X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) - Directed by Brett Ratner
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence, some sexual content and language.

In the saga of porting Marvel comic books to movie form, only two franchises can be considered truly successful: Spiderman and X-Men. While Spiderman 3 is still a ways off, X-Men fans get what is being publicized as the last in the series this Memorial Day weekend. And as a moviegoer only briefly familiar with the X-Men mythos, I thought it an impressive ending to an impressive trilogy.

In X-Men: The Last Stand, a 'cure' to the mutant gene is found, prompting an uproar among the population. Meanwhile, an old friend returns with unlocked powers. Now Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and his X-Men prepare to battle Magneto (Ian McKellen) and his Brotherhood in a last stand to decide the fate of mutant-kind.

I enjoyed the crap out of this movie. Therefore, I was a bit surprised that when the credits began to roll, several fans started booing. There were a few corny moments and less than stellar bits of dialogue, but this was far from a boo-deserving film. Perhaps it's because of my lack of knowledge regarding the X-Men comic canon, but I consider this to be a competent conclusion to a quality trilogy.

With Brett Ratner taking over directing duties from Bryan Singer (who left the series to helm the soon to be released Superman Returns), there are some notable differences in The Last Stand when compared to the first 2 in the series. At a fast-paced 104 minutes, The Last Stand relies more on big explosions and fight sequences than character interaction. But said fight sequences are fantastic--featuring some of the most realistic and epic CGI shots put to film. In all honesty, there was maybe 1 or 2 scenes of bad CGI. Other than that, the darker, grittier feel to The Last Stand was its greatest strongpoint.

The acting, like character interaction, also takes a back seat. Halle Berry as the weather controlling Storm was a lowpoint, but Kelsey Grammer bulked up in blue makeup was a nice addition to the cast. And as usual, Ian McKellen pretty much dominated.

X3 is like the grand finale of a fireworks show. When it reaches its climax, it becomes less about setting up a neat choreography and more about putting as much mutant combat on screen as possible. But with top-notch special effects, great action sequences, and a shocking ending, The Last Stand is a winner in my book.

Memorable Line: "Don't you know who I am? I'm the Juggernaut, bitch! "

Rating: 4 / 5