X-Men: The Last Stand Review [4]
Posted by Avery Chan on 06.03.2006
Who says there's no room for four reviews of the same film at 411mania?
In language of sequels, X2: X-Men United is considered to be the Empire Strikes Back or The Godfather Part II of the X-Men franchise. X-Men: The Last Stand then, will either half suck like Return of the Jedi, suck completely like The Godfather Part III or perhaps earn the unprecedented distinction of being a three-quel that beats the previous films. Since the last option is too much to hope for, I am happy to report that The Last Stand can stand side by side with Jedi as the closing chapter that doesn't reach the quality of the second film, but doesn't embarass the rest of the franchise either.
One of the biggest flaws of the series is its ever expanding cast of characters which meant that, with the exception of Wolverine, someone's favorite got the shaft. This time around, screen time is doled out fairly equally, in that everyone gets the shaft this time. Only characters that weren't around in the previous films could be said to have a significant increase in screen time but even most of those hyped new characters only amount to brief cameos. Angel? Set up for big things right off the bat but is quickly forgotten. Kitty Pryde? Wasted potential. Colossus? He's only there for the fastball specials. The bad guys don't get off so easily either. Juggernaut is merely a one-liner machine in the form of Vinny Jones with fake muscles. Remember the big deal made about the role of Psylocke being cast? Well, she appears in the film but she gets like, 2 lines and never demonstrates any powers and even never mentioned by name. The blonde Asian guy from Ratner's Rush Hour gets a bigger role than she does and his power is to turn his face into a blowfish. That's not even a character like that in the comics! I
n hindsight, the movie might as well be called X-Men: The Beast, since Kelsey Grammer's character is the only one to really make an impact. Characters that played significant roles in the past films are taken out of action early, which is not a problem in itself, but for what reason? Why kill the momentum of developing character arcs just to give more room to three new mutants who do nothing and die, on the screen as well as in the memories of the viewer?
The film might have been a lot more dramatic if it did a better job emphasizing the conflicted feelings of mutants faced with a cure. The Beast tells Storm that not every mutant can blend in as well as she can, referring to his appearance. Why don't we see more of these outcasts? Nightcrawler is gone, Mystique doesn't count because she can look like anyone, and Rogue at least looks human. Having more freaks around would've garnered more sympathy. As it stands, being a mutant still looks pretty cool.
After a strong build up, the Phoenix story fultimately ails to live up to expectations. What should've been a dramatic representation of power corrupted becomes merely a weapon of destruction, a plot device. Like everything else in this film, the Phoenix arc is front loaded, leaving nothing for the end.
Still, The Last Stand offers some kick-ass moments. Beginning with a flashback to the brotherly days of Magneto and a walking Xavier's first meeting with young Jean Grey and ending with a show-stopping Danger Room sequence, The Last Stand gives us a cold opening worthy of Nightcrawler's introduction from X2. I would go as far to say the Danger Room sequence will go down as one of the greatest scenes in comic book movie history. It's almost worth the entire price of admission. To say anymore would spoil it. Whereas Singer tended to emphasize Magneto's finesse with his mutant abilities, Ratner highlights his pure power. Ian Mckellan gets to have a little fun, throwing trucks around with a flick of the wrist and ripping the Golden Gate Bridge off its foundations in a remarkable sequence. Ratner gets a lot of crap for his talents but credit should also go to him for keeping a consistent tone with Singer's vision, continuing to build on some of Singer's pet plot points such as the Iceman/Pyro feud, which is paid of n-icely. I wish it were given more time though.
X-Men:The Last Stand is what I like to think of as Comic-Book Movie Porn. It's just a succession of money shots that leave you unfulfilled. Any fan of the X-Men will enjoy the numerous Easter eggs The Last Stand throws at us, ones that I refuse to spoil for anyone who have yet to see the film and if this is truly the last installment, then no one can deny that the filmmakers attempted to go out with a bang. Where Bryan Singer smartly attempted to make an anti-blockbuster blockbuster by grounding a superhero fantasy firmly in reality, Brett Ratner goes buck wild, which is a move I feel that franchise was ready to take. It didn't work out quite as well as I had hoped however, and to throw out an old cliché, X-Men: The Last Stand was less than the sum of its parts.
Correction: A reader named Steven Masters pointed out to me that Psylocke did use her powers. They were not, however, the powers usually attributed to her, which would be her psionic blades. Instead, it was the power to move through shadows, which was part of her new Crimson Dawn powers. You got me there Steve, but I still say it shouldve been psi-blades, or at least the skimpy thong outfit.
I also mentioned the blowfish mutant played by the Asian dude from Rush Hour. Steven pointed out that although the movie calls him Kid Omega, the character exists in the comics as "Quill" and is featured in the "Academy X" series. I bow to your impressive comic book knowledge dude, but you lose points for reading "Academy X".
The 411: Despite all the sweet mark-out moments, the film ultimately collapses under its own weight. Still, it's a decent enough installment to an excellent series and I highly recommend it. Remember to stay to the end of the credits. You won't regret it.
