Reviewer's Rating 3 out of 5
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
12a

Given the amount of action and life-changing events which occur in X-Men; The Last Stand, you'd expect to feel more moved. But this third outing for the spandex-clad mutant superheroes and villains is surprisingly short of real emotion. X-Men 2 is regarded by many fans as one of the best comicbook movies ever made. This sequel is tidy but uninspiring, despite a storyline which deals with the invention of a controversial 'cure' for mutant-kind.

As in the previous movies, Hugh Jackman is the highlight, his Wolverine coming across like a young Clint Eastwood - with huge metal claws. There's a Wolverine spin-off in development and little wonder; he's easily the most engaging character. The real star should be Famke Janssen, whose Jean Grey returns from a watery grave as the world-threatening Dark Phoenix. A pity, then, that her heart and soul are rather lost beneath the CGI.

"STILL A CERTAIN SATISFACTION"

Of the other mutants, Halle Berry's Storm is somewhat dry, Kelsey Grammer is given little to work with as Beast, and none of the youngsters make an impression. You're most likely to care if you've watched the other movies back-to-back immediately before this; as we skip through events so swiftly, there's no time to embrace the characters. There's still a certain satisfaction from watching the mutant odyssey reach a kind of conclusion, and Jackman and Janssen are too watchable for the film to be damned, but unless you're already dedicated to the X-Men, The Last Stand won't really hold up.

End Credits

Director: Brett Ratner

Writer: Simon Kinberg, Zak Penn

Stars: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Famke Janssen

Genre: Science Fiction

Length: 103 minutes

Cinema: 26 May 2006

Country: USA

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