X MEN 3: THE LAST STAND

US, 2006, 104 minutes, Colour.
Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian Mc Kellan, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Kelsey Grammer, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Sean Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones, Ben Foster, Josef Sommer, Helen Page, Michael Murphy, Shohreh Aghadashloo, Bill Duke, Cameron Bright.
Directed by Brett Rattner.

Comic strip heroes come and go on the big screen. The X Men came, returned and here for the third time. A touch sexist in the title since several of the leading mutants are X Women.

The appeal in the X Men films is that there is a great variety of characters and they get a chance to perform in their ‘ordinary’ appearance as well as in their mutant stages. This edition opens with a little back history as Professor Xavier and Eric go to visit families to do a little vocational recruiting. It explains Jean’s background and prepares us for her resurrection. However, she comes back to a split personality life and, after destroying , she is the catalyst for a mutant revolution.

Actually, there is an occasion for the revolution. While the US government now has a Secretary for the mutants (Kelsey Grammar), plans are developing for a cure to make all mutants ‘normal’. There is a sub-text here about giftedness and talents as well as those who are considered to be marginal and their rights.

When the battle begins, it is quite spectacular, especially a dislocation of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

The film offers a mixture of sedate training for mutants at the Academy under Professor Xavier and then Storm (Halle Berry) while Logan/Wolverine smoulders around the edges until he goes into final action. There are a range of students who have to come to terms with their talent and a group of rebels who are won over by Eric/Magneto (Ian McKellen).

This might be the Last Stand, but the ending is definitely open for X Men IV.

1. The popularity of the X Men films? The characters? The mutants? Action?

2. The origin in comic books? The transfer to the screen? The conventions of comic book heroes? Action? Crises? Heroism?

3. The importance of the make-up, the different styles for the mutant characters? Their creative and destructive powers?

4. The special effects for each character, transforming from human appearance into their characteristic? In action, defying gravity, defying violence? The importance of the special effects for the set pieces, especially the Golden Gate Bridge? The final battles?

5. The ordinary opening, suburbia? The contrast with the White House? The special school? The strange situations – blending ordinary and extraordinary?

6. The continuity from the early films? The range of mutants, their powers? For good or for evil? Xavier for good? Eric Lensherr for evil? The opening and their going to the homes, the discussions with the children, with the parents? Especially Jean and her capacities? The history of what followed?

7. The change in American politics, a secretary representing the mutants, Doctor Hank McCoy/Beast? His skill in politics? Public fears? The desire to have a cure? Warren Worthington and his son, his capacities, medical experimentation? The finding of the cure? The use? The decision by government to impose the cure on all mutants? To rid society of their special powers? The allegorical background re particular groups? Persecution, cures? Leading to rebellion?

8. Jean, her return from the dead, her powers? Her meeting with Scott Summers/Cyclops? Their love? Her causing his death? Her returning to Xavier? Meeting Wolverine? Her needing help? The dilemma of her good and evil? Magneto and his wanting to use her? Taking her away? Her dilemmas, the weapon, her being used, her death?

9. Wolverine as the leading hero, character, his powers, his appearance? His relationship with Storm? Going into action? His love for Jean? The confrontation of the enemy, especially Magneto? The strength and weakness of his powers? The final victory?

10. Storm, her skills with the weather? Her appearance? Her teaching at the college? Discussions with Xavier, Xavier wanting her to succeed him? Using her powers, especially during the battle?

11. Iceman and his love for Marie/Rogue? Hot and cold? Inability to touch each other? Rogue and her wanting to leave, their discussion with Wolverine, with Xavier? Her taking the cure – and able to touch Iceman? Iceman and his confrontation with the fiery mutant of Magneto’s force?

12. Warren Worthington, his son, his angelic powers? The father wanting his son to lead a normal life? The investigation of the cure? The finding of the cure in Jimmy/Leech? His being isolated in the institute? The rebellion, the taking siege of the facility, the threat to Worthington, his being pushed over the side, his son saving him as Angel?

13. The students, at the school, the classes? Xavier and his presiding over the institute? The symbol of goodness? Recognising the powers in people, especially Jean? The clash with Magneto, the rivalry over the times? Xavier and his death – but the finale with his voice being transferred into the other body?

14. Magneto, his initial goodness, transformation to evil? Prison, his being impersonated by Raven/Mystique – and her death? At the opening with Xavier? His option for evil? As a fugitive? His rounding up associate mutants with a variety of powers, as a gang, using their skills, their personalities? The attack, the orchestration of the upheaval on the bridge? The final confrontation? The irony of his being injected with the cure – and ordinary old man, sitting in the park?

15. Leech, the attack, his being rescued?

16. The impact of the bridge episode, the special effects, the cars, the Gold Gate? The battle?

17. The portrait of the president, having Beast on his Council? The decisions? His being imprisoned? Hank McCoy?, the political role, joining the mutants, participating in the battles?

18. The blend of action, adventure, allowing people to be themselves, fostering talents and not controlling them? An entertaining combination?