X-Men III - The Last Stand Review

[shadowkat]

Saw X-Men III today. Should preface this by stating that prior to 2001, I was obsessed with the X-men and had collected most, if not all the comics. I was particularly enamored of the Jean/Scott story - encapsulated in the Dark Phoenix Saga then later X-Factor and finally their marriage and Scott's death at the hands of Apocalypse. I got over it and my interest transfered itself to BTVS, and eventually I became more interested in retrospect with the other characters, such as Wolverine, Hank McCoy, Magneto, Rogue, and Storm. So the first two movies emphasis on Wolverine and Magneto over Scott and Jean did not bug me, their story while in the background, still held a resonance similar to the comics I adored. The last movie, not so much. If anything the last movie takes a sharp left turn from the Scott/Jean story, and while I normally don't care if the adaptation differs greatly from the original, as long as it adds something new, this one I felt lacked something.


X-Men III starts out well enough. The first half-hour is quite entertaining. Complete with a flashback with Magneto and Xavier and a young Jean Grey, which of course did not happen in the original comics, but you shrug your shoulders and go with the flow. And there are jaw-dropping moments, the problem with the moments is the writers don't really know where to go from there. And one lacks the emotional resonance it should - considering it deals directly with the Scott/Jean story. Also if you know anything about the Scott/Jean story, doesn't quite work without that resonance. I saw it with a friend who is not an X-men comic fan, and did not notice this problem, so it may not matter except to comic book fans. At any rate the second half devolves into battle sequences and cheap dialogue. Mostly watching Wolverine get all snarly and kick ass, while showcasing a younger set - headlined by Ellen Page's Kitty Pride. The finale is also centered on Wolverine.

That said the movie has its moments, most of which are showcased in the trailers and on previews on F/X, but there are two or three additional ones that aren't. And make sure you stay past the final roll of credits - you will be rewarded by a sequence taken directly from the comic books.
Also, Kelsey Grammar's casting as Hank McCoy is as inspired as Alan Cummings casting as Kurt Wagner in the previous picture. Wagner does not make an appearance in this one. But you don't miss him with Hank's arrival.

Is it fun? Sure. Is it worth 10 bucks? Nope.

Save your money and rent it on DVD.


If you do go? Stay past the final credits, one of the best moments happens then.

Comments

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

I'll wait and read this after I've seen the movie myself...but thank you for the head's up about staying until after the final credits!