X-Men: The Last Stand Movie Review

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

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Written by: Simon Kinberg & Zak Penn
Directed by: Brett Ratner
Starring: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Kelsey Grammer, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn, Shawn Ashmore, Vinnie Jones, Elliot Page, Ben Foster, Eric Dane
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
The human government develops a cure for mutations, and Jean Grey becomes a darker, uncontrollable persona called Phoenix who allies with Magneto, causing escalation into an all-out battle for the X-Men.

Verdict
This begins with promise, a cure and what that means to mutants and humans. Many mutants don't consider themselves sick. It divides Magneto and Xavier, but that social issue is soon discarded for a battle between those two factions and the government. There's no villain, just what the cure means. That becomes secondary as the characters all gear up for a battle just so this movie has a big finale.
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Review
This was the final movie in the original trilogy. James Marsden's limited screen time was due to his departure to work on Superman Returns (2006).

Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) first meet a young Jean Gray, awed by her powers. In the present the X-Men are reeling over Jean's (Famke Janssen) death in the X-2. She returns, though everyone is understandably perplexed that she survived. I don't recall the preceding movies talking about mutant classes, but Jean is one of, if not the only, level five. She's powerful and dangerous. She's also different, more aggressive. 

Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman play Storm, Professor X, Wolverine

A company has just created a cure to the mutation gene. Many mutants oppose it, stating they don't have a disease and that there's nothing to cure. Some mutants like Rogue (Anna Paquin) welcome a normal life. Of course Magneto opposes the vaccine. He's not wrong, he sees what the cure could mean and the prospect of it being forced upon mutants. Magneto forms an army to oppose what's coming, and Jean Gray joins, illustrating how this isn't the same Jean from previous movies.

Rebecca Romijn, Ian McKellen, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones play Mystique, Magneto, Pyro, Colossus

Magneto stages an attack to kill the mutant that's the basis of the cure. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) rallies the remaining X-Men as someone has to push this movie to the final showdown that shows off various mutants that are little more than cameos. We get this question of what the cure means, to humans and mutants. Some mutants are relieved, many are incensed. As Magneto predicts, the military quickly weaponizes the cure and that's when this movie loses any nuance. It's just a big battle between X-Men, Magneto's army, and the military. The military has already weaponized the cure with guns that fire needles. It seems awfully quick since a cure was just announced, but these weapons exist just to force drama.

Colossus (Vinnie Jones) is a standout in a limited role due to a choice quote, but that's also part of the problem. These cameos are more fan service than important to the story. This does provide a couple of teasers at the end, but that also undoes some of the bigger moments in the movie.