X-Men: The Last Stand Review

The original two films in the X-Men trilogy really set the standard for what to expect from a comic to film adaptation. While the first Blade movie may have shown that the idea of superheroes on the big screen was financially viable, the original X-Men proved that it was possible to modify one of MarvelÃ?¢â?‰?¢s most enduring properties and bring it to life in a serious film, without making it animated or a comedy. Successors such as the Hulk, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Spider-Man, and even the re-envisioning of the Batman franchise last year, all owe a debt to the first X-Men film for setting the standard, and showing the studios what a big time money maker the entire genre can be.

The sequel to the original X-Men film is one of the few films in history that can truly be said to have lived up to its predecessor. Fox did many things right in ensuring this would be the case. Bringing back the same director as the first film was a huge step in the right direction. Second, was to bring back the entire cast who helped make the first film what it was. Finally, they developed another story that once again took place in an almost believable world, and they treated the audience in a way that both forced them to think while immersing them in a world that was completely new. On the development side, X2 was given as much time as it needed to be done �¢â?¬�?right�¢â?¬� without the need to rush effects or plug plot holes. It was these things that made the first film a success, and made the follow-up an even bigger success both financially and with fans all over the world.

Now, on the release date of the third X-Men film, subtitled, The Last Stand, the outlook is not as bright. Gone is the director of the previous two films. Director Brett Ratner was brought in to replace the departed Bryan Singer, but was given such a short timeline to get the job done; it�¢â?¬â?¢s hard to believe that anyone could do a successful job. Gone is the nicely done story, and the sufficient timeline to do it right. In its place is a mashing of two amazingly detailed stories from the original comic series. While both stories are major milestones in the history of the X-Men, each is a minimum of a movie on its own, possibly multiple, but instead will be compressed into a single story. The only thing that remains is the amazing cast of the previous two films, but the question is, will that be enough to live up to the legacy left by the two that came before it?

As much as it hurts me to say it, X-Men: The Last Stand doesn�¢â?¬â?¢t even come close.

Hands down the best part about the first two X-Men movies were the storylines and how they were based in a reality we could all relate to. Both films basically focused on what it was like to be an outcast in society, in this case as a human with mutant abilities, and looked at the angle from two opposing views. The first view, that held by the X-Men and specifically Professor X is to help those who are intolerant by showing them that mutants are not much different then your average human being, and both can coexist peacefully. The other opinion, which is held by Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants, is that a war is coming, and those who strike first will win the fight. These ideals are echoed time and again in human history so while the stories of both films are entirely fantasy, complete with characters possessing extraordinary mutant abilities, it is not difficult for the audience to understand where the characters were ultimately coming from.

X-Men: The Last Stand tries hard to grab onto some of that relevancy, but mostly misses the mark altogether. X3 follows the idea of a �¢â?¬�?Cure�¢â?¬�, a vaccine developed by a pharmaceutical company that can completely reverse the effects of any mutant ability. While the �¢â?¬�?Cure�¢â?¬� is listed as a voluntary option, it doesn�¢â?¬â?¢t take long for human paranoia to kick in, and the military to start equipping bullets laced with the cure, just in case. This is very similar to the X-Men comic storyline where the humans dispatch a fleet of military robots known as sentinels, who find and �¢â?¬�?Cure�¢â?¬� mutants without their permission. In this film, however, instead of sentinels they simply use an army equipped with plastic guns (obviously so Magneto can�¢â?¬â?¢t take them away) and these soldiers are dispatched with the task of taking out any mutant who might stand in their way.

While this underlying story is taking place, another major X-Men comic story also attempts to coexist, the story of the Dark Phoenix. In the film, the Dark Phoenix is more or less the sub-consciousness of Jean Grey. When unleashed, it makes her the most powerful mutant on the planet, capable of evaporating people with a mere thought and unleashing unstoppable destruction on anything that stands in her way.   

While these two storylineÃ?¢â?‰?¢s definitely have a lot of potential, Director Brett Ratner decides to mostly glaze over the real meat and potatoes of both stories and ultimately does both a disservice in the end. Each of these could have easily carried a two and a half hour film exclusively, but in the case of X3 we get them both stripped and mashed together in a film that doesnÃ?¢â?‰?¢t even make it to the two hour mark. As a result, X-Men: The Last Stand, feels like a rough draft version of what the film should have been, with so many plot holes youÃ?¢â?‰?¢ll be hard pressed not to have questions about events taking place on the screen. The entire thing is rushed and simply doesnÃ?¢â?‰?¢t do either story the justice it deserves.