a better close on his trilogy, Brett Ratner still needs to be applauded for giving us his different yet great take on the wonderful and never to be forgotten X-Men series.

A true fans opinion

[karlhungus1979 · 6/10 · 26 May 2006]

The latest X-Men movie is disappointing to say the least. I don't know who had the final say on the finished product, (Brett Ratner, the producers or editors, or the studio) but the end result is an eyesore that has been rushed through production.

The movie is full of unexplained cut scenes that run into each other, that leave you frustrated and a little confused. The plot is sub-par with very poor dialog. The plot is not that difficult to follow, it's just full of holes. Holes that leave true X-fans wanting more. The music score throughout the entire movie is horrible and off. Music makes a movie. The writer of the score of X-Men 3 should be ashamed of the final product.

The unexplained introduction of a dozen or so new mutants was attempt to cover up the lame plot. The new mutants come and go without explanation or warning and spout a cheesy one-liner of dialog before they are rushed of the screen. There is an occasional curse word that gets all of the prepubescent teens in the audience a chance to chuckle like a little schoolgirl in their Sunday's best.

Brett Ratner was a poor choice to direct the third installment of the X-Franchise. With his not so impressive track record of Rush Hour movies, with Rush Hour 3 in preproduction; he should have been last on the list to direct this highly anticipated movie. It's like the powers that be just drew his name out of a hat and said lets go in that direction.

I'm not saying it's the worst movie out there, but it is defiantly the worst of the three. It was a poorly planned and over rushed movie that doesn't live up to the standards of true fans, such as myself. I've been reading and collecting X-Men comics for years and I know all of their back-stories and sub-plots and I expect it to at least live up to the standards of the previous two movies.

The end result is a movie that does not live up to the standards of the trilogy. The bad plot and dialog is replaced by CGI and special effects that try to district you from this poor movie that you shell out your hard-earned cash to see. It's worth seeing, but try to go see the lower priced day showing of the film.

A breathtaking achievement in film making

[fliboy486 · 7/10 · 26 May 2006]

film is a visual medium, this is the first film to ever capture that potential, all the characters are adeptly handled with one shots that tell the whole story and no character is left w/o a pay off shot, this a fast paced visual story that will leave you in awe.

do not mistake this for shallow, it is just a realization of what film can be, every f/x shot revolves around emotion, and the character turmoil resonates far more than the first two films. ratner is a master at telling his story with a shot and a line, unlike the over hyped singer who relies heavily on dialogue cause he doesn't understand the potential of the medium he is using.

flawed, in the way you'd likely expect with the 3-timer

[Quinoa1984 · 6/10 · 27 May 2006]

I wanted to like X-Men the Last Stand more than I ended up doing, but it goes without saying that the film does lend itself to a certaincase of style going triumphant over substance, it just is. There is an unspoken trend in sequels where the third film 9 times out of 10 is the weakest of the bunch (even if it may not be necessarily a very bad movie). It's a little sad in a way too to see a director like Brett Ratner- who is admittedly by many including myself not as good with the material as Bryan Singer- get pushed aside by a studio far more interested in the action over the substance. And it's unfortunately Do the new mutants look cool? Sure, some of them; it's one of the more amusing things to see this year in a blockbuster having Kelsey Grammar and Vinnie Jones as mutants with over-the-top make-up and costumes. And the special effects and action scenes are given as good, but not having the same real interest as in the past films. Moments in these action sequences- mainly in the wild climax at Alcatraz prison- are exciting, but the problems in the film run deeper than that. If you don't have things all well enough in the script, things are liable to fall apart.

One might think that the main plot line of the film, with Famke Janssen as Jean Gray's unbalance and quasi turn to the dark side of the mutant force (maybe just me seeing the 'Sith' comparisons), and the amount of tragedy that befalls the mutants under Xavier's school would make it a very engrossing entertainment. It isn't; there is the feeling more than anything that too much is stuffed into one film, where some sub-plots are left to being undercooked (i.e. the one with Michael Murphy and his winged son), or just given to a lack of creativity (the sub-plot with Anna Paquin's Rogue doesn't have much to it that isn't a mile away). Would I recommend the film as leave-your-brain-at-home-frozen to watch the film? Yeah, but it isn't much of a credit that it's lacking in the ways that would matter to most fans and just movie-goers in general. It will make a lot of money, that is certain, but it will also suffer in time from the good of the film (dependence on the cast like McKellan, Stewart, a couple of newer faces among so-so ones too) contending against the disappointing bits. As one critic somewhere wrote about this film, it's "soul-less", which is not what this potential material should have, and has me feeling less wanting to see it again the more I think about it. C+

X-Men: The Last Stand (Short Movie Review)

[Cirene404 · 6/10 · 9 June 2019]

Positives:

• Most of the action
• Interesting ideas (Though explored better in the comics)
• Main cast
• Musical score

Negatives:

• Writing
• Messy story
• Pacing

One too many storyline

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 16 November 2013]

This is the last of the original live action trilogy. A consortium of drug companies have found a cure for mutants and this sets off a fight from the Brotherhood led by Magneto (Ian McKellen). Meanwhile Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), dead at the end of last movie, returns as Phoenix in her place. She is now an infinitely more powerful mutant. Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) must stop both Phoenix and Magneto.

There is too much going on in this movie. There is basically one too many story lines in this. The cure storyline is great on its own. There are parallels to the real world. There are built-in conflicts. There are deep moral divisions that are only skimmed at. Jean Grey's storyline just adds too much complications. It confuses everything and is done really poorly. Her story could have been her own separate movie. That would be a better idea. Jean Grey has her own movie with Wolverine. It's certainly a better Wolverine movie than anything they've made. There are other issues like Magneto's wrong-headed motivation. This is still somewhat fun but with issues.

Really, really good!!

[diogoprado · 6/10 · 18 May 2006]

I think this is one of the best comic adaptation for the cinemas. A lot of mutants, a lot of power. The Phoenix is the best of the movie. The final battle is perfect. Kelsey Grammar like Beast is very good. Halle Berry has a more important participation in the movie, but Hugh Jackman is the center of the attentions. And a note for you... don't leave the cinema until the end of the credits, it's a surprise after them. One more thing. Ben Foster (Angel) don't do anything in the movie, he's just a support character. Colossus too, but by the way, his transformations and his classic Wolverine throw are very good. And the scene with Wolverine and Jean/Phoenix is one of the bests that I ever saw in a movie.

Okay, but could have been better.

[longhorn17 · 7/10 · 29 May 2006]

I was so excited about seeing this movie. The first one never made much of an impression on me but the second was so much better. However, I just didn't feel very emotionally involved with the characters in this film. I felt the story just never allowed the characters to grab the viewer's interest. I also thought that some characters weren't given enough involvement while others were given far too much. I think the director spent more time on the special effects, which were excellent, instead of spending time on character development. But overall, for a summer film, X-3 delivered just enough to be worth the trip to the theater.

Well done for #3

[tony-floyd-1 · 8/10 · 19 May 2006]

I was able to catch a preview of this film on May 18. I am a huge X-Men fan and was reading earlier buzz about this film's shortcomings from other critics. I was very surprised at this film's quality. This film was very good especially for a third installment. I would venture to say this film was my favorite of the three, narrowly beating out X-Men United. I felt there would be a lot of confusion in tying in Magneto and Dark Phoenix but the story was very coherent. I also felt like Halle did a little better in this installment, considering better powers and better writing. The action scenes were great, especially in Jean's house. I was pleased to see them stay faithful to certain scenes in the Dark Phoenix Saga comic. The other "bit-part" mutants were not as annoying as I'd anticipated, as some of them actually were very impressive. I was very impressed with this film's "shockers" and unpredictability. Some things I definitely did not see coming. While not the perfect experience everyone hopes for, it was still well-made and should satisfy the X-Men fan base. Good story, great fights, great special effects, true to some of the comic stuff, great unpredictability, annoying Pyro. 'Nuff said.

"Copy-cat" Director mimics the Singer Style, but lacks the substance

[garynorton · 6/10 · 25 May 2006]

Not the epic finish many of us would have wanted, but not the unmitigated disaster so many thought it would be coming from Brett Ratner.

The film has some nice touches, with better set pieces and superior effects work to previous instalments. The emotional involvement and character consistency seems a little uneven and spoils the feeling of satisfaction I had been feeling. This is where Singer would have nailed the movie showing his superior understanding of the comics universe and its players.

Good points? the "20 years ago" retrospective of the two leading protagonists Professor X and Magneto,an amazing use of digital technology to make them both look younger; the battle over Jean Greys split personality; one of the X-mens death's; the overall special effects and the confrontational climax at Alcatraz.

The middling? The film probably tries to cover too many "bigger" issues and relationship stuff with too short a running time and a broad strokes approach to the emotions.The confrontation at Alcatraz.

The bad points are the "now you see them- now you don't" approach to some of the established mutants such as Cyclops,Mystique and Rogue. For a film that barely gets past the 90 minute mark, there could have been a more patient introduction to newer characters and a better send-off for the old; some of the dialogue falls flat and there are one too many smart Alec one liner "quips"- mostly Wolverines. It belittles the serious nature of the character.

Due to the running time, the films editing leaves a lot to be desired. Perhaps Brett Ratner had poorly constructed key story elements/writing and a general lack of time that even a longer running version would have made little difference too. No doubt there will be a Directors Cut and we can see for ourselves. I do not feel the need to blame Ratner for this, as the Studio was the one pushing for the release-despite the production losing not one, but two, directors! You would have thought they had learnt their lesson on the 1st film.

One major niggle was a continuity error as the Brotherhood of Mutants arrived on Alcatraz and prepared to do battle. The afternoon sunshine suddenly cut to total darkness! Weird! So long as you try to remember the characterisations from the previous films and overlook some of the issues mentioned, then the film is a very enjoyable, effects-laden romp.

A good X-Men movie but a minor disappointment.

[ivo-cobra8 · 7/10 · 25 October 2015]

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) is a good superhero movie, but way down than the first two films were. It wasn't a bad film that would be Days of Future Past and Origins Wolverine I just like this film a lot of better then the new X-Men films.

Well I love it. It is my favorite movie of all X-Men. People who criticize this movie and saying bad things about it seriously get the hell out of my face and you don't get it at all. [:To me it was a great movie and I love it. I love the new mutants they are more mutants. At the end they are all six mutants. I am a fan of Wolverine and Storm. I love when Wolverine was fighting against mutants and Magneto's army in the woods he come back for Jean Phoenix. Than they find a cure against mutants to become a humans again it was a little boy and Magneto wanted him dead. The fight scene between Pyro and iceman was fantastic. Pyro was with Professor X in the second movie but than he cross the line and he become magneto's alley. Mystique become human again after one cop throw on Magneto the cure and she saved him. What Magneto did? He throw her away because she was a human and he said she is not one of them anymore.

So Mystique betrayed magneto and she told authorities were is Magneto's hide out. "Hell has no fury like a women scorned." Jean Phoenix did died at the end of the second movie but she come back in this one. Wolverine loved her more than Cyclops actually did. It was sad that he had to killed her at the end but she was a treat to all of us. The first appearance of Henry 'Hank' McCoy / Beast he was never mentioned in the first two movies. I love the finale battle, they are more mutants in this one, than they were in the first two movies. Final conclusion and end to the trilogy. Wolverine stays at the school at the end without professor X I really love it. I know a lot of people will say that I am stupid for liking this movie. And I am really not a big comic book fan of this movie because I don't know everything but I really love it. But is not my best favorite movie.

X-Men: The Last Stand has a few put holes and errors: Like death of Professor X the return of Phoenix from the grave when she died at the end of the second movie. Mysterious death of Scott Summers Cyclops. I also don't think that he is dead, there was no body and he does also not do anything in this movie. Than Rouge,she doesn't fly she doesn't even fight. All she does is complaining and waning about been a mutant and not been a human. She is useless here. The third installment into the trilogy, is a good film in their own way. But not my best favorite movie. That would be X2 and than is X-Men because, it is the first movie I watch in the summer 2001 on tape and it is the second best one for me. X2: X-Men United is better than both of them together but to me are all three good one of the X-Men trilogy.

What could have been an epic conclusion to the X-trodinary trilogy, was a minor disappointment, Gone is Byran Singer who left the project to direct Superman Returns, in comes Bret (I only work with Jackie Chan) Ratner. He's OK, but he's no Singer. It also sucks that characters you care for get killed off in such un-ethical ways. Oh well. It is not the film that people except but is not by the worst one for me. I love action and this is a science fiction, action flick. It has a lot of changes which it sucks but it is still an enjoyable flick.

Experience the awesome power of The X-Men's epic, final battle. Join well-known mutant heroes and villains, and meet a cadre of all-new warriors -- including Angel, Beast, Juggernaut and Colossus -- in this thrilling, explosive adventure! After a controversial cure is discovered, mutants can choose to retain their superhuman abilities or give up their unique gifts and become normal. When peaceful mutant leader Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) clashes with his militant counterpart, Magneto (Ian McKellen), the battle lines are drawn for the war to end all wars. Bursting with nonstop action and spectacular special effects, X-Men The Last Stand is a force of nature that will blow you away!

I am sorry if you disagree with me. A disappointment but still a good film.

X-Men: The Last Stand (also known as X-Men 3 or X3) is a 2006 American superhero film, based on the X-Men superhero team introduced in Marvel Comics. The film, distributed by 20th Century Fox, is the sequel to 2003's X2 and the third installment in the X-Men film series.

7/10 Score: B Studio: 20TH Century Fox, Marvel Studios Starring: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Kelsey Grammar, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones, Patrick Stewart Director: Brett Ratner Producers: Lauren Shuler Donner, Ralph Winter, Avi Arad Screenplay: Simon Kinberg, Zak Penn Rated: PG-13 Running Time: 1 Hr. 44 Mins. Budget: $210.000.000 Box Office: $234.360.014

Wimpy conclusion to the trilogy

[nicholls905-280-546911 · 6/10 · 23 January 2020]

Flawed film. Hiring Brett Ratner was not an inspired choice. The action scenes lack any momentum, and characters are killed off with little satisfaction for us fanboys. Arch Angel is only here to service one story beat, that is not strong enough or even worthwhile. The storyline betrays characters and in the end It's one anti climatic disappointment. Singer was the key to the series and he abandoned ship. The lack of a key filmmaker and messy storyline can't save this.

Interested bystander

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 5 June 2006]

I've attended all three of the X-men films with my son. It's been kind of fun. I never read the comics, so I don't know the intricacies of the characters and their powers. I don't know enough to tell if they are faithful to their comic book roles. Keeping that in mind, I have to say I enjoyed them. I liked the first two more than this one because it had more heart and more character development; more angst if you will. I was intrigued by the "death" of Jean Grey in the second film. This one is a special effects deluge. When the Golden Gate bridge is moved like a board across a mud puddle, it staggers the imagination. If I were to look at this with too critical an eye, I might say, "Couldn't the bad guys have done this crossing of San Francisco bay a little easier (maybe a couple of helicopters or a big boat). This part is almost for laughs. I was entertained and involved through most of the movie but at times it became almost a parody of itself. I understand they changed directors and this may account for it. Maybe a summer film can't cut the short attention spans unless we throw so much at the canvas that we can't distinguish the pictures. The performances of the actors are quite good. There are a few questions that we neophytes have a little trouble with, but, all in all, I think most people who like this splashy stuff will be alright with it.

You would die for them?

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 5 February 2011]

X-Men: The Last Stand is directed by Brett Ratner and written by Simon Kinberg & Zak Penn. It's the second sequel to 2000's X-Men and the franchise is based around Uncanny X-Men that was the creation of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. It stars Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Famke Jansen, Kelsey Grammar, Patrick Stewart, Anna Paquin & Ellen Page. Dante Spinotti photographs it and the music is scored by John Howe. Plot finds mutants in danger of being wiped out due to a cure discovered at Worthington Industries. This could have desperate repercussions between Xavier's integration friendly X-Men, Magneto's human hating Brotherhood and the human race. Things are further complicated with the return from the dead of Jean Grey, who seems to not be herself and has gained some new and terrifying powers...

Bryan Singer, director of the first two X-Men film's, left the franchise to go and helm Superman Returns. After much toing and froing, and many offers to directors, Ratner ended up in the chair. Director of Rush Hour 1 & 2 and Red Dragon, Ratner was charged with the unenviable task of trying to follow the excellent X2. Afforded a budget of $210 million (considerably the highest of the franchise), Ratner and his team made a good enough film to get double back that budget at the Worldwide box office. Not bad considering it was met with mixed reviews from the critics and fan-boys alike. X-Men 3 is a good film, in fact it's great entertainment, what it lacks is the flow and balance of its immediate predecessor. Ratner and his team have followed what seems to be the rule of thumb for movie franchises, i.e.: cram more in and try to dazzle as often as possible. Which in a film that only runs at just over 1 hour 40 minutes doesn't leave much opportunity for character depth, coherence and a solid structure. It's a shame that the makers couldn't afford to let the film be a two hour or longer piece, for there's enough in between the set-pieces to suggest that Ratner could have crafted a deeper movie to match the pizazz.

But what pizazz it is. Magneto creates eye candy carnage via a rescue of one of his charges and a bit of bridge manoeuvring is really really cool. Then there's the sublime excitement that comes with the all out war of "the last stand", where the X-Men team go feral and showcase the best of their abilities and new tricks (oh we love Storm's new twirly spinning attack mode thingy). While Jean Grey's new powers brings breath taking rewards for the viewer. There's also plenty of little treats for fans of the source and one or two genuine surprises thrown into the mixer. But while the appearance of Beast (Grammer-great) and Kitty Pryde (Page-delightful) is most welcome, new additions that fall flat include Angel (Ben Foster-pointless) and Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones-laughable in a bad way). Which under scrutiny leaves us with a very mixed bag. But! And it's a very big but, for those looking for a slam bang popcorn piece this delivers all that's required. For those in hard with the source and those in need of X2's intelligence, however, the flaws may be just too much to bear. 7/10

Short on Brains but High on Action

[Michael_Elliott · 17 June 2013]

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

*** (out of 4)

Brett Ratner steps into the director's chair for this third installment in the series. This time out both sides of the mutants must fight when a scientist learns of a cure that can turn the mutants back into humans. That's pretty much all of the story you need to know because, in truth, there's really not much going on here story wise. That's not necessarily a bad thing but I'm sure some fans will be upset that the new characters really aren't developed all that well and the older characters also seem to have been underwritten to the point where we get nothing new from them. With that said, none of those things hurt the movie too much because where it really works is during the special effects and action scenes. The highlight of the film takes place towards the end and involves the Golden Gate Bridge. I'm not going to ruin what happens for those who haven't seen the film but it's quite spectacular and shows a great deal of imagination. On top of it being creative, the entire sequence is just downright cool. The action scenes here are all extremely well-handled and I think Ratner does a very good job at keeping them moving at a fast pace. Of course, by now it should come as no surprise that the cast members own their roles. Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen are all very good. Anna Paquin, Famke Janssen, Rebecca Romijn and Ellen Page add some fun but it's Kelsey Grammar who really shines as Henry McCoy. X-MEN: THE LAST STAND isn't a masterpiece or even better than the last film but it at least manages to be entertaining even if there's nothing here to take very seriously.

Not a Rat(ner) fan ...

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 25 April 2007]

... but I've got to give him kudos for this. I'm not an X-Men junkie, or anything (I'm not familiar with the comics and/or the characters), so I can't speak about the history or if Bret Ratner did a great job, of putting those characters on screen, as they were drawn/intended to be ...

Still I feel that this movie does tie together the previous efforts, made by Bryan Singer. This is just one fun ride. And right from the start (a few minutes in maybe), Ratner let's you know, that anything goes! That he doesn't think that anything is sacred, might be too much for some fans to swallow, but I loved it. You could also say "Balls to the walls"! A Hollywood movie that achieves it's goal to entertain enough, so that you can overlook it's flaws!

A Nutshell Review: X-Men: The Last Stand

[DICK STEEL · 9/10 · 22 May 2006]

As always, you get the beef here - stay tuned until the end of the credits for one small scene which will probably put a smile to your face. Don't say I didn't warn ya! Oh and as usual with good Marvel movies, watch out for Stan Lee too! The X-Men movies did one thing which I thought was almost impossible to do for the movies, and that is to massage the multi-characters' egos into one feature length film within reasonable screen time. Kudos are necessary for Bryan Singer and his team for pulling the original X-Men off, then top it with X2, beating odds that sequels generally suck, what with bigger sets, action, and horrors, even more characters! With Singer's departure for another summer movie this year, the grand daddy of superheroes, Superman, the X-Men franchise was temporarily put into development hell, and was left directionless. Having its stars ask for more money and a bigger role, was natural too. But I'm glad that these issues were resolved and director Brett Ratner took on the thankless task of adding a rudder to steer a fitting last movie of a trilogy (will there be more? Hmm....) And I'm glad to announce it's the best summer movie so far, one which surpassed my expectations, which probably was low to begin with. It had a decent storyline which is a direct continuation from X2, and had bleak moments interspersed throughout the movie. A cure has been found, extracted from a fellow mutant boy, which the humans offer to the mutants to become normal again. But just what is normal? Herein lies the ra-ra themes like you-are-who-you-are, stay-true-to-yourself etc. But it doesn't bog down the pace of the movie, not quite, especially since most will be in it for the action. And it's always human tendency to want to weaponize anything for that advantage over our enemies. We come in peace? Hell yeah :P There are again plenty of set action pieces, some of which will disappoint, like the beginning which somewhat reeked from a bad Terminator setting, but on the other end of the spectrum, the Grey House battle is the best amongst all, beating even the finale. It's full of concurrent action, tense moments, loads of special effects with a dash of character development. The finale battle was cool (look out for the Iceman teaser), but I thought it was a bit of a letdown with its major continuity error with the cars on the bridge. Not surprisingly, having Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry's names headlining the marquee, Wolverine (as always, the most popular X-character) and Storm had more leadership roles in this sequel. But, and no offense to the fans, it seemed that Wolverine's solo action sequence was a bit ordinary, like watching a scene from Mortal Kombat. If there's gonna be a movie spin off, show off more slicing and dicing, up the violence a little and slap it with some rating. But with the focus on the 2 main leads, as well as The Beast, little attention is paid towards Magneto and his brotherhood (then again, we need not have much introduction and can afford diving straight in), and fans of Mystique will be disappointed with the diminished role, as do other characters like Rogue, Cyclops and new kid on the block Angel (really cosmetic if you ask me). The Phoenix was introduced to great fanfare, and it made a bit more sense without the fusion of that outer space element from the comics. This story-arc is the main pivot, and it was a fantastic scene in the beginning to witness the camaraderie between Charles Xavier and Eric Lensherr, before they became bitter enemies. I'd tip my hat too to the little moments of acknowledgement and admiration one has for the other, despite being on opposites. All in all, it was very much enjoyable, and I'm sure fans of the movie franchise will agree it's a fitting end to the trilogy, though it hinted the option of making a fourth, and the more lucrative potential of solo character spin offs.

No character development, no heart, lots of 'Splosions.

[theandrewillsley · 2/10 · 12 June 2006]

What a disappointment. I'm not a comic-book fan, but I did really like the first two films. This one was all loud banging. I know people like special effects (part of the reason I wanted to see it), but I like to think people also like story and character development and real suspense. Even the action was murky. It's almost impossible to see what the Beast is doing when he's fighting, it's just a big, ugly blur there's no choreography whatsoever. Plus, Magneto's a very smart guy, a leader, and yet his demise is brought on by one of these "oldest trick in the book" routines. Every time a mutant uses a power, it seems to be in a very convenient situation. Everything's staged so simply that you can see it all coming from a mile away. I felt insulted on behalf of movie-goers everywhere. Bring back Brian Singer, he won't phone-in his duty. Brett Ratner should never work in the business again.

Honestly, A Waste of Time

[sallyfifth · 31 May 2006]

You know what, Ellen Page was great as Kitty Pryde. And the scene with her and Juggernaut was fun in a way most of this film wasn't. I also liked the Angel character's introduction. Something the other X Movies gave us in abundance. What else was good? Ian Mckellan as Magneto. And the set-up was fantastic. What's that 15 minutes of the movie? Beast was decently realized, but he ate up screen time without adding much to the film.

The bad... everything else. Action scenes lacked smarts. The clockwork showdown between Pyro & Iceman, against all logic, fizzled out due to lack of breathing room. Especially ill conceived was the decision to have the "Good vs. Evil"-which-color-will-win battle? Who asked for more Halle Berry as Storm?? While her acting isn't as unbearable as the last two films, her role in the story is so small, that devoting so much screen time to her seems like a braindead move. Also braindead? Including the Dark Phoenix. That's a second trilogy right there. It's just too much too soon. And there's already a perfectly good story built into The Last Stand: The cure. That brings things full circle.

Folks, I wouldn't be so harsh if there hadn't been a great set-up. This is still decent Summer Popcorn movie fare. The point is, the first two movies were so much more. The Last Stand is like a carefully planted garden that was just starting to sprout, when someone decided to build a hotdog stand on the spot. You may like hotdogs, but they won't quench your soul.