When the film exploded at the box office in 2000, it set about a new wave in Hollywood. Spiderman finally got the got ahead after years in limbo (James Cameron had been touted to direct the film since the 80's), Daredevil, Electra and Hellboy all got the Hollywood makeover. While franchises such as American Pie, Lord of The Rings and Star Wars all had sequels pop out quicker than Gweneth Paltrow has babies. It's own sequel, X2: X-Men United,
set box office records again doing well over $200 million. Singer
lifted the bar on the first, upping th action - upping the effects -
upping the proverbial anti. So it was with a bit of hesitation that we
approached the final X-Men installment upon hearing the news that Singer had opted to shoot Superman Returns as opposed to finishing off his trilogy, leaving Rush Hour 2
director Brett Ratner at the helm. The fan buzz was undeniably
negative, and things looked grim for the film. But all that worry was
washed away when the film again topped it's X2 takings (although the budget had increased by almost $100 million - to an estimated $210 million - this time around). In
the final installment (although another sequel has been touted, as have
several spin-offs) the X-Men, mutant heroes sworn to defend a world
that hates and fears them, must face evolution itself in the shape of
their former teammate, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen). Possessed with the
cosmic power of the Dark Phoenix, the resurrected Jean Grey has become
a danger to herself, her mutant comrades and the entire planet. To
stave off this imminent threat to humanity, a potential cure is
discovered and processed to treat – and ultimately eliminate
– genetic mutations once and for all. As the battle lines are
drawn, the X-Men, led by Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart),
are aided by new recruits like The Beast (Kelsey Grammer) and Angel
(Ben Foster). Together, they must contend with Grey’s new powers,
as well as the malevolent Brotherhood – a band of powerful
mutants organised under Xavier’s former all, Magneto (Ian
McKellen). One of the most common complaints about the film when
it first hit cinemas was the fact that the film concentrated to much on
Wolverine and Storm, leaving little room for supporting mutants. But if
anything, in my opinion, the film is actually better for it. The
strongest aspect of the X-Men
series has been it's commitment to the story, the focus on Wolverine's
plight seems to give the film a strong backbone. This ultimately gives
Ratner the ability to show off as many different mutant powers as
possible, without getting bogged down in a slew of sideline stories -
which would ultimately confuse the film dramatically. The action
sequences are fantastic, with explosions, CGI and novelty powers a
plenty being given a run. There are a batch of new recruits including
the long awaited arrivals of Beast (Kelsey Grammar in a role almost as
perfect for him as Professor X was for Patrick Stewart), Juggernaut
(Vinnie Johns), and the visually impressive Angel. At times the
Pheonix storyline gets lost, but ultimately the action sequences are
what the punters forking out the cash to see - and they are worth every
penny. There's just so much to take in - it's a film made for a big
home theatre system. X-Men: The Last Stand,
while feeling a little lost without Singer, still stands as a fantastic
bookend to one of the best trilogies of the past decade (let's face it,
the new Star Wars series was patchy to say the least) with Spiderman being it's only real contender for quality. This time, X definitely marks the spot. EXTRAS
The
2 Disc Special Edition is packed with extras including a clever menu
choice which allows you access to two different sets of extras.
Choosing between joining the X-Men or The Brotherhood, you are able to
gain access to a few different commentaries, heaps of deleted scenes,
alternate endings and a few Easter Eggs here or there.
On the
second disc there are a bounty of featurettes (which admittedly can get
a bit tiresome), production diaries and a fantastic look at the
evolution of the X-Men trilogy. It might not interest all viewers, but it's a must have for X-Men die hards.
Conclusion:
Movie 75% Extras: 70%
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