Movie #141 - X-Men: The Last Stand

Title: X-Men: The Last Stand

Director: Brett Ratner

Release Year: 2006

Plot Summary: When a cure is found to treat mutations, lines are drawn amongst the X-Men, led by Professor Charles Xavier, and the Brotherhood, a band of powerful mutants organized under Xavier's former ally, Magneto.

Thoughts: What a mess. Two different storylines thrown together with nary a thought as to how they can (or even if they should) be reconciled. Honestly, what's the Cure got to do with the Phoenix? Nothing, nada, zilch. They should have just picked one story (preferably the Cure one) and stuck with it. Even though the Cure one was pretty darn nonsensical.

Characters: three main new good guys. Kitty was pretty decent, spunky yet still really young and unexperienced. I think Kelsey Grammar did a good job as Beast, though moreso during "peacetime" - his fighting style left something to be desired, to me at any rate. And Angel was just pointless, since they didn't bother to actually use him for anything. Though at least he got more development than Colossus, who had one line in the entire movie... As for bad guys, honestly the only one worth writing home for was Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man. He made me chuckle lots. :P

Anyway, without giving away any important plot points, it's pretty obvious that this is at least intended as a stopping point in the franchise. To the degree that I ended up saying "what the hell?!" a few times whilst watching.

Blah. I sure wish Bryan Singer would have finished out the trilogy.

Recommendations: At this point in the franchise, people will have already made up their minds whether or not to see it. Honestly it was just sort of tolerable.