X-Men: The Last Stand (UK - DVD R2)
Reviewer Peter Martin checks out the latest offering from Wolverine and co...
Following the largely diabolical reaction to Joel Schumacher's 1997 Tribute to Rubber (AKA Batman and Robin), it was going to take something pretty special to revive the humble comic-book movie. In 2000, Bryan Singer offered us X-Men, a serious take on Marvel's superhero mutants and starring a strong, if rather large, ensemble cast. Critical and box-office reaction was positive and the inevitable sequel ( X2) arrived in 2003 reuniting the director and much of the same cast.
During the three year wait for X3, Singer jumped ship to direct Superman Returns, taking key members of the crew with him. Matthew Vaughan ( Layer Cake) briefly took over clapper-board duties but left soon after, leaving Twentieth Century Fox with a cast, a release date but no director. The vacancy was filled with Brett Ratner ( The Family Man, Rush Hour) leading to outcry from many fans of the franchise who labelled him as little more than a 'hack'.
Audiences finally got to judge the worth of X-Men: The Last Stand when it was released in cinemas in May 2006, and now they can see if it merits repeated viewings with the launch of the DVD.
A pharmaceutical company has developed a ‘cure’ for mutants, escalating the threat of a war between humans and the Brotherhood of Mutants led by Magneto (Ian McKellan). The X-Men, still in mourning for Jean-Grey (Famke Janssen) are once again called into action to fight for the very people who fear them.
To call X-Men: The Last Stand a crushing disappointment would be akin to saying that Michael Jackson has had a bit of plastic surgery. After the promise of the previous two films, we're left with the Jedi effect and a movie that runs like a half-finished screener of something that could, in the right hands, be very good indeed. After that initial viewing, you'll be looking around for the comments card so you tell Fox just what they should put right for the re-shoots.
Unfortunately, re-shoots had already been conducted following test screenings, but the few amendments could clearly not rescue this muddled movie. This isn’t all that surprising; especially when one considers the strict deadline that Twentieth Century Fox had imposed upon the production. When Singer toddled off to Metropolis, he took his writers with him, leaving the less than thrilling prospect of a X-Men 3 script from the guys that brought you Electra and XXX: State of the Union (what does it take to be blacklisted in Hollywood?). Ratner's hate-mob may deny it, but the ‘thrilling climax of the X-Men saga’ was looking pretty shaky long before the director of Rush Hour appeared on the scene.
So, before we start ranting about Ratner, let's take a look at the efforts of scribes Simon Kinberg and Zak Penn. These are the men responsible for killing off two of the longest serving characters before the half-way mark; one with a mere whimper. While there's nothing wrong with superheroes snuffing it, to then expect us to root for a bunch of thinly-written substitutes is a step too far.
Comic book fans will be pleased that Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page) has been promoted from cameo appearance to fully-fledged X-Woman, but mainstream audiences will be shrugging as to why we’re expected to care about this character since she's only afforded a couple of lines of dialogue. Likewise, answers on a postcard as to why Angel (Ben Foster) is promoted as such a pivotal character when he only appears sporadically throughout the slender running time. And do remember to add your theory on just why Vinnie Jones (Juggernaut) has a movie career.
Perhaps the writers think there's some kind of 'wow factor' with shoving these new characters in our direction, but it seems foolish to overpopulate an already crowded line-up when our old favourites are marginalised as a consequence. Flying the flag for our original team are Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman. Following an Oscar win, there was no way that Berry was going to be relegated once more to supporting character, so it's Storm that benefits mostly with a greatly enhanced role. Alas, Jackman (Wolverine), one of the best things about the previous two films, is given little new to do. Likewise, for other stalwarts such as Ian Mckellan and Patrick Stewart (Professor Xavier) there's nothing here to justify returning.
As for Ratner; well, he got the job done. He completed the movie and, despite the howls of derision from fanboys throughout the world, it's not a bad film. No, it's a slight film; a film that, despite its big budget and large body count, feels woefully inconsequential. Perhaps a fitting precedent is Ratner's take on the Hannibal Lecter mythology; Red Dragon being a passable, yet bland, follow-up to Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal.
It's pretty disheartening when something with so much potential is marred by a series of wrong choices. While never dull (an accusation that could be directed at Superman Returns), X-Men 3's biggest crime is that it will not leave you with any lasting impression. Since Warner Brothers are happy to give us the Richard Donner cut of Superman II and the Paul Schrader version of the prequel to The Exorcist, would it be too much to ask for Fox to drag Singer back for X-Men 3: Take 2?
This is not the outstanding video presentation one would expect from such a high-profile release from Twentieth Century Fox. Image quality is surprisingly shaky for the 2.40:1 Anamorphic Widescreen picture. While, on the whole, it looks very crisp with fantastic colour representation, there are sporadic issues such as pixellation; particularly noticeable during the finale. On the plus-side, skin-tones are largely fine and there's a nice amount of clarity in scenes shot in darkness.
Audio
While video quality is disappointing, the sound mix present on X-Men: The Last Stand rights many wrongs. The DTS track should be the main port of call for fans with an enabled set-up as it is near faultless. Directional effects are well-handled and the bass packs a punch in the frequent explosions. The Dolby-Digital 5.1 track is similarly pleasing, particularly with regard to the presentation of the dialogue which is clear and concise throughout.
In an irritating move, the disc designers have elected to give us a complicated menu system which splits the extras on disc one between 'Brotherhood' and 'X-Men' themes. As a result of this we have two batches of deleted scenes and two commentaries...displayed on two menus.
The first commentary comes courtesy of Brett Ratner and writers Simon Kinberg and Zak Penn. It's fairly light-hearted and gives a nice amount of insight into the evolution of the film, even considering the disappointment of the end product. The second commentary with producers Avi Arad, Lauren Schuler Donner and Ralph Winter is probably worth avoiding since the new ground it covers is less interesting. It's debateable whether information about the filming order of scenes and the 'good attitudes' of actors is going to interest anyone.
Concluding the list of extras on disc one are the deleted scenes. These range from the inconsequential to the utterly bizarre (witness two different versions of an Ian McKellan scene; one where he's bearded, another where he's clean shaven). Sadly, there's nothing here that, if edited back into the film, would have improved it in any way but it is interesting to note the presence of a version of the opening titles which contained a voice-over from Patrick Stewart. This tradition of the first two films was noticeable by its absence in the final movie.
Moving onto disc two, and we have ‘Brett Ratner’s Production Diary’ which will do little to suppress the ill-feeling towards this much-maligned director. Frequently coming across as a fanboy, awestruck that he’s getting to work with such ‘beautiful actresses’ and ‘amazing actors’, this forty minute featurette could do with a high amount of editing.
‘The Evolution of a Trilogy’ recycles talking-head footage from the promotional material for the first two films, together with an endless supply of clips. In hindsight, it’s particularly interesting to note Lauren Shuler Donner’s comments on the importance of Bryan Singer returning to direct X2.
‘X3: The Excitement Continues’ is promotional material disguised as a documentary which means brief anecdotes with the cast and crew and then some very long clips. Don’t expect to garner any insight her or with ‘X-Men Up Close’, which despite the name is a collection of thinly disguised character biographies. Most of this takes the form of text, although short interviews with the cast are also accessible.
Those with an interest in the innermost workings of special effects will appreciate the ‘Anatomy of a Scene’, which focuses on the evolution and creation of the sequence in which Magneto re-sculpts the Golden Gate Bridge.
Next on the list we have the ‘Previz Animatic Gallery’, a collection of sequences that were intricately storyboarded before filming began. Interest in this sort of thing will really come down to personal taste; as it’s just like watching the actual scenes with the actors replaced with CGI versions of themselves.
A group of ‘Vignettes’ gives nuggets of information regarding the filming and writing of the movie. Not one of the seven on offer stretches past the three minute mark which should give an indication of how in-depth they are.
If you followed the production of X3 via the internet, the short blogs will not be new to you. However, it’s worth taking a look at the 'Marvelous Cameos' blog which features a typically enthusiastic appearance from X-Men co-creator Stan Lee.
Finally, we round things off with the galleries (encompassing character stills, concept art and storyboards) and three trailers for the movie.
A flawed, yet watchable, sequel on a relatively well-presented set. The long list of extras denotes the familiar case of quantity over quality, although the deleted scenes may appease those misguided fans who believe that the movie's biggest flaw is its barely feature-length runtime. Despite the terabytes of text people have used to complain about the movie, it's inevitable that the DVD will be a huge seller; ironically ending up on the shelves of many of its biggest detractors. I guess that's fandom for you...
During the three year wait for X3, Singer jumped ship to direct Superman Returns, taking key members of the crew with him. Matthew Vaughan ( Layer Cake) briefly took over clapper-board duties but left soon after, leaving Twentieth Century Fox with a cast, a release date but no director. The vacancy was filled with Brett Ratner ( The Family Man, Rush Hour) leading to outcry from many fans of the franchise who labelled him as little more than a 'hack'.
Audiences finally got to judge the worth of X-Men: The Last Stand when it was released in cinemas in May 2006, and now they can see if it merits repeated viewings with the launch of the DVD.
Feature
A pharmaceutical company has developed a ‘cure’ for mutants, escalating the threat of a war between humans and the Brotherhood of Mutants led by Magneto (Ian McKellan). The X-Men, still in mourning for Jean-Grey (Famke Janssen) are once again called into action to fight for the very people who fear them.
To call X-Men: The Last Stand a crushing disappointment would be akin to saying that Michael Jackson has had a bit of plastic surgery. After the promise of the previous two films, we're left with the Jedi effect and a movie that runs like a half-finished screener of something that could, in the right hands, be very good indeed. After that initial viewing, you'll be looking around for the comments card so you tell Fox just what they should put right for the re-shoots.
Unfortunately, re-shoots had already been conducted following test screenings, but the few amendments could clearly not rescue this muddled movie. This isn’t all that surprising; especially when one considers the strict deadline that Twentieth Century Fox had imposed upon the production. When Singer toddled off to Metropolis, he took his writers with him, leaving the less than thrilling prospect of a X-Men 3 script from the guys that brought you Electra and XXX: State of the Union (what does it take to be blacklisted in Hollywood?). Ratner's hate-mob may deny it, but the ‘thrilling climax of the X-Men saga’ was looking pretty shaky long before the director of Rush Hour appeared on the scene.
So, before we start ranting about Ratner, let's take a look at the efforts of scribes Simon Kinberg and Zak Penn. These are the men responsible for killing off two of the longest serving characters before the half-way mark; one with a mere whimper. While there's nothing wrong with superheroes snuffing it, to then expect us to root for a bunch of thinly-written substitutes is a step too far.
Comic book fans will be pleased that Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page) has been promoted from cameo appearance to fully-fledged X-Woman, but mainstream audiences will be shrugging as to why we’re expected to care about this character since she's only afforded a couple of lines of dialogue. Likewise, answers on a postcard as to why Angel (Ben Foster) is promoted as such a pivotal character when he only appears sporadically throughout the slender running time. And do remember to add your theory on just why Vinnie Jones (Juggernaut) has a movie career.
Perhaps the writers think there's some kind of 'wow factor' with shoving these new characters in our direction, but it seems foolish to overpopulate an already crowded line-up when our old favourites are marginalised as a consequence. Flying the flag for our original team are Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman. Following an Oscar win, there was no way that Berry was going to be relegated once more to supporting character, so it's Storm that benefits mostly with a greatly enhanced role. Alas, Jackman (Wolverine), one of the best things about the previous two films, is given little new to do. Likewise, for other stalwarts such as Ian Mckellan and Patrick Stewart (Professor Xavier) there's nothing here to justify returning.
As for Ratner; well, he got the job done. He completed the movie and, despite the howls of derision from fanboys throughout the world, it's not a bad film. No, it's a slight film; a film that, despite its big budget and large body count, feels woefully inconsequential. Perhaps a fitting precedent is Ratner's take on the Hannibal Lecter mythology; Red Dragon being a passable, yet bland, follow-up to Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal.
It's pretty disheartening when something with so much potential is marred by a series of wrong choices. While never dull (an accusation that could be directed at Superman Returns), X-Men 3's biggest crime is that it will not leave you with any lasting impression. Since Warner Brothers are happy to give us the Richard Donner cut of Superman II and the Paul Schrader version of the prequel to The Exorcist, would it be too much to ask for Fox to drag Singer back for X-Men 3: Take 2?
Video
This is not the outstanding video presentation one would expect from such a high-profile release from Twentieth Century Fox. Image quality is surprisingly shaky for the 2.40:1 Anamorphic Widescreen picture. While, on the whole, it looks very crisp with fantastic colour representation, there are sporadic issues such as pixellation; particularly noticeable during the finale. On the plus-side, skin-tones are largely fine and there's a nice amount of clarity in scenes shot in darkness.
Audio
While video quality is disappointing, the sound mix present on X-Men: The Last Stand rights many wrongs. The DTS track should be the main port of call for fans with an enabled set-up as it is near faultless. Directional effects are well-handled and the bass packs a punch in the frequent explosions. The Dolby-Digital 5.1 track is similarly pleasing, particularly with regard to the presentation of the dialogue which is clear and concise throughout.
Extras
In an irritating move, the disc designers have elected to give us a complicated menu system which splits the extras on disc one between 'Brotherhood' and 'X-Men' themes. As a result of this we have two batches of deleted scenes and two commentaries...displayed on two menus.
The first commentary comes courtesy of Brett Ratner and writers Simon Kinberg and Zak Penn. It's fairly light-hearted and gives a nice amount of insight into the evolution of the film, even considering the disappointment of the end product. The second commentary with producers Avi Arad, Lauren Schuler Donner and Ralph Winter is probably worth avoiding since the new ground it covers is less interesting. It's debateable whether information about the filming order of scenes and the 'good attitudes' of actors is going to interest anyone.
Concluding the list of extras on disc one are the deleted scenes. These range from the inconsequential to the utterly bizarre (witness two different versions of an Ian McKellan scene; one where he's bearded, another where he's clean shaven). Sadly, there's nothing here that, if edited back into the film, would have improved it in any way but it is interesting to note the presence of a version of the opening titles which contained a voice-over from Patrick Stewart. This tradition of the first two films was noticeable by its absence in the final movie.
Moving onto disc two, and we have ‘Brett Ratner’s Production Diary’ which will do little to suppress the ill-feeling towards this much-maligned director. Frequently coming across as a fanboy, awestruck that he’s getting to work with such ‘beautiful actresses’ and ‘amazing actors’, this forty minute featurette could do with a high amount of editing.
‘The Evolution of a Trilogy’ recycles talking-head footage from the promotional material for the first two films, together with an endless supply of clips. In hindsight, it’s particularly interesting to note Lauren Shuler Donner’s comments on the importance of Bryan Singer returning to direct X2.
‘X3: The Excitement Continues’ is promotional material disguised as a documentary which means brief anecdotes with the cast and crew and then some very long clips. Don’t expect to garner any insight her or with ‘X-Men Up Close’, which despite the name is a collection of thinly disguised character biographies. Most of this takes the form of text, although short interviews with the cast are also accessible.
Those with an interest in the innermost workings of special effects will appreciate the ‘Anatomy of a Scene’, which focuses on the evolution and creation of the sequence in which Magneto re-sculpts the Golden Gate Bridge.
Next on the list we have the ‘Previz Animatic Gallery’, a collection of sequences that were intricately storyboarded before filming began. Interest in this sort of thing will really come down to personal taste; as it’s just like watching the actual scenes with the actors replaced with CGI versions of themselves.
A group of ‘Vignettes’ gives nuggets of information regarding the filming and writing of the movie. Not one of the seven on offer stretches past the three minute mark which should give an indication of how in-depth they are.
If you followed the production of X3 via the internet, the short blogs will not be new to you. However, it’s worth taking a look at the 'Marvelous Cameos' blog which features a typically enthusiastic appearance from X-Men co-creator Stan Lee.
Finally, we round things off with the galleries (encompassing character stills, concept art and storyboards) and three trailers for the movie.
Overall
A flawed, yet watchable, sequel on a relatively well-presented set. The long list of extras denotes the familiar case of quantity over quality, although the deleted scenes may appease those misguided fans who believe that the movie's biggest flaw is its barely feature-length runtime. Despite the terabytes of text people have used to complain about the movie, it's inevitable that the DVD will be a huge seller; ironically ending up on the shelves of many of its biggest detractors. I guess that's fandom for you...
Review by Peter Martin
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Existing Posts
very good
King Ring, I too have found even more enjoyment from the movie since watching it again on DVD. One thing I really enjoy over any of the previous X-men films is the score. I thought this one had a lot more energy and emotion to it compared to the Ottman scores from the first two.
BTW, jealous that I can't see the video diaries.
BTW, jealous that I can't see the video diaries.
LLcruize wrote: In my non-comic follower mind, the storyline required this film move along briskly. I think it made sense that we had so many characters pulled in without much exposition because it was kick ass or be "cured" time. The story called for an immediate call to arms. We had, in my opinion, all the exposition we needed taken care of in the first two.
Maybe, which is why I enjoy the film as conclusion, but more would have been warranted to make this the best film out of the lot.
I saw it again last night and actually realised it gets better at times, and I enjoyed Brett Ratner's Diary. However, some overlapping on the DVD does get irritating.
Maybe, which is why I enjoy the film as conclusion, but more would have been warranted to make this the best film out of the lot.
I saw it again last night and actually realised it gets better at times, and I enjoyed Brett Ratner's Diary. However, some overlapping on the DVD does get irritating.
I got the region 1 collectors edition of this. I feel like a major sucker. The only thing you get for your 10 bucks more you pay is a better cover to house the box in and a comic. Granted, the comic is nice, but damn, could a brother in region 1 not rate the 2 disk region 2 has? LOL
Watched the film with commentary last night. I didn't realize all the comic winks throughout the film before. I think this film by sheer pre-negative buzz was already prejudged by the comic fans. I say give the film a break! LOL.
Another thing in regard to the region 1 DVD, I just love the total fake out they give you on the main menu where you have the choice to "Join the Brotherhood" or "Take a Stand". It leads you to believe there are different features in each. But nope, it takes you to the same menu of items. LOL, like it is so cool that you choose to "take a stand" rather than "Join the Brotherhood" when you watch the film, what a riot.
On the deleted/alternate scenes, anyone else prefer Rogue NOT taking the cure rather than taking it?
Watched the film with commentary last night. I didn't realize all the comic winks throughout the film before. I think this film by sheer pre-negative buzz was already prejudged by the comic fans. I say give the film a break! LOL.
Another thing in regard to the region 1 DVD, I just love the total fake out they give you on the main menu where you have the choice to "Join the Brotherhood" or "Take a Stand". It leads you to believe there are different features in each. But nope, it takes you to the same menu of items. LOL, like it is so cool that you choose to "take a stand" rather than "Join the Brotherhood" when you watch the film, what a riot.
On the deleted/alternate scenes, anyone else prefer Rogue NOT taking the cure rather than taking it?
Well, although a character may have died, there is no law saying they can't be resurected for the next movie.
Shaun Andrews wrote: RalphFiennes wrote: As for complaining about pivotal characters dying as a fault of the show, I didn't see anyone moaning about main characters being killed off in the latest season of 24. Methinks that maybe the film isn't as good as its predecessors, but maybe there's also an element of b***hing due to people knowing too much about the behind-the-scenes shenanigans and therefore determined to hate it regardless.
Well, I don't know where you've been looking. There was some massive outcry about the midseason death 9trying to keep away from spoilers). The ones at the beginning served a very dramatic purpose, as in "Look! See, no one is safe!" But the other... dear God what an abomination.
It's obvious they're just going for a Gandalf moment if you watch the film through to the end. No-one had a paddy when he disappeared halfway through the first film as they knew he was coming back. If there's a fourth (and box office receipts suggest that's a realistic option) then it's clear that second death will only be a temporary thing.
Hakuna Matata guys, it's not worth getting upset about. It certainly didn't spoil my enjoyment of the film.
Well, I don't know where you've been looking. There was some massive outcry about the midseason death 9trying to keep away from spoilers). The ones at the beginning served a very dramatic purpose, as in "Look! See, no one is safe!" But the other... dear God what an abomination.
It's obvious they're just going for a Gandalf moment if you watch the film through to the end. No-one had a paddy when he disappeared halfway through the first film as they knew he was coming back. If there's a fourth (and box office receipts suggest that's a realistic option) then it's clear that second death will only be a temporary thing.
Hakuna Matata guys, it's not worth getting upset about. It certainly didn't spoil my enjoyment of the film.
This movie reminded me of the second act of the Sondheim musical "Into the Woods." HILARIOUS! All the main characters just randomly start getting killed off for no reason.
RalphFiennes wrote: As for complaining about pivotal characters dying as a fault of the show, I didn't see anyone moaning about main characters being killed off in the latest season of 24. Methinks that maybe the film isn't as good as its predecessors, but maybe there's also an element of b***hing due to people knowing too much about the behind-the-scenes shenanigans and therefore determined to hate it regardless.
Well, I don't know where you've been looking. There was some massive outcry about the midseason death 9trying to keep away from spoilers). The ones at the beginning served a very dramatic purpose, as in "Look! See, no one is safe!" But the other... dear God what an abomination.
Well, I don't know where you've been looking. There was some massive outcry about the midseason death 9trying to keep away from spoilers). The ones at the beginning served a very dramatic purpose, as in "Look! See, no one is safe!" But the other... dear God what an abomination.
I thought overall the film had the right amount of time spent, though I think relegating Rogue to nothing more than a cameo was the one thing I thought brought the film down a bit for me. I understood that all the other new characters their arcs would not and could not be explored. But reducing Rogue to a cameo, one of the main players from the previous two films, was disappointing.
Other than the arc with Rogue, I thought the film was really good. The first film was, frankly, boring. The second film finally became a comic and this I think was more in line with what a comic film should be. They took care of story arcs of the main characters in the first 2 films. The 3rd film needed to be an all out comic film and it was.
And when I say "comic" film, I mean the action was amped up.
I do agree with what some have said, a little more time with the new characters would have been nice, but I think overall, it would have slowed the film to a crawl.
In my non-comic follower mind, the storyline required this film move along briskly. I think it made sense that we had so many characters pulled in without much exposition because it was kick ass or be "cured" time. The story called for an immediate call to arms. We had, in my opinion, all the exposition we needed taken care of in the first two.
I seriously doubt this was the last ensemble X-men movie. They will do the Wolverine spinoff to give the franchise a rest and then they will be back with another full on X-men movie. I have no doubt about that.
Other than the arc with Rogue, I thought the film was really good. The first film was, frankly, boring. The second film finally became a comic and this I think was more in line with what a comic film should be. They took care of story arcs of the main characters in the first 2 films. The 3rd film needed to be an all out comic film and it was.
And when I say "comic" film, I mean the action was amped up.
I do agree with what some have said, a little more time with the new characters would have been nice, but I think overall, it would have slowed the film to a crawl.
In my non-comic follower mind, the storyline required this film move along briskly. I think it made sense that we had so many characters pulled in without much exposition because it was kick ass or be "cured" time. The story called for an immediate call to arms. We had, in my opinion, all the exposition we needed taken care of in the first two.
I seriously doubt this was the last ensemble X-men movie. They will do the Wolverine spinoff to give the franchise a rest and then they will be back with another full on X-men movie. I have no doubt about that.
I may get this eventually, just to be a completist - but I will wait for it to hit the used racks at Blockbuster.
King Ring wrote: I think the major death in the Grey House was incredibly well handled on Ratner's part, and the earlier actually adds a lot to the tension. I think X3's simple problem is it's too short: I would have liked an extra 20 minutes to let us get to know more of Angel, Beast and the Kitty-Iceman-Rogue story.
But Jackman and McKellen still did very well.
Yeah, I also liked the tension between Iceman and Pyro which was now allowed to go all the way as promised in the first two.
I agree, a longer running time would have suited it better. The only other recent films where we've had so many characters in the main cast have been Lord of the Rings, and they were given 4 hours to tell their story (extended editions of course). Given that 2 and a half hours is a more common running time these days, it might have been a good time for this film, to add a bit more depth to some of the lesser characters, as this could easily have been subtitled "The Jean Grey Story".
But Jackman and McKellen still did very well.
Yeah, I also liked the tension between Iceman and Pyro which was now allowed to go all the way as promised in the first two.
I agree, a longer running time would have suited it better. The only other recent films where we've had so many characters in the main cast have been Lord of the Rings, and they were given 4 hours to tell their story (extended editions of course). Given that 2 and a half hours is a more common running time these days, it might have been a good time for this film, to add a bit more depth to some of the lesser characters, as this could easily have been subtitled "The Jean Grey Story".
I think the major death in the Grey House was incredibly well handled on Ratner's part, and the earlier actually adds a lot to the tension. I think X3's simple problem is it's too short: I would have liked an extra 20 minutes to let us get to know more of Angel, Beast and the Kitty-Iceman-Rogue story.
But Jackman and McKellen still did very well.
But Jackman and McKellen still did very well.
I really don't understand the abuse this film got. The action sequences were a lot of fun and Kelsey Grammer brought a lot to the franchise with his witty/intelligent/emotional portrayal of Beast, who got some great action moments too.
As for complaining about pivotal characters dying as a fault of the show, I didn't see anyone moaning about main characters being killed off in the latest season of 24. Methinks that maybe the film isn't as good as its predecessors, but maybe there's also an element of b***hing due to people knowing too much about the behind-the-scenes shenanigans and therefore determined to hate it regardless.
I thought it was a lot of fun, and essentially a good old "good vs. evil" film. My only gripe is one that most people had: why make such a big deal out of Angel at the start (in what's definitely one of the more memorable scenes of the year) and then not use him?
As for complaining about pivotal characters dying as a fault of the show, I didn't see anyone moaning about main characters being killed off in the latest season of 24. Methinks that maybe the film isn't as good as its predecessors, but maybe there's also an element of b***hing due to people knowing too much about the behind-the-scenes shenanigans and therefore determined to hate it regardless.
I thought it was a lot of fun, and essentially a good old "good vs. evil" film. My only gripe is one that most people had: why make such a big deal out of Angel at the start (in what's definitely one of the more memorable scenes of the year) and then not use him?
yeah, X2 was a great movie imo, and believe it or not, it actually got me excited about the xmen in general.... which truthfully, was something the first film, the cartoons, and hell even the comics failed to do for me.
was X3 over the top? yes... too short? yes.... lacking in substance? yeah, at times I guess.... but it still was the most entertaining installment and definitely my favorite one of the lot.
was X3 over the top? yes... too short? yes.... lacking in substance? yeah, at times I guess.... but it still was the most entertaining installment and definitely my favorite one of the lot.
I hated this film in theaters, then watched it on DVD, still didn't like it, but it improved a little bit...
X-Men - B+
X2: X-Men United A
X-Men: The Last Stand C+
Superman Returns is the real superhero movie this year.
X-Men - B+
X2: X-Men United A
X-Men: The Last Stand C+
Superman Returns is the real superhero movie this year.
I think I'll put it simply:
X-Men: Too much drama.
X2: Perfect.
The Last Stand: Too much action.
But nonetheless this film is simply another worthy bookend.
X-Men: Too much drama.
X2: Perfect.
The Last Stand: Too much action.
But nonetheless this film is simply another worthy bookend.
I loved this second sequel, I just wished it would've been fleshed out a little. Apart from that its the best of the trilogy and frankly wayyyy better than Superman Returns !
Too me, this film is just as horrible as what Schumacher did to Batman. Everything about it reeks of a rush job that made it impossible to get a decent script, acting, effects and direction. Also laughable is FOX's current plan to make insane amounts of money by releasing a mulitude of different DVD versions, and still managing to screw up what goes on what disc.
The review we did of this was somewhat obsessive, clocking in at absurd word-count, but it mainly spent the time picking holes in the movie - OK, we did praise it where was due, but there is an unbalanced ratio here. Our conclusion was that it's a very frustrating effort, being the very definition of "popcorn", where you will munch away with great enthusiasm, enjoying it while it lasts, but has almost no nutritional value to it - a disappointing way to end a series that brought respectability to comic adaptations.
The influence of Fantastic Four's mega success at the box office is strongly felt with X-Men: The Last Stand, where gravitas and character development are tossed aside in favour of action and being "cool". The fact that the outcome of Rogue's trip to the medical centre was filmed with a couple of different outcomes proves that Ratner didn't have a clear plan of what he wanted to do with the coda, and you can easily translate this to the movie as a whole, being the climax of the trilogy and him not having a firm grasp on it.
Our complements on a review that nails all of the problems with the movie, Mr Martin.
The influence of Fantastic Four's mega success at the box office is strongly felt with X-Men: The Last Stand, where gravitas and character development are tossed aside in favour of action and being "cool". The fact that the outcome of Rogue's trip to the medical centre was filmed with a couple of different outcomes proves that Ratner didn't have a clear plan of what he wanted to do with the coda, and you can easily translate this to the movie as a whole, being the climax of the trilogy and him not having a firm grasp on it.
Our complements on a review that nails all of the problems with the movie, Mr Martin.
The photography helped ruin this one for me. The cinematography is terrible. 
This movie is nowhere as bad as some people have said. it's actually pretty good, and nobody can complain that it lacks action.
I wish however that the movie had been 30 minutes longer and that they had fleshed out some of the new characters.
And where's the bloody phoenix effect?
That's what lacking in the big finale.
I wish however that the movie had been 30 minutes longer and that they had fleshed out some of the new characters.
And where's the bloody phoenix effect?
That's what lacking in the big finale.
yes, this is flawed but I still really like it. its the worst of the series but with what they had to work with it turned out fine.
"X-Men" - 9/10
"X2: X-Men United" - 10/10
"X-Men: The Last Stand" - 8/10
i got my dvd today and am pleased with it.
"X-Men" - 9/10
"X2: X-Men United" - 10/10
"X-Men: The Last Stand" - 8/10
i got my dvd today and am pleased with it.
At least you guys in Region 2 land get a two disk edition. The only thing I'm pissed about is that the Region 1 is a 1 disk, without DTS. Keep the damn comic, give me all the extras Region 2 gets and the DTS. This is one time that swag isn't sufficing.
Absolutely sick of the different specs depending on region. Put out the same damn stuff at the same damn time to all damn regions! Damn....LOL
Absolutely sick of the different specs depending on region. Put out the same damn stuff at the same damn time to all damn regions! Damn....LOL
The aternate Endings on the disc showcase how tepid the direction is at some points, in one Wolverine returns to the bar from X1 with the same shotgun toting owner. It feels like a cutscene you'd get if you beat an X-men fighting game as Wolvie.
I didn't think this movie was that bad. But then again, I didn't see what was so great about X:2 (Seeing mutants slaughter humans was fun at first, but was repedative because of the sheer ownage)
I really want to know how much of Vaughn's input remained in the film, because the first half, though a bit brisk for my taste, is pretty good.
I have mixed feelings about this movie knowing teh history of the film. I hear some DVDs in the US have 21 instead of 10 deleted scenes.
Good review! While I think X2 is the best film in the series, I did find X3 to be superior to the first, which I found to be very expositional and lackluster...much like Superman Returns. While I am disappointed with X3, it is only becuase with a bit more time and work it could have easily been better than X2, but at the end of the day it was entertaining and ended the series with a bang.
Good review, Pete. Thanks for not being too mean to my favorite entry in the franchise.
Fine work Sir! Still broken up about this one, but I'll stop talking about it. I think I'd give it a 5/10, because there were some fine moments that were pretty evenly scaled with the awful ones.
Suitable only for persons of 12 years and over
Disc Details
Release Date:
2nd October 2006
Discs:
2
Disc Type:
Single side, dual layer
RCE:
No
Video:
PAL
Aspect:
2.35:1
Anamorphic:
Yes
Colour:
Yes
Audio:
DTS ES 6.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 EX English, Dolby Digital 5.1 English Descriptive
Subtitles:
English HoH, Commentary
Extras:
Director and Writer's Commentary, Producers' commentary, Deleted Scenes, "Anatomy of a Scene", "Evolution of a Trilogy" documentary, "X3: The Excitement Continues" Featurette, "X-Men Up Close" character profiles, Animatic Gallery, Vignettes, Blogs, Galleries, Trailers
Easter Egg:
Yes
Feature Details
Director:
Brett Ratner
Cast:
Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, Ian Mckellan, Patrick Stewart, Anna Paquin
Genre:
Action
Length:
104 minutes
Ratings
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