'X-Men 3: The Last Stand' - did anyone enjoy it?

Basq

OK, so i've been sick with a cold for the last few days and I sat down on Tuesday evening to watch the X-Men Trilogy, which I bought about 8 months ago, as I never saw 'X2' or 'The Last Stand'.

So, I started off with 'X-Men' (well.. duhh!) which I last remember watching at least 3 times in the cinema. Not that I enjoyed it THAT much but I remember going to see it with various friends over the course of a month or two. I remember being impressed with 'X-Men' and it still impressed me - has aged quite well and a couple of nice touches of humour.

So, then I sat down to watch 'X2' which I've always heard mixed opinions about. The majority of people loved it more than 'X-Men', but there was a few people who thought it was missing something. I must say I enjoyed it.. bit overlong but what I think was missing was some of the humour / tongue-in-cheek of 'X-Men' (not that it really took away from it).

So then I weighed up watching 'X-Men: The Last Stand' in the same evening but I was too tired and dosed up on Uniflu that I passed on it. But thanks for

spoiling the fact Jean Grey obviously shows up back from the dead in 'The Last Stand' by having her character on the cover

.

So I sat down and watched it last night.. and Christ, it really is absolutely horrific. WHAT HAPPENED (besides Brett Ratner of course)?

It's an absolute masterclass in lazy film-making. Script is absolutely horrendous and full of terrible one-liners ("Don't you know who I am? I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!", "Grow *those* back.", "That was my last cigar."). The un-necessary and plain pointless introduction of new mutants (what purpose did Warren / Angel serve exactly?) and the hilariously contrived "love triangle" between Kitty, Bobby and Rogue.

I could just go on-and-on. I was absolutely so disappointed and equally annoyed after finishing it last night.

And after (a somewhat) memorable closing monologues by Charlies Xavier and Jean Grey in 'X-Men' and 'X2' (respectively), the closing line to end the trilogy was:

Logan: Way to go, Furball.

For fecks sake! :mad:

I'd go as far to say I enjoyed 'Spiderman 3' and 'Daredevil' more than 'The Last Stand' and that's really saying something.

Sorry about the rambling post and still dosed up on Uniflu so it's probably less coherent than I imagine it is.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

They peaked with X2 in my opinion. X3 was enjoyable as a spectacle, but had the bones of a good story, but somehow the execution fell well short. There were too many characters in there for the sake of it, too.

And no nightcrawler..? Wtf??!

Mind you...

Mystique sans bodypaint...?!

Mr E

Can't beat a Uniflu rant.

I have X3 sky+ed, so must watch it again soon.... I think the middle movie was probably the best of the trilogy.

Basq

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

X3 was enjoyable as a spectacle..

I didn't think it was even that. I cringed for practically 97 minutes.

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

.. but had the bones of a good story, but somehow the execution fell well short. There were too many characters in there for the sake of it, too.

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

And no nightcrawler..? Wtf??!

Yeah.. I read somewhere apparently Alan Cumming said he would come back if Bryan Singer stayed as director. But once Brett Ratner was announced, he decided against it. Wise man!

But his absence was apparently explained in one of the 'X-Men' games where he tells Charles he doesn't want to be an 'X-Men' (X-Man?) anymore because he doesn't like hurting people. Or something like that!

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Mind you...

Mystique sans bodypaint...?!

Agreed.. but Rebecca Romjin Stamos was always an absolute fox. Look up 'Femme Fatale' - nyum nyum!

Mr E wrote: »

Can't beat a Uniflu rant.

True that!

Mr E wrote: »

I have X3 sky+ed, so must watch it again soon.... I think the middle movie was probably the best of the trilogy.

Agreed.. 'X2' will definitely age the best, and might actually watch it again over the weekend.

But couldn't watch 'X3' again... not without a full frontal lobotomy anyways.

Predhead

Didn't really like X-men 3 but it was a lot better than Spidey 3. That was abonimable. And with that stupid reporter towards the end...so bad.

Anyway, about Jean Grey

She comes back as Phoenix, not Jean Grey, just as she did in the comic books. Jean Grey is essentially dead afaik.

Also RamMan's character wasn't in line with the comic book version. In the comic book he's not actually a mutant, but gets his powers from a jewell in his stomach. Not sure how that all came about but..

Basq

Predhead wrote: »

Anyway, about Jean Grey

She comes back as Phoenix, not Jean Grey, just as she did in the comic books. Jean Grey is essentially dead afaik.

Yeah.. you know that when watching the film but as someone who was just after watching 'X2' and

after witnessing them mourn the death of Jean, Famke Janssen appears on the cover of 'The Last Stand'.

But in the back of my mind.. I have another example of a film poster in a trilogy in which a character appears despite having died in a previous film - can anyone think what it is?

humanji

basquille wrote: »

Yeah.. I read somewhere apparently Alan Cumming said he would come back if Bryan Singer stayed as director. But once Brett Ratner was announced, he decided against it. Wise man!

I read in Empire ages ago that Cumming was told to f*ck off because he demanded a huge amount of money to come back for part 3. Still work out for the best for him.

Mr E

basquille wrote: »

But in the back of my mind.. I have another example of a film poster in a trilogy in which a character appears despite having died in a previous film - can anyone think what it is?

Blade?

Basq

Mr E wrote: »

Blade?

Oh yeah - didn't

Whistler

appear on the cover of Blade 3?

Might be that but I'm thinking it was something more recent.

EDIT: Doesn't look like it!

Predhead

basquille wrote: »

Oh yeah - didn't

Whistler

appear on the cover of Blade 3?

Might be that but I'm thinking it was something more recent.

EDIT: Doesn't look like it!

I know what you mean and I've seen it before too!! There's gotta be a few of them out there...trying to think...

L31mr0d

basquille wrote: »

But in the back of my mind.. I have another example of a film poster in a trilogy in which a character appears despite having died in a previous film - can anyone think what it is?

Return of the Jedi? But I think most people knew that Han wasn't dead.

Also, most people knew that Jean wasn't dead,

you see her flying under the water at the end of X2

My problem with X3 is that they nuked the fridge by introducing Dark Phoenix, the same way the Matrix did by giving Neo too much power and introducing Galactus in FF. So the whole movie has this character that's so powerful that it negates any efforts done by any other character. Whilst watching X3 its always in the back of your mind "it doesn't really matter what any other X-Man does as which ever side Phoenix chooses to be with will win". This is an instant pressure release on any tension being built, and even though you know the good guys will always win, you like to know there's a balance whereby the bad guys at least have a chance of succeeding. Then they always throw together some half arsed ending whereby this

super powerful being can now be easily killed

Predhead

L31mr0d wrote: »

Return of the Jedi? But I think most people knew that Han wasn't dead.

Also, most people knew that Jean wasn't dead,

you see her flying under the water at the end of X2

As Phoenix, not Jean Grey.

the whole year inn

Overall I liked the movie even though I hated Phoenix in the TV series especially liked beast ,what a great character Kelsey Grammer was perfect for the role(favourite character in the TV series as well:D)
Eh..Wheres the beast Movie

Earthhorse

I thought X3 was pretty good and considerably better than X2. X2 was essentially Wolverine and Friends rather than a proper X-Men movie (though I think the trilogy is somewhat guilty of this in general). X2 was this boring, pointless origin story that I couldn't have cared less about with a rather dull military enemy (sorry, but I can see the military as the bad guys in plenty of movies, thanks) and to top it all off they move the major story arc on far too quickly.

Jean Grey is Phoenix by the end of X2. Sorry, but we hardly even know her character at that stage except as a token babe that Cyclops and Wolverine quibble over.

X3 is far from a perfect movie but if you're to complain about there being too many plotlines I'm pretty sure that's not Rattner's fault. Didn't he step in at the last minute and essentially pull the project out of the fire? Frankly, after the shifest that was X2 I was glad to see Singer abandon the franchise.

fitz

Biggest problem about the movie:

You're given the choice between killing the woman you love, or sticking her with one of those needles and removing the powers which are causing all the problems, and you kill her?

Sorry, I know Logan's not supposed to be a rocket scientist, but c'mon.
Flat out doesn't make sense.

Bubs101

I thought it was insane that they built up the Wolverine,Jean and Cyclops love triangle for the first 2 movies and then just kill him off immediately

Predhead

Also, in X2 didn't Logan

Go all the way to Alkaline(?) lake while trying to remember his 'origins' and back without going downstairs for a look?!

Dont be at yourself

The whole trilogy is largely underwhelming, though X3 is a definite low point!

I don't think that the problem particularly lies with Singer or Rattner, but more with the source material. The X-Men 'story' is huge, with a wide, varied cast established over literally decades of story-telling. It's very difficult to bring all these characters together in one overarching plot. The first movie kept the core group small, and it was generally successful.

The wheels started to fall off the wagon as it tried to introduce more characters. In X2, characters like Pyro and Nightcrawler were lost in the shuffle. X3 lost the plot together, introducing characters like Angel who served very little purpose other than, presumably, sell action figures.

The opening scene of X2 is breathtaking though, a real highlight.

Predhead

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

The whole trilogy is largely underwhelming, though X3 is a definite low point!

I don't think that the problem particularly lies with Singer or Rattner, but more with the source material. The X-Men 'story' is huge, with a wide, varied cast established over literally decades of story-telling. It's very difficult to bring all these characters together in one overarching plot. The first movie kept the core group small, and it was generally successful.

The wheels started to fall off the wagon as it tried to introduce more characters. In X2, characters like Pyro and Nightcrawler were lost in the shuffle. X3 lost the plot together, introducing characters like Angel who served very little purpose other than, presumably, sell action figures.

The opening scene of X2 is breathtaking though, a real highlight.

Yeah I'd totally agree with that.

Hated some of the mutants in X3. Purely there to make up the numbers for 'Magneto's Team'.

Nightcrawler was brilliant in the second one though. The only character with some depth imo.

Vokes

basquille wrote: »

But in the back of my mind.. I have another example of a film poster in a trilogy in which a character appears despite having died in a previous film - can anyone think what it is?

The Two Towers?

johnny_ultimate

Think X3 is one of the most disappointing ends to a trilogy. Even more so than Spidey 3 - which was just a weird, bad film. X3 is just so painfully mediocre. After the fantastic ending to X2 (which I think is one of the best superhero movies around, a real step up from the first) this was hyped up as a gigantic end to the story. But the whole thing feels anti-climatic. The 'deaths' are done without any drama (

Cyclops deserved better than that, even if he was a bit moany in the films

) and the end just fizzles out. Where there should have been a massive duel against Phoenix, there is instead just a token battle in some industrial yard which frizzles out before it even gets going. And as someone said, the mutants are underused: characters such as Kitty Pryde are just thrown in seemingly as token references to fans.

johnny_ultimate

SofaK wrote:

The Two Towers?

Thats what I thought too (although anyone who read the books would know that already, it is still a bad decision!)

Howard the Duck

I enjoyed it although not as much as the previous 2. I thought Kelsey Grammer was the hight point he was excellent as beast.

Mr E

I know the answer to basquilles question.... its Scream, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday 13th, Halloween etc...

Those feckers in the masks die in every movie.

Galvasean

I was thinking Two Towers but another just popped into my head

Pirates3

constitutionus

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Think X3 is one of the most disappointing ends to a trilogy. Even more so than Spidey 3 - which was just a weird, bad film. X3 is just so painfully mediocre. After the fantastic ending to X2 (which I think is one of the best superhero movies around, a real step up from the first) this was hyped up as a gigantic end to the story. But the whole thing feels anti-climatic. The 'deaths' are done without any drama (

Cyclops deserved better than that, even if he was a bit moany in the films

) and the end just fizzles out. Where there should have been a massive duel against Phoenix, there is instead just a token battle in some industrial yard which frizzles out before it even gets going. And as someone said, the mutants are underused: characters such as Kitty Pryde are just thrown in seemingly as token references to fans.

exactly.

i enjoyed x3 and in a weird way as a popcorn munch its immensly enjoyable as a bit of braindead actioneering.

the problem is most people who know anything about xmen know this couldve been THE defining x movie. a real knock down drag out emotion wretching moral slugfest. in fact it couldve been the best superhero film of all time

after the set up from the last film it shouldve been an earth based dark phoenix saga but there was never any attempt to portray just how dangerous jean is and the whole last act shouldve been cyclops instead of wolverine doing the honors. theres a reason she chose cyke over wolvie.

what we get is essentially a mess with tacked on plots like the cure, admittedly taken from whedons tenure on the book, but which ends up obscuring what couldve been a great story.

if i was the guy doing this i'dve dropped the cure thing in lieu of focusing on jeans return. had her go nuts and kill half the united states , men women and children, had one bitchfest of a fight involving all the mutants already introduced involved before like in the comic prof X "limits" her.........and then had the gov come after her in the form of the military.
the xmen would defend her ,with a bit of "should we be doing this as she IS a mass murderer going on, before cyclops gets shot before her eyes. that blows the limits prof put in her head and she takes out all the military and eveyone nearby.
realising she now cant control herself she heals scott telekinetically (dont worry hes wounded, not dead ) says "Sorry" and reiterates the bit in the comic where she says she cant stay in control every moment of everyday for the rest of her life, and uses his optic blasts to kill herself against scotts will.

que wolvie waking up just in time to see this and thinking scott did it on purpose and youve got some nice scope of misunderstandings. remaining xmen bury their dead and on the news you hear the gov push through the mutant registration act.

film ends.

least thats what i wouldve done.

Pepe LeFrits

X-Men is pretty good, if a little slow.

X2 is ace. The only film in the genre that I rate higher is Batman Begins.

The Last Stand is garbage in comparison to the first two. Having said that I still quite enjoyed it, if only because I got to see various bits of the comics brought to life. I wouldn't watch it right through again though.

Lilith306

fitz wrote: »

Biggest problem about the movie:

You're given the choice between killing the woman you love, or sticking her with one of those needles and removing the powers which are causing all the problems, and you kill her?

Sorry, I know Logan's not supposed to be a rocket scientist, but c'mon.
Flat out doesn't make sense.

The needle would have disentigrated like his clothes on the way up to her.

Doctor DooM

Katherine OM wrote: »

The needle would have disentigrated like his clothes on the way up to her.

Depends on the metal... Wolvies claws didn't!

Lilith306

SDooM wrote: »

Depends on the metal... Wolvies claws didn't!

The needles wern't made of adamantium. If I recall they were also plastic so Magneto could not stop them.

fitz

Meh, if he'd had one in his fist it would have been fine. Her attacks were only stripping off layers of what the came in contact with. It was weak. Constitutionus is right. Too much going on. Should have left out the cure and made it about Phoenix/Jean losing it.

Earthhorse

constitutionus wrote: »

what we get is essentially a mess with tacked on plots like the cure, admittedly taken from whedons tenure on the book, but which ends up obscuring what couldve been a great story.

fitz wrote: »

Constitutionus is right. Too much going on. Should have left out the cure and made it about Phoenix/Jean losing it.

Agreed. I love Whedon's run on X-Men and the cure is a great storyline but appropriating bits and pieces of classic stories does not a classic film make.

Actually, that's something I'd love to see - a Joss Whedon X-Men movie. He has a real understanding of the characters, if a tendency to make every character a wiseacre. I know Marvel don't have the rights but hopefully they will re-acquire them and re-boot the franchise.

The Artist

i thought it was good,cant wait for more if they are making any more?
i thought vinnie jones was my fav character as jaugernaut was awesome.

Galvasean

X3 was enjoyable in a brain switched off kinda way.
I'll agree with what has been said in that there was too much going on. The cure storyline and Phoenix could have been two entirely separate movies.

norrie rugger

basquille wrote: »

"Don't you know who I am? I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!"

Google/Youtube that and you will see why that is the best line in the whole movie!!

In any movie
Edit*
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgAPFKDL6Sg


Absolute ****e movie though, the entire series was destroyed by the huge focus placed on Wolverine and Storm

Wolverine never gets Gene in the books (AFAIK, does he not end up with Storm!!)

And Hale Berry was thought to be the franchise big name seller.

The huge focus on Patrick Stewart and Hugh Jackman reminded me of another relationship that destroyed the storylines of another franchise

unfortunately Stewart was involved in this too, with the Picard and Data relationship. Completely overshadowed the cast and story line of some of the movies

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Alan Ford wrote: »

i thought it was good,cant wait for more if they are making any more?
i thought vinnie jones was my fav character as jaugernaut was awesome.

Nope that was it. They are doing some prequesl though, entitled "Wolverine" and "Magneto"

BurnsCarpenter

Thought X3 was really poor alright.
I seem to recall a shot of a camera toting Japanese tourist with his jaw dropping when

the Golden Gate bridge was destroyed.

constitutionus

Galvasean wrote: »

X3 was enjoyable in a brain switched off kinda way.
I'll agree with what has been said in that there was too much going on. The cure storyline and Phoenix could have been two entirely separate movies.

i think your right there. as someone else mentioned whedon couldve done his cure storyline himself and that couldve been a really powerful peice. one of the things that worked well in X 3 was the sub plot with rogue iceman and kitty and alot more couldve been made of her being a gene sell out. i wouldve liked to seen a bitch fight slagging match between her and storm concerning the fact ororro can get laid without killiin people.

there was enough to fuel two films in this and thats what messed it up.

hopefully now marvel is producing their own films we'll get another shot at this. crap though it was in comparisson to its preceedents last stand made the most money of all of em so its not like theres no money in x films.

FX Meister

killing jean when there was no need was the final squeeze to top off the steaming pile of **** that was x3

JangoFett

It was average. NO way near as good as X1 and X2

Wolverine is going to be an awesome film. Liev Schrieber as sabretooth....****ing inspired casting!!!

FX Meister

I can't really see why people rate Liev Schrieber, he seems like a mediocre actor at best.

mewso

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Mind you...

Mystique sans bodypaint...?!

See X2 when she seduces the guard. Isn't that her sans bodypaint too?

Basq

musician wrote: »

See X2 when she seduces the guard. Isn't that her sans bodypaint too?

Yep, that's her too.

Sherifu

X3 wasn't great alright. Was only going through the motions. Story/script wasn't great.

Perrin

Slightly off topic,does anyone know when xmen orgin wolverine trailer is out?

youcancallmeal

I thought it was pretty good but the whole Phoenix thing wasn't explained very well and cyclops could of done with a more dramatic death scene. Magneto at very end playing chess was pure class though.

shenanigans1982

Predhead wrote: »

Also RamMan's character wasn't in line with the comic book version. In the comic book he's not actually a mutant, but gets his powers from a jewell in his stomach. Not sure how that all came about but..

I remember thinking that while watching the movie. With all the material available from the comics through the years they could have pulled together a better effort. The highlight of the movie was Beast. As for the series I find the first one the most enjoyable.

I am not really expecting much from the Wolverine movie either and am already cringing at the thought of Ryan Reynolds Deadpool.

constitutionus

i have to second the comment about beast.

when i heard kelsy grammer was playing him i thought WTF? but he turned out to have the most gravitas in the film. the scene where his hand reverts to normal when he gets too close to leech was just a beautifuly understated bit of work.

in regards to the trailer for wolverine im pretty sure you can see the footage from the comicon on youtube. the qualitys crap but you get the gist of whats going on.

must say im surprised how low key the coverage of wolverine is, maybe its just because theres such a selection of genre films coming out that its getting lost in the crowd. certainly with watchmen, terminator salvation and transformers 2 coming out theres alot to compete with.