6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 4.3 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.3 |
The human government develops a cure for mutations, and Jean Gray becomes a darker uncontrollable persona called the Phoenix who allies with Magneto, causing escalation into an all-out battle for the X-Men.
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Famke JanssenAction | 100% |
Adventure | 84% |
Sci-Fi | 67% |
Fantasy | 59% |
Comic book | 54% |
Thriller | 35% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, Portuguese, Spanish, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin (Traditional)
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
D-Box
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
They wish to cure us, but I say to you, we are the cure!
The first two films in the X-Men series have withstood the test of time and have nestled
among the elites of the comic
book-turned-movie-adaptations. Sporting a strong cast, well written stories, thematic
significance, plenty of action, and
excellent direction courtesy of Bryan Singer (Superman Returns), X-Men and X2: X-Men United are
in select company among the
best of their genre. However, X-Men: The Last Stand is a film that was the subject of
much
speculation and
controversy when Singer left the project before filming began to instead helm the
aforementioned
Superman Returns. After a search for a new director that included rumored candidates
such
as
Alex Proyas (I,
Robot) and Rob Bowman (Reign of Fire), Brett Ratner (Rush Hour 3) was hired to continue on in
the tradition of the first two films and round out what many hoped would become the definitive
filmed comic book trilogy. While X3 is a good film on its own merits, it is nevertheless
the weakest in the series but a decent capstone to the trilogy.
I sure would love to know my origins...coming soon to Blu-ray!
X3 once again comes to Blu-ray with a 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer. While not offering a heads-and-shoulders better transfer than the previous edition, this one seems to look just a bit more natural and film-like. Film grain makes a more visible appearance here than in the previous two outings in the X-Men series. Colors are sharp as a tack and cover a broad spectrum -- the steely blue interior of X-Men headquarters, the warm and natural look of Jean Gray's childhood home, and the film's many daytime exterior shots where the colors of nature are bold, pleasing, and clear as far as the eye can see. Detail is positively sharp and natural across the board, from the lines and hairs on faces to the rough texture and cracks to be seen on Juggernaut's helmet. The film takes on a marvelous cinematic look and feel, and features the most natural-looking flesh tones and blacks of the trio. X3 looks quite good on Blu-ray.
Seeing as how both X-Men and X2 both earned the highest of marks for their remarkable lossless soundtracks, X3: The Last Stand comes with high sonic expectations, and the disc's DTS-HD MA 6.1 lossless soundtrack never disappoints. This track is dynamic and incredibly aggressive. The film's opening battle in "the not-too-distant-future" makes for a startling listen, with explosions booming in every corner of the listening area, missiles streaking around the stage, music flowing with pitch-perfect fidelity across the front, and general mayhem heard all about. Chapter 10 delivers what is nothing short of sonic bliss, a sequence delivering a powerful and ear-bursting experience as a house is demolished from the inside. The track also features realistic ambience in many scenes and excellent dialogue reproduction as a rule. It's a fantastic soundtrack -- and is just as expected.
Like the Blu-ray releases of X-Men and X2, X-Men: The Last Stand
features supplements
spread over two discs. Disc one is highlighted by two commentary tracks, the first featuring
Director
Brett Ratner and Writers Simon Kinberg and Zak Penn. This
is fairly generic commentary track and, with two writers chiming in, it comes as no surprise
that the art of scriptwriting and the process of forming the story plays center stage. On the flip
side, Ratner offers plenty of technical details behind the process of the shoot. The track is fairly
entertaining, but is best suited for the film's most ardent fans. Track two features Producers Avi
Arad, Lauren Shuller Donner, and Ralph Winter. This track is significantly slower in pace and
lacks
substantive information. Bland, marked by some moments of dead air that are just long
enough to become a distraction, and the participant's insistence on almost whispering their
comments makes this one strictly for fans with nothing better to do with their time. Also
included on disc one are a plethora of deleted scenes presented in 1080p high definition and with
optional commentary from Ratner, Kinberg, and Penn, as well as 1080p trailers for X-Men
Origins:
Wolverine, X-Men, X2: X-Men United,
Daredevil, and Fantastic Four. This
disc is also D-Box enabled.
Disc two begins with Brett Ratner's Production Diary (480p, 41:21), a lengthy but fairly
interesting up-close-and-personal look at the nitty-gritty behind-the-scenes work that went into
the making of X3, including shooting schedules, rehearsals, scene preparation, and
plenty more. 'X-Men:' Evolution of a Trilogy (480p, 44:58) is a retrospective look back at
the entirety of the trilogy, featuring cast and crew analyzing picture production, themes,
characters, casts, and more. 'X3:' The Excitement Continues (1080i,
21:16) is a basic behind-the-scenes feature where the cast and crew talk up the movie and one
another.
'X-Men' Up Close (480p) allows viewers to learn more about their favorite characters
through text-based biographies. Anatomy of a Scene: Golden Gate Bridge (1080i,
12:03) looks at the making of one of the film's most spectacular special effects. Generation
X: Comic Book History (480p, 1:08:32) is a fascinating journey through the world of comics,
with particular attention paid to the X-Men, that should satisfy both fans and newcomers
alike.
Next up is Fox Movie Channel Presents: Life After Film School (480p, 26:14), a piece
that features
Producer Ralph Winter discussing the filmmaking process with a trio of film school students, with
special emphasis on the X-Men films. Fox Movie Channel Presents: Casting
Session (480p, 10:05) is a piece that features Stan Lee and others discussing the process of
assembling the perfect cast. Next up are a series of vignettes presented in 1080i:
Prophecies (4:31), 'X-Men' Politics (4:09), Clothing vs. Costume (4:11),
Make-Up Chair Confessions (3:04), Weapons of Choice (3:07), On-Set
Effects (2:31), and Learning to Fly (5:31). Blogs is, again, a piece divided
into several small segments, presented in 1080i: Production Teaser (0:56), Live
From the Danger
Room (3:14), MARVELous Cameos (3:01), and Editing Magic (7:04).
Moving along, Previz Animatics (480p, 25:45) offers fans a chance to witness twenty
scenes in a raw, computerized rendition. Next are a pair of still galleries -- Character
Stills and Concept Art, Storyboards & Models. Concluding this supplemental package
are
three trailers for the film (1080p, 1:35, 2:26, and 7:11).
Viewed in a vacuum and ignoring the first two films in the series, X3 makes for very good Action movie entertainment. As the conclusion to a trilogy, however, it suffices at best and disappoints at worst. The magic of the first two films -- highlighted by intense drama, important thematic elements, and memorable acting from Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen -- make them classics in the Superhero film genre, but that magic is gone here, replaced by a tedious film that covers all the bases but does so without much enthusiasm. X3 is a fairly decent popcorn movie, make no mistake. It features well-staged action sequences, good-looking sets and locations, great special effects, and the return of all the primary characters. It just doesn't quite match up with the first two outings. On the other hand, 20th Century Fox's Blu-ray release of X3 is every bit as good as one might expect. The picture quality is superb, the soundtrack even better, and the supplements lengthy. It's hard to say "no" to the movie as the third film in the series, though, and considering it comes on a top-notch Blu-ray, X3 earns a recommendation.
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