Check Out the Trailer

In wrapping up the X-MEN trilogy, 20th Century Fox has made a solid and sometimes shocking conclusion to the series, but have cheated fans of the superhero mutants by trying to cram too much into one short film. Avid purist fans of the comics will be very disappointed while fans of the films will be entertained with a fun, adventure that actually has some interesting ideas in it.

Warren Worthington II (Michael Murphy, SALVADOR) has been ashamed of his son Warren Worthington III (aka Angel) (Ben Foster, HOSTAGE) for he has wings. Worthington II has discovered Leech (Cameron Bright, BIRTH), a mutant who can suck the powers away from any mutant who comes close to him. The billionaire uses Leech to develop a serum that will cure mutants.

Magneto (Ian McKellen, LORD OF THE RINGS) is enraged by the idea, knowing that before too long the fearful humans will use the serum to take the homo-superior’s powers without consent. Professor X (Patrick Stewart, TV’s STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION) fears that the serum will lead to a war pitting mutants against humans. The Professor tries to work with the blue furry mutant Dr. Hank McCoy (aka Beast) (Kelsey Grammer, TV’s FRAISER), who holds the post of U.S. Secretary of Mutant Relations. The Professor is also worried that Scott Summers (aka Cyclops) (James Marsden, THE NOTEBOOK) will be forever damaged by the death of his girlfriend Jean Grey (Famke Janssen, THE FACULTY).

However, when Scott visits the site of her death, he finds that she is actually alive and that her repressed dark side has been unleashed. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman, VAN HELSING) and Storm (Halle Berry, MONSTER’S BALL) try to bring Jean — now the Dark Phoenix — back to the school, however she is in less control of her powers, which Magneto uses to his advantage. Also involved in the film’s look at mutant powers as gifts or curses, Rogue (Anna Paquin, THE PIANO) contemplates taking the cure when her inability to touch others makes her fear that her boyfriend Bobby (aka Iceman) (Shawn Ashmore, TV’s EARTHSEA) is falling into the arms of Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page, HARD CANDY), who has the power to walk through walls. Other returning mutants include Magento’s henchmen Pyro (Aaron Stanford, TADPOLE), Mystique (Rebecca Romijn, GODSEND) and metal skinned Russian mutant Colossus (Daniel Cudmore, ALONE IN THE DARK).

Many other mutants are introduced, but the 104-minute film doesn’t have time to fill out its main character let alone develop the dozen smaller characters. Frankly, the film is more interested in the action and its world than its characters. However, the ideas in the film touch on many contemporary political topics, which makes it vastly interesting. To fully develop the many ideas presented, the film would have to have been three hours long.

The film really wants to go out in a bang, but its unwillingness (or should I say the funders are unwilling) to invest the time and money prevents the film from achieving the status of the first two films in the series. Director Brett Ratner (RUSH HOUR) has been the whipping post on the Internet, however he does a fine job with what he had to work with.

In the end, the film isn’t as good as the other films in the series because it tries too much. Yet, what it does pull off is satisfying and smart, even though it might leave you wanting more. PS… Staying to the end of the credits will give you a fun surprise into the future of the X-Men characters.