Book reviews, art, gaming, Objectivism and thoughts on other topics as they occur.

Jun 7, 2006

X-Men 3: The Last Stand

This latest movie in the X-Men series initially seemed promising, but I was mortally disappointed when I went to see it. There wasn't much good to be salvaged from the flat acting, mutant cameos, and needlessly grandiose special effects.

Ian McKellan does a reasonably good job as the evil, overdramatic Magneto, and Patrick Stewart plays an intriguing Professor X (although I didn't personally like what the script did with the character), but there the decent acting ends. Halle Berry plays an utterly personality-less Storm, leaving me wondering whether I was seeing her face or a mask. Hugh Jackman, normally a fine actor, spends most of the movie scrambling desperately to keep up with events, squeezing in an emotion here and there when he can get away with it. Kelsey Grammar makes a surprisingly apt Beast, but unfortunately he doesn't get to do much of anything, either.

The reason for this rapidly becomes apparent when you look at the number of cast members involved in this movie. In addition, a great deal of time was devoted to levitating cars, houses, and Magneto relocating the Golden Gate Bridge (an impressive feat, to be sure, but it was never apparent why he bothered unless he just felt like showing off).

The best moment of the movie is completely ruined by a ten-second "sign off" at the end. If you're going to call a movie "The Last Stand", I think it behooves you to tie up the loose ends. I don't think this X-Men movie is worth going to see in the theater at all.

6 comments:

Toiler said...

I agree with you, although special effects junkies might still want to see it on the big screen. Phoenix had a serious case of "I'm just going to stand here and pout." I was disappointed, although that girl can seriously pout when she wants to. And what about Angel? Yeesh! All that great marketing about his character for so little. I figured that if I didn't get plot, I'd at least get to enjoy that part of the movie. Ah, well. :-)

Anonymous said...

Agreed. It's like in the effort to cram so many plots, so many characters, and so many explosions onto the screen, they forgot to leave time for thinking, suspense, acting, etc.

Someone involved in the project is like a kid who eats too fast. It's like you want to say: "Slow down. CHEW your food!"

Luckily, it doesn't seem this will be the last Xmen movie.

Jennifer Snow said...

I know, Inspector, but what are they going to call the next one? X-Men 4: Made you look! or X-Men 4: Really the Last Stand this Time.

It reminds me of "Final Fantasy: #". If it's FINAL then there shouldn't be a SEQUEL.

Anonymous said...

Hahaha, "final" Fantasy. I'd never thought about it that way!

Anonymous said...

I have to disagree with all of you. Maybe it's because I never read a single X-Men comic book, but I thought the complicated, idea-filled plot was so rich, compared to most films these days, that I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. (I overheard fans of the comic saying it covered 20 years' worth of comic book plot points). I don't have any "favorite" characters who disappoint me if they aren't in the film enough. I just enjoy a good story and heroic characters and this film was fulfilling in that regard. The story was well-told with clarity, the changes in the relative positions and fates of the characters were dramatic, the visual presentation was beautiful and vivid. I also continue to find the fact that Magneto is a villain because his views are mistaken but that (in a way) his heart is in the right place, to be refreshing.

Jennifer Snow said...

I don't read the comics, either, although I'm somewhat familiar with the "mythos". I haven't heard many complaints that the movie wasn't enough like the comic books. Most of the problems I've heard stem from the fact that it was very contrived . . . a problem that occurs in most action movies.