Plot: What’s it about?
As tensions rise between mankind and some of the mutant population, lines have begun to be drawn in the sand. A band of renegade mutants led by Magneto (Ian McKellan) lies in wait and makes plan to launch an attack against mankind. After all, they feel as if mankind are the inferior species and don’t want to be cataloged or forced to register themselves. Magneto’s wrath soon elevates from discussion to action however, when a drug company announces they have created a cure for mutants. One needle and the mutants are turned into normal people, which thrills some, but angers Magneto to no end. At the same time, Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) heads up his own band of mutants, but he wants peace and common ground. The death of Jean Grey (Famke Jannsen) has left Xavier’s group in a down state, but when she suddenly returns, things aren’t as smooth as expected. Grey is not as calm and peaceful as before and soon, she is sought after by both Xavier and Magneto, though for totally different purposes. When both find her at the same time, her incredible powers spiral to epic levels and in the process, Xavier is killed. Magneto soon attacks a center offering to cure mutants, which sparks retaliation from the government. But as Magneto and his forces close in to eliminate the source of the cure, will Xavier’s troops be able to withstand this final conflict?
The epic saga continues with this third installment, as old favorites return and a wealth of new faces arrive, all in time to brave the final confrontation. Bryan Singer abandoned ship for this third volume and new director Brett Ratner makes the series his own. And by that, I mean he chooses to lose the storyline driven action from the two previous films and focus on pure popcorn entertainment. All the stops are pulled out and while there is a ton of action on screen and endless special effects, X-Men: The Last Stand pales by comparison. I love action, don’t get me wrong, but the other two films just nailed the balance between action and storyline so well, I wasn’t pleased how over the top Ratner took this installment. I loved the concept of the “cure,” especially when used as a weapon, but that wasn’t enough. Even a huge influx of new characters, including the awesome Juggernaut isn’t enough to cover up the flaws. The movie smashes us over the head with melodrama at times, but I prefer a more refined, effective approach to such scenes. X-Men: The Last Stand is impressive as far as visuals and special effects, but it can’t hold a candle to the previous two films overall. Even so, the movie is ideal for a one time watch if you want to turn off your brain, so not all is lost.
Video: How does it look?
X-Men: The Last Stand is presented in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen. This movie has some dynamic visuals, so it seems like an ideal showcase for Blu-ray’s magic. The film stock used causes more grain than usual to be present, but this is not a flaw with this transfer. Aside from the grain, this treatment looks great and one of the better earlier Blu-ray transfers I’ve seen. A few sequences aren’t up to snuff, as far as detail is concerned, but most scenes look refined and show excellent depth. The colors are bright and vibrant, while contrast is stark and rarely wavers, so the movie looks awesome. This is one to pop in and impress your friends, as the movie looks excellent, with a few minor exceptions.
Audio: How does it sound?
I had high hopes for the DTS HD soundtrack, but as high as those hopes were, the track surpassed them and offers a reference level experience. The movie isn’t all about action, but most of it is, so the surrounds have a lot to do here. The speakers run full speed and rarely ease up, with power and presence to burn, so this is one active and immersive presentation. The explosions and gunfire sound excellent, but so do the various mutant powers, which are handled to perfection. All the impact elements from the fight scenes are fantastic, you’ll feel like you are toe to toe with the mutants. But the dialogue is never pushed aside and lower key elements also sound good, this is just a phenomenal soundtrack. This disc also includes Spanish and French language tracks, as well as subtitles in English and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
All the extras from the single disc standard DVD have been ported over, so it is nice to have a few extras to sample. I sampled both of the commentary tracks here and to be honest, neither of them sparked my interest. The first is with director Brett Ratner and the screenwriters, which is decent, but never provides that much insight, while the trio of producers on the second track don’t fare much better. You will find some production information in both sessions, but not enough to warrant the investment of two additional screenings. The only other bonus goodies are some deleted scenes and a trivia track.
