X-MEN: THE LAST STAND (2006) Movie Reaction! | First Time Watch | Hugh Jackman | Patrick Stewart
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The movie's short runtime (under 1 hour 40 minutes) contributed to a rushed plot and underdeveloped emotional consequences for major events.
- ❖The ending felt too 'happy and idyllic,' failing to deliver the gravitas expected from a film titled 'The Last Stand.'
- ❖Key characters like Cyclops, Mystique, and Rogue received unsatisfying conclusions, with deaths off-screen or powers removed without significant emotional impact.
- ❖Despite narrative flaws, the film excelled in its action sequences, visual effects (e.g., moving the Golden Gate Bridge), practical effects, and strong acting performances.
- ❖The introduction and creative use of new mutant powers were a standout feature, adding freshness to the fight scenes.
Insights
1Rushed Narrative and Unfelt Consequences
The hosts criticized the movie for feeling too short (under 1 hour 40 minutes) and wrapping up too quickly, leading to a lack of emotional impact for significant events like Professor X's death and Magneto losing his powers.
Michael Boose states, "It felt like it maybe should have been longer. It wrapped up quickly and it feels like the consequences of that last stand haven't really been felt." (, )
2Ambiguous Ending vs. 'Last Stand' Title
The film's ending felt 'too happy and idyllic' and couldn't decide if it was a definitive conclusion or a setup for future X-Men movies, despite its title implying a finality.
Brandon Sheiley notes, "It felt like it couldn't decide... creatives going, 'this is how I want to end the X-Men.'" () Michael Boose adds, "It didn't really feel like that. Now, it was a good movie. I actually really liked the movie... but it just didn't feel like a last movie." (, )
3Underserved Character Arcs
Major characters like Cyclops, Mystique, and Rogue were either killed off-screen, had their powers removed without significant emotional weight, or were sidelined, which felt like a disservice to their established importance.
Michael Boose points out, "I don't think we saw enough of Wolverine and Jean's relationship for me to feel that gutted over him taking her out." () Brandon Sheiley questions, "why are we killing off all of the fan favorites?" and mentions Cyclops being killed off-screen. (, )
4Strong Action, Visuals, and Acting
Despite narrative flaws, the hosts praised the movie's action sequences, improved CGI (e.g., moving the Golden Gate Bridge), effective practical effects (e.g., house fight), and the performances of the cast, especially Hugh Jackman's portrayal of Wolverine.
Michael Boose states, "The action sequences were done really well and they were done really creatively using their powers." () He also highlights the 'really cool effect' of moving the Golden Gate Bridge and the 'clearly practical' destruction in the house fight. (, )
5Creative Mutant Powers
The film successfully introduced and showcased creative and fresh mutant powers, contributing to enjoyable fight sequences and expanding the X-Men universe.
Michael Boose expresses, "I loved seeing the creative powers that they brought and they created... the creativity of the creative team... to find characters and new mutations that shock and feel fresh is really cool." (, )
Notable Moments
The hosts' initial sarcastic remarks about 'The Last Stand' being the definitive final X-Men movie, foreshadowing their later critique of its ending.
This early humor sets the stage for their disappointment with the film's lack of true finality and emotional closure.
The introduction of the 'mutant cure' and its weaponization, sparking a central conflict that felt significant but ultimately unresolved in its consequences.
This plot point raises high stakes for mutantkind, but the hosts felt its long-term impact was downplayed by the film's 'happy' ending.
Wolverine's emotional confrontation with Jean Gray/Phoenix and his ultimate decision to kill her, which the hosts felt lacked sufficient emotional buildup.
This moment was intended to be a powerful emotional climax but was undermined by what the hosts perceived as an underdeveloped relationship between the characters.
The post-credits scene revealing Professor X's consciousness transfer into a brain-dead individual, directly contradicting the 'last stand' narrative for a major character.
This scene exemplifies the film's struggle to commit to a definitive ending, immediately setting up future possibilities after a supposedly final confrontation.
Quotes
"It feels like it maybe should have been longer. It wrapped up quickly and it feels like the consequences of that last stand haven't really been felt."
"It felt like it couldn't decide... creatives going, 'this is how I want to end the X-Men.'"
"I don't think we saw enough of Wolverine and Jean's relationship for me to feel that gutted over him taking her out."
"The action sequences were done really well and they were done really creatively using their powers."
Q&A
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