X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

Preceeded by: X2 (2003)

	Directed by: Brett Ratner	COUNTRY USA/UK GENRE Action/Adventure/ Sci-FI NORWEGIAN TITLE X3: The Last Stand RUNNING TIME 104 minutes
	Produced by: Avi Arad Lauren Shuler Donner Ralph Winter
	Written by: Simon Kinberg Zak Penn

Review

Bryan Singer is gone and Brett Ratner has replaced him, but the tone and spirit of Singer's X2 are kept, if not enhanced, in this third X-Men entry. Arguably the best No. 3 of any film series, The Last Stand thrives on the complexity and diversity of the characters, special effects that are not only technically brilliant but also highly imaginative, and, last but not least, brilliant writing from the team of Simon Kinberg and Zak Penn. Although the film does belong to the new franchise trend that has affected the fantasy genre in particular, The Last Stand works both as a continuance and as a standalone feature, because its starting point is to logically justify every move and to treat every character with respect and depth – despite the fact that there is an abundance of them. Based on the quality of the second and this third film, X-Men is arguably the one Hollywood fantasy/sci-fi series you should choose from the first decade of the 2000s.