Amazon.com: Customer reviews: X-Men: The Last Stand

Top positive review

You've gotta give credit where credit is due.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 13, 2015

I hear everything everything everyone says about this film and it's true. Brett Ratner was a poor choice as a replacement for Brian Singer for director. He's like Singer's opposite. Where Singer was always subtle and clever with the first two films, Brett Ratner is always loud and in your face. Not to mention he brings very little of the heart, emotion or character development of the first two films. This film is dumb, where the first two films were very smart.
But honestly, I would be lying if I said I don't enjoy this film. Ratner is great with action scenes, which is fortunate for him because that's like half the film. The scene when Logan and Storm fight Magneto's new henchmen at Jean's house was a memorable fight scene, one that was well directed, and I have to be honest, the entire final battle/"The last stand" was very enjoyable.
Every other scene between characters feels very empty, and literally every new character feels underdeveloped.(The returning character's also feel less developed then usual. Is that even a thing?)
One last thing that really bother's me about the film: "Levels". What the hell are "levels"?! In this film, all mutants are classified by what level they are at. I don't know what that means, in this context at least. This is a concept never mentioned in the first two films and never explained in this film. Maybe people who read the comics know what their talking about, I don't. Charles and Erik casually refer to Jean as level 5. Super speed girl refers to Erik and Pyro as level 3. It just pisses me off!
Hugh Jackman really shines as Wolverine. He always kills it as Logan! Always! But I guess you sort of appreciate it more here because his acting is usually the best part of this movie.
You have to give credit where credit is due, because one thing that Brett Ratner nails is the Phoenix Rage scenes, first when she loses it at her house and again following the final battle. Both of those scenes are outstanding and incredibly epic!
Anyway, all criticism aside, this is a good movie, just not a good X-Men movie.

Top critical review

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Story implodes with ridiculous climax

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 30, 2020

X-Men Last Stand which was the first cinematic rendition of the Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix character. It was another rendition of the humans vs mutant story as the humans come up with a cure for mutation. The film had such great promise but just became a mess by the end.

Things start with a CGI’d young Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) visiting a very young Jean Grey in an attempt to bring her into their school for mutants. She immediately shows off her awesome powers by levitating all the cars in the neighborhood. That’s where there’s a cameo by Stan Lee. The scene would be revisited in the middle of the movie to dramatic effect.

The plot centers around the famous conflict between humans and mutants. The former fear the rise of super beings and create a serum that neutralizes the mutant gene. The government of course weaponizes the drug. Magneto believes this will mean genocide for his people and creates an army of mutants to counter the state. The X-Men are concerned as well and get caught between the government and Magneto. The moralism of this issue is actually brought up a few times in the movie and is important to consider.

In a bit of Marvel nerdery the Worthington Labs is the company that comes up with the serum. Worthington being the family of the Angel who makes a few cameos in the movie and who was one of the original X-Men in the comics.

There are great things in the beginning that showed the potential of the movie. For instance, the X-Men are in a training scenario in the danger room that includes Colossus throwing Wolverine in what’s called a fastball special in the comics to destroy a giant robot that is modeled after the Sentinels, machines created to kill mutants. Jean Grey played by Famke Janssen who died in the previous movie, also comes back to life, and kills her boyfriend Cyclops played by James Marsden.

There’s also some deft casting such as Kelsey Grammer as the Beast. His voice and demeaner is perfect for the character who is part genius.

Where things go wrong is at the end. There’s a huge confrontation between six X-Men and Magneto's army and it is so ridiculous, so unbelievable, so badly choreographed that it simply undermines the whole thing. How can a movie that started off so well go so badly?

Overall, the first 2/3 of X-Men Last Stand is great, and then that’s ruined by the conclusion.

Last note, don’t forget the secret ending.
C

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From the United States

P. Soares

RATNER THE HACK RUINS THE X MEN SERIES

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 8, 2009

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What a major disappointment this film turned out to be. The first two films in the series directed by Brian Singer were not necessarily accurate, but still had weight to them. This installment however brings nothing to the table but action scenes with no weight. Major characters are killed off with little fanfare leaving the viewing audience with the most uninteresting mutants to fight the final battle. Underdeveloped characters like Collossus, Roque, Angel, Kitty Pryde and Iceman step in to fight the final battle. But they are so underdeveloped that we just don't care what happens. The Phoenix storyline which should have been the focus, is reduced to a subplot. Magneto, who was somewhat sympathetic in the first two films, is reduced to a cackling villain who doesn't care about the very mutants he is sacrificing for. Note the line in the final battle where he states while mutants are falling in battle..and he says this smirking.."this is why the pawns go first". This is so out of character from the first two films. Xavier also has a line that he delivers to Wolverine, "I don't need to explain myself, least of all to you." Why would he say that to Logan? Completely out of character.

The final battle is so absurd. Magneto moves a bridge but can't bring a building down? And his master plan is to throw flaming cars at the X-men? That's it? FLAMING CARS? THE MUTANT WAR THAT WAS BUILDING UP CAME DOWN TO FLAMING CARS? And Jean Grey does nothing for most of the movie but watch. She kills Xavier and Cyclops without any remorse. This movie just plain sucked. For me personally the trilogy begins with X men Origins Wolverine. I know many people did not like it, but I thought it was pretty good. It wraps up with X2 as Logan's story comes full circle from Origins. X3 for me is not part of cannon. I wish Singer or someone else, anybody else would direct another X men film that ignores the events of X3. Or just start over. That's all.

7 people found this helpful

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P. Soares

SINGER'S VISION RUINED

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 11, 2009

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4 people found this helpful

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Debbie.

they ruined a universe.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 10, 2010

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politics, politics, politics.

because James Marsden was on Superman Returns Cyclops gets killed off? REALLY?

you cannot kill all the main people and expect to have a good movie!

+ it is SHORT!

no connection.

PLEASE FIRE HALLE BERRY, the ONLY actor that should play storm is Rupaul Charles!
(seriously, think about it!)

too much magneto.

"the cure" is supposed to involve Apocalypse.

my ONLY solution is that everyone that died got absorbed into Jean's mind and once she died they all come back to this reality?
or it is all just a dream that happens for that instant at the end of X2 when the professor says it is all going to be OK.... this all could just be his vision?

ACTUALLY- if they would do a "Days of Future Past" film that prevents this cure from going into production (preventing the Legacy Virus) & Cable also brings the sentinal program for the danger room from the future so they can prepare incase it still happens. so that explains that....
and this film would be set just after Jean is in the water & they pull her out & put her in suspended state of hibernation ... this saves her to come back later as dark phoenix in a better way...
just an idea, but it is going to take some creativity to rescue this...

Let's hope someone really in tune comes on board to save this.

to be said of this film, though, the explosions were fun, but that's it.

One person found this helpful

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R-Suarez-

What a ripoff! Wait for a new edition!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 5, 2006

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I am not going to talk about the movie as the star I am giving it is to the DVD release of this film.

Yeah, two different version are released, the regular and the so called 'Stan Lee's edition'

My problem? Both editions contain a single DVD. This movie was released in region 4 in Mexico weeks before it hit the shelves in the US in a far superior 2 DVD boxed set. Yeah, you read correctly, the first DVD contains the movie in the same edition as this one with the deleted scenes and the second DVD is loaded with interviews, trailers, animatics, documentaries (including Brett Rattner's diaries and the 'Evolution of the trilogy') and extra features. The bonus disc is already produced and finished yet not released in the US.

Get ready to buy within a couple months the 'X3.5' or whatever crappy name they give to this movie on a 2 disc edition.

Since I have a multiregion DVD player I am going to get the region 4 edition and then edit my review here. Thought fans of the movie and the comics should be aware of this before buying to decide which edition is better for them to collect.

11 people found this helpful

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J. M.

I'm so bored with today's super hero films.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 1, 2008

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There's nothing wrong with a bit of mindless, escapist entertainment from time to time. But I've just about had it with today's crop of mind numbing, CGI infested, super hero stink-fests!

I thought the original X-Men movie was a decent, big budget "B-Movie". The second film was a typical sequel, and ended up being a step down from the original. This third installment is both poorly written and poorly directed. It's a simple "by the numbers" sequel that leaves a LOT to be desired. If all you're looking for is CGI effects, then maybe you'll enjoy this mess.

Don't expect to actually care about ANY of the characters in this film, because the script writers obviously didn't. It seems they were too busy thinking up mindless battle scenes. Also, whatever you do, don't actually THINK about the "powers" that some of the characters possess, or you'd soon realize that if they actually USED them, most of the action scenes wouldn't even last a few minutes.

I actually collected X-Men comics back in the late 70's and early 80's, and I can tell you that there was more character depth in the pages of each one those thin comics than in this entire film!

JM

2 people found this helpful

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Low value product (not a movie review)

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 14, 2006

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Rather than review the movie, which I like quite a bit, I'm reviewing the Collector's Edition package. All the CE includes is a slip box case and a mini-comic book compilation. In the compilation, only one is new, the remainder being old stories. The CE package also includes the standard widescreen package, clamshell case and all. It is EXACTLY the same.

Why exactly does one pay for the extra junk? I did because I didn't read the description carefully enough. You shouldn't. Get the standard WS version and save $10. The movie is the same and so is the transfer. Great movie by the way.

13 people found this helpful

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Deana Sellens

Great movie, but don't buy movies on Amazon

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 9, 2017

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Great movie, but don't buy movies on Amazon. You do not own the content and cannot download it if you want to take it on a trip. Microsoft allows you to download what you purchase. I try to do the right thing and purchase content legally. I have tons of friends who just steal it. Either buy the DVD or go through Microsoft!!!!!

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Debi-Ann Ward

I'm very disappointed that the disk is faulty and keeps hanging up ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 19, 2014

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I took too long to watch this movie--simply didn't have time. Now that I have watched it, I'm very disappointed that the disk is faulty and keeps hanging up in the same place, skipping scenes. I can't return it because it's way past the return date, but if the disk had been okay, I wouldn't have had a problem with it regardless of when I was finally able to watch it.

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