Movie: X-Men 3: The Last Stand (SF, A)

I had high expectations for X-Men 3. I love the whole X-Men concept, am semi-versed in the comics, and was really pleased with the first two movies. Also, my favorite character (after Wolverine) is Beast, so I was especially eager to see what Kelsey Grammer would do with him.

I was not disappointed.

This time around, a scientist has discovered a child who can render mutants ineffective. He imprisons the child and creates a "cure" for mutations. Obviously, not all the mutants want to be "cured," so they decide to do something about it.

I don't want to give away too much of the good stuff here. Let me just say that important characters die, powers are stripped away, and much destruction ensues. Incidentally, in a cast of intriguing and engaging characters, Magneto almost steals the show; in his last scene with Mystique, he demonstrates how he has become like the Nazis he hated.

Lest I sound too much like a fangirl, let me also point out the film's weaknesses:

1. The mutant whose father creates the "cure" doesn't have much to do except set the key conflict in motion; he's a Maguffin and a placeholder instead of a character.
2. After Jean Grey has been resurrected as the Phoenix, she wonders around shell-shocked for the rest of the film. The actress does a stellar job with shell-shocked, but for a person who's supposedly full of uncontrollable desire, she seems strangely passive.
3. There are just too many anonymous mutants. I liked seeing them and all of their skills, but with this many mutants in one place, the film doesn't let each of these characters have a name, much less a unique story.
   

Still, this is a very good superhero story which, despite the title "The Last Stand," leaves ample room for a sequel. Grade: A-

PS: Make sure you wait for the brief scene after the credits. Sometimes, thirty seconds can change everything.