X-Men: The Last Stand

The third—and purportedly final—installment in the series based on the Marvel Comics mutants picks up where director Bryan Singer's second episode left off, only with Brett Ratner (Rush Hour 3) at the helm. The plot revolves around the announcement that a “cure” for the mutants' condition has been discovered—enraging arch-villain Magneto (Ian McKellen), who contends that having extraordinary powers is not an illness. At the same time, Phoenix (Famke Janssen), who literally rises from the dead here with enormously enhanced powers (and an uncontrollable temper), may prove to be the instrument through which Magneto and his band of un-merry men finally win out over Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), who want to live peacefully with ordinary humans, not war against them. The Last Stand is more comic-book-like than Singer's first two installments, but also more message-heavy, placing a burden on McKellen, who has to deliver so many overripe speeches that he eventually becomes tiresome. But in a popcorn flick like this, effects take precedence over either plot or performances, and the SFX here are good—which will be enough for devotees. A strong optional purchase. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include two audio commentaries (one by director Brett Ratner and co-writers Simon Kinberg and Zak Penn; the other by producers Avi Arad, Lauren Shuler Donner, and Ralph Winter), 10 deleted scenes and three alternate endings (10 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: the lack of documentaries and featurettes suggests that a “special edition” and/or extras-laden set featuring all three films is coming later for this serviceable conclusion to the trilogy.] (F. Swietek)