I caught X-Men: The Last Stand yesterday night. I wasn't really impressed with the first two installments of the trilogy, but having grown up on the X-Men comics, I wasn't ready to give up on the franchise just yet. After all, this was the episode in which we get to see Dark Phoenix!

Much to my disappointment, the movie wasn't at all faithful to the comic. Instead, we get some storyline involving someone discovering and manufacturing a "cure" for the mutant gene. That in itself wasn't that lame, but the resultant exposition was. If Brett Ratner seriously meant this as a metaphor for say, homosexuality, then his treatment of the different mutants' reactions to this revelation sadly dumbed down any noble intentions he might have had.

Another complaint - and I'm not sure whether anyone else could have done a better job with this - is that there were too many characters. There simply wasn't enough time to focus on all of them. On top of the cast from X2, now, we have Colossus, Shadowcat, Iceman, Angel and Beast sharing the limelight as well... and that's just the good guys! There just wasn't enough time to develop any of them adequately. I swear, Colossus didn't even say a word during the entire movie. I feel so sorry for the actor.

On the acting front, Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) and Kelsey Grammer (Beast) did rather well. And of course, Sir Ian McKellan as Magneto simply kicked ass.

And while Halle Berry (Storm) did get to do a lot more (spin around in a tornado, create storms, etc.), her acting... well, I know she's supposed to be the leader of the X-Men and all (it's mentioned as the reason why she reprised the role) but she certainly didn't act like it. She didn't act like the goddess that Storm in the comics was. She seemed rather on the wimpy side. Famke Janssen (Jean/Dark Phoenix) didn't do much either, other than stand in really nice looking costumes and look menacing. And don't even get me started on Vinnie Jones (Juggernaut)! His face and his accent just made me laugh whenever I saw him onscreen.

That being said, I did enjoy the movie. I felt the special effects were awesome. I'd go see it again just for that.