X-Men: Last Stand (Film)

I re-watched the first 2 X-Men on DVD to refresh my memory on what our band of merry mutants were previously up to. I remember liking the 2nd very much. My impressions on the first changed. I found myself liking it more than I remembered. It still feels like a much smaller scaled film than the second. I really liked how Ian McKellen played Magneto, especially in the 3rd one. Enough to the point where I want to watch some of his earlier work, in particular Apt Pupil, Gods and Monsters, and Richard III. He is a real stand out in the third film.

As for the rest of the movie, I wished it was longer. Some characters die, some are cured, and some we don't see at all. I wanted the film to breathe a bit more and have some additional character moments. As it stands, the film moves along at a brisk 104 minutes. It felt that the new writers and director, both all new to the X-Men universe when the previous writers and director moved on to do Superman, had no particular attachment to the characters and did what they pleased. It some ways the shock worked, but other times it felt abrupt and rushed. Will this be the last adventure, hmmm, given its enormous box office, I don't think so. It will be interesting to see in which direction the 4th film will go.