X3 - The pinnacle of human achievement?

Oh boy, my first review. Today I'll be discussing X-Men: The Last Stand.

To say I am a fan of the X-Men is to say that water is a little bit wet, or that the sun is sorta kinda hot. I have an undying love for the X-Men the likes of which poets could never hope to write, that artists could never hope to paint. The mere mention of X-Men in my presence illicits long bromades. God forbid you ask a question about X-Men. Some of my friends wont allow people to ask me questions unless they know me well enough to still like me after.

I love the X-Men.

So, I understand its not "cool" to like this movie as a comic fan. Well, you know what?

I hate comic fans. I really do.

This is what I think. X3 is possibly the best thing to ever happen. Let me elaborate.

First of all, coming into this movie with a deep knowledge of the canon makes it infinitely more enjoyable. The goal of the first two movies was to adapt X-Men and make it something non-comics fans could enjoy. This was an unadulterated success (not so much when the comics tried it, to the surprise of few). This movie takes this formula, but introduces so many new characters and concepts that unless you know where everything's coming from, it simply doesn't have the same meaning.

There is one major problem with this movie, and that is that there is too damn much going on. I do not attribute this to Ratner's directorial style as much as the series itself; there is a ton of story to tell, and one hour and forty five-minute movie to tell it in. I understand this was to be the last X-Men movie ever. That means all the stuff they've been trying to do since X1 but didn't have the money for has one last chance to be on screen. You're going to see a lot of mutants in this movie, and they're not going to get much characterization. We simply don't have the time. A movie like this can only be so long before it loses the casual viewer.

You know what I think? I think Bryan Singer would have been wrong for this movie. Hear me out. If he had not directed the prior installments, this movie would not be happening. He is amazing, and he made this fanchise what it is. But if he made this movie, it would not have been as satisfying an ending. The story may have been better, it would have been much more organized, but it would have left a sour taste in my mouth.

Ratner is quick and explosive. He has no problem inserting every damn mutant he can think of into this movie for small cameos. Like I said, average viewer will not get it. Comics fans will, and a lot of people will be happy to see their favorite mutants in this movie.

Also, there's one quote, if you've seen it you know, and I will always consider whoever put it in there a god. I said it myself, actually, when the character first appeared, which was ironic.

But I digress. This needed to be two movies. The Cure, and the Pheonix. They're both stories that needed to be told, but we didn't have that sort of time. Bless Ratner for having the guts to make this movie the way he did.

The thing is, even if you don't like the story, you're not human if you don't appreciate some of the action scenes. The big one at the end, so much goes on I can't imagine someone watching it and not saying, at least once, "My GOD was that badass." I will never, ever pick a fight with Kelsey Grammar. Ever.

Here's the thing. This movie is a farewell. A final attempt to make the X-Men series everything it can be. They're giving us all this seemingly unfinished stuff because they're probably not gonna get another chance. Angel didn't do NEARLY as much as he should have. But it was that or nothing. Its as simple as that. If you have to go out, go out with a bang.

And really, the story wasn't that bad. Compared to the Cure story in the comics (which was brilliant, don't get me wrong), the stakes here were way higher, and the outcome fitting.
Magneto's presence in the story, given his experience with the Holocaust, gives his side an emotional edge that makes it far more endearing than it could have been. Is what he did really much different from, say, D Day? I don't want to offend anyone, I'm not trying to say the Cure was anywhere as bad as the Holocaust, but Magneto's memories of it certainly add another side.

I can understand why someone would like this movie. I can't understand why comic book fans are so anal and pessimistic, and just generally jerks. I loved X3. I think it is the best way the series could have ended. I imagine this movie would need to make a lot of money to fund another one, in which case this movie would be rushed and choppy. But given that this is, for now, all we're getting, I thank the staff for trying to throw in as much as they did. Making a movie isn't easy, especially when you've got 40 years of continuity and, I believe, one of the most disagreeable and difficult fanbases on earth. Thanks, guys.