X-Men: The Last Stand

X-Men: The Last Stand
File:X3P 003.jpg X-Men: The Last Stand theatrical poster
Directed by	Brett Ratner
Written by	Screenplay: Simon Kinberg Zak Penn Comic Book: Stan Lee Jack Kirby
Produced by	Lauren Shuler Donner Ralph Winter Avi Arad
Starring	Hugh Jackman Patrick Stewart Halle Berry Ian McKellen Famke Janssen Anna Paquin Kelsey Grammer James Marsden Rebecca Romijn Shawn Ashmore Aaron Stanford Vinnie Jones Ellen Page Ben Foster Michael Murphy Bill Duke Eric Dane Dania Ramirez Omahyra Mota Daniel Cudmore
Cinematography	Dante Spinotti
Edited by	Mark Helfrich Mark Goldblatt Julia Wong
Music by	John Powell
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date	May 26, 2006
Running time	104 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$459,256,008

X-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It is directed by Brett Ratner, who took over when Bryan Singer dropped out to direct Superman Returns. The movie revolves around a "mutant cure" that causes serious repercussions among mutants and humans, and on the mysterious resurrection of Jean Grey, who appeared to have died in X2. The film is loosely based on two X-Men comic book story arcs: writer Chris Claremont's and artist John Byrne's "Dark Phoenix Saga" in The Uncanny X-Men and writer Joss Whedon's and artist John Cassaday's six-issue "Gifted" arc in Astonishing X-Men.

The film was released May 26, 2006 in the United States and Canada. Despite mixed reviews from critics and fans, the film did well at the box office. Its opening-day gross of $45.5 million is the fourth-highest on record while its opening weekend gross of $103 million is the fifth highest ever.

Plot

A pharmaceutical company called Worthington Labs announces that it has developed an inoculation to permanently suppress the X-gene that gives mutants their powers, offering the so-called "cure" to any mutant who wants it. While some mutants are interested in the cure, including the X-Men's Rogue, many others are horrified by the announcement. In response to the news, the X-Men's adversary Magneto raises an army, warning his followers that the cure will be forcefully used to exterminate the mutant race.

Cyclops, still heartbroken about the loss of Jean Grey, returns to Alkali Lake, where Jean sacrificed herself to save the X-Men. Jean appears to Cyclops, and as the two kiss, Jean changes and appears to kill Cyclops. Sensing trouble, Professor Charles Xavier sends Wolverine and Storm to investigate. When they arrive, the two X-Men encounter telekinetically floating rocks, Cyclops' glasses, and an unconscious Jean. Meanwhile Magneto ambushes a military transport and frees Juggernaut, Mystique and Multiple Man, during which Mystique blocks a shot of the mutant cure aimed at Magneto, only to be left behind because she is not "one of them" anymore.

Xavier explains that the majority of Jean's power is seated in her unconscious mind and that, as a result, her powers are largely fueled by instinct, and not under her complete control. In fact, when Jean was a little girl she was so powerful that he had to put telepathic blocks on her mind to help keep her powers under control. Her bottled up powers manifested themselves as an id-like alternate personality called the "Phoenix" — a purely instinctual creature, ruled only by its own violent desires. Wolverine is disgusted to learn that Xavier has kept Jean in check telepathically, but when Jean awakens, he realizes she is not the Jean Grey he knew. Wolverine asks about Cyclops, but she cannot remember and fears she killed him. Jean pleads with Wolverine to kill her before she harms anybody else, but when he refuses, the Phoenix surfaces and telekinetically slams Wolverine into a wall. She then flees to her childhood home. Magneto, also aware that Jean's powers are loose, meets Xavier at Jean's house. The two men plead for Jean's loyalty until the Phoenix resurfaces, unleashing her devastating power. Furious at being caged within Jean's subconscious for twenty years, she destroys her family's house and engages in a psychic battle with Xavier. She eventually overpowers and disintegrates Xavier then leaves with Magneto, temporarily weakened.

File:Cap1410bw3hm.jpg

Jean Grey unleashes her power

Following the losses of Xavier and Cyclops, and pained by her inability to get physically close to her boyfriend, Rogue decides to take the mutant cure. The X-Men regroup and confront Magneto's army, which is attacking the pharmaceutical company's laboratory on Alcatraz Island. The battle begins when Magneto moves the Golden Gate Bridge to land at Alcatraz Island, which is being guarded only by a company of soldiers. The Brotherhood's first charge is ineffective as Magneto is unable to destroy the soldiers' plastic weapons. The first group of mutants, which Magneto refers to as "pawns", are hit with the cure cartridges and depowered. Arclight destroys the weapons with her shockwave, as the X-Men arrive. During the battle, Kitty Pryde leaves to save Leech and at the end of the battle, Beast injects Magneto with the cure, nullifying his mutant powers. After this, Wolverine nearly coaxes Jean back to sanity. However, soldiers arrive and fire upon Jean. The Phoenix quickly emerges and begins to disintegrate everything and everyone around her, vaporizing the soldiers. While the other X-Men flee to safety, Wolverine fights his way to Jean, relying upon his healing abilities to save him from her destructive power. Momentarily gaining control, Jean begs Wolverine to save her. Telling Jean he loves her, Wolverine reluctantly kills her with his claws.

Despite the X-Men's losses, life goes on. The school will continue, even without Xavier. Rogue returns and tells Iceman she had to take the "cure." The two reconcile and continue their relationship now able to touch each other. Magneto, now an ordinary man, sits at a chessboard and reaches out toward a metal chess piece that trembles slightly — indicating that the cure might not be as permanent as originally thought. Following the closing credits, Dr. Moira MacTaggert checks on a comatose patient who greets her with Xavier's voice, implying that he has transferred his mind into this new body.

Cast

X-Men

The X-Men are a special ops team from the Xavier Institute, charged with protecting both humans and mutants and trying to prevent a war between the two.

• Hugh Jackman as Logan / Wolverine: Logan can regenerate spontaneously, a talent which allowed the painful implantation of a metal coating on his bones and metal claws that emerge from each hand.

• Halle Berry as Ororo Munroe / Storm: She can control the weather with her mind. Halle Berry stated during interviews for X2 that she would not return as Storm in the third film unless the character had a significant presence comparable to the comic-book version. Brett Ratner also felt Storm required a larger role and there was little difficulty reaching an agreement.

• Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier: The founder of the Xavier Institute, who has uncharted telepathic powers and is confined to a wheelchair. He is an authority on genetic mutation as well as an advocate of peaceful relations between human and mutant kind.

• Anna Paquin as Marie / Rogue: A teenage runaway mutant who has found a home at Xavier's school and love with Bobby Drake. When she touches someone she absorbs their life force, their powers if they are a mutant, and, if she holds on too long, their life.

• Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Henry "Hank" McCoy / Beast: A former student of Xavier's School who is now the Secretary of Mutant Affairs in the U.S. government. The Beast is covered in blue fur and has a genius level I.Q., and heightened strength and agility. He is a brilliant scientist and researcher with vast intelligence and insight into mutant genetics.

• Shawn Ashmore as Bobby Drake / Iceman: He can control the temperature of the moisture in the air around him to create constructs of ice or blasts of cold. Under extreme conditions, his body may take on many of the characteristics of ice in addition to those of a human.

• Ellen Page as Kitty Pryde: She can "phase" through matter, which allows her to walk through solid objects.

• Daniel Cudmore as Piotr "Peter" Rasputin / Colossus: He can transform his skin into an organic metal, granting superhuman strength and a resistance to damage.

• James Marsden as Scott Summers / Cyclops: The X-Men's field leader. He emits powerful energy blasts from his eyes.

Brotherhood of Mutants

The Brotherhood is Magneto's personal strike force, whose goal is to ensure mutant supremacy.

• Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto: Leader and founder of The Brotherhood, this incredibly powerful mutant can manipulate any form of metal. He is a Holocaust survivor who wages war against humanity in the name of mutant superiority, a goal that often pits him against his old friend Charles Xavier. Has very little interest in or regard for non-mutant human life. He has sophisticated knowledge in matters of genetic manipulation and engineering and has used radiation to mutate humans.

• Famke Janssen as Jean Grey / Phoenix: A former member of the X-Men who sacrificed herself to save her comrades. She is a Class 5 mutant and possesses limitless telepathic powers as well as limitless telekinetic powers that can be used at a sub-atomic level. It is revealed that when she was young Xavier locked away a large portion of her power, which created two personalities within her, and that after the incident at the end of X2, the dark side of Jean's persona known as the Phoenix is unleashed, and combined with her lack of control over her powers means she can disintegrate people at will.

• Rebecca Romijn as Raven Darkholme / Mystique: Magneto's blue-skinned right-hand woman can shapeshift to match anyone's appearance and can fight with incredible agility and strength.

• Aaron Stanford as John Allerdyce / Pyro: Former Xavier Institute student Pyro can manipulate fire, although he cannot start it (he carries a lighter - attached to a cuff on his wrist - with him at all times). He holds a grudge against his former friend Bobby Drake.

• Vinnie Jones as Cain Marko / Juggernaut: The Juggernaut is a new recruit to the Brotherhood. He is incredibly strong, fast, and once he gains momentum, no force can stop him. Despite being the stepbrother of Xavier in the comics, there is no mention of his relation in the film.

• Eric Dane as Jamie Madrox / Multiple Man: Multiple Man can split himself into multiple copies. He is a criminal who joins the Brotherhood upon their releasing him.

The Omegas

A group of mutant outcasts which exists as part of an underground network that stretches across the nation.

• Dania Ramirez as Callisto: Callisto is the leader of The Omegas, a group of mutant outcasts. In the comics, she led a similar group called The Morlocks. She possesses superhuman speed, reflexes, and agility. She can also sense the presence and powers of other mutants. Throughout the film she is constantly battling Storm. In the comic book storyline Storm and Callisto had to battle to see who was the true leader of the Morlocks.

• Omahyra Mota as Arclight: Arclight can generate shockwaves of concussive force by slapping her hands together.

• Ken Leung as Kid Omega: Has porcupine-like spines he can extend or retract at will. This character resembles the comic books' character Quill; however, the official cast credits read "Kid Omega".

• Mei Melançon as Psylocke: Psylocke has the ability to teleport herself through shadows.

Other characters

• Ben Foster as Warren Worthington III / Angel: He has feathered wings which allow him to fly. Cayden Boyd plays Warren as a child.

• Michael Murphy as Warren Worthington II: The head of Worthington Labs, the corporation developing the "cure". He is Angel's father, and wants to rid his son of his mutant abilities.

• Cameron Bright as Jimmy / Leech: A mutant boy whose power neutralizes the powers of nearby mutants. His DNA is the basis for the "cure". After being rescued, he is admitted to the Xavier Institute.

• Shohreh Aghdashloo as Dr. Kavita Rao: Rao is a scientist working at Worthington Labs on the mutant cure, which was created with the DNA of Leech.

The sergeant directing defensive preparations before the Brotherhood assaults Alcatraz Island is played by Gunnery Sergeant R. Lee Ermey, a former U.S. Marine Corps non-commissioned officer who became a military adviser for films and frequent military character actor, best known for his appearance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in the Stanley Kubrick film Full Metal Jacket.

X-Men co-creator Stan Lee and writer Chris Claremont have cameos in the film's opening scene as neighbors in Jean Grey's old neighborhood. Respectively, they are credited as "Waterhose man" and "Lawnmower man".

Despite playing a key role in the secret ending and portrayed as having close personal ties to Professor Xavier, Moira MacTaggert, portrayed by Olivia Williams, was not listed in the official press notes' cast list and goes uncredited in the finished film.

Alan Cumming was reportedly uncomfortable with the long hours he had to take with the Nightcrawler makeup, but still planned to return for X-Men: The Last Stand. The part for Nightcrawler was so minimal, however, that the studio felt it was not worthwhile to go through the long and costly makeup process, and the character was cut. Nightcrawler's absence was explained in the tie-in game.

In the scene where Magneto first meets the Omegas, there is a very large man who slims down in order to sit down between two people. The character, Phat, is played by two actors, Via Saleaumua and Richard Yee, as Phat in "large mode" and "small mode", respectively. The DVD release features a deleted scene in which Phat is frozen solid by Iceman and then shattered by Colossus.

The character Spike, portrayed by Lance Gibson, battles Wolverine in the forest, where he was depicted with the ability to extrude and hurl bony spikes from his flesh. A rhino-like mutant is seen being depowered on Alcatraz in a deleted scene. An animatic on the DVD shows the character who breathes hot embers is named Ash, and the novel lists a raven-haired, leaping female as Komodo.

In the Xavier Institute when Storm and Professor X are walking down the corridor talking about “why they are still hiding”, there are three identical girls (the Stepford Cuckoos).

Production

Bryan Singer, the director of the first two X-Men films, left the project during preproduction in order to direct the film Superman Returns. He was joined by X2 screenwriters Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty and composer / editor John Ottman. Though Singer, Harris and Dougherty had yet to complete a script, the director has revealed that at the time of his departure they had partially completed a story treatment for the film which would have focused exclusively on Jean Grey's resurrection with the new villain Emma Frost, a role intended for Sigourney Weaver.

Simon Kinberg was hired as writer soon after Singer's departure, and speculation arose to Joss Whedon directing the film. Whedon turned down the offer because he was working on a Wonder Woman film. Rob Bowman and Alex Proyas were also rumoured, though Proyas personally turned it down. Zack Snyder was also approached, though he turned it down due to his commitment to 300. Despite the controversy over Singer's departure, the cast and producers were still clearly keen to return. Matthew Vaughn was hired as the new director for the project. He cast Kelsey Grammer as Beast and Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut, but family issues reportedly led Vaughn to withdraw before shooting began. Vaughn was replaced by Singer's friend Brett Ratner. Ratner had coincidentally been set to direct Superman: Flyby.

File:Xmen3patrickstewart.jpg

Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen were made to look 20 years younger through "digital skin grafting".

On June 13, 2005, a review of an incomplete early draft of the screenplay posted by Drew McWeeny from Ain't It Cool News sparked controversy from fans, due to certain main characters' storylines; however, that was the very first of over two dozen drafts of the script. Most notably the Golden Gate Bridge sequence was originally in the middle of the film, but Ratner decided it would create a more dramatic climax if moved to the end, which was originally to take place in Washington, D.C.

X-Men: The Last Stand began shooting in August 2005 and ended in January 2006. Much of X-Men: The Last Stand was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. According to associate producer Dave Gordon, "This is the biggest production ever filmed in Canada. It used to be X2, now it's X3."

Senior actors Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen had their faces completely "de-aged" by complex keyframing, though computer-generated imagery was not used. A technique called "digital skin-grafting" was employed to make them look 20 years younger in the first-scene flashback.

The film has extensive wirework, where many of the actors performed some of their own stunts. The whirlwind wire-stunt performed by Halle Berry during one fight scene reportedly caused Berry to become so nauseated that she vomited. The crew actually had to bring in buckets for her before shooting her scenes. Angel's wings were initially too heavy for Ben Foster, and were remade from foam. Despite his fear of heights, Foster performed a single second-unit stunt where he escapes Worthington's facility.

Reception

X-Men: The Last Stand grossed $45.1 million domestically for the fifth-highest opening day after The Dark Knight ($68.7 million), Spider-Man 3 ($59 million), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ($55.8 million), and Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith ($50 million). (All figures here not adjusted for inflation.) It is ranked fourth among film debuts having generated an estimated $122.9 million domestically during its four-day Memorial Day opening weekend and the number one Memorial Day movie of all time until the record was broken by Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End which earned $142 million during its four-day Memorial Day opening. The website The Numbers notes that the film's weekend gross "equals the record for the fewest number of days taken to earn $100 million, joining four other movies that achieved the feat in three days." However, the film suffered a significant drop of 66.9% in its second weekend, when its box office take fell to $34.0 million. Nevertheless, the film has grossed over $234 million in North America (fourth-highest of 2006) and over $459 million globally (fifth-highest of 2006). It is the fifth-highest-grossing comic book adaptation, and the highest grossing of the X-Men series. It became the first film of 2006, and the 67th film on record, to pass the $200 million mark at the North American box office, which it accomplished on the weekend of June 9, 2006. It is the first X-Men movie to surpass $200 million outside the United States. X-Men: The Last Stand is one of the few third installments in a series to outgross its predecessors, Spider-Man 3 andThe Return of the King being examples.

Reviews of the film have generally been mixed, with the film-review website Rotten Tomatoes giving the film a 57% approval rating. The film review aggregate site Metacritic also reported mixed reviews with a score of 58/100. Ebert and Roeper gave the film a "two thumbs up" rating, with Ebert stating "I liked the action, I liked the absurdity, I liked the incongruous use and misuse of mutant powers, and I especially liked the way it introduces all of those political issues and lets them fight it out with the special effects." Some film critics, however, considered the third film to be of lesser quality than the previous two. Justin Chang from Variety said the film is "a wham-bam sequel noticeably lacking in the pop gravitas, moody atmospherics and emotional weight that made the first two Marvel comicbook adaptations so rousingly successful." Frank Lovece of Film Journal International said, "A risk-taking script with genuine consequences elevates this ... above the lackluster direction of Brett Ratner, whose competent mechanics move the story efficiently but with very little soul." At the 2007 Saturn Awards, Famke Janssen won the Best Supporting Actress award for her portrayal of Jean Grey. Also impressed with Janssen's performance were Total Film, who said, "playing the super-freaky mind-control goddess like GoldenEye’s Xenia Onatopp’s all-powerful psycho sister, her scenes – particularly that one with the house – crackle with energy and tragedy. If only the rest of X3 had followed suit." Matthew Vaughn, who was once set to direct the film, heavily responded with negative feedback to Ratner's direction.

Adaptations

Novelization

The novelization of the film, written by comic book writer Chris Claremont, was released on May 16, 2006.

The novelization of the movie differs in some areas from the film. In the novel, young Jean Grey discovers her powers after an accident that takes her best friend's life. Angel officially joins the X-Men and travels with them to Alcatraz Island instead of going on his own. Storm spares Callisto's life, and Rogue decides to keep her powers in the end, and Beast stays at the school as a teacher, the latter two of which were alternate versions of the film. Iceman takes an unconscious Pyro away from Alcatraz. The attack on Alcatraz is referred to as M-Day, a reference to the "Decimation of mutantkind" storyline in the comic books. Moira MacTaggert visits Magneto in the park, presumably offering an antidote to the "cure", which he refuses because as the book says: "He couldn't go back. That path had brought nothing but grief, to those he cared for, those who trusted him, to himself." Unlike the film, the novel does not allude to Xavier's resurrection. In the end of the novel Wolverine is in the basement of the Institute training the new X-Men, which includes Gambit, Sage, Danielle Moonstar and Cannonball.

The novel also makes a reference to X3 scriptwriter Zak Penn, whose name is given to a sergeant in the middle of the novel, and to X-Men writer Stan Lee as Mr. Lee, one of Jean's neighbours portrayed by Stan Lee in the film. The president's name in the novelization is David Cockrum, a reference to comics artist Dave Cockrum. McCoy asks the president about his wife Paty, who in real life is David Cockrum's wife who used to work at Marvel. Two other references are made towards the end of the book, the first is Hollywood planning a film about the Battle of Alcatraz (a possible reference to the actual movie) along with a British Shakespearean actor, who is also a Knight playing Magneto (a possible reference to Sir Ian McKellen who played Magneto in all three films). Other references include the mutant Bishop as police officer after Pyro attacks a cure facility.

The book also briefly references Kitty Pryde's political ambitions when she is shown hanging up a homemade "Pryde for President" poster. In a few possible futures seen in the comics, Pryde has ended up President (X-Men: The End) and her plans to run for office were a sub-plot during the X-Treme X-Men series.

Video games

Main article: X-Men: The Official Game

Games publisher Activision released X-Men: The Official Game, the official video game tie-in to the film across all major video game platforms on May 16, 2006. The various editions of the game bridge the events of the films X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand and feature many of both films' prominent characters. Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Alan Cumming, Eric Dane, Shawn Ashmore and Tyler Mane reprise their film roles in this game. Sentinels, Lady Deathstrike, Sabretooth and Silver Samurai also appear in the game. It also provides an explanation of Nightcrawler's absence from the film. An X-Men: The Last Stand game was also released for mobile phones.

DVD (NTSC Region 1 Version)

X-Men: The Last Stand was released in the United States and Canada on DVD in both standard and collector's edition formats on October 3, 2006. The single-disc standard DVD, in either widescreen or fullscreen, features two menu settings: "Join The Brotherhood" and "Take A Stand". These choices change the menu's design and the deleted scenes available, and also the ending scene with Magneto--Magneto was able to move a metal chess piece in "Take a Stand", but not in "Join the Brotherhood". The DVD also features commentaries featuring the director, writers, and producers; 10 deleted scenes; three alternate endings; and two easter eggs. On the first day of its release, errors were reported with the DVD. About 60% of the DVDs currently in circulation have errors in them. Some DVDs come with only 10 deleted scenes while others come with 21, amongst other errors.

The "Stan Lee Collector's Edition" DVD is a widescreen standard DVD that was packaged in a slipcase with a 100-page booklet featuring a completely new X-Men comic by Stan Lee. The Hollywood Reporter announced that 20th Century Fox will make films available to buy online the same day as the DVD, through Direct2Drive, with X-Men: The Last Stand among the first such available. Also, Wal-Mart stores included a special exclusive DVD titled "X-Men Revealed" with 50 minutes of behind-the-scenes look at the evolution of the X-Men franchise. The Wal-Mart exclusive DVD disc is not what it seems however. From the information of the exclusive DVD front and back cover, it is supposed to be a behind-the-scenes look of the X-Men movie franchise but instead it is a brief history of the X-Men comics. Target also has an exclusive that comes in a tin case with the single-disc DVD plus a reprint of Giant-Size X-Men #1 and four collectible cards from the movie.

The DVD sold 5 million copies in its first week in stores. In other countries, such as the United Kingdom, the DVD package has a bonus disc containing three documentaries (Brett Ratner's Production Diary (40 minutes), X-Men: Evolution Of A Trilogy (40 minutes), and X-Men: The Excitement Continues (20 minutes)) as well as various featurettes, character guides and pre-visualisation sequences. This version is planned for a later region 1 release.

X-Men: The Last Stand has also been released on Blu-ray Disc. The video was encoded in 1080p with 6.1 DTS ES HD Master Audio.

Soundtrack

Untitled

X-Men: The Last Stand Soundtrack has been very successful and has received many positive reviews.

1. "20 Years Ago" (1:10)
2. "Bathroom Titles" (1:09)
3. "The Church of Magneto, Raven is My Slave Name" (2:40)
4. "Meet Leech, Then off to the Lake" (2:37)
5. "Whirlpool of Love" (2:04)
6. "Examining Jean" (1:12)
7. "Dark Phoenix" (1:28)
8. "Angel's Cure" (2:34)
9. "Jean and Logan" (1:39)
10. "Dark Phoenix Awakes" (1:45)
11. "Rejection is Never Easy" (1:09)
12. "Magneto Plots" (2:05)
13. "Entering the House" (1:18)
14. "Dark Phoenix's Tragedy" (3:18)
15. "Farewell to X" (0:30)
16. "The Funeral" (2:52)
17. "Skating on the Pond" (1:12)
18. "Cure Wars" (2:57)
19. "Fight in the Woods" (3:06)
20. "St. Lupus Day" (3:03)
21. "Building Bridges" (1:16)
22. "Shock and No Oars" (1:15)
23. "Attack on Alcatraz" (4:36)
24. "Massacre" (0:31)
25. "The Battle of the Cure" (4:21)
26. "Phoenix Rises" (4:21)
27. "The Last Stand" (5:29)

External links

• X-Men: The Last Stand Official site
• X-Men on Marvel.com
• X-Men: The Last Stand at Rotten Tomatoes
• Template:Ymovies title
• X-Men: The Last Stand at IMDb