KMC Forums - Review of X-Men 3

From Empire magazine; I trust these guys

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[SPOILER - highlight to read]: Review
One reason why action franchises are so prone to failure is because it�s so easy for them to collapse under their own weight. Each new instalment feels it has to outdo the last, delivering bigger set-pieces and cramming in more characters while such piffles as structure, pace, dialogue and all-round coherence are thrown to the wind. This was true of the pre-Begins Batmans, the Christopher Reeve Supermans and the Blade flicks. But X-Men, like its Marvel stablemate Spider-Man, has thus far managed to withstand the added strain.

X2 was, above all, a masterful juggling/balancing act on the part of Bryan Singer. He expanded the X-universe while simultaneously taking us deeper into the characters � from frontline heroes like Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) down to supporting players like Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) and Pyro (Aaron Stanford). Well, Brett Ratner�s stepped onto the tightrope Singer vacated, and Fox/Marvel have chucked him even more balls to juggle. So alongside the discovery of the �cure� and the renewed mutant-versus-mutant battle that ensues, we have the drama of now-schizo �bermutant Jean Grey�s (Famke Janssen) return from her watery grave, plus all the small soapy strands that concern the teenies � will love-rival Kitty Pryde (Hard Candy�s Ellen Page) persuade Rogue (Anna Paquin) to take the cure so boyfriend Iceman can finally cop a feel?

Perhaps understandably, Ratner�s not even sure where to start � we jump from a �20 years ago� prologue (enticing) to a �10 years ago� prologue (less so) to �the not-too-distant future� before our first popped corn hits stomach acid. He and his scriptwriters then get round the surfeit-of-characters problem by, almost admirably, throwing a few balls away; let�s just say the X-mansion grows a few gravestones.

Yet, Ratner is missing Singer�s versatility, and X3 lacks the sharp focus if its predecessor, as if unclear what it should be doing when not delivering a set-piece. The script, too, lacks the polish of Singer�s second X, and even the esteemed Ian McKellen has trouble with a few of his clunkier lines. Meanwhile, Vinnie Jones as towering powerhouse Juggernaut is just wrong, wrong, WRONG. Why shove some old footballer in a leathery bodysuit when one phone call to WWE supremo Vince McMahon would throw up any number of genuine oily manbeast-machines?

Two things rescue this so-called �Last Stand�. First, its shameless pandering to the fanboys. They�re tossed plenty of treats, including a glimpse (finally) inside the X-mansion�s Danger Room and the introduction of various new muties like Beast (Kelsey Grammer � excellent), Angel (Ben Foster � forgettable) and Leech (the ubiquitous Cameron Bright). Oh, and if the words �fastball special� mean anything to you, rest assured, Ratner�s been thinking of you during the action scenes.

Which brings us to X3�s second saving grace � those aforementioned set-pieces. This is where Ratner gets it totally right. Whether it�s that big show-off Magneto flying the Golden Gate Bridge to Alcatraz, Wolverine and Beast going feral on a bunch of baddie mutants, or Jean Grey reducing people and buildings to their constituent atoms, there�s enough smash-bang fun and CG-savvy here to make you happy it�s summer again. Just don�t expect it to get under your skin the way X2 did.

Verdict
Singer�s absence is felt but not fatal. By adding too much new blood Ratner loses some of the original DNA, but with its nifty set-pieces and a few nasty surprises, X3�s still a worthy enough sequel to ensure it�s no Last Stand.

Hmmmm....