X-Men: The Last Stand, otherwise known as X-Men 3, was playing to a mostly empty theater on Sunday night. I’ve watched the second one earlier this month. I think it’s helpful to have seen the earlier films; I’m not sure anyone would care about these characters without a bit of the back story.
I would see this film if you enjoyed the first two, but not otherwise.
The only character interaction which pulls you in is between Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen). The two British actors do a lot for this film, which is why one of the plot twists bodes ill for future films. (Slight spoiler.) Still, we can all hope that Ian McKellen continues to thrive and is available for the next film. Aside from the obvious point — this is a comic book serial, so it will continue, the director leaves us with a hint of Magneto’s future possibilities.
The camera also lingers a bit more on Mystique in this film, despite an early “departure” from the main story. Villians are more fun, and a good-looking woman (Rebecca Romijn) in blue body paint and little more doesn’t hurt the comic-book audience (read: males from 15 and up).
My one major disappointment was in continuity. I’m not a very “close reader” of film; bluntly, I’m not one for details, usually. But a critical part of the film was as jarring as the difference between night and day. Literally. The climactic battle begins with a team of mutants marching in daylight, but the battle minutes later is in pitch black night. The daylight was sunset, surely, but if I noticed the switch, you know it’s blatant. I was with two friends at the movie, one of whom makes films, and he suggested that the major battle had to happen at night for cost reasons. The special effects would have cost much, much more if the background had to be filled in with something other than the night sky. So be it… just start the battle a bit later next time?
Metacritic score of 58 feels a touch low, at first…I’d say mid-60s. But I suppose judged on its own, not as part of the series, X-Men: The Last Stand needed to do more to earn kudos. The Metacritic summary points as this film as the “climax of the trilogy,” but I would expect another one. (I don’t read film trades, so no idea if this is already a certainty one way or the other.)
Update: Thanks to Rex (comment below), I was reminded that I should have stayed all the way through the credits. Here’s a link to what I missed on Google Video (not sure how long it will stay online; it’s 24 seconds long): X-Men: The Last Stand… credits