X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) Review

 

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

Amidst a new cure for mutants, X-Men: The Last Stand follows the X-Men as a mutant war looms with Magneto and the Phoenix force awakens in an untamed Jean Grey. 

Finally got around to finishing the original X-Men trilogy, and guys, I never thought I’d say this but I’m gonna make unpopular case for this movie now 15 years later. I genuinely don’t think it’s as bad as even I remember it being, and like the Star Wars prequels, has aged like a fine wine, sort of. Plot wise, this is a tonal disaster, mixing several storylines into one pot with the war of the mutants, the mutant cure, and the Dark Phoenix storyline all taking place. What we get is a lot of half-assed development for Jean, another old white guy trying to end mutant kind, and Magneto putting together a shitty team of Mortal Kombat rejects in the woods. 

So, admittedly, while this is a corny mess, it’s also quite admirable and really knows how to pack an emotional punch. Last Stand did something fairly unheard of at the time and actually put everyone at risk, killing off main characters with reckless abandonment. The death of Charles was gut wrenching and Logan putting his love for Jean aside and killing her is an incredibly powerful moment that elevates what should have been a crazy scene, to monumental heights. Just wish they didn’t off Cyclops so early on. I felt like this was really his time to step up and lead but was unceremoniously killed off screen, a real injustice to his already undeveloped character. 

The third entry in the franchise boasts a massive cast, featuring Vinnie Jones, Elliot Page, James Marsden, Anna Paquin, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Kelsey Grammer, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, and Hugh Jackman. I really loved the arrival of Grammer as Beast and while Jones is hilariously over the top, he’s entirely too enjoyable. Janssen never really lives up to the Phoenix moniker, forcing Jackman to step up again as the superstar of the film. I’m not complaining though, as he has been consistently witty and badass to the very end (spoiler, this isn’t the last we see of him). 

The Last Stand, directed by Brett Ratner, compared to the previous two entries, definitely suffers from a campy script and convoluted story, but it makes up for it in it’s willingness to take extreme risks and pack a deep emotional punch in this, in my honest opinion, fitting send off for the original trilogy of X-Men films. 

6.9/10