The day has finally arrived. The mutants and the humans will wage a war that we’ve only been able to dream of in our X-Men movie fantasies. Like a good little mutant-lover, I stayed up and watched a midnight showing of the film so I could be first to see it.
First, I’ll say that I was shocked by the turnout. We got there 30 minutes before the movie started and had to sit on the floor section. By the time the movie started, people were having to split up their parties to find seats. I didn’t strictly count, but it looked to be sold out.
You’ll notice also that I have a picture of Storm. You’re probably thinking, “Lykaon, you nubtard, why would you put a picture of boring old Storm?!” Well the reason is because Storm finally grew a personality for X-Men 3. Now, let’s not kid ourselves. She’s no Wolverine, Magneto, Mystique, Iceman, or Phoenix — but she’s finally worth watching. We get to see Storm light up the screen (pun intended) and toast a few baddies. I was pleased to see that.
The number of mutants in the film are staggering. I’m a casual reader of the comics, and have spent a good portion of my time researching and reading X-Men lore and still didn’t know who all the mutants were. Look for some lesser known ones like Spyke, Quill, and Multiple Man. While seeing all these mutants tear loose was fun, it also left a small bit of emptiness upon realization that the movie couldn’t possibly delve into all of their backstories. It’s a small flaw, however, as the characters that do matter have plenty of story and the action is top-notch.
Unlike its predecessors, the Last Stand is much more of a “team” movie. We finally get to see both the X-Men and the Brotherhood working together to accomplish their goals. Seeing the “Fastball Special” and Rogue stealing Collossus’ power to shield herself was quite rewarding. We also get to see true fights between the Brotherhood and the X-Men — something the previous incarnations failed to provide between major players. Life isn’t complete without a match between Iceman and Pyro, or Shadowcat and Juggernaut.
There are shockers to be had (again pun intended) . I read some spoilers and knew there would be some pretty big irreversible changes to some of the characters, but I wasn’t even prepared for some of them. It was also nothing so simple and easy as death in all cases. They had a variety of ways to split the roster six ways to Sunday.
Beast fit right in, as well. Since he is a blue furball and they chose Kelsey “Down Periscope” Grammer to play him, I was a little concerned. He does a remarkable job, however, and getting to see him fight is a treat. They managed to find a place for Beast to fit without coming across like a Blue Wolverine during fight scenes.
I would be remiss if I didn’t at least take a small section to mention the Phoenix. The transformation they put Famke Janssen through when she starts to wield her powers was delightfully creepy. There was no doubt that the Phoenix was the most powerful mutant to ever exist, and staying out of her way was key. It was a great entry for Famke, whose character fell flat in the previous movies in my opinion.
Overall, the Last Stand is a welcome addition to the X-Men franchise. They say it will be the last, and I don’t doubt it. So many permanent changes are made to the roster that I’d have a hard time imagining what could be thrown together. It’s a fitting end. While it lacks the deep storytelling of Singer, Ratner found his own groove and delighted us with a plausible plot, tons of action, and great vignettes of all the mutants he could cram into a movie.
If there was any doubt in your mind, don’t miss X-Men: The Last Stand. Easily the best movie to come out in quite some time.
Verdict: B+