X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

Originally Reviewed

Sunday May 28, 2006

The second time around X-men: The Last Stand actually proves to be even more entertaining. Maybe it's due to the fact that the shock of many major characters being "killed off" is gone, but I definitely have to say I enjoyed this third installment of the X-men trilogy more the second time around.

X-Men: The Last Stand picks up where the second film left off after the death of Jean Gray. Cyclops still is unable to get over her death and is constantly tormented by her voice in his head. In an attempt to cease the voices Cyclops returns to lake where Jean was consumed by the water, her voice still beating in his brain, he rips off his glasses and blasts the lake, causing a whirlpool which somehow brings back Jean Gray! Except this isn't the regular Jean Gray, she's now so powerful she cannot control herself and destroys everything in her path, including some of the people she loves.

Meanwhile the United States is in the midst of a crisis with the formulation of a "cure" that will revert mutants back to human form. This "cure", obtained through the blood of a mutant child who has the power to neutralize any mutant powers, is being offered to all those who wish to become free of their "disease".

The "cure" ignites a war between Mutants and humans as Mutants, who are against it, see "the cure" as a weapon to destroy them. This hatred leads to the formation of a resistance, lead by Magneto. Magneto later acquires Jean Gray or "The Phoenix", which is the name of her dual personality, whose stronger powers have taken over her body and mind, and turns her into a walking weapon. With her and their band of mutants can the remaining few X-men take on what happens to be an impossible feat?

My major complaint the first time around was that the X-men, in general, were pretty weak, I take that back. When you think about it those who they systematically knock off didn't offer much in the series anyways, other than Professor X. Cyclops contributed nothing the series expect being a whiner a majority of the time, Rogue never really helped out in any way and while Professor X was a major part of the series when it came to the big action scenes he never did much at all. So sufficed to say this film gets rid of a lot of dead weight, which hopefully will make room for some better characters if there is another film.

Wolverine still tops the list as the best X-man in the movie, followed by the newly introduced Beast (played by none other than TV's Frasier) who was rather interesting. I thought the villains were very well done, and really preferred Jean Gray as more of a villainous character, I thought she did an excellent job and some of those special effects they used during her transformation were awesome, making her appear pretty evil at times. On the other hand the makeup job they did in the beginning off the film on Professor X and Magneto was horrible! They tried to make the two look younger, but they turned out like bad wax museum faces.

Overall, second time around, X-men: The Last Stand stands up as a worthy second sequel. Still not the best in the series but it was definitely more entertaining, and the special effects are quite superb! So with three of the main X-men dead and another one without powers, and the main villains defeated what is the future of the series. Well some say it's the end, others say there will be more. If you want to base your opinion on the Magneto teaser at the end of the film or the possible return of Professor X, vaguely hinted in a 30 second clip after the credits then there might be another film. Personally I believe it will take a whole lot of outrageous explanations to try and bring everyone back from the chaos that this film involves but it wouldn't surprise me if they tried to do it. 

 8/10