X-Men: The Last Stand (2006): Too Many Mutants, Not Enough Plot 💊🔥

Directed by Brett Ratner (not Bryan Singer this time—uh-oh), X-Men: The Last Stand tries to juggle two major storylines: the discovery of a “mutant cure” and the return of Jean Grey as the uncontrollable Phoenix. Sounds epic, right? Well... kind of.

Our returning squad—Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Storm (Halle Berry), Magneto (Ian McKellen), Professor X (Patrick Stewart)—are back, with new additions like Kelsey Grammer as Beast (a standout) and Ellen Page as Kitty Pryde. But with a bloated cast and rushed arcs, things get messy real quick.

Plot Summary
The U.S. government has created a “cure” to remove the mutant gene, which splits the community: some see it as hope, others as erasure. Magneto assembles a mutant army to fight back. Meanwhile, Jean Grey has risen from the dead but is no longer herself—she’s the Phoenix, a wildly powerful being with no control. As the lines between right and wrong blur, a massive showdown brews at Alcatraz.

Performances & Direction
Hugh Jackman is as committed as ever, anchoring the emotional chaos. Ian McKellen's Magneto stays iconic, and Kelsey Grammer’s Beast is a surprisingly great fit. But the rest? Overstuffed. Characters come and go with no depth (R.I.P. Cyclops... literally blink and you’ll miss it). Brett Ratner directs with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, and while the action looks cool, the storytelling suffers big time.

My Review
The Last Stand had so much potential. The “mutant cure” plot is rich with ethical dilemmas. The Phoenix Saga is legendary in comic lore. But instead of giving either the attention they deserve, the movie squishes them together into a big-budget soap opera with explosions.

Still, there are moments that hit. Jean’s power spiraling out of control. The heartbreaking Wolverine vs. Phoenix climax. Beast being a poetic blue badass. But overall, it feels like a rushed goodbye to a trilogy that deserved a more thoughtful end. It's not a total disaster—but it definitely lost the plot somewhere in all that CGI dust. 🧬💥