X-Men The Last Stand

(aka 'X-Men 3' or X3')

Directed by Brett Ratner
USA 2006

It's hard to convey the joy that loyal fans are experiencing seeing Marvels best comic books come to life on the screen. 25 years ago I was reading these little graphic wonders that the X-Men films are based upon.... from X-Men #94, the incarnation of what was known as 'The New X-Men' my buddies and I were enthralled. I still recall how dramatically the prices of these books rose in comparison to other titles. They were the most desirable comic books ever created - and like a good film - the strength was in the narrative. Even today I can't let go - I have no comic books anymore... except The X-Men from #94 - 145 safely sealed in mylar bags - the value 1000% more than what I paid. Only as you mature can you come to appreciate what we were reading way back then. These stories were so far beyond anything else, including the comparatively silly Superman or Batman that it could be considered a renaissance in the comic industry. Soon, just the spin-offs of the Marvel's X-men mutant titles were outselling the entire catalogue of their nearest competitor - DC comics.

Although the new film has drastically diverged from the original plot, the premise is the same. Each story has an underlying current of, what debatably could be, the most important issue in the world today - tolerance. As opposed to mutant genes, the dialogue could easily be replaced by a topical conversation of race, religion, color or sexual orientation.

With director Bryan Singer having moved on to Superman Returns, I wasn't overly disappointed in the new gun - Brett Ratner (Rush Hour). His best efforts are in the extensive action sequences. The film is a notch less than it could have been, but I doubt there would ever be a way to fulfill the promise that these comic books held unless one made a 6 - 8 hour film (on the Phoenix saga alone). Performances here are great (Xavier, Storm, Logan and Magneto are outstanding), special effects are state-of-the-art, the story, even fragmented from its origins, still holds keys for a fulfilling ride. Perhaps not quite the film that X-Men 2 was, The Last Stand holds its own. As a fan, whose childhood memory of The Uncanny X-Men cannot whither, I'm grateful for the attempt. It allowed past enjoyment to come flooding back - I was able to recall the innocent thrills of those days. Thank you Stan Lee, Fox and all who put forth effort into creating this ultra-fantasy with social relevance. This will live on. out of

Gary W. Tooze

Posters

Theatrical Release: May 22nd 2006 - Cannes Film Festival

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DVD Review: 20th Century Fox (The Stan Lee Collector's Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Fox Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:44:00
Video	2.35:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.49 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Audio	English (DTS 6.1 ES), English (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX), DUBs: French (Dolby Digital 2.1 Surround), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.1 Surround)
Subtitles	English, Spanish, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Fox Home Video Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Commentary by director Brett Ratner and writers Zak Penn and Simon Kinberg • Commentary by producers Avi Arad, Lauren Shuler Donner, and Ralph Winter • Deletes scenes with optional commentary • 3 alternate endings with optional commentary • Non-anamorphic Trailers (2 for the film and one for 24 Hours) • Special Collector's Edition also features an exclusive original mini-comic written by Stan Lee Preview of The Simpsons Movie and Night At the Museum DVD Release Date: October 3rd, 2006 Keep Case inside fancy cardboard case Chapters: 24

Comments:

The Stan Lee Collector's Edition is very impressive, if a bit glitzy. The progressive, anamorphic image quality is as good as any recent Fox releases of modern films. I expect this is totally accurate (colors, detail etc.) to a theatrical screening. Audio is intense and pure (I listened to the 5.1), subtitles are flawless - overall the package for the feature film representation is about as perfect as one could hope.

There are two commentaries offered - director Ratner and the writers (Penn and Kinberg) give a great overview of the reasons behind the deviations from the origins and some production details, expanded upon in the 2nd commentary with Avi Arad, Lauren Shuler Donner, and Ralph Winter. There are 13 deleted scenes of which there are three alternate endings with optional commentary - fans you couldn't get enough will eat this up. You also get a little comic book for your trouble.

I don't know what else fans could ask for - this stacked DVD package, for me, was worth far more than the price. I loved watching the film and the supplements. The menus are also very entertaining. This DVD is perfect. out of

Gary W. Tooze

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