Good comic book to film adaptions understand that the stories told are allegories to real world issues, and with the X-Men, the allegories are more transparent than most. Hated and feared because they are born with special powers; “a cure” is created to make mutants stop being mutants. The ultimate choice for every mutant is, should I take the cure and become human? Against this backdrop, Brett Ratner, the new man in the director’s chair, creates an action-spectacular that is deliberately fast-paced but in some aspects darker and more complex than the earlier films.
The director of the last two films, Brian Singer, left the series to direct Superman Returns. Singer’s absence is noticeable but negligible in the film, with Ratner doing his best to skew close to Singer’s original vision. The “final” chapter in the trilogy leads to a splintering of the X-Men, along with some difficult individual choices by Professor Xavier’s pupils. This darker vision may be difficult for some fans of the earlier films to accept, but was necessary to the overall story arc.
Ian McKellan (Magneto), the “bad guy” of the series, and Patrick Stewart (Professor X), the leader of the good guys, bring their acting chops to the film, appearing in the most poignant moments. The most stand-out performance from the newcomers to the film series is Kelsey Grammar, who plays Hank “The Beast” McCoy, an acrobatic intellectual, who’s mutation causes blue fur to cover his entire body. The younger members of the X-team are given time to mature and grow in the context of the film, leading the audience to believe the future of the X-franchise may focus primarily on them.
Final chapters of trilogies can be notoriously difficult in meeting with audiences’ expectations, however X3 is an enjoyable, entertaining film, and a suitable cap to the series.
4 out of 5