X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

When I knew that the series has been handed off to Director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour), I was a little anxious about the outcome of the film. But being a bit disappointed with how the first two installments were done, I was thinking a different treatment might bring to life the X-Men I’d been longing to see, which X1 and X2 were deficient in. We didn’t see these mutants wearing their real comic costumes, which (years back) actually brought the artist in us inspiring us to come up with our own superheroes. That was tolerable. But we also didn’t see them overuse their mutant powers, which (years back again) made us fancy ourselves to having. In the first two installments, we saw the X-Men wearing all-black leather outfits (well, also in X3) and using their mutant powers limitedly. Watching those two movies made us crave for more. More of what X-Men™ really is about.

I went on to watch the movie having little expectations about it although I was hoping it would turn out to far exceed them. And it did! It was truly a blast. Ratner really knows how to put on a show. Scenes I’d been craving to experience, this movie has in abundance. We see Logan (Wolverine) prick, cut, pierce and slash villains many times with his adamantium blades in a fashion we all were accustomed to seeing; Ororo (Storm) controlling the weather the way we pictured she would (though more revealing in X2); the supposed diplomatic Henry McCoy (Beast) fight like an animal; Iceman (though again more revealing in X2) interestingly battling it out with his high school bully now Pyro; Colossus and Shadowcat now with bigger roles; and the swarming mutants you never expected to see. The best scene is when the X-Men descend to be a line of defense for Alcatraz against Magneto and his legion of super villains. Reminds me of the manner the Count of Monte Cristo made his entrance to a ball he is hosting (I’m talking about the movie version).

For those who don’t know, X-Men are a team of mutants formed by Prof. Charles Xavier who runs a school for the gifted ones. The school is considered to be a safe haven accommodating mutants of various ages helping them use their powers responsibly, which others consider a curse. After the outbursts of conflicts between mutants and ordinary human beings and mutants and mutants alike, a truce prevails. But a drug company develops a cure for mutantism. To some mutants including some of X-Men, this is godsend but to Magneto, used to be Prof. X’s best friend, this is to annihilate them. Magneto plans and goes on to destroy the source of the cure recruiting mutants to join him while Prof. X does otherwise. As Magneto goes on to recruit Jean Grey (who has risen from the dead), Prof. X and Magneto meet again and this marks the start of the rising action.

I couldn’t think of a better conclusion to the franchise. I was satisfied with the outcome of the film. True X-Men fans (and ordinary moviegoers alike) will love this movie. Or maybe not. Coz one thing, I was expecting for the “Dark Phoenix” saga to be replicated in the film. But here, it's being used only as a premise for a part of the film unfolding not in the way we know it did. But then again, movies take a different track. They should be allowed to make changes like that. Well anyway it worked (to me at least). And I guess we should give the film credit for that. Also to the dismay of a few perhaps, there's not much to see regarding character development here. Well X1 and X2 already provided the framework.

But more than the fights and the amazing special effects witnessed, the movie has a message so clear. It criticizes a society as real as today's. A society so discrimating that forces others to isolate themselves, or worse, compromise just to belong.

© 2006 Jonathan Susvilla