Earth-Shattering X-Men: The Last Stand Doesn't Disappoint

     With a change of director, X-Men: The Last Stand flows smoothly into alignment with its two predecessors without skipping a beat. It would have been all too easy for the installment to crumble beneath the potentially awkward adjustment but the handoff from Bryan Singer to Brett Ratner is virtually unnoticeable. Ratner made an exciting summer blockbuster that will delight fans of the franchise without alienating newcomers.

     There must be newcomers to the X-Men ‘verse, too, since the threequel opened to an unprecedented $120 million Memorial Day Weekend box office. That number awards X-Men: The Last Stand with having the fourth highest grossing opening weekend ever. While I am not sure whether the movie truly deserves such a title, I will say that it is an explosive thrill ride that does not disappoint. There are a number of shocking moments in the flick that make for one earth-shattering event.

     I certainly won’t give away any of the surprises, but it is important to note what a tremulous world on which the X-Men live. The rules are always changing – something that kind of spoils the fun of anything momentous happening. Case in point: Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) died in X2: X-Men United, yet she returns in X-Men: The Last Stand to play an integral role. This was not exactly unexpected and, from the result, it wasn’t a bad idea, but it does give the series an unsavory soap opera trait.

     I’ve never seen a soap opera have so much action and special effects, though. The movie picks up where the last one left off – Cyclops (James Marsden) is still mourning the death of Jean. Jean mysteriously returns, but Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) warns his students of her split identity. He notes that Jean is the most powerful mutant of all and, if used for the wrong purposes, her powers could be very dangerous.

     Meanwhile, the government announces a cure for the mutant gene. This cure is met with much opposition, especially from Magneto (Sir Ian McKellen) and the rest of the Brotherhood. Magneto plans on destroying the source of the cure which happens to be a young boy nicknamed Leech. The X-Men prefer to deal with things in a far less violent manner. This leads up to a battle unlike any other between the Brotherhood and the X-Men.

     Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Storm (Halle Berry) are front and center in X-Men: The Last Stand but a few new faces are introduced as well. Kelsey Grammer fills the blue void where Nightcrawler once was as Beast and hardcore fans will definitely recognize Juggernaut and Shadowcat. There is a downside to establishing new mutants, though. As the cast of characters grows, the spotlight is aimed in too many directions – sometimes shining on the lackluster new characters like Angel (Ben Foster) instead of offering enough time to old favorites like Rogue (Anna Paquin).

     Fortunately, the action makes up for the movie’s few weaknesses. There is never a dull moment and, even with mutant casualties, the story moves full steam ahead. The colossal final fight sequence makes use of all of the mutants’ powers making for some electrifying entertainment. The special effects are outstanding throughout the whole feature and the characters are worth your investment of both time and interest. The X-Men franchise continues to be an absolute blast for audiences and darn decent cinema as well.

     While X-Men: The Last Stand is being billed as the final chapter of the X-Men trilogy, there never really were any plans of killing the franchise. Spin-off flicks are in the works for both Wolverine and Magneto and X-Men: The Last Stand undoubtedly leaves the door wide open for another sequel (see the remarkable final shot and stay for the coda – that hidden scene after the end credits). Given the movie’s massive leap out of the gates, I am sure FOX is more committed to a fourth installment than ever.