Need for X-tension
Suffice to say, I liked X-Men: The Last Stand, though I wish the running time could've been a little longer so that character relationships and dynamics could be threshed out more. While Brett Ratner's X3 has those moments that fulfill the comic-book action to-do list, I missed Bryan Singer's little dramatic touches. The third movie is about 20 minutes shorter than its predecessor, so there should've been a lot more room to work in the emotions department, an aspect that many consider to be the X-Men's ace in the superhero world.
I'd joke to friends that Brett Ratner must be straight with all the testosterone curdling in the film. That steamy scene between Jean Grey and Wolverine was a surprise, plus how the camera lingered a bit in that shot of the transformed Mystique on the floor. Oh, and Wolvie's pants never get shredded in the climax. (Heheh.) But when it came to what could have been charged exchanges about the mutant cure, the conflict between fitting in and accepting oneself, and that whole allegorical atmosphere mirroring real-world tensions, the scenes would be done and over with before any real sense of urgency could build.
Albeit not deep enough, the movie is entertaining enough. And with $107 million in US box office receipts after the first weekend, what's gonna stop the producers from making an X4?
Suffice to say, I liked X-Men: The Last Stand, though I wish the running time could've been a little longer so that character relationships and dynamics could be threshed out more. While Brett Ratner's X3 has those moments that fulfill the comic-book action to-do list, I missed Bryan Singer's little dramatic touches. The third movie is about 20 minutes shorter than its predecessor, so there should've been a lot more room to work in the emotions department, an aspect that many consider to be the X-Men's ace in the superhero world.
I'd joke to friends that Brett Ratner must be straight with all the testosterone curdling in the film. That steamy scene between Jean Grey and Wolverine was a surprise, plus how the camera lingered a bit in that shot of the transformed Mystique on the floor. Oh, and Wolvie's pants never get shredded in the climax. (Heheh.) But when it came to what could have been charged exchanges about the mutant cure, the conflict between fitting in and accepting oneself, and that whole allegorical atmosphere mirroring real-world tensions, the scenes would be done and over with before any real sense of urgency could build.
Albeit not deep enough, the movie is entertaining enough. And with $107 million in US box office receipts after the first weekend, what's gonna stop the producers from making an X4?
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