June 1, 2006

Movie: in review

‘X3’ manages despite setbacks

By Donald Lind
for the Tidings

“X-Men: The Last Stand” accomplished what few superheroes could do: it weathered a storm of personnel changes and production problems and still made a good film.

By all accounts, the filming of the second sequel in the “X-Men” series was plagued with problems; shooting delays, script changes and a director overhaul — Brett Ratner of “Rush Hour” fame replaced the last two films’ director Bryan Singer when the latter moved on to “Superman Returns.” Despite all this, this latest entry ended up being a breathtaking action movie.

“The Last Stand” had a lot to live up to after the home run that was 2003’s “X2.” While it is not as emotionally powerful as its predecessor, this new film packs a heck of a punch with better action and superior special effects.

Things seem quiet at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, run by Prof. Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart). After the last film, the mutants have a more tolerant president in office as well as an advocate for mutant rights sitting in his meetings — Dr. Hank McCoy, AKA Beast (Kelsey Grammar). The loner, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), and long-time school instructor, Storm (Oscar winner Halle Berry), have stepped up to being school leaders.

Things go from peaceful to chaos, however. Magneto (Ian McKellen), now a wanted fugitive, learns that the government has developed a “cure” for the mutant gene, a toxin that will permanently short-circuit a mutant’s powers. Magneto and his cronies Mystique (Rebecca Romijn) and Pyro (Aaron Stanford) take this as a sign that a war between humans and mutants will finally happen and they make the first strike.

At the same time, a new threat emerges for both humans and mutants. Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), thought dead in “X2” is resurrected with the aid of her growing powers. Xavier reveals that Jean is the only Class Five mutant he knows of, meaning she is more powerful than anyone. Jean is dangerous and unstable; a long-dormant split personality, calling herself the Phoenix, can literally reduce anyone in her way to ashes with a thought. It is Jean who becomes Magneto’s latest weapon in his war.

Ratner knows how to put on an action show, and he displays his talents on full here. This is easily the most brutal of the three films, with death galore. It is also his big test to see if he can handle the pathos involved in the X-Men universe. Could he balance the fighting with the notion of mutants fighting to save a human race that hates them?

Ratner does not surpass Singer, who did an amazing balancing job in the last two, but he does admirable, playing up the mutual respect between old friends/enemies Xavier and Magneto. He also does well in exploring the idea of whether mutants would accept being “cured” in order to fit in.

The special effects are greatly improved from the first two. The constant mutant effects are amazing to behold, especially the showcase of Magneto and Jean’s powers.

Acting is spot-on across the board. Jackman continues to rule the known universe as Wolverine. Everything he does, from smoking a cigar carelessly during an early battle to his quieter moments with Jean just look and feel like the comic book icon. Storm is given a much bigger role in the third go-around, and actually comes across as more likeable than the other films. McKellen and Stewart reprise their roles faithfully and bring the picture a touch of class.

Grammar can be annoying in many roles, but here as Beast, he did quite well. He also had a few funny one-liners, and should not be messed with in a fight.

“X-Men” suffers from two major problems. One is its running time—104 minutes—is simply not enough to give attention to the dozen or so mutant characters running around. Mystique doesn’t have much to do here; Rogue (Oscar winner Anna Paquin), a focal character from before, has a subplot dealing with her inability to touch others and considers taking the mutant cure.

New characters, like Juggernaut, Angel and others are wasted with brief screen time, and some comic favorites, like Nightcrawler and Gambit, are nowhere to be found. Not to mention that supposed X-Men team leader Cyclops (James Marsden) is wasted for the third film in a row. With an extra half-hour running time, the other characters could have had a chance to develop.

Ratner instead focuses on Wolverine, Storm, Magneto and Jean. Wolverine’s feelings for Jean, as well as his nearly-invincible status are showcased, while Storm moves into the role of a school leader. Magneto, who once survived the Holocaust, now ironically moves further into fascism than ever.

The other major problem for this film is its faithfulness to the source material. The Phoenix Saga is the most well-known of the X-Men comics, so any discrepancies in the film’s treatment of Jean as Phoenix will likely send fans in an uproar.

Ratner seems to want to make this film a concluding chapter to a trilogy, with all the deaths and transformations from mutant to human. He should know that the power of the box office receipts can override any storytelling and open the door for more.

Here’s hoping.

“X-Men: The Last Stand,” was great entertainment, and the comics and characters could easily supply more films.

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