May 28, 2006 -- The X-Men series of movies is unusual in that the two sequels have maintained the quality level of the first film. Usually, sequels suck, but there are exceptions to every rule, and “X-Men: The Last Stand” is one of those exceptions. The story in this film continues the theme of the first two films. A war is brewing between ordinary humans and the mutants who represent the next step in human evolution. Two groups of mutants form in response to this upcoming war. One is a group of warriors, led by Holocaust survivor Eric Lensherr, known as Magneto (played by Ian McKellen). The second is a group seeking peaceful co-existence with the humans, led by Dr. Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart). Tensions have been on the rise between these groups. They come to a boil when a pharmaceutical company discovers a “cure” for mutants that converts mutants into ordinary humans.

While there are some mutants who want to be cured, others prefer to remain as they are. When it becomes apparent the government plans to cure mutants whether they want to be cured or not, Magneto leads his like-minded warrior mutants against the pharmaceutical company in an attempt to capture the cure to take it out of the hands of the humans and to use it for his own purposes. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) leads a small group of X-Men against Magneto's forces to stop Magneto from capturing the cure. This final, great battle takes place on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. It involves Magneto transporting his whole army, along with a large portion of the Golden Gate Bridge, to the island. It is a spectacular scene, filled with great visual effects. The battle between the mutant factions and humans is a tour-de-force of fight choreography, stunts and special effects.

While this is mostly a popcorn movie, it also has a surprising amount of drama, heartbreak and tragedy. Several main characters are killed during the course of the film. In one climactic scene, the drama reaches almost operatic levels as two of the film's main characters face off against a background of apocalyptic proportions. There is also a fair amount of light comedy in the film, but this is, by far, the darkest of the three X-Men films. Some fans were disappointed that the director of the first two films did not stay at the helm of this one, but Brett Ratner (“Red Dragon”) does a good job directing this one. I don't think this film is quite as good as the first film in the trilogy, but it measures up well against the second film. It is a worthy successor to the first two films. Will there be another sequel? Bet on it. This film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2006 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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