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Written by Pat Pilon
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Thursday, 27 December 2007 19:21 |
A big thanks goes to DVD from Korea, who made this review possible. If you want the movie, then go check out their site.
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
R3 Korea
Fox
The Movie
Is there one trilogy where the third part stands up to the other parts? 'Star Wars', 'The Matrix' and 'Infernal Affairs' all started off great, but sort of dwindled in the last act. I'm not sure why this happens, but it's the case in this instance as well. I had high hopes for this movie. It's an 'X-Men' movie, and the marketing campaign was great. The movie is still enjoyable, but not as much as the two previous installments. While the political allegory in the movie has always been secondary to the personal allegory, this time the political side is pushed to the front, making the bad mutants a lot more Nazi-like than ever before (I'm talking about all media here, not just the movies).
Bryan Singer should have probably stayed with Fox and finished the trilogy instead of heading towards 'Superman Returns' territory, which, judging by the critical reception, may as well have been directed by 'X-Men: The Last Stand' director Brett Ratner in any case. In both other movies, Mr. Singer juggled everything with an expert's hand, while in this movie the story is pretty straightforward. The plot centers around everybody trying to keep Jean Grey's newfound powers under control. The funny thing about this is that Jean Grey isn't too much in the movie, when you actually think about it. She shows up, has a fight with Xavier, then is there at the end.
The biggest problem is that, not only doesn't it destroy the X-Men mythos created in the comics and animated series, it doesn't even follow its own history. The movie didn't seem to remember what the previous movie said. In reference to Jean Grey's powers, in part 2 Professor X said that she 'was always hesitant about her powers, always looking to others' (implying she's scared of her strength), while in this one, the professor says he put tried to stop her powers by putting them into her subconscious. So, she's supposed to be strong… but, she's supposed to be weak? Another big problem is that they put Mystique in a metal prison, knowing full well that Magneto would eventually try to free her. I mean, the cops even get plastic guns later on, but why have a metal prison? I don't know if these problems were the fault of the writers or the director, but it's shoddy logic nonetheless.
One last thing I didn't enjoy as much either was the random invention of mutants (apparently director Brett Ratner's doing), for Magneto's lower minions. Callisto (whoisn't invented but is completely changed for the movie, the guy that multiplies, the porcupine guy and the chameleon lady aren't really part of the X-Men world, although I will say it was nice to see Juggernaut, Beast (the casting of Kelsey Grammer is perfect), Jubilee (even if it's for a bit part) and Shadowcat.
The good bits are still seen. The dramatic/romantic (though pretty unnecessary) arc between Wolverine and Jean Grey finally comes to a satisfying end. Wolverine again gets to go crazy, though the action scenes, not choreographed by Corey Yuen, aren't as spectacular as the second part's offerings. The Juggernaut/Wolverine fight does have some nice little bits, though, which are pretty funny. I will say, though, that the final battle is something else. The budget certainly shows through. Cars being flung about and buildings blowing up make for something spectacular.
The movie also takes on the Phoenix saga, which is really interesting, though the job should really have been planned better, and either introduced earlier or left for a fourth part. The movie, though, basically annihilates the possibility of a fourth part. Now, I like it when a series knows when to call it quits, but the Phoenix arc is something that could be a very good trilogy in itself. (Even the animated series spent 9 episodes (a bit more than 3 hours worth) on the Phoenix/Dark Phoenix saga.) This movie relegates the Phoenix saga almost as a sub-plot with something about a cure being introduced, which should have been completely forgotten, in my opinion.
Apart from that, the movie is a good way to spend 100 minutes, especially if you haven't seen the other movies. It's enjoyable, but if you're a fan of the X-Men, it's probably not the best way to finish a trilogy. For example, what happens to Pyro, or Archangel, or Mystique, or Juggernaut? You actually don't see Archangel much in the movie, so why show him at all? He's kind of pointless when you get right down to it. Taking him out completely wouldn't change much. As it is, I suppose it adds another character to think about. The problem is that the movie doesn't think about much else. The core is the relationship between Wolverine and Jean Grey. The movie, though, doesn't focus on that too much, because the politics get in the way, which leaves one wondering: is the movie about the politics, or about the characters?
The DVD
This is the Korean edition, and comes in a nice steelbook case.
Video
2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen. The picture, luckily, is better than the first two parts. It's just about perfect, but not quite. For some odd reason, a few specs are seen in the movie. Not many, though. Apart from that, there's no grain, unless it's wanted, as in the flashback sequences at the start, and the colours are great. They're bright and accurate, and they don't flicker at all. The black level is also very strong and flesh tones very accurate. Authoring is also great, with no edge enhancement at all and no instances of pixelation. Even in the darker scenes, the picture is just about as good as you can get. It's a great picture all around.
Audio
The movie comes in three tracks: a Thai dub in Dolby Digital 5.1, and two English tracks, a Dolby Digital 5.1 EX and a DTS-ES track. I heard the DTS-ES track, though the Dolby track is almost as good. The track is full and dynamic, as can be expected. The dialogue is always clear, with no muffling or no drowning out by other elements. The few quiet moments are handled well and sound intimate, while the more intense moments rattle your walls. The positions are accurate and surround use frequent. The starting action sequence and the stunning finale are both quite active while cars and things fly around your living room. (As a side note, I can just imagine listening to this in DTS-HD on the Blu-ray release. It must be something else.) The track is typical of a big action movie, but that doesn't mean it isn't spectacular.
Extras
Upon putting in the first disc, you get two choices, and the choice dictates the extras you'll be able to watch. Whatever you choose, you'll get an audio commentary and a bunch of deleted scenes. IF you Take a Stand, you'll get an audio commentary with director Brett Ratner and writers Zak Penn and Simon Kinberg, and it's a good one. It's better than the other audio commenary with producers Ralph Winter, Lauren Shuler Donner and Avi Arad. There's some overlap, but together they're pretty complete. The producers aren't too enthusiastic, though. I mean, they're making your movie, guys! Perk up! Listening to these, you kind of learn why the movie isn't so good. Everybody seemed to have their own idea of what to put in the movie, making it kind of scattered. The characters, the action, the locations, the script changes, the comic book, the effects and everything are talked about in these tracks, making for a very informative time.
Next up are a bunch of Deleted Scenes. While Taking a Stand, you'll see: 'Xavier Voice-Over for Main Titles' (0:32), pretty much the same as the movie, 'Alternate Version: Beast Meets Logan' (0:30), only one tiny change, 'Extended Fight Sequence in Jean's House' (1:40), I like this a lot better, especially the start, 'Alternate Version: Bobby and Kitty Skate' (1:10), this one should be in the movie, 'Plastic Weapons Manufacturing' (0:33, same as before, as stated above), 'Hank Warns Trask of Magneto's Plan' (0:39), 'Original Version: X-Men Board the Jet' (1:18), this is much, much better in the movie, 'Jean Senses a Scared Little Girl' (0:45), this should be in the movie, you want to create a duality, show the freaking duality! 'Storm Creates a Wave' (0:38), neat little scene, but either way the movie is fine, 'Beast Breaks a Neck' (0:19), 'Bobby Freezes Phat' (0:21), cool scene… should be in, and though it really looks cartoony, it's still a comic book, 'Alternate Ending: New School Year Begins' (0:41), given the way the climax turned out, I doubt this would happen, 'Alternate Ending: Logan Returns to Alberta, Canada' (1:20), nice way to bookend the trilogy.
Joining the Brotherhood gets you: 'Jimmy in Laboratory' (0:36), 'Pyro Tells Magneto About the Cure Announcement – Clean Shaven Version' (0:47), 'Pyro Tells Magneto About the Cure Announcement – Bearded Version' (0:46), 'Alternate Version: Guard Yells at the President' (0:24), funny, but wouldn't get past MPAA for a PG-13 rating, 'Psychic Battle Voices' (1:53), 'Original Version: Jean Displays her Power at the Encampment' (1:39), cool… don't know which one I like better, but what's in the movie is probably a bit more appropriate, 'Plastic Weapons Manufacturing' (0:33, same in both sets of deleted scenes), 'Magneto Asks Jean to Help in the Battle' (0:38), 'Alternate Version: Here's Juggy' (0:18), 'Magneto Tortures Logan' (0:43), 'Extended Dark Phoenix Destruction' (0:50), I'm not sure what the extension is, and 'Alternate Ending: Rogue Returns' (0:44).
There's an optional commentary witht the director and two writers for these. I agree with some of their thoughts, but I'm in complete opposition to their thoughts on 'X-Men Board the Plane'. Similarly, the scenes I wish they'd kept in were taken away because they were too long or too involved, which I think would've added to the movie a bit. A few times, they do say 'we shouldn't have cut this out', but never go on to say why they cut it. Nice explanations, though.
To finish, there's an Inside Look, which is a funny 76-second teaser for 'The Simpsons' movie. There an easter egg, only 34 seconds long, and involves the X-Jet landing in Washington, where the original climax took place.
That's it for the first disc. The second DVD doesn't have the good/evil choice, but comes with a bunch of choices. The first is Documentary, which contains three things: Brett Ratner's Production Diaries (41:15), X-Men: The Evolution of a Trilogy (44:55) and X3: The Excitement Continues (21:16). The diaries are amazing. It's behind teh scenes footage throughout most of the shoot. You see Mr. Ratner giving directions, helping out the actors, telling the crew what he wants. It's a great look at the making of the movie. You also see his lighter side, like the thing with Halle Berry on his shirt and the full-body Wolverine makeup. The two other things are nothing more than EPKs and are kind of bland. They're not boring, but they're far from interesting. The evolution is and EPK from each X-Men movie all stuck together and the excitement continues 'documentary' is an EPK for the third movie. The cast and crew talk about the movie, their characters, the director, the locations, the comic books and the like. It's all very superficial, though, and a real doc made for the DVD would have been a lot better.
Next up are a couple of Featurettes, one called X-Men Close Up, the next called Anatomy of a Scene: Golden Gate Bridge (12:02). The close up feature is great, and it shows how badly adapted the movie is. You have character profiles, their history, a photo gallery and a few inerview bits with the actors, director and producers. It's really interesting, especially the history part. You have these little bios on Beast (23-, 18-, 30- and 40-second interview bits), Storm (19, 14 and 19 seconds), Rogue (18, 20 and 18 seconds), Wolverine (27, 22, 18, 36 seconds), Pyro (20, 17, 27 seconds), Angel (18, 49, 25, 32 seconds), Professor X (28, 39, 27 seconds), Colossus (22 and 17 seconds), Jean Grey (21, 19, 23, 23 seconds), Mystique (15, 29, 20 seconds), Juggernaut (24, 34, 25, 18 seconds), Callisto (24, 25, 18 seconds), Cyclops (20, 20, 16 seconds), Magneto (83, 6, 31 seconds), Iceman (23, 19 seconds) and, finally, Kitty Pryde (32 and 24 seconds). For some reason, Iceman is the only one with no pictures from the comic in his gallery. The information, especially the history, is very good. A little problem, though, is that some of the information is already out of date. Colossus being the prime example. The Golden Gate Bridge sequence is explained in detail, giving you plenty of behind the scenes footage on location, on the set and of the models, as well as on the computer of the scene. It's a very thorough look at the way they made the scene.
Next up are a bunch of Previz Animatics. I wonder why some of these were prevized, though, given they don't have many effects. Oh well, they're pretty interesting. Most of them are CG, though you do have some storyboards at times. The prevized scenes are: Young Jean Grey (0:57), The Danger Room (2:55), Mystique’s Interrogation (1:01), Jean Rises from the Lake (2:22), Logan and Storm Look for Scott (1:36), Jimmy Meets Mutant Playmate (0:28, not in the movie), Angel Escapes (1:35), Mystique’s Prison Break (1:48), Jean Kills Xavier (2:18), Angel Lands at Schoool (0:17, not in the movie), Magneto Talks to Jean in the Woods (0:23), Logan Fights with Spike (1:34), Multiple Man Decoy (1:05), Magneto Moves Golden Gate Bridge (2:32), Angel Joins the Battle (0:33, not in the movie, pretty useless scene, also), Angel Saves his Dad (0:17), Ash Burns Soldiers (0:10), Omega Muties Break into Lab (0:12, not in the movie), Juggernaut Chases Kitty (0:41) and Dark Pheonix Finale (2:46).
The next section shows you seven Vignettes: The Prophecies (4:31) talks about the hints in the first two movies about the third one, X-Men Politics (4:10) talks about the issues addressed in the X-Men universe, Clothing vs. Costume (4:11) talks about, well, the fashion, Make-Up Chair Confessions (3:04) focuses on Kelsey Grammer and Vinnie Jones in the make-up chair, Weapon of Choice (3:06) talks about the different weapons humans use to fight the mutants, On Set Effects (2:30) talks about the practical effects on the movie, and Learning to Fly (5:30) talks about Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman and their wirework.
Some Blogs are next. Three of them: Production Teaser (0:56), Live from the Danger Room (3:14), Marvelous Cameos (3:01) and Editing Magic (7:04). They’re pretty self-explanatory. The last one is more interesting because the three editors actually talk about editing. The others basically feature the typical promo stuff of people waving to the camera and saying hello. The cameo one focuses on Stan Lee and Chris Claremont and their cameo in the movie. It’s nice.
We're not finished yet. You get to see some Galleries next. There are two sections: 'Character Stills' and 'Concept Art, Storyboards and Models'. The first has between two and seven (promo) pictures of Angel, Beast, Callisto, Colussus, Cyclops, Iceman, Juggernaut, Kitty, Magneto, Mystique, Jean Grey/Pheonix, Professor Xavier, Pyro, Rogue, Storm and Wolverine. The second gallery has some scenes with the three types of pictures mentioned. For some scenes, I'm wondering why they needed concept art. I mean, this came from a comic book. It's got built-in concept art. In any case, the second set of pictures (The Danger Room) only has concept art, the Golden Gate set is the only one with model pictures, the rest have concept art and storyboards. The sets are: Angel Escapes Lab, The Danger Room, Golden Gate Bridge, Jean vs. Xavier and Pheonix vs. Wolverine.
Now it's finished. How's that for thorough?
OVERALL
The package here is better than the movie. The picture and sound are stunning and natural, while the extras are extensive. The movie could be better and that's probably due to the director changing in pre-production, but it still somewhat enjoyable. The extras explain every detail of the movie, showing you how everything was done. If you're a fan of the movie, this is a must to have (and it comes in a really nice steelbook case!), and if you're a fan of the trilogy, it's still worth it.
Movie - C+
Video - A-
Audio - A-
Extras - A
Overall - B+
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