X3: The Last Stand Reviews (Spoilers within!)

[Dark Silver]

X3 just got released this weekend, if you've seen the movie, let's hear your thoughts.



Personally, I haven't seen it yet. I got to read the novelization, and came off with a "meh" attitude, but got a insights concerning some stuff not detailed in the movie.



I'll hold off a review till I get to see it though (hopefully next week I should be home and able to head to the theater-

[Ace Pace]

Great popcorn flick, nothing more then a popcorn flick but it's highly entertaining.

[Narsil]

Great popcorn flick, nothing more then a popcorn flick but it's highly entertaining.

I must second that opinion. Though we ran out of popcorn before the film ended... which led to a resounding statement of "oh bugger."

[Ace Pace]

We invented breaks for a reason [/i]

[Mayabird]

SPOILERS:
Did anyone else notice how when Magneto ripped the Golden Gate Bridge off (serious wankage there) it was day, but when he crashes it into Alcatraz it's suddenly night? And how the moon was always full that entire time?

I agree, great popcorn flick, even though I didn't trust the theater I went to enough to buy popcorn there.

Edit: I de-tinyfied that since everybody else is going ahead with the spoilers.

[Stofsk]

I saw it this evening, and I thought it was pretty damn cool.

I liked how Jean actually isn't Jean, but Phoenix instead. This at least is what I think; it is heavily implied that Phoenix is the 'true' Jean, for all of Xavier's talk of dual personalities the fact that Phoenix was dominant largely throughout the entire movie is telling; I did not get the impression the two personalities were equal or 'at war' with each other. Indeed, I actually got the impression that Xavier created Jean.

If so, it explains why Cyclops died quite quickly after reuniting with Jean - because it was Phoenix who returned, and she cared nothing for him. It also explains why she killed Xavier, because as Phoenix she'd be quite miffed and you could possibly say that Xavier was the one that tried to kill her originally by suppressing her beneath a false personality overlaid over the conscious mind, leaving the true personality dormant. How both personalities can occupy the same point in space is hard to fathom, but mind control likely involves manipulating a person's mind rather than destroying it entirely.

Some people have said over at SDnet that they'd rather have had the Cure plot central to the film, and drop the Phoenix angle entirely. I'm the reverse: I'd rather have Phoenix entirely and drop the stupid Cure plot. The fact that Magneto's powers returned at the end, albeit minutely, directly undermines this central plot completely, and in fact detracted from my enjoyment of the film. The last two films centred on 'mutant menace to regular folk' and I just got bored with the same theme repeated yet again for the third instalment. In X1 they were gonna turn everybody into water, in X2 Xavier was going to mindrape everyone... in X3, if it concentrated on Phoenix entirely, I don't think you'd have to show a B plot that involves the 'big picture' so to speak. Phoenix is enough of a big picture.

I liked Wolverine, Beast, Iceman, and Kitty. I didn't like Storm and Rogue. The former just mailed in her performance, and the latter had NOTHING to do in the entire movie. If I was Iceman I'd take Kitty any day of the month anyway; dating a girl I couldn't kiss would be torture for me, no matter how pleasing to the eye she is (and Anna Paquin is quite pleasing to the eye, but then so is the girl that played Kitty).

Magneto was one cold sonofabitch in this film, he sees his best friend and adversary disintegrate before his eyes and barely bats and eyelid. Pyro shit talks it, saying "Good Riddance, I'd liked to have KOed the bitch myself" and Magnus chastises him mildly by saying "he did more for mutantkind than you ever could"? He should have gone Vader on his arse, and not just because Pyro was a wanker emo kid. He betrayed Mystique right after he sprung her, because she had the misfortune of getting hit by the cure rather than he. Just cold.

Angel was totally worthless. Completely unnecessary character and could have been excised along with the Cure plot and I'd have been happy. All in all though I like how the movie storylines have gone. The X-men have changed and evolved, and there have been notable departures. Cyclops and Jean Grey are effectively dead, and I hope that they don't pull a retcon and say "Oh no, they didn't really die" crap in the inevitable X-men 4. I also hope they don't cop out and bring back Magneto to full power. Kelsey Grammar as Beast and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, and the guys that played Iceman and Kitty, get my vote as the next film's central characters. Unfortunately it seems Storm will also be there, but I can't really complain. I don't think her acting was necessarily bad per se, but I could say there is a lot of room for improvement. It's a pity that such is unlikely to happen.

[Mayabird]

I have to agree about Storm. Halle Berry is just not Storm. I can't think of a good description, but Storm needs to be, well, "I summon the winds and liiiiightning!" That Toad thing was just not. And I wouldn't be able to empathize with this Storm if she had a claustophobic attack.

Actually, I agree about all the characters. Beast rocks.

[B4UTRUST]

Actually they're not planning an xmen 4 so to speak but two spinoff movies. One for Magneto and one for Wolverine. Ian and Hugh come back to star for both apparently.

As for storm. Fuck Berry. She's fucking eyecandy and I honestly can't think of a movie she's been in that she had anything close to a lead role that had talent. The only redeeming factor of Monster's Ball was her getting nailed imo. You know what the problem here is? She's had two oscar's shoved up her ass and now she believes she can command a fucking $20mil payout for a supporting role in which she sucks.

There are quite a few other girls who would have made infinitely better Storms. That chick from New Radio for instance. Or Gina Torres(Zoe, Serenity). But if they do the spin off movies she won't be back thank Chemosh.

Sadly Rogue played too small a roll in the movie but it was just an excuse to kill her off to give Jackman and Halle more screentime. They could have expanded on some of the characters so much. Angel for instance. He was useless in the film, eye candy because he had to be there with Worthington corp. No other reason.

Bah. The movie was worthwhile to see simply to finish the series but it wasn't really worth much more.

Though, someone who sat through the credits answer me this. Apparently a bunch of shit happened right after including Xavier returning. WTF is up with this. Someone tell me?

[LadyTevar]

If you sit thru the credits, at the end the comatose patient at Moira's facility wakes up, calling out in Xavier's voice, and Moira comes in, shocked, asking "Charles?!"

It's heavily foreshadowed when he talks about the patient in the classroom.

[SirNitram]

Oddly enough, I didn't mind the Magneto-still-moves-a-chess-peice bit.

Let's be sane for a moment, folks. How sure can anyone be the Cure would be 100% effective permenantly? Especially on one so powerful and highly evolved as Magneto?

[B4UTRUST]

Well see if you also look at it with their new "class" system Magneto was a Class 4 mutant, apparently one of the highest powered mutants out there, along with Xavier and somehow...Pyro(how the fuck did that emo-tastic twit get to be a class 4?).

So that a cure, based from the blood and power of a class 3 or below mutant, to be totally effective on a higher class mutant is kind of stupid. But then again this movie is full of inaccuracies in comparison with established comic info so who the fuck knows.

[frigidmagi]

The comics uses a really unexplained method of rating, there are at least 3 classes I know of and I would assume one more class I just haven't see referenced to.

Omega, Alpha and Gamma.

Magneto and Xaiver are Omega class mutants.

Cyclops and Jean Grey are Alpha (one should note that Scott Summers is brain damaged and therefore cannot access or control his power properly, falling from airplanes does that to you).

Beast is a Gamma.

The class I assume exist but actually haven't heard referenced to is Beta, just kinda makes sense to me having Alpha, Beta, Gamma. But it is possible the class doesn't exist.

One should also note the classes can change from writer to writer due to the shitty qualitiy of modern Marvel's editing staff.

[Dark Silver]

From what I understand of Marvel Comics-verse, the mutant rating, Xavier and Magneto are rated at Alpha Level (with a possibility of being Omega), while Omega's are the ones who can control/warp time-space, and assorted other nasty shit, things which can bring about the end of things.

Jean Grey, Vulcan, Scarlet Witch (before the Decimation) and a few others are ranked Omega Level, with Jean being the only Pheonix-level Mutant (Pheonix being the level above Omega, because they can rebirth it all).

Other possible Omega-level Mutants is Gambit (prior to becoming Apcolypses Death VI), because his energy power eventually would have allowed him control of Space-Time (as exhibited by the New Son version of him, and the Traveler I think it was, who is suppossed to be a future version of Gambit).

[Mayabird]

I didn't sit through the credits (I went there with my mom and brother, and they were getting stiff and sore) so I didn't see that last part.

But DAMMIT. I hate when characters get 'brought back' so to speak. People are dead, and Magneto's no longer a threat, so let him have his one consolation that he still has a teensy bit of power (but then again, why in the bloody heck is he a free man anyway? Everybody knows what he looks like, and he was surrounded by soldiers who probably had his face stamped on a deck of cards to boot. If anything, he should have just been a tired looking old man sitting alone in prison, maybe scooting a paper clip or button around a tiny bit. Actually, I'm not going through with that first rant I was about to do about the Magneto movie. Ugh, now I feel like some caffeinated sugar.)

...I still liked Beast.

[Dark Silver]

According to the novelization, he wasn't suppossed to be sitting in the park, he was going to be on a fishing boat, with a big beard, and supposed to have been screwing the fishing woman who "found" him after he managed to get away in the rush after the big fight.

And it wasn't chess peices, he was bottle caps he worked with everyday, trying to get his power to come back.

Bah, the novelization is sufficiently changed from the movie that I really do need to see the movie.

[Mayabird]

According to the novelization, he wasn't suppossed to be sitting in the park, he was going to be on a fishing boat, with a big beard, and supposed to have been screwing the fishing woman who "found" him after he managed to get away in the rush after the big fight.

And it wasn't chess peices, he was bottle caps he worked with everyday, trying to get his power to come back.

Bah, the novelization is sufficiently changed from the movie that I really do need to see the movie.

And now I have the opposite feeling. Was the novelization any good? The ending makes a whole lot more sense. What about the rest, in general terms?

[B4UTRUST]

Ironically enough Iceman is somehow a Omega Level. And I don't know of the Gamma level mutants but Beta level was the level below Alpha, so that might have replaced or been replaced by Gamma. Omega is the highest with alpha second.

Nate Grey, the X-Man was an Omega potential. Gambit as an Omega? Where is this from?

[Dark Silver]

Fan suppossition mostly: Gambit at current isn't a Omega Level mutant, but with further advancement of his original mutation (his powers were changed when he became "Black Gambit" or Death), he could eventually control all forms of energy, allowing him to even time travel.

This is hinted at in a earlier arc by a mysterious being called Traveller, who spoke with a accent similar to Gambit's, who also had similar powers, including time travel.

When Gambit got his "advanced" powers by Dr Essex replacing a small segment of his brain, that Mr Sinister (the future version of Essex) remove at Gambit's behest, he was able to travel through time.

Basically, Gambit at full power, can be a scarey fucker. Black Gambit who can turn the air your breathing into poison, is scarey also, but in smalll bit less way.

[Dark Silver]

According to the novelization, he wasn't suppossed to be sitting in the park, he was going to be on a fishing boat, with a big beard, and supposed to have been screwing the fishing woman who "found" him after he managed to get away in the rush after the big fight.

And it wasn't chess peices, he was bottle caps he worked with everyday, trying to get his power to come back.

Bah, the novelization is sufficiently changed from the movie that I really do need to see the movie.

And now I have the opposite feeling. Was the novelization any good? The ending makes a whole lot more sense. What about the rest, in general terms?

Difference I've seen so far, from reviewsof the movie:

1) In the book, Rogue doesn't take the cure, she backs out at the last minute, and comes back to the Mansion, wanting to stay behind because she felt she wouldn't be of use there.

2) Beast stayed to teach at the Xavier Institute, which now has both humans and mutants in it, along with showing a finale in the Danger Room where Wolverine is teaching a new class, which includes Gambit. Beast also reminses about becoming the first Mutant President.

3) Explination about what the Pheonix power is doing, in reguards to Scott, Xavier, and the flaying of Wolverine, and why Wolvie is the only one who COULD kill her. Simply put, her power supercharges every other mutant who gets close to her, eventually ripping thier souls and powers out of thier body. Because Wolverine's skeleton was madeof Adamantium, and his power was the healing factor, the more her power amp'd up his regeneration, the quicker he restored the flayed flesh. The reason she didn't rip his soul out, is because Adamantium's molecular structure was so dense, she couldn't affect it as easily as say...the fabric of reality, thus Wolverine's soul stayed there long enough for his body to regenerate, (at one point, he was regenerating the instant the flesh was seared away).

The book left me with a "eh" feelig, I have to see the movie to tell you which I preferred.

[Stofsk]

Collosus was wasted in this film. All he did was lug around a TV and throw Wolverine twice. That was a bit disappointing.

[B4UTRUST]

Well, at various points, Magneto was capable of a bit of that as well. He seemed to be proving the unification theory that all energy is essentially the same energy as he was able to lift plastics like the metals, shoot small bolts of lightning, etc. Though he seemed to have trouble affecting those types of energy and magnetism was always his primary. So who knows.

[Mayabird]

3) Explination about what the Pheonix power is doing, in reguards to Scott, Xavier, and the flaying of Wolverine, and why Wolvie is the only one who COULD kill her. Simply put, her power supercharges every other mutant who gets close to her, eventually ripping thier souls and powers out of thier body. Because Wolverine's skeleton was madeof Adamantium, and his power was the healing factor, the more her power amp'd up his regeneration, the quicker he restored the flayed flesh. The reason she didn't rip his soul out, is because Adamantium's molecular structure was so dense, she couldn't affect it as easily as say...the fabric of reality, thus Wolverine's soul stayed there long enough for his body to regenerate, (at one point, he was regenerating the instant the flesh was seared away).

In the movie, she kills a large number of ordinary humans in the same explodey-distintegrating manner. Does she also do that in the book? It wouldn't really make sense if that was the case.

[Hedgecore]

Collosus was wasted in this film. All he did was lug around a TV and throw Wolverine twice. That was a bit disappointing.

Every character was wasted in the film. Rogue's story could have been extremely compelling, but it was hardly there. Despite the extremely badass, disturbing intro to Angel (as a kid) for the rest of the film: useless. Storm gets more screen time, but doesn't DO anything, Cyclops? Professor? Everyone.

And the Fastball Special (Colossus throwing Wolverine), while it is cannon, looked terrible, as did the wire work of Wolverine going through the air, and Beast's wirework also.

And the showdown between Iceman and Pyro? That's the best they could do?

I could go on, and on, but i wont.

Oh, the music was bad, too.

[frigidmagi]

Saw it last night.

Everyone may get a little annoyed at me but... I don't believe Scott is dead.

Why? Let me review the facts:

1: First rule of fiction is that they aren't dead unless you either see a body or a death scene. We got none of the above.

2: The only eye witness to the event is bat shit crazy.

3: No one really bothered to look for him.

Iceman is an Omega mutant becuase of the insane things he could do with his powers if he bothered to push himself. In the comics, however he's a lazy fucker who rather watch T.V. (White Witch stole his body once and took it on a joy ride, she froze the entire Hudson River and shattered several securiity vehicles and basically made Iceman looked like a moron).

My feeling on the Cure may be that it is entirely temporary. From the looks of things the end part with Mageto could be anywhere from 3 to 6 months later (look the clean up and reconsturction in the montage takes Time poeple).

On the whole it wasn't a bad movie (I almost screeched at what they did to Psilock however, not fucking cool!) but it could have been alot better. I think it suffered from the strange need to make the movie about Wolervine...Again and from Halle Berry (yes I'm on bang bus here).

In the comics Pheonix was talked down by Scott, repeatly. Can't have that in the movie, it'll ruin Wolvies drama! So we remove him, but in true Hollywood sytle we lack the balls to actually kill him...

Still I enjoyed Beast and actually approve of the Juggernaught treatment.

As a kindness to the board I will forego the long treatment I could go into on the movie's treatment of Magneto. I'll merely say this Magneto seemed halfway between real Magneto and Ulitmate Magneto and the directors should have picked one and stuck with it.

[Mayabird]

This isn't entirely related, but I was thinking back to that showdown at the Grey residence between the Professor and Phoenix. That was an epic battle of wills between two very, very powerful mutants, and one that we could tell that the Professor was going to lose eventually, but he still fought on.

Compare that to the battle between Yoda and Palpatine in RotS. The latter was cartoonish and silly. It should've been like the Xavier/Phoenix battle, two very powerful Force users battling with the sheer force of their minds and powers, with Yoda slowly but surely losing.

So that's one good thing I'll give X3.