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#169 - X-Men: The Last Stand
Brett Ratner, 2006
The X-Men are forced back into battle when a genetically engineered "cure" for mutants is created.
The things I do in order to fill out an alphabet challenge...I somehow managed to avoid all the X-Men films between X2 and First Class, but even then I'd heard how this one really dropped the ball after the first two. Still, a challenge is a challenge, and this film was certainly a challenge to get through (ba-dum-tish). X-Men: The Last Stand may retain some fairly flashy effects work from its predecessors, but that's all pretty much cancelled out by a barrage of plot holes (without even counting the ones that have been caused as a result of subsequently released films interfering with the canon, such as that entire opening prologue) that are obvious even on a first viewing. Just because the action and effects look good doesn't mean they make sense, to say nothing of the actual plot. The premise of a cure for mutants has some potential but the greater implications aren't really explored because it's really just a means to guarantee yet another three-way war between the X-Men, Magneto and humans.
Instead, more attention is paid to the resurrection of Jean Grey as an extraordinarily dangerous and evil telepath whose out-of-control powers are only brought up when it's not too inconvenient to do so or only to provide some super-sad character deaths (and also provide a tragic romantic subplot between her and Wolverine). There's also the matter of a sub-plot between Rogue, Iceman and Kitty Pryde that, though it does sort of tie in with the whole "cure" plot, sticks out as a really awkward romantic sub-plot full of clichéd misunderstandings. Even the introduction of Beast feels a bit underwhelming. X-Men: The Last Stand isn't the worst movie ever, but I can certainly understand why the fans hated it. It looks alright as far as superhero movies go, but it's horribly inconsistent and veers wildly between being too silly and too dull. Even so, I still feel like watching those other stand-alone Wolverine movies for...some reason. At the very least, I have to know whether or not they're any worse than this.
Brett Ratner, 2006
The X-Men are forced back into battle when a genetically engineered "cure" for mutants is created.
The things I do in order to fill out an alphabet challenge...I somehow managed to avoid all the X-Men films between X2 and First Class, but even then I'd heard how this one really dropped the ball after the first two. Still, a challenge is a challenge, and this film was certainly a challenge to get through (ba-dum-tish). X-Men: The Last Stand may retain some fairly flashy effects work from its predecessors, but that's all pretty much cancelled out by a barrage of plot holes (without even counting the ones that have been caused as a result of subsequently released films interfering with the canon, such as that entire opening prologue) that are obvious even on a first viewing. Just because the action and effects look good doesn't mean they make sense, to say nothing of the actual plot. The premise of a cure for mutants has some potential but the greater implications aren't really explored because it's really just a means to guarantee yet another three-way war between the X-Men, Magneto and humans.
Instead, more attention is paid to the resurrection of Jean Grey as an extraordinarily dangerous and evil telepath whose out-of-control powers are only brought up when it's not too inconvenient to do so or only to provide some super-sad character deaths (and also provide a tragic romantic subplot between her and Wolverine). There's also the matter of a sub-plot between Rogue, Iceman and Kitty Pryde that, though it does sort of tie in with the whole "cure" plot, sticks out as a really awkward romantic sub-plot full of clichéd misunderstandings. Even the introduction of Beast feels a bit underwhelming. X-Men: The Last Stand isn't the worst movie ever, but I can certainly understand why the fans hated it. It looks alright as far as superhero movies go, but it's horribly inconsistent and veers wildly between being too silly and too dull. Even so, I still feel like watching those other stand-alone Wolverine movies for...some reason. At the very least, I have to know whether or not they're any worse than this.