 Tagline: Evolution will make a last stand. Experience the excitement of X-Men: The Last Stand with this new, 2-disc edition packed with hours of special features including deleted scenes, animatics, filmmaker commentaries and more! Choose a side in the "explosive, adrenaline-fueled" (New York Daily News) climatic finale of the X-Men saga starring Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry and Ian McKellen! Experience the awesome power of The X-Men's epic, final battle. Join well-known mutant heroes and villains, and meet a cadre of all-new warriors including Angel, Beast, Juggernaut and Colossus in this thrilling, explosive adventure! After a controversial "cure" is discovered, mutants can choose to retain their superhuman abilities or give up their unique gifts and become "normal." When peaceful mutant leader Charles Xavier clashes with his militant counterpart, Magneto, the battle lines are drawn for the war to end all wars. Storyline: It has been several months since The X-Men stopped William Stryker, but that victory came at a price: they have lost Jean Grey when she tried to save them from the collapsed reservoir. Scott Summers (Cyclops) is still grieving about her loss. One day, he comes out to the place where Jean Grey sacrificed herself. Jean Grey appears right in front of him. Meanwhile, the rift between humans and mutants has finally reached the boiling point. Humans have discovered what causes humans to mutate and have found a cure for the mutation. The X-Men are appalled at this idea. When news about the cure comes to Magneto, he decides to organize an army of mutants and wage his war against the humans. When Jean Grey evolves into the Phoenix, her new mutant powers are so strong that she can not control her own body. Then, she kills off Professor X with her new powers. Now, The X-Men must stop Magneto again and put an end to the war against the humans, as well as stop Jean Grey's Phoenix powers. Written by John Wiggins Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, April 23, 2009 -- They wish to cure us, but I say to you, we are the cure! The first two films in the X-Men series have withstood the test of time and have nestled among the elites of the comic book-turned-movie-adaptations. Sporting a strong cast, well written stories, thematic significance, plenty of action, and excellent direction courtesy of Bryan Singer (Superman Returns), X-Men and X2: X-Men United are in select company among the best of their genre. However, X-Men: The Last Stand is a film that was the subject of much speculation and controversy when Singer left the project before filming began to instead helm the aforementioned Superman Returns. After a search for a new director that included rumored candidates such as Alex Proyas (I, Robot) and Rob Bowman (Reign of Fire), Brett Ratner (Rush Hour 3) was hired to continue on in the tradition of the first two films and round out what many hoped would become the definitive filmed comic book trilogy. While X3 is a good film on its own merits, it is nevertheless the weakest in the series but a decent capstone to the trilogy. As the struggle between man and mutant continues, a "cure" for mutation is discovered, allowing those with superhuman abilities to rid themselves of their burden and fully integrate into society. The mutant community quickly finds itself a house divided over the issue, with those who choose to retain their abilities -- qualities they believe to define their very essence -- on one side, and those, like X-Men team member Rogue (Anna Paquin, Almost Famous), who long to rid themselves of a power that keeps them from enjoying a normal life on the other. Lurking in the shadows is a group of mutants that see the introduction of the cure as further proof that man and mutant cannot co-exist, despite a pro-mutant President and a mutant in the President's cabinet, Beast (Kelsey Grammer, An American Carol). Led by Magneto (Ian McKellen, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring), these mutants prepare for the final confrontation between the species -- and are joined by a surprising character from the past. Meanwhile, Cyclops (James Marsden, Hairspray) mourns a personal loss and searches for answers while Wolverine (Hugh Jackman, The Prestige), Storm (Halle Berry, Die Another Day), and Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart, Dune) must confront the growing threat to peace and deal with the transformation of one of their own into an all-powerful being named "Phoenix." X3: The Last Stand does well to model itself after the previous two outings, but throughout the film, the sense of it being a notch or two below its predecessors is palpable, particularly when viewed in close proximity to X-Men and X2. X3 is marked by some sloppy dialogue, action that is loud and exciting but not quite as tight and cohesive as that found in the first two films, and a story line that continues with the themes of the franchise but doesn't offer a wholly cohesive transition. X3 plays as a sort of piecemeal entity where the emotions and major plot developments seem almost forced and tacked on simply to maintain continuity with the first two films. Whereas this film's predecessors did very well in building the action around important themes and personable and identifiable characters, X3 often plays like the drama is a necessary hindrance between action pieces. The film's attempts at eliciting raw emotion, particularly after the death of a central character, fail to engender much of a response. The Magneto-Xavier relationship, one that goes beyond a basic hero-villain association and serves as, arguably, the defining attribute of the series, seems to stagnate here, and not simply because of the film's shocking midsection. Though the history of the characters is revealed in greater detail, the chemistry and the importance of the relationship seems lessened here. Fortunately, however, X3 ends with a wonderful final shot, one that alone makes the movie worth watching. Viewed in a vacuum and ignoring the first two films in the series, X3 makes for very good Action movie entertainment. As the conclusion to a trilogy, however, it suffices at best and disappoints at worst. The magic of the first two films -- highlighted by intense drama, important thematic elements, and memorable acting from Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen -- make them classics in the Superhero film genre, but that magic is gone here, replaced by a tedious film that covers all the bases but does so without much enthusiasm. X3 is a fairly decent popcorn movie, make no mistake. It features well-staged action sequences, good-looking sets and locations, great special effects, and the return of all the primary characters. It just doesn't quite match up with the first two outings. On the other hand, 20th Century Fox's Blu-ray release of X3 is every bit as good as one might expect. The picture quality is superb, the soundtrack even better, and the supplements lengthy. It's hard to say "no" to the movie as the third film in the series, though, and considering it comes on a top-notch Blu-ray, X3 earns a recommendation. (Based on Comic Book) Cast Notes: Hugh Jackman (Logan / Wolverine), Halle Berry (Ororo Munroe / Storm), Ian McKellen (Eric Lehnsherr / Magneto), Patrick Stewart (Charles Xavier / Professor X), Famke Janssen (Jean Grey / Phoenix), Anna Paquin (Marie / Rogue), Kelsey Grammer (Dr. Henry 'Hank' McCoy / Beast), James Marsden (Scott Summers / Cyclops), Rebecca Romijn (Raven Darkholme / Mystique), Shawn Ashmore (Bobby Drake / Iceman), Aaron Stanford (John Allerdyce / Pyro), Vinnie Jones (Cain Marko / Juggernaut), Ellen Page (Kitty Pryde / Shadowcat), Daniel Cudmore (Peter Rasputin / Colossus), Ben Foster (Warren Worthington III / Angel). IMDb Rating (06/01/11): 7.4/10 from 134,083 users
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