Next to the Spiderman, Batman and Superman movies, the X-Men movies have also proven a very popular and successful comic book movie franchise.
Both X-Men (2000) and X2 (2003) were directed by wunderkind Bryan Singer who at 30 and with just his second feature, rose to such instant fame with noir comedy The Usual Suspects (1995).
Busy on another entry into the big budget comic movie stakes (the $300 million Superman Returns shot in Sydney and due for release in July) Singer was unavailable to guide X-Men 3: The Last Stand to further success.
Instead the job went to Hollywood gun-for-hire Brett Ratner, who made the very ordinary Rush Hour action comedies, and Red Dragon (2002), the even less remarkable remake of the first Hannibal Lechter movie, Manhunter (1986).
Frasier's Kelsey Grammar joins the X-Men line-up. He play the hirsuit, blue-skinned "Beast" aka Dr. Henry McCoy, a newly appointed member of the new "mutant-friendly" American administration.
The US government has invented a permanent cure for the mutant X gene, which incenses renegade leader Magento (Da Vinci Code's Ian McKellen).
In retaliation Magneto rallies a rebel army of mutant folk to defeat those who support the antidote, and, anyone who stands in their way. This includes former ally and now arch rival Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and his beloved "good guy" X-Men.
Magneto's battle cry... "If you're not for us you're against us..."
Hmmm, sounds like someone else we all know just before the US went to war with Iraq' No wonder they are called the Uncanny X-Men...
It was a comic before its time in more ways than one. While X-Men 3 is not as poignant or melancholy a study of the politics of "being different" as the first film, it is equally well written, solidly dramatic and, extremely thrilling. The visual effects support the story rather than overwhelm it, and are integrated superbly into the live action and story.
And even more important to the integrity of the film, director Ratner has left the characters intact.
They are certainly not the two-dimensional macho action figures that marred Singer's X2.
All of the actors, from the "old cast" (Hugh Jackman, Anna Paquin, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen and co.), to the newly appointed superheroes (Vinnie Jones and Ben Foster among them), are fantastic in their respective roles, bringing convincing emotional and dramatic weight to the sometimes moving story (Which includes Jean Smart's resurrection from her certain death as witnessed in X2. But to go into any more detail would be to give far too much away).
X-Men is such a great parable for our times. It is impossible not to watch X3 without being reminded of what is going on politically in the States and elsewhere in Iraq and the Middle East.
I for one am very relieved the usually disappointing Ratner got X-Men 3 this right. Kind of makes up for the missed opportunity that was V For Vendetta'
