X-Men: The Last Stand: A Review

There are many scenes in X-Men: The Last Stand that really don't make a heck of a lot of sense. This is not to say that the film makes no sense, because, on the contrary, the story is smartly written, and bears shades of a number of current political hot buttons. But watching the third installment of the X-men franchise, I couldn't help but feel like I was watching Brett Ratner play with his action figures. Things happen for seemingly no other reason than someone, likely Ratner, thinking to himself, "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if...." and then just doing it, reason be damned!

Which? I was okay with. Though it definitely lacked the dramatic oomph of X2, the end result was still a very solid action picture, well-played by the cast, and directed with the bombastic enthusiasm of a kid who loves his action figures. The answer to "Wouldn't it be cool if...?" is a resounding yes in most cases. Getting to see Wolverine actually act like a wolverine? Awesome. Getting to see the Danger Room in action? Awesome. Vinne Jones as the Juggernaut? Awesome. That scene everyone's seen in the trailers by now with the Golden Gate Bridge? Awesome. I could go on and on. Without a doubt, the movie had its problems; a series of kickass vignettes does not an Oscar winner make. But in the end, X-men: The Last Stand was just too much fun to worry too much about the those little things that might start to nag at you after you've left the theater.