The official X3 Film Review Thread!

[AmunRaTRON]

This thread will be for the X3 reviews when they come in, just so that they can be posted here first and so that there arent 800 different threads on the movie reviews. and speaking of, the film opens in 3 weeks and no ones seen it yet ?!

[darkface]

Why did you start a thread if you, yourself haven't even seen and reviewed the movie?

[Lazy Boy]

This could easily be started in the Current Movies forum a week before the film is released...

[AmunRaTRON]

ok sorry just thougt i get the ball rolling before a thousand threads were posted about it.

(no that wasnt sarcasm or a mean spirited post just the truth )

[Frozen_Inferno]

how about we instead have a Gnr at hammerstein review thread? its only days away :D

[AmunRaTRON]

FIRST REVIEW IS IN!!!!!!!!


http://aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=23285

X3 rocks?!?!?! Please Let It Be So!
Hey folks, Harry here... Here's the moment we've been waiting for... the first word on X3. And the word is that it is mostly badass. Now - let's pray that this isn't a plant, something that would actually be a great disservice to the film. However, I have to say - this is what I hoped would happen. If you remember your X-MEN history online, you'll remember that the word on the first X-MEN was dismal until its release. Then once it hit with that early press screening here in Austin - I went ecstatic. Not that it was the X-MEN movie of my dreams, just that it wasn't the nightmare that had been rumored. That's the hardest part about this gig. You hear from so many people on a project. Folks that disagree with the direction of the film, folks that could only see the film from their narrow place in the larger picture, and finally folks that just read the script and assume that it couldn't get better. Now, because of this review - from someone we've never heard from before - I'm not saying we should all be relieved, that Ratner has pulled off a miracle... but what it means is that someone we all don't know seems to think so - let's hope this guy is right. Cuz if not... we'll all be sad as hell coming out of a theater in two weeks. Here ya go... beware of SPOILERS...

Hey guys. Guess who got his ass into a screening of X3 (they can call it The Last Stand but we all know what the real title is). This friend of mine snuck me in at the last minute. All I can say they got it right. If the last one was subtitled “X:Men: United,” the subtitle of this one should be: “X-Men Kick the Holy Crap Out of Each Other for 2 Hours.” This isn’t your mama’s X-men. This is full on WAR. The body count is f*ing amazing. Even Xavier finally gets into the action after being unconscious on a slab for most of the previous two movies. I don’t want to ruin the ending, but let me put it this way; you get to see Wolverine’s entire adamantium skeleton. Up close and personal.

The picture picks up right where x2 left off and immediately grabs you with two really surprising prologues; including a glimpse of young angel (this kid has some issues). Everyone knows the basics of the plot – Joss’ cure plot (complete with the freaky little kid at the center) combined with the Dark Phoenix resurrection thing – so I’m not going to waste your time or give away every spoiler here. What the Rat does really well is take the intensity to the next level. I liked x1 some & x2 a lot, but Singer’s characters were always so reserved and there was a slow boil to both his films. That made for some great one liners (“how do i know it’s you?” “Cause you’re a dick”) but both films left me wanting more. In x3, you get more from moment one. From the very first shot where we see a young Xavier and Magneto (yes, a young X & M. I still don’t know how they did this one) on a little school recruiting trip, to Cyke going a little nutty, to Logan and Jean finally getting down to business, the emotion and drama is finally let loose. One example: in x2, Wolverine goes Berserker for a nano-second (one rush down a hallway???). In x3, there are entire sequences of him in full rage mode, slicing and dicing Brotherhood geeks like a one-man Ginsu infomercial. I’ve generally liked Jackman as Wolverine, but in 1 & 2 he always felt like Xavier’s tame dog. In x3, even they go at it and Xavier puts him in his place! Xavier is not screwing around in this one. In almost every scene, you finally feel like the shackles have been taken off and they are playing for keeps.

Ok. What didn’t I like? I’ve never been a fan of the whole Harry Potter/superkids in boarding school thing. Hell, if I’m Rogue and some little beyotch is making a play for Bobby, I just go give the girl a big hug for about 30 seconds. Problem solved. There is some more of that kiddie drama here. What’s nice about how they did it, though, is that we don’t have to suffer through another on-the-nose “coming out” scene like x2. They actually tie the kids into the cure plot seamlessly and give that story a HUGE twist in the end. And, as much as I haven’t loved the kids in 1 & 2, they seem much more grown-up this time and Bobby and Pyro finally go at once and for all, which is really well done. Bobby doesn’t go all Frozone on us with ice slides, but he does something BADASS at the end and I literally cheered. They finally gave us some shit we have been begging for for 3 films.

One of the things that totally works – Beast. I had real doubts about the casting of this one. Kelsey is the gay shrink from Seattle for Chrissakes! Personally, I always saw Fishburne as Beast. I was wrong. The second you see Kelsey (awesome intro of him in his office), he IS Beast. – perfect voice, attitude and intelligence. One of the best moments in the movie is between Beast and Leech where Beast gets to experience firsthand what a life without his power/curse might be like.

One that doesn’t work as well – the Danger Room. It’s just ok, not spectacular. I guess its one of those things that looks good only paper – like a date with Paris Hilton. You get all excited beforehand but then wake up the next day with a strange itch and your naked ass being streamed on YouTube. Yes, there is a glimpse of a Sentinel and the fastball special, but the DR didn’t “wow” me like the rest of the film. Maybe I’m jaded, but the whole “this is a real battle!?! Nope, it was all really just a test!” thing feels old to me. I’ve seen it done great (Kobayashi Maru in Wrath of Khan), and done lame (Tomb Raider). But, needless to say, it’s been done.

That said, another thing that works GREAT: when Jean goes Dark Phoenix. Holy God. This girl doesn’t go Medium Phoenix, or Sorta Phoenix, she goes DARK Phoenix. As Dennis Miller used to say, her time of the month IS the month. Forget that Davinci crap (spoiler: Jesus got laid), Jean is the one character this summer that actually goes Biblical and leaves a trail of bodies in her wake. When the X-Men have to step up and confront her, it tears your heart out. That’s what’s cool about x3 – there are no black-or-white choices, it’s all shades of grey (pun acknowledged). Is the cure a good or bad thing? What would you do if someone close to you was spiraling out of control? X3 shows both sides of these issues. Singer did a good job at this. Ratner continues this tradition. That’s what makes the X-Men the X-Men and not some little boy in his tight, Super costume on some narcissistic jaunt to resolve his issues with Daddy or Uncle Ben. It’s real. It’s our world.

Some other cool things – Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut made me laugh and wanting more. Minor spoiler: they found a way to include “I’m the Juggernaut, bitch!” I was the only one who got it but it was pretty cool. Storm finally gets to kick some non-Toad ass and fly like Storm is supposed to. Pyro goes full Firestarter in this one at least 5 times. Mystique’s scenes were great. Rebecca Romjin-Stamos-O’Connell embodies this character. There is a moment where she is naked and non-blue that I will be CSI-analyzing, frame-by-frame on the DVD. That said, like Xavier and Logan going at it, I was shocked to see her and Magneto diverge in this film. On a scene-by-scene basis, I was always wondering where the story was going to twist next. Good stuff.

Last thing - if this is anyone’s movie, its McKellen’s. Like Pacino’s evolution from loveable villain in Godfather 1 to ice-cold, tactician in GF2, McKellen plays Magneto as the driven, ruthless man with a cause that Magneto has always been in the comics but hadn’t really been in x1 & x2. In x3, Magneto finally has his lightening rod with this cure and is willing to take it ALL the way, even as people close to him fall by the wayside. The best part of it, like every great villain, he actually has a real point about the cure. I stayed afterwards with several of the other people from the screening and we argued for a while about whether or not we agreed with him or not. How often does that happen?

Well, that’s it. Overall, damn impressed. I gotta hand it to the Rat. He made a film that really delivers. Hell, I might even give Rush Hour 3 a chance. Nah. Just kidding. Besides, I hear Singer is taking over on that one (spoiler: Jackie and Chris finally admit their true feelings in: Rushback Mountain).

Peace out.

MutantCamel X3 rocks?!?!?! Please Let It Be So! FIRST REVIEW IS IN!!!!!!!!

[Shockwave]

I love how AICN declares this as the first review then goes on to say that they dont know if its real or not.:p

I Do hope its true however.

[Mr. Gray]

Originally posted by AmunRaTRON
FIRST REVIEW IS IN!!!!!!!!

I don’t want to ruin the ending, but let me put it this way; you get to see Wolverine’s entire adamantium skeleton. Up close and personal.



GODFUCKINGDAMNIT!!!!!

i didn't need to read that......

[mettt]

sounds good,! :D

[hatePiLL]

wow... i totally forgot about the other subplots in the movie. one, there's the cure, two, there's dark phoenix, and three... teenage mutant love triangle? okay okay, the last one doesn't quite fit in or seem as significant compared to the first two. but when they have two MAJOR milestones squeezed into a movie that were epics in the comics, it makes you wonder if it's going to come together in the end. so far, sounds fucking awesome.

[hatePiLL]

[bigred760]

Originally posted by AmunRaTRON
ok sorry just thougt i get the ball rolling before a thousand threads were posted about it.


Too late.

[AmunRaTRON]

lolToo late.

i dont know what to say lol

[AmunRaTRON]

SECOND REVIEW IS IN!!!!!!

URL=http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=23292]http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=23292[/URL]



Maybe X3 Doesn't Rock?!?!?!? Another X3 Review!!

Merrick is a mutant...

Val Verde just sent in a different take on X-MEN: THE LAST STAND; this one a little less positive than the the review we posted earlier.
Also, don’t forget that Fox will air a seven minute preview of the film tonight, during its 7pm block of THAT 70s SHOW programming. If I recall correctly, the preview should run immediately after the first episode of THAT 70s SHOW, but you may want to double check this.
I could go on endlessly about my unbreakable disdain for Brett Ratner’s “filmmaking” – a term I use loosely. The vibe I invariably get from his movies is that he simply doesn’t care – it’s reflected in his lack of style, and his films’ lack of energy. This being said, I would love to be proven wrong about him this time around, and sincerely hope X3 isn’t the wash many fear it will be.
The film will speak for itself on May 26.

Here’s Val Verde…

Saw X3 today and even though I'm sure you'll be getting a few of these today, here's my two cents.

If I had to sum the film up in one word it would be... underwhelming. It's not as bad as the early footage that was doing the rounds a few weeks ago might lead you to believe but I'll not be bothered if I never see this again.

Everything is just wasted. I don't really know much about the whole comic book lore but it's pretty obvious that Phoenix is a total badass. The thing is, after her big scene early on, she does nothing but sit on the sidelines until the very end when she goes a little psycho but is then wrapped up without much effort. If they'd just made the whole film about her vs. everyone it could have been awesome.

One of the things that I'd read was concerning people was the sheer number of characters in the film and how confusing that would be. Well unfortunately, it just feels like Wolverine and Storm + extras vs. Magneto + extras with the Phoenix watching from the side. All a big shame. The lesser characters do get some screen time though.

Ellen Page is good as Kitty Pryde but she's painted as being young and inexperienced but then somehow gets thrown in to the final fight. There's a mini love triangle thing with her, Rogue and Iceman but it just feels like a studio exec deemed it necessary rather than it being integral to the story. Vinny Jones is good on screen when he doesn't have any lines so it's a shame he gets to speak in this. I'll admit, the reference is lost on me but the delivery of the "I'm Juggernaut, bitch" line is awful. Which leads me on to the next gripe.

The dialogue feels hammy and forced and whilst there is nothing to quite rival Darth Vader's "Nooooooooo!!!!!!1", some do get close. Jean Luc Picard's exposition about Jean Grey to Wolverine is just too heavy as well. I'd imagine it would look fine on the page of a comic book but as Harrison Ford said, "you can write it but boy, you can't say it".

There are some really inexplicable moments too. When Magneto and Xavier go to see Jean Grey at her old house, Magneto orders his band of cronies to keep Wolverine and Storm outside. When trouble inevitably kicks off inside and Wolverine tries to go to help, the first thing Juggernaut does is pick up Logan and throw him INSIDE through the window. And when the Last Stand comes and Magneto does his big special effect in San Francisco harbor, he does it during the middle of a lovely afternoon. Then, in literally the next scene, it's pitch black. Not huge things but more than enough to annoy me silly.

All of that said, the film does have its moments. The first big pivotal scene where we see what Phoenix can do is breathtaking and you really get the struggle within Beast when he meets Leech and is confronted with the possibility of not being big and blue. It's just a shame about all the bits in-between.

One last thing, stay til after the final credits. X-Men: The Last Stand? Is it bollocks. [

[AmunRaTRON]

SO , so far guys we have to reviews, one great, one not so great, yet both are being criticised as being plants. And just just plants, as one AICN talkbacker put it "Fucking redwoods!" i dont know. in my mind the safety net that x3 has for itself is tight. there no way that the film can turn into something like the fantastic four, or worse batman and robin. however it could turn into batman forever sans the bright neon which if you really think about it would not be that bad(remember tho BF had about an hour and 40 mins cut out of it and the script rewritten to shit) so im just going to stand on the beleif myself that for everyone, X3 is going to be like sex and pizza: when its good its Fucking great and when its bad its still pretty good. what do yall think ?.

[Short Bus 59]

I cant wait any longer for this movie and those seven minutes of it showing halfway through that 70s show are going to rock so hard its stupid. I am going to Tivo it and watch it over and over again

[Terror Australis]

Am I the only here who thinks that Harry Knowles needs to get a fucking life? Or at lest (finally) get himself laid.

[Tyler_Durden_208]

Originally posted by Terror Australis
Am I the only here who thinks that Harry Knowles needs to get a fucking life? Or at lest (finally) get himself laid.
So you're saying people that run movie sites don't have a life?:confused:

[Mr. Fred Krueger]

Originally posted by Terror Australis
Am I the only here who thinks that Harry Knowles needs to get a fucking life? Or at lest (finally) get himself laid.

You're not the only one. Maybe getting a life would help him lose about 500 pounds and not be so hideous. That'll help him get laid...without paying for it.

[Mystique963]

Originally posted by Short Bus 59
I cant wait any longer for this movie and those seven minutes of it showing halfway through that 70s show are going to rock so hard its stupid. I am going to Tivo it and watch it over and over again
Damn you and your Tivo! I tried to get my ancient VCR to record it, but it didn't work. Oh well. The seven minute preview kicked ass.

I'm excited about the reviews. Can't fucking wait for this one...

[Lazy Boy]

Fucking hell, I knew I forgot to set the DVR for something tonight...missed the seven minutes. Oh well.

[Shockwave]

I wanted to see it soooo bad......but am beyond happy that i missed it.:)

[ElderPredator]

Originally posted by Terror Australis
Am I the only here who thinks that Harry Knowles needs to get a fucking life? Or at lest (finally) get himself laid.

Harry Knowles is a legend to me so please show some respect.

[Terror Australis]

Originally posted by Tyler_Durden_208
So you're saying people that run movie sites don't have a life?:confused:

Of course not. I'm only referring to him 'cause I don't like it when he carries on like Brett Ratner (who I think is a solid director) is the fuckin' antichrist. He needs it a break 'cause it is just plain pointless and childish. Everyone else who runs movie sites I don't problem with but he just gives the utter shits.

Originally posted by ElderPredator
Harry Knowles is a legend to me so please show some respect.

No disrespect, Elder ('cause your cool and all) but "NEVER!!!." :D



*Runs For Cover*

[darkface]

Originally posted by ElderPredator
Harry Knowles is a legend to me so please show some respect.


BOOOOOo! ;)


I'll just stop myself there before I say something bad. (Not to you Elder, but about aicn overall)

[ElderPredator]

Originally posted by Terror Australis



No disrespect, Elder ('cause your cool and all) but "NEVER!!!." :D



*Runs For Cover*

No prob Terror, I just think he's cool anyways. Maybe legend is to big of a word. ;)

[Shockwave]

Maybe legend is to big of a word.

There is no word too big for Harry.

BUDDA-BING!



...im so sorry. I had to.:(

[AmunRaTRON]

Moriarty of aint it cool news loves x3!!!!!

http://aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=23392

Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
Okay... let’s review.
Here’s my review for the first X-MEN movie.
And here’s my review for the second X-MEN movie.
And then last year, I published a review from an anonymous spy about the X-MEN 3 script as it existed at a particular point in time, an article which also addressed some of my ongoing concerns with the way Fox manages its franchises. Here’s that piece in case you missed it.
I like this franchise. I think it has limitless possibility. I think the second movie was a definite improvement on the first film, and I’ve been crossing my fingers now for the past few months because I started to hear some genuinely good buzz on this new sequel, and I was hoping for something better than the rushed half-assery that early reports indicated. This morning, I found myself sitting alone in the Daryl Zanuck theater on the Fox lot, and I had all of about two minutes after I walked into the room before the lights went dark and the Fox logo came up. In those two minutes, I repeated the mantra that Harry had whispered to himself before the first X-MEN film six years ago.
”Please don’t suck. Please don’t suck. Please don’t suck.”
And this morning, in that darkened theater, the movie gods answered my prayers. Because X-MEN: THE LAST STAND (since no 3 appears anywhere in the title on the actual film) is not only a worthy addition to the franchise, it actually feels like it is simply part of one big movie, absolutely on par with the first two films.
Yes, it’s true. Brett Ratner has stuck the landing.
The original X-MEN was, by comparison to its two sequels, a low-budget affair. X2 and X3 look pretty much like they are two halves of one movie, however. Ratner and his crew took their cues from what Bryan Singer had done, due in large part to the same producers being in place and maintaining some sense of continuity between the films, and the result is that this feels pretty cohesive, picking up right on the heels of the second film. I’ve avoided watching all the online clips, since I wanted to see how it played as a whole. Even though I generally knew what was going to happen, I was surprised by a lot of the specifics of it.
For instance, the first scene in the movie shocked me. Set twenty years ago, it’s the moment where Magneto (Ian McKellen) and Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) go to meet a young Jean Grey for the first time. Whatever bit of digital trickery they used to de-age both Stewart and McKellen, it’s fascinating. It doesn’t look like an effect at all... they’re just younger, the clock somehow rolled back. After two full films before this, it makes me sad to see Xavier and Erik together, still friends, the two of them still on the good side of the rift that separates them. There’s an optimism to that opening moment that I find really bittersweet, especially considering what else happens in this film. Both Chris Claremont and Stan Lee have cameos in that first scene, and although we’re used to seeing Stan Lee show up in Marvel films, it’s nice to see Claremont in there, considering which story they’re telling in this film. That sort of nod to fandom sets a tone for what you can expect from the rest of X3 as well. This is a movie that was made to finally satisfy fans who were left wanting even after the first two films in the series, a sort of checklist of things to get into the film before the franchise ends or morphs into something so different we don’t recognize it anymore. That’s risky, because it could make the film feel so episodic and disjointed that it no longer works as a movie, but the script by Zak Penn and Simon Kinberg manages to pack in a lot of incident, a ton of characters, and a fair number of nods to specific incidents from the history of the comic, even as they manage to craft a concise, well-told story that works on its own terms. No easy feat, that, but it’s the spine that makes everything else in the film work.
One thing that really helped me in my attitude towards the movie was getting over the fact that I think it’s ri-goddamn-diculous to end this franchise at this point in time. This could be Fox’s license to print money once every couple of years if handled properly. Resigning myself to the fact that the title is literal, I ended up having a damn good time with this. In fact, I think it will be interesting to see what effect this has on mainstream audiences who aren’t already familiar with the history of the X-Men and on young viewers who only know the films and who weren’t around for the Dark Phoenix saga when it was first published. At that point in time, it seemed revolutionary. It changed the rules of what comic books could do in the same way that the original Gwen Stacy comic did. It raised the stakes, it made you question your attachment to characters, and it managed to kick unholy amounts of ass while doing so. We’re at a weird time right now for the superhero movie genre. I think the quickest way to kill these movies dead is to keep barfing up oddly-similar origin stories for second-tier characters while basically ripping off the films that have done it right in the past. Audiences now have seen enough of these movies that they’re ahead of the filmmakers as they watch, and I think it’s up to filmmakers to play off that sense of expectation now. What X3 does really well is it raises the stakes of superhero films again. The cure, the main plot point in this film, opens up some interesting ethical concerns about genetic testing and genetic tampering, but the reason the stakes feel so high in this movie is because of the goodwill we’ve built up towards these characters so far. Wolverine, Rogue, Professor X, Magneto, Mystique, Storm, Iceman, Pyro... we’ve spent time with them now. We’ve gotten to know them, and that history between them pays off in many ways.
In particular, I think the way Jean Grey has been handled in the franchise has worked out. I wasn’t sure at first... her role was fairly underwritten in the first film, but I’ve always enjoyed The Dutch Treat on film, and I thought she managed to give Jean a sense of life beyond what was in the script. In the second film, they realized that they needed to push her to center stage a bit more, and Famke really stepped up. But here, in what is largely a silent role, she manages to create a sense of real malice and danger that has nothing to do with special effects.
Speaking of special effects, though, I found all the Phoenix scenes to be beautiful. Yeah, that’s right. Beautiful. In a Brett Ratner movie. There’s a strong sense of almost AKIRA-like power in those scenes, and the one that takes place at Jean’s childhood home about halfway into the film is a stunner. I wish there had been a Beast CG team assigned to do nothing but give us the bouncing blue furball at his best instead of the wire work the film depends on, but considering the time crunch this film was under, I’m amazed that there’s any consistency to any of the work by any of the many FX houses supervised by John Bruno. There’s a genuine kick to a lot of the big moments, like Magneto’s highway rescue of Mystique or the giant Alcatraz/Golden Gate Bridge sequence, and in scene after scene, there are little touches that really make it work for me. At one point, Magneto is throwing cars at the Army while Pyro lights them on fire, turning them into giant flaming hand grenades. This is the sort of thing I wanted to see in superhero films or TV shows when I was growing up, the sort of thing that I really haven’t seen until now. There’s a lot of bone-crunching superhero-on-supervillain action in the film, another plus. That scene I mentioned in Jean Grey’s house goes seriously haywire, and I love it. I love seeing these superpowered beings open up and fight full-force.
There are some things I didn’t like. I’m not crazy about the way Rogue’s handled in the film. I’m disappointed by who gets the cure first because it removes one of my favorite characters from the film too early. And considering how good James Marsden is in his brief screen time, I would have liked to have seen more from him. Also, John Powell’s score works better in the film than it does in the clips you’ve seen (many of which evidently were using cut-up excerpts from the score in the wrong context), but I still think it’s a bit bombastic. He makes effective use of Jean Grey’s theme, though, and a few other familiar cues. I just wish he’d eased up on the sonic assault a bit. I also think some people are going to complain about lack of screen time for certain characters, especially if they’ve been waiting to see Angel or Beast. You’ve seen about half of Angel’s role if you’ve seen the trailers, and there are several characters who fans will pick out based on a few visual clues who never even get a line of dialogue. It’s a very busy film, which may frustrate some viewers, but I thought it actually made the world of X-MEN feel more epic.
These are minor complaints, no worse than any complaints I have about the first two films. When this one is working, it’s so much fun it’s ridiculous. Mystique, who deserved a spin-off spy movie franchise all her own, has a great Mystique scene that I want to see again immediately. Wolverine gets to use his claws in ways that make me giggle. And Magneto finally goes totally bad, even as he finally finds himself on the exact right side of an argument. I think the deaths that take place in the film pay off, and I was actually a little taken aback by how many people end up taking the cure, and I like that there’s a body count to this war finally. I like things like the first scene with Beast in the situation room at the White House. I just like the reality that establishes, and Kelsey Grammer turns out to be the absolute perfect choice for the character. If nothing else, fans should thank Matthew Vaugnn for fighting that fight before he left the film. It was a great decision, and I think Beast will end up a fan favorite after they see him in the film.
In short, this is a damn fine summer movie just taken as a summer movie. It’s fun, it’s smart, it moves, and you’ll see some stuff you really haven’t seen before, quality eye candy. And as a sequel, it honors the films it follows. If I have one fear from this film, it’s that the studio is going to take the wrong message from it. Instead of saying to themselves, “Oh, thank god our $200 million gamble paid off and we just barely managed to put together a coherent film through the insanely dedicated efforts of our writers and producers who were on through the entire brain damaged pre-production process,” they’re going to say, “Oh, that’s all the time anyone needs for a big film, because if X3 did it, then anyone can do it.” This film is a glorious accident, a movie that should not work based on the troubles it had getting up onscreen. Please don’t start pushing filmmakers to go from no script to final release in fourteen months on these giant FX films just because it worked this one time. This is the exception, not the rule. We got very lucky on this one, and so did Fox. They don’t deserve a movie this good after how they treated it in development, but I’m not going to hold that against the film. It works. I had a blast with it. As I said to the person who showed it to me this morning, “Can I see it again?” I can think of no higher compliment to pay any film after a screening.
I’ll be back with a few other things tomorrow before I hit the road. Until then...
"Moriarty" out.

[Lazy Boy]

Great. I'm a little more hopeful. :)

[soda]

I'm not a big fan of AICN, but they hit the nail on the head as to what I'll be thinking next Friday when I got to see this movie, I'll be sitting in the theatre, watching the trailers, thinking "please don't suck, please don't suck, please don't suck." I've been as pessemistic about this film as anyone on this site, I'm beyond thrilled to hear that the reviews have been divided thus far, it gives me hope that this movie will be good.

[Monotreme]

I dunno... critics seem pretty split about this so far, which is a bad sign to me, especially considering the critical acclaim the previous two films got and the consensus that they were fine comic book adaptations. If the early buzz is split opinions, then I'm not optimistic at all.

Also, no offense to any comic book fans, but the opinion of a comic book lover from AICN means nothing to me. When the national critic reviews start coming in, then my ears will be opened. Until then... I wait.

[Shockwave]

Ebert liked it. I dont think hes a comic book fan.

[Lazy Boy]

He didn't like the first one, that's for sure. I think he's more a fan of the character-driven comic book adaptations that explore the psyche and inner motivations of the eponymous character. Example, Batman Begins and Spider-Man 2 both got four stars from him, and the latter was on his top ten (I think).

[Scarfather]

Ignoring AICN for a second (I sent in a fake Charlie and the Chocolate Factory review saying it was amazing (before I had seen it) and they posted it).

It got two thumbs up from Ebert and Roeper, Ebert said the golden gate scene was particularily good but he didn't like that some mutants had the powers to destroy the world if they wanted to, while some had extended fingernails. :p

[Eragon]

'grabs tent and Hot Pockets and goes to theater'

[Mentiroso]

This is for those who are not familiar with "Im the Juggernaut Bitch!

Juggernaut BITCH! (http://www.fazed.org/video/?id=213)

I am going to see this Friday morning/afternoon. Will post a review when I get done!

[Lazy Boy]

Reviews seem to be 50-50 at the moment.

[Shockwave]

Im seeing this at an advanced screening tomorrow, ill post my review soon after.

Please dont suck. Please dont suck. Please dont suck...;)

[El Rancho]

It opens here in NZ tomorrow. I was pretty burnt by the VD Code but I'll be there in line tomorrow.

And yes - please don't suck, please don't suck amen.

[m_burlock]

Originally posted by El Rancho
It opens here in NZ tomorrow. I was pretty burnt by the VD Code but I'll be there in line tomorrow.

And yes - please don't suck, please don't suck amen.


Ya live in NZ !!:eek: I'd give my right arm to live in NZ! (makes Xena battle yell)

[El Rancho]

Saw it yesterday. I actually really enjoyed it. Had everything I needed for a fun nite.

I was expecting a train wreak instead I got a good story, some unexpected delights and don't forget to stay until after the credits.

Everytime Magneto's onscreen it's freaking magic!

[TylerDurden182]

One word sums this movie up:

Dissappointing.

[Lord Raiden]

Originally posted by El Rancho


Everytime Magneto's onscreen it's freaking magic!

I thought Ian McKellen was playing him again. ;) :D

[ElderPredator]

Hey everybody,

It's 1:10am on Saturday morning and I just got back from seeing "X-Men - The Last Stand" and I have to say, it kicked ass! When the film was first announced, I was beginning to have doubts when Brett Ratner was attached or the fact that it may be the last film but all my doubts were cast aside when I saw the film.

SLIGHT SPOILERS!!

This is by far my favourite film of the trilogy even though it wasn't quite as serious as the first two which is expected with the absense of Bryan Singer but Brett still did a great job. Once again, the actors gave a great performance such as Hugh Jackman always kicking ass and Vinnie Jones was so awesome as Juggernaut. When he said the line, "I'm the Juggernaut bitch!", the entire theatre cheered like crazy. It was great! Halle Berry was also excellent in the movie as she had much more involvement and kicked some serious ass with more of a leadership role. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen were superb as always and it's always a treat to see them on screen together as they're both terrific actors. I was so sad to see Professor Xavier die but it was so important in the plot (even though he's still alive at the end ). The rest of the mutants were fantastic as well including Rebecca Romijn who gave a much better performance as Mystique as well as all the others did including Ellen Paige who was great and beautiful as Kitty Pryde. Rogue was pretty damn useless as always but it didn't bother me. As well, I thought that Archangel was okay but not explored well enough but the beginning scene with him scraping off his wings was really heartbreaking. Also, I feel that Kelsey Grammar truly stole the movie as Dr. Hank McCoy/Beast as he was for lack of a better word.....PERFECT! He rocks!

Finally, I simply have to take this opportunity to name someone who was absolutely superb in this film and that is Famke Janssen who portrayed The Phoenix so well that I was scared when she was sitting there in her living room when Xavier and Magneto walk in. She really freaked me out with her intensity and she was absolutely fantastic. I vote right now that for next year's MTV Movie Awards, she wins the Best Villian without a doubt. She was able to pull it off so well and I nearly fell off my seat watching her abliterate everything in her path. Wow!

Now comes the action scenes which were the best I've seen in years. The Danger Room sequence was fantastic as I expected although I will admit, it could have been better. The fight scenes at the Grey house were fabulous, especially between Juggernaut and Wolverine. The CGI was fantastic, especially during the scenes when Phoenix practically unleashes hell. The Golden Gate bridge sequence was mind-blowing and some of the best CGI I've ever seen. The Alcatraz fights and the final showdown between Phoenix and Wolverine was astounding. I love how you see Wolverine's flesh blowing off and you can even see the adamantium skeleton for a few seconds as he confronts her. Absolutely terrific! The fight between Iceman and Pyro was "okay" but it did end off very well with Iceman turning into solid ice.

In the case of the storyline of the mutant cure, I think that they played it out quite well. However I did feel myself leaning over towards Magneto's way of seeing it as if I were a mutant, I would not want a cure forced upon me if I did not want it. I would fight for my uniqueness under any cirumstances unless that power hurt other people such as Rogue. It was a really great look at the story and well played.

Of course there were some little things that were strange about the storyline and continuity such as the day going very fast from evening to pitch black when they reach Alcatraz. Another problem I had was the lack of Colossus which I would have done anything to see kick some more ass but we saw enough. The fastball special was awesome!

Overall, it was truly a great popcorn movie with heart and a good story. Brett Ratner really managed to pull it off with this one and even though it had it's little stings, it was fantastic nonetheless and it's added to my buy list for sure.

My Vote: 9.5/10

P.S. The final scene after the credits was awesome. It made me feel so much better. I won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. Nearly 3/4 of the theatre stayed behind to watch it while the other uninformed people left the theatre.

[Shockwave]

Im betting the villian to the next one is Proteous or Shadow King if a next one happens.

They gotta do something just as strong as The Phoenix, and the introduction of Moria also lends to it. Proteous was a body hopper. (so was S-king)


Really, i think the Hellfire club with Magneto as the white King would be the most practical and would work the best in the existing world created for the movies evenif i would prefer Apoc or Sinister.

[SureshD]

I have a question...


SPOILER


Can someone explain to me WHY Juggernaut was stopped by the wall in leech's cell? The last time I checked, he's NOt a mutant, or did the writers decide to ignore that part and make him a mutant anyway..?

just wondering I was like wtf?? he's not supposed to stop there.

[Shockwave]

Hes a mutant in the movie due to the fact that his origin would be utterly silly in the movie.

Itd be like if they ever brought Venom into the Spider-man movies by pulling him from an alternate reality when Spidey gets his costume torn while fighting \in the Beyonders universe.

[SureshD]

Gotcha, makes sense.