A cure for the mutant gene has been found, and the X-Men, led by Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) now have the dilemma of whether they are willing to lose their powers and live as normal people. However, the Brotherhood, led by the mad mutant Magneto (a notable Ian McKellen), believe this is an outrage against their race and this leads to a war between the two sides. Meanwhile, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) is revealed to be alive, but with different powers. In time, it is clear that Jean Grey- now possessed by the powers of the Dark Phoenix- has become a threat and the ultimate mutant war is about to begin. "X-Men: The Last Stand" is the most emotionally elaborate and complex of all the series. If this proves to be the last chapter of the series, it is a giant one and will leave many fans shocked and heartbroken. Brett Ratner has definitely hit the right notes, and "Stand" seems like a different type of super-hero movie. However, Rattner makes one huge mistake as he is conducting the movie. The movie is about one hour and forty minutes long, the fastest movie in the franchise. However, it seems like a terrible mistake to do a movie with this length when the same movie has enough characters and subplots to fill in a 3 hour motion picture. In some points, Rattner's (effective) direction seems rushed. And this is a true shame, since some characters are rarely used- which are the cases of Mystique and Juggernaut (more on him later). However, this movie has more action than any of the two previous entries in the series. Once this movie catches your attention, there's no way out. The action is so intense and the effects are so great that you feel as many thrills as the characters in the movie. The movie also plays intensely well as a drama. There is a lot of room for the situation to get tense and there are some parts where you can actually feel sad. Many new characters are introduced to the franchise. Three of them are worth notice: the Beast (Kelsey Grammar), Angel (Ben Foster), and Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones). While Ben Foster handles his role well, but nothing much, Kelsey Grammar and Vinnie Jones show up as the exact right options for the respective roles of Beast and Juggernaut. Kelsey Grammar does a superb job in making Beast a charismatic mutant, with many memorable moments. Vinnie Jones is a whirlpool of rage as Juggernaut and, while the role is not exactly a Shakesperianish one, it surely provides great moments- like the amazing scene where he rushes after Kitty Pride (Ellen Page), the mutant who is able to pass through any solid objects. While all the cast is great (especially Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, and Famke Janssen), I'd say the movie belongs to Ian McKellen and Hugh Jackman. Once again, Sir McKellen proves to be the best thing in a blockbuster as the mutant/tyrant Magneto. He is calm and wise (yet again), but knows the right time to be mean. I can think of no actor who can pull the role of Magneto better than Ian McKellen. However, one cannot leave in blank the marvelous performance of Hugh Jackman. As one of the most important characters in the movie, he proves to be a versatile and talented actor by giving the charismatic Wolverine an even more human side- a side that can be torn apart by love. These two actors prove to be a mark of a cinematic generation and show that in this movie. In conclusion, I'd say the X-Men trilogy ended up really well. However, one has to note this is the worst movie in the trilogy; not for being genuinely bad, but because it feels sometimes rushed. However, I have to note that the final act of the movie will leave your jaws open. There are tons of surprises, and discovering who dies and who loses their powers is enough to bring the toughest X-Men fan to tears. "X-Men: The Last Stand" is a marvelous, action-filled comic book brought to life, with loads of drama and lots of surprises.
8.5 out of 10 Stars
No comments:
Post a Comment