Movie Review: X-Men: The Last Stand

X-MEN: THE LAST STAND

Building a (Golden Gate) bridge to Alcatraz, one mutant at a time

PopcornReel.com Film Review: "X-Men: The Last Stand"

By Omar P.L. Moore/May 23, 2006

Brett Ratner has done a creditable job taking the reins of this drama from previous "X-Men" director Bryan Singer, a drama based on the Marvel comic book series. Yet this sequel is one of the more difficult films to review for several reasons: having not seen the first two films of this franchise (or read the comic books), can a review without such context give the film justice? (It would be akin to seeing "The Godfather Part III" without seeing the first two films in that trilogy.) On the other hand, a good film should be able to stand on its own, without its sequels or its comic book predecessor to give it context. ("Spider-Man 2 was an excellent example of this.) In other words, one should be able to view a sequel without having to see the prior films to gain deeper insight. "Lethal Weapon 2" is such an example. So vibrant, fresh and funny was the cop-caper that it was even better than the first. You would not have needed to see the first film in that series to appreciate how good it was.

On this basis then, "X-Men: The Last Stand" as a film does not stand alone -- it seems to be best enjoyable if you've already seen the first two films. That said, the film is good in more than a few areas, most frequently in its comedy, action, and its grand special effects, which took the budget of this Twentieth Century Fox release to just over $210 million. In quite a few places it is money well-spent, though the effects more often than not, overwhelm the story.

Speaking of story, the mutant heroes confront the challenge of being eradicated from the planet. Worthington Labs, a San Francisco-based laboratory is testing its cure out on a young boy mutant, a designated guinea pig. The lab is convinced that there is a need to eliminate mutants by making them pure human beings with a cure that will become widely available, as a vaccination of sorts. There are protests by mutants against the cure and its imminent implementation by Warren Worthington II, the architect of Worthington Labs. As played by Michael Murphy, Mr. Worthington both looks and sounds like New York State governor George Pataki, and is beset by the fact that his own son in the film, Warren Worthington III (played by Ben Foster) has some wings that he just can't clip. That the son doesn't clip them will turn out to be a saving grace in ways that the father Worthington could never have foreseen.

Meanwhile, Magneto (another spot of fine acting from Ian McKellen) uses the confusion and the politics of the situation to further his own power grab, which inspires action from Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Storm (Halle Berry), Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Hank McCoy-- aka "Beast"-- who is portrayed by Kelsey Grammar, a charismatic presence whose lines during one action sequence are hilarious. There is a sub-plot about Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) having powers beyond even her own comprehension. "The Last Stand" works somewhat well here, with some solid suspense as the Grey character is just that -- gray -- she could be good or bad. The love story that comes with it however, is underdeveloped and lacks a punch that another film may have given more justice to.

There is some levity from former British soccer star-turned-actor Vinnie Jones, who reminds one of the X-Men with a funny and profane line just who he is. For the record Mr. Jones plays The Juggernaut, and from his football exploits in England, it is not much of a surprise (or a stretch) that he plays the role so well. Indeed, the wide-ranging cast, which includes Josef Sommer as the American president, Bill Duke as a top government advisor, "House of Sand and Fog" Oscar-nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo as a Worthington Labs doctor, Rebecca Romijn in a small role as Mystique, Dania Ramirez (of Spike Lee's "She Hate Me") and Aaron Stanford ("Tadpole"), do very well. Still, as a complete film, the story shifts and strays. Beyond the action which is furious and visceral something is absent -- one gets the feeling that the special effects are substituting for a more solid story. "X-Men: The Last Stand" is a film that isn't great, but it also isn't poor by any stretch. It is enjoyable, but not an especially stand-out film.

One thing however, is true: "X-Men: The Last Stand" is thought-provoking -- the issue of curing something that human societies the world over have historically perceived as being an "ailment or a liability" -- in the case of this film, being a mutant -- read: being black, Jewish, homosexual, or ably-challenged -- is an undercurrent that the film's writers Simon Kinberg & Zak Penn keep on the front burner. The fact that San Francisco is used as the backdrop for the climactic scenes of "The Last Stand" is also no accident and plays a part of society's perceptions of that Northern California city.

Note: all of those who stay to watch the entire end credits at the film's conclusion, will be rewarded.

Home Features News Movie Reviews Audio Lounge Awards Season The Blog Reel YouTube Reel Extra Butter The Dailies