X-Men The Last Stand 2006 Superhero Film

Adaptation of the Marvel Comics and Starring Hugh Jackman

Sep 14, 2009

A 'cure' for mutation has been found which prompts Magneto to rise up against humanity, and only the X-Men can prevent a war from erupting between mutant and human.

A ‘cure’ for mutation has been discovered. There are those mutants in the world who believe they would be better off if they were just normal people, and are literally lining up in the streets to be cured. Other mutants believe that there is nothing wrong with them and the so called ‘cure’ is an offense to who they are.

X-Men: The Last Stand begins 20 years ago when Xavier and Magneto (Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen returning to their roles) are visiting a promising new student for Xavier’s school named Jean Grey (Famke Janssen). She is a very powerful telepath but lacks the necessary control her potentially dark powers require.

Back in the present (which is the not too distant future) Xavier is concerned by Scott aka Cyclops’ (James Marsden) overwhelming grief and heartbreak after the death of his beloved wife Jean at the end of X-Men 2. Meanwhile Hank ‘Beast’ McCoy (Kelsey Grammer) learns that the ‘cure’ has been created using a mutant named Jimmy whose mutation is that he cancels out the mutations in others. Scott hears a message from Jean and heads off to Alkali Lake, and discovers Jean. The pair kiss and her eyes suddenly burn with energy. Sensing something is wrong Xavier sends Wolverine and Storm (Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry) to the Lake but all they find is an unconscious Jean and Scott’s glasses.

Magneto leads an assault on a transport truck that is holding prisoners Mystique (Rebecca Romijn), Multiple-Man (Eric Dane) and Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones). During the escape a guard attempts to fire a weapon at Magneto but Mystique throws herself into the path of the projectile. Before Magneto’s stunned eyes Mystique returns to a human appearance, and they realise that the ‘cure’ has been made into a weapon. Using the weapon Magneto unites like-minded mutants who hate the government for coming up with a ‘cure’ and treating them like they are some kind of mistake that can now be fixed.

Jean, having been consumed by the Phoenix persona, escapes the X-Mansion and joins with Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants.

The X-Men are forced to fight once more as Magneto and the powerful Phoenix attack the facility to stop more of the ‘cure’ being developed and used against them.

Second Sequel Cannot Match the Previous Two

X-Men: The Last Stand was the first film to not be directed by Bryan Singer (who had left to direct Superman Returns and went with X2 screenwriters Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty and composer/editor John Ottman). Brett Ratner takes over the helm of directing. The key cast members once again return, however, Nightcrawler is absent. His absence in the film is not explained during the film but was apparently due to actor Alan Cumming’s reluctance to endure the extensive make-up process to film what would essentially be a cameo role.

The Last Stand falls short of its predecessors in numerous ways. Several of the main cast are killed off during the film but their deaths are given such little focus, and the rest of the characters move forward so quickly, that their deaths seem to be largely pointless. Previous cast members that were very important in the other films have been dropped into the background. Rogue (Anna Paquin) was so important in X-Men, yet here she is barely seen and when she is, she is struggling with her decision about whether or not to take the ‘cure’.

Wolverine once more takes centre stage and his desire to rescue Jean is one of the main focuses of the film.

Unfortunately X-Men: The Last Stand is just not as good as its predecessors. The final battle comes and Wolverine is forced to choose between trying to save the woman he loves and stopping the Phoenix from killing hundreds of innocent people. Sadly the audience won’t really care what happens as director Ratner does not take the time to engage his audience with the emotional turmoil of the characters.

X-Men: The Last Stand leaves the door open for a potential sequel but it would be best if this franchise ends here.

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