The time has FINALLY come. After days of what seemed like months of waiting, I was at long last able to check out the movie I had been anticipated checking out ever since it first debuted last weekend. Would it live up to the lofty expectations I had set for it? Were all the negative reviews that it was getting warranted? Let the debates begin...
As far as sequels go, there are very few instances when the sequel surpasses the original. The most obvious one that first set the precedent that I can remember was "The Empire Strikes Back". I don't care what anyone says, especially the young bucks infatuated with the new trilogy, "Empire" was the best of ALL the Star Wars movies. "Spider-Man 2" was another one that comes to mind.
But when "X2: X-Men United" hit the scene, all bets were off. It was everything that comic book and superhero freaks had hoped for and then some. The only bad thing about the movie is that it set the bar so high that it left little room for error for the third movie.
* * * * * BE WARNED! FROM THIS POINT, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS! * * * *
"X-Men: The Last Stand" may have been a victim of the franchise's own previous success. It almost didn't matter how good it was, it would still have to compete with the accomplishments of it's predecessor and that's a near impossible task.
The biggest thing I had to get past with this movie was the fact that Nightcrawler, my favorite of all the X-Men, was not a part of it. Because of that, I already came into it with a huge chip on my shoulder. I was determined not to hold that against the movie. However, they could have at least softened the blow by making at least some attempt to explain his absence. We got nothing.
The thing the X-Men comics has always been known for is having a plethora of mutants coming in and out of the scene. Both as members of the X-Men and as their enemies. I'm thinking it probably wasn't the best idea to try to squeeze so many of them into one movie. It's difficult to get any type of real character identity when there are several of them to concentrate on.
Personally, I could have done without so much of the over-dramatics that was done in certain scenes in this movie. And the over-the-top orchestrated soundtrack to emphasize it didn't help much either. When Hugh Jackman makes an effort to emotionally breakdown as Wolverine, it not only seems out of character for Wolverine but also looks out of place given the fact he just doesn't that type of depth to his acting.
I did absolutely love the effects here. The one scene that will always be most memorable for me in ALL of the X-Men movies will be in this one. Nothing in the series can now top Magneto's feat with the Golden Gate bridge. I could even overlook the shoddy job done on Juggernaut's costume (or even the lackluster effort put into his character as a whole) due to the enormity of that moment in the film.
Unknown Reader made it a point to say they killed off too many of the main characters. I do agree with this and I don't. At least the way that some of the deaths were handled were done pretty well. All except Cyclops. We never really get any resolution to his demise. It's more or less left to the imagination and I don't want to have to concentrate that much thinking in my action movies.
Despite any shortcomings this movie may have had, there are three people who ultimately give it teeth. Ian McKellan and Patrick
Stewart absolutely rule in their roles as Magneto and Professor X respectively. It's as if these were the roles they were both born to play. Every scene they're in, even when it's together, they decisively command. The other person is Famke Janssen. Nothing more really needs to be said there.
All in all, "The Last Stand" was not going to best "X2". It does overtake the original. It doesn't live up to expectations, but that was a monumental goal to accomplish. Maybe Brett Ratner did not hit one out of the park. At the very least, he did score one for the franchise. Even if they did a couple of things to leave it open for yet another sequel, they better not even think twice about it unless Nightcrawler returns. Possibly then I can grant some forgiveness for all their past indiscretions.
My rating: B
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