X-Men: The Last Stand is
the third installment in the popular superhero franchise, and it's an
exciting one with a splash of fresh new characters. When a scientist
named Warren Worthington II announces a "cure" for mutant powers, it
raises an interesting philosophical question: is mutant power a disease
that needs a cure, or is it a benefit that homo superior enjoys
over "normal" human beings? No surprise that Magneto (Ian McKellen) and
his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants resist the idea that they need to be
cured, and declare war on the human race. But it's a little tougher for
the X-Men, led by Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Cyclops (James Marsden),
and Storm (Halle Berry). If you're Rogue (Anna Paquin), for example,
your power means you can't even touch your boyfriend, Iceman (Shawn
Ashmore). To compound matters, someone previously thought dead has
returned, and might be either friend or foe.
With director Bryan Singer having moved on to Superman Returns,
the franchise passes to the hands of Brett Ratner (Rush Hour),
whose best work is done in the big action sequences such as a showdown
between mutant armies. But it's difficult to manage the sheer volume of
characters when adding longtime comic-book stalwarts such as Beast
(Kelsey Grammer) and Angel (Ben Foster), and one character in particular
deserved better than an off-screen dismissal. And fans of the original
Dark Phoenix
comic book story might be underwhelmed by the movie's resolution.
X-Men: The Last Stand is presumably the last film in the series, but
the ambiguous ending leaves possibilities open. Look for the two writers
most responsible for making the X-Men who they were, Stan Lee and Chris
Claremont, in early cameos. --David Horiuchi
