X-Men: The Last Stand
(2006)
(aka X-Men 3: The Last Stand)
d. Brett Ratner, 104 minutes
Film Plot Summary
The film began with a flashback from 20
years earlier - two men stepped from a New York State-licensed
car that pulled up outside the residence of Jean Grey's
(Haley Ramm as child, Famke Janssen as adult) parents in a quiet
suburban neighborhood: they were former allies Professor Charles
Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Eric Lensherr/Magneto (Ian
McKellen). Eric spoke: "I still don't know why
I'm
here.
Couldn't you just make them say yes?" Xavier responded that
it wasn't his way and would misuse his power. This case was considered
"special" - they were recruiting students for Xavier's School
for Gifted Youngsters.
Jean's parents felt that their daughter had an
"illness," although the young red-headed girl's telekinetic
and telepathic powers were extraordinary. To the two adult mutants,
she demonstrated how she could lift cars, a lawnmower, and a
stream of water-hose water (the neighbor was played by Stan Lee!)
outside on the street. Eric was fascinated by her power, while
Charles asked: "The question is, will you control that power
or let it control you?"
The next scene was set "ten years ago." In a high-rise
apartment bathroom, a young mutant blonde boy, feather-winged
Warren Worthington III/Angel (Cayden Boyd as young Angel, Ben
Foster as older), was painfully scraping his bloody back with
an array of knives, blades, and scissors while secretly trying
to cut off his wings. His panicky, angry father Mr. Warren Worthington
II (Michael Murphy) ordered the door to be opened. He
was exasperated when he caught his son standing amidst feathers:
"Oh God, not you."
Now "in the not too distant future," a
simulated apocalyptic training battle (with flames and enemy
fire) was held in the Danger Room for four students, led by adult
mutant X-Men from Xavier's School: Storm (Halle Berry) and Wolverine
(Hugh Jackman), who was subbing for mourning field leader Scott
Summers/Cyclops (James Marsden). Students using their powers
to defend themselves included:
- Marie/Rogue (Anna Paquin) - with the power to
absorb life forces
- Peter Rasputin/Colossus (Daniel Cudmore) - with
the ability to change his skin into organic steel to provide
strength and resistance
- Bobby Drake/Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) -
Rogue's boyfriend who could create blasts of icy air
- Kitty
Pryde/Shadowcat (Ellen Page) - able to phase through matter and walk
through walls
Wolverine assessed the students to Storm: "They're
not ready." Single-handedly, he decapitated a giant robotic enemy
Sentinel, and then declared: "Class dismissed." Storm was angered
by Wolverine's approach: "Look, you can't just change the rules
when you feel like it. I'm tryin' to teach 'em something. It
was a defensive exercise." The absent teacher Scott was still
mourning and healing from the loss of girlfriend Jean Grey at
Alkali Lake (at the end of the previous film).
The Department of Mutant Affairs, the government's
new mediator, was headed up by blue-skinned,
furry Secretary Hank McCoy/Beast (Kelsey Grammer) (a former student
at Xavier School), who was introduced hanging upside down from his
office ceiling while reading a book. In a meeting with mutant-tolerant
US President (Josef Sommer), it was reported by Secretary Bolivar
Trask (Bill Duke) that Homeland Security was tracking Magneto and
lost him, but had apprehended instead a "consolation prize" -
his right-hand assistant, shape-shifting and blue-skinned Mystique/Raven
Darkholme (Rebecca Romijn), who was caught breaking into the FDA.
Having her in custody provided "some diplomatic leverage" with
Magneto. Mystique had stolen files from the FDA, including documents
from a high-tech corporation named Worthington Labs about Mutant
Gene Suppression. One was a file about young, bald mutant boy Jimmy,
aka Leech (Cameron Bright), who could suppress or neutralize powers
of nearby mutants. There was the potential for using his DNA to derive
a "cure" for the 'mutant problem.'
In his Mutant Ethics class at Xavier School, the
wheel-chaired Professor was teaching students about the use/misuse
of power:
"When an individual acquires great power, the use or
misuse of that power is everything. Will it be for the greater
good? Or will it be used for personal or for destructive ends?
Now this is a question we must all ask ourselves. Why? Because
we are mutants. For psychics, this presents a particular problem.
When is it acceptable to use our power and when do we cross that
invisible line that turns us into tyrants over our fellow man."
He played a case study on a tape sent to him by
colleague Dr. Moira MacTaggert (uncredited Olivia Williams),
who was caring for a hospitalized patient born with no higher-level
brain functions (or consciousness), although his organs and nervous
system still functioned. Xavier proposed the hypothetical idea
of transferring the consciousness of a father of four with terminal
cancer into the man's body, to have him survive. Would that be
ethical behavior? He paused to notice ominous gigantic rain clouds
developing, and then abruptly dismissed the class.
He spoke to Storm, realizing that her disturbed
mood had caused the unpredicted gray clouds. The worried Professor
discussed with her the dilemma facing mutants in the current
world. He explained how Magneto could be a fugitive and in hiding,
although there was a mutant present in the tolerant President's
Cabinet: "But
we still have enemies out there. And I must protect my students." Things
had improved, although he reminded her: "But you, of all
people, know how fast the weather can change." They met
with awaiting Secretary Hank McCoy for an appointment made on
short notice. He announced the apprehension of Mystique, and
predicted she would lure Magneto to break her free. The greatest
problem, however, was regarding the controversial information
he had seen in the file. The
major government-supported pharmaceutical company, Worthington
Labs (located on Alcatraz Island) headed by Warren Worthington
II (with a mutant son himself), had developed a mutant "cure" -
a mutant antibody to suppress the mutant 'X' gene permanently. The
irreversible, voluntary cure was offered to treat undesired mutations
and suppress mutants' powers, allowing them to return to 'normal'
and assimilate into society. Storm objected: "Well, that's ridiculous.
You can't cure being a mutant...Since when did we become a disease?"
At that moment at his Alcatraz Facility, Worthington was holding
a press conference to announce the miraculous discovery, what
he called "the answer to mutation."
Many mutants
protested that their "corruption of healthy cellular activity" was
not a disease, although Secretary McCoy argued some mutants might
accept the treatment: "Is it cowardice to save oneself from persecution?"
A crowded community action meeting of mutants only ("No Humans
Allowed") was held at a church to air viewpoints and opinions.
One tall and skinny mutant in front of the audience recommended
organizing and forming a committee to bring its proposals to
the government to educate it. Another feared the government would
soon wish to exterminate them, even though the cure was voluntary.
Magneto (followed by Pyro/John Allerdyce (Aaron Stanford)) joined
the conversation on stage, asserting that the government was
already planning to enforce the cure to kill off the mutant population
("They will draw first blood"). Distressed
by the news and fearing mutant extermination and genocide, trouble-making
militant Magneto asked for volunteers to join his army (of
the Brotherhood and others) to fight the humans: "The only
question is, will you join my brotherhood and fight or wait for
the inevitable genocide? Who will you stand with - the humans
or us?" As Magneto left the meeting, a
diverse group of outcast mutants, calling themselves the Omegas,
questioned Magneto and considered his proposal:
- Callisto (Dania Ramirez) - the gang's leader,
with superhuman senses and superfast speed; she could also sense
other mutants and their powers
- Kid Omega (Ken Leung) - with porcupine-like
spikes, mostly ejected from his face
- Arclight (Omahyra Mota) - with the ability to
generate shockwaves
Secretary McCoy visited the Worthington Labs on
Alcatraz, where he was greeted by scientist Dr. Kavita
Rao (Shohreh Aghdashloo). There, experiments with the DNA of young
Jimmy aka Leech ("the source of the cure") had created
a mutant solution. The work continued to fully map the gifted boy's
DNA in order to replicate it. As McCoy put out his hand to shake
Jimmy's in the bald boy's sealed room, his hand temporarily turned
human-looking - demonstrating the boy's extraordinary gift.
A second strand of the plot involved Dr. Jean Grey
(Famke Janssen) who appeared to have survived her sacrificial
watery death in the previous film when bereaving Cyclops was
visiting Canada's Alkali Lake. He heard her voice calling his
name and had visions - were they mind tricks of
his own? After blasting the water with his optic powers (he had
removed his protective ruby glasses), the shockwaves created
a small whirlpool, and the deceased Jean was conjured up out
of it from a strange, bright blinding light. She asked for him
to trust her and open his eyes ("Open them, they can't hurt
me")
as she controlled his powers and neutralized his glowing red
eyes. When they kissed, she killed him. Back at Xavier's
School, the Professor simultaneously sensed Cyclops' distress.
At the foggy scene of Cyclops' disappearance where they had been
dispatched, Storm and Wolverine found only telekinetically floating
rocks and other objects, Cyclops' shades, and an unconscious
Jean.
She was brought back to the school's infirmary
for diagnosis. Professor Xavier believed she had survived by
wrapping herself in "a cocoon of telekinetic energy." She
was categorized as a unique Class 5 mutant with limitless potential.
Jean had unleashed her uncontrollable, unconscious dormant id-like
powers, previously suppressed and kept in check by
Xavier who had created "psychic barriers" to control
her. She had evolved into a raging, purely instinctual, alternate
dual personality called the Dark Phoenix, and her beastly, angry
self could be uncaged at any time in a struggle to be free.
Meanwhile, mutant protestors gathered in San Francisco,
reacting negatively to the announcement of first-time availability
of the "mutant cure" to the public, although some mutants
welcomed it. In his top floor office of Worthington Labs in the
city, Warren Worthington II was preparing to use the cure on
his grown teen son, Warren Worthington III/Angel. As the son
was about to be injected with the cure by Dr. Rao, Angel panicked
("I
can't do this"),
struggled with restraining straps, and yelled at his father for
making decisions for him: "It's what you want!" Angel
smashed through a window, spread his enormous white-feathered
wings, soared and flew in the sky toward the SF Bay and Golden
Gate Bridge.
As polymorphic Mystique
was being transported in a mobile truck-prison within a convoy,
helmet-wearing Magneto (assisted by Pyro and Callisto and other
Omega gang members) blocked their route and sent escort cars
flying off to crash. After being freed from her cell, Mystique
reported to Magneto about her findings - the source of the cure
was a mutant child being held on Alcatraz Island at Worthington
Labs. They released other imprisoned inmates in the mobile prison
to assist them in the Brotherhood:
- Multiple Man/James Madrox (Eric Dane) - a bank
robber, with the ability to duplicate himself into various
copies
- Juggernaut/Cain Marko (Vinnie Jones) - with
tremendous brutish strength, also fast-moving ("If he builds
any momentum, no object can stop him")
Suddenly, Mystique blocked
a dart from a "cure"-gun
from striking Magneto, causing her to quickly lose her mutancy
powers. Pyro incinerated the attacking cop/guard with a ball
of flame before further 'cures' could be made. When self-sacrificing
Mystique, now completely naked and human, begged to be taken
away with Magneto, she was heartlessly abandoned by him: "I'm
sorry, my dear. You're not one of us anymore. (to himself) Such
a shame. She was so beautiful."
In the White House, Sec. Hank McCoy spoke to the
President about his resignation from the Cabinet, to protest
the policy of turning the cure into a weapon - what had been
clearly demonstrated during the convoy rescue. Both were worried
about the future of democracy: "I worry about how democracy
survives when one man can move cities with his mind." They
forecast that things would only get worse. In the school's infirmary
within the mansion where Jean's brain waves continued to be examined
as she laid on a lab table, she telekinetically detached her
helmet and removed other medical instruments from her body. She
sat up and became passionate with Wolverine/Logan, causing him
to wonder about her dual personalities and request that she take
it easy. A struggle between the dueling parts of herself commenced,
causing the room to shake and objects to break. During the transformation,
she begged Logan: "Kill me before I kill someone else." Her
Phoenix side became dominant ("I don't want to fix it")
as she rose from the table, propelled Logan into a wall, telekinetically
tore off the steel door of the lab, and walked off. Shortly later,
Professor Xavier feared: "It may be too late."
In his base headquarters, Brotherhood leader Magneto
examined the gun that "cured" Mystique, telling Pyro: "I
told you they would draw first blood." He knew evidence
of the gun's purpose would cause more mutants to join his army.
He was informed by Callisto that she was sensing a massive electromagnetic
force generated from a Class 5 mutant - Magneto knew the source
and wished to know Jean's location. Both
Magneto and Xavier (each were accompanied by supporters) arrived
at Jean's childhood home to compete for her loyalty. Reform-minded
Xavier told Jean that he was there to bring her home and help
her (and control her for her own good), but she thought that
he was only there to suppress her great power ("Stay out
of my head!"). Although Xavier begged her to trust him because
he could help her control her dangerous power, Jean's dark-skinned,
glass-eyed Phoenix resisted listening to her former mentor, snapped
and released a gigantic telekinetic blast and storm, causing
objects to fly around. Another battle commenced outside between
Xavier's supporters (Logan and Storm) and Magneto's followers
(Juggernaut, Quill, Arclight, and Callisto), and soon carved
a destructive path into the house. As the house was being thoroughly
wrecked, everyone watched helplessly as Xavier's body was blown
up and disintegrated by the Phoenix's massive telekinetic power
- all that was left was his empty wheelchair. His last words
were:
"Don't let it control you." Then, she departed with
Magneto.
The next day, a memorial service was held in Xavier's
mansion with tearful mutant students in attendance, when Storm eulogized
the Professor:
"We live in an age of darkness, a world
full of fear, hate and intolerance. But in every age, there
are those who fight against it. Charles Xavier was born into
a world divided, a world he tried to heal - a mission
he never saw accomplished. It seems the destiny of great men
to see their goals unfulfilled. Charles
was more than a leader, more than a teacher. He was a friend.
When we were afraid, he gave us strength. And when we were
alone, he gave us a family. He may be gone, but his teachings
live on through us, his students. Wherever we may go,
we must carry on his vision. And that's a vision of
a world united."
Terrorist-like Magneto assembled an encampment
of malevolent mutants in a wooded
area to fight for freedom, including Pyro, Jean Grey's Phoenix,
gang members of the Omegas, and others. Eric told Jean that he
had always admired her as a "goddess" that could do
anything - exemplifying
"the next stage in evolution." To demonstrate her unbelievable
powers, she manipulated his "cure"-gun, disassembled
its four syringe components, and threateningly floated them toward
him to scare him. Compared to Xavier, Eric said he hadn't wanted
to hold back her unstable powers, but wanted to let her be "as
nature intended." Eric told Pyro that he still had admiration
for his former ally the Professor, who "did more for mutants
than you'll ever know. My single greatest regret is that he had
to die for our dream to live."
It was decided that Xavier's School would remain
open in the future, and the students would fight for its survival.
A new student arrived to find safe haven and was welcomed by
Storm - Warren/Angel. Bobby then discovered that mutant girlfriend
Rogue had packed up and left. Before departing, she had explained
to Logan: "I wanna be able to touch people...A hug, a handshake,
a kiss." Hearing Jean's voice as he visited Xavier's memorial
plaque, Logan decided to leave (via motorcycle) and pursue the
loving Jean he had always known.
Meanwhile, outside the Worthington Labs building,
protests continued between those who wanted the cure and those
who didn't. While looking for girlfriend Rogue (who was lined
up to receive a shot of the mutant cure), Bobby/Iceman was confronted
and provoked by former friend Pyro. Although they didn't engage
in a fight using their opposing powers, Pyro threw a huge firebomb
at the building which exploded all of the street-level
windows. Magneto issued video-warnings to be broadcast by the
media:
Today's attack was only our first salvo. So long
as the cure exists, our war will rage. Your cities will not be
safe. Your streets will not be safe. You will not be safe. And
to my fellow mutants, I make you this offer - Join
us or stay out of our way.
Now that this was a national security matter, the
US President ordered Worthington Labs to be seized and secured.
Troops were deployed with "cure"-weapons. Magneto was to be found
and stopped immediately - "by any means necessary." He added:
"Magneto wants a war. We'll give him one." Soldiers' metal weapons
were replaced with plastic weapons loaded with cure cartridges.
All of Worthington Labs' facilities were surrounded
by troops. At the same time, Logan/Wolverine had located Magneto's
forest camp through his senses, but on his way there was confronted
by mutant Spike (Lance Gibson). Wolverine fended off the hurled
spikes and eventually overpowered him by stabbing him with his
adamantium claws, then snuck into the camp where Magneto was
speaking to his cheering followers, urging them: "They wish to
cure us, but I say to you, we are the cure...the cure for their
infirm, imperfect condition called Homo sapiens. They have their
weapons, we have ours. (He looked over at Phoenix) We will strike
with a vengeance and a fury that this world has never witnessed.
And, if any mutants stand in our way, we will use this poison
against them." Magneto announced his plan - an all-out attack
on the lab at Alcatraz Island to abduct the mutant boy - they
would take control of the "cure" and destroy its source: "Nothing
can stop us." Logan had a few brief words with Magneto - he claimed
that he was there only to take Jean back. Magneto asserted that
Jean was there of her own accord ("She's here because she wants
to be"), and then used his metal-controlling powers to forcefully
eject Logan into the air and propel him into a tall tree far
away.
The forces of the US President and the White House
were aided by the betrayed Mystique/Raven Darkholme, who revealed
the location of Magneto's base of operations in the forest: "Hell
hath no fury like a woman scorned." Troops equipped with "cure"-guns
had surrounded the encampment, but when they charged, the mutants
rapidly vanished from the surveillance-satellite screen. Magneto
had known of their impending attack and had left only Multiple
Man behind to replicate himself as a decoy.
The X-Men, including Logan, Storm, the
Beast, Iceman, Colossus and Shadowcat regrouped and worked as
an outnumbered team of six to aid government soldiers defending
the lab at Alcatraz near San Francisco, and to combat Magneto's
attacking army. They departed in their black X-Jet as Magneto
and hundreds of his Brotherhood marched united across the Golden
Gate Bridge. With his tremendous power, he levitated part of
the bridge into the air, broke it off from its columns, and extended
it across the SF Bay to provide a connected accessway from the
city to Alcatraz Island. The hostile mutants approached the island
(the lesser-powered "pawns" attacked first), weakly defended
by troops with plastic guns armed with the cure. Arclight sent
shockwaves toward the soldiers to split apart their plastic weapons
and neutralize them.
During the massive conflict after the X-Men arrived
(in the jet's Stealth Mode) and set up a defense line between
the soldiers and the Brotherhood, Kitty/Shadowcat saved
mutant boy Jimmy from being killed by nullifying Juggernaut's
powers (and knocking him out), while Storm
took on Callisto and electrocuted her. Dr. Rao was killed
by Kid Omega's porcupine-like spines, while Mr. Worthington,
who was taken away by the Omega gang, was saved from a fall to
his death from a ledge by his flying son Angel. Iceman
dueled with Pyro to overcome him, and Magneto's powers were nullified
when the Beast injected him in the chest with four cartridges
of the 'cure.' Becoming weak and human, Magneto turned to Jean,
telling her: "This is what they want for all of us."
It looked like the battle was over - but then ground
troops arrived and shot at Jean. Everyone evacuated or escaped
as her destructive and raging Phoenix was unleashed, levitated
into the air and disintegrated the entire area with a telekinetic
storm. In combat with her, Logan ("the only one who can stop
her") fought his way to her side. He told her that he would die
for her - and then, when she begged him to save her with the
'Jean' side of herself, he confessed that he loved her
- and reluctantly stabbed her in the gut with his claws. She
was finally stopped - and released her devastating rage. He screamed
out: "No!" as he held her dead in his arms.
As the film ended, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
would now be run by Storm (with Logan as one of the teachers),
and power-sucking, hair-streaked Rogue - who decided to take
the 'cure' ("It's what I wanted") - commenced a real
romance with boyfriend Bobby/Iceman. Beast/McCoy was appointed
the new UN Ambassador (Logan: "Way to
go, furball!") by the President. Angel flew freely above
the Golden Gate Bridge and a city park. Magneto was living life
as an ordinary human, playing chess in a SF park. There were
hints that he was regenerating his mutant powers when he telepathically
caused a metal chess piece to slightly tremble.
After
the closing
credits, Xavier's colleague Dr. Moira MacTaggert came into a hospital
room to treat a comatose patient, and quickly said: "Good morning."
She heard Xavier's voice response from the bed: "Hello,
Moira." Startled, she straightened up and
replied:
"Charles?" [The implication was that Charles had transferred
his consciousness into the man's body and would survive.]
Film Notables (Awards, Facts, etc.)
The third film in the series, and a second sequel,
with most of the characters returning from the original film,
with some additional ones.
The Wolverine (2013)
was considered a sequel to
this film as well.
With a production budget of $210 million, and box-office
gross receipts of $234.3 million (domestic) and $459 million
(worldwide). It was the highest grossing film of the original
trilogy, and of all seven films in the franchise (to 2014).
Set-pieces:
the mysterious resurrection
of Dr. Jean Grey at Alkali Lake,
the rescue of Mystique from a moving prison truck, the battle
between opposing mutant forces at Jean Grey's house ending with
the death of Professor Xavier, and the scene in which the Golden
Gate Bridge was moved to serve as a gangway to Alcatraz Island
- and the ensuing climactic conflict.
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Professor Xavier
(Patrick Stewart)
Eric Lensherr/Magneto
(Ian McKellen)
Storm
(Halle Berry)
Wolverine/Logan
(Hugh Jackman)
Marie/Rogue
(Anna Paquin)
Peter Rasputin/Colossus
(Daniel Cudmore)
Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat
(Ellen Page)
Bobby Drake/Iceman
(Shawn Ashmore)
Scott Summers/Cyclops
(James Marsden)
Sec. Hank McCoy/Beast
(Kelsey Grammer)
Mystique/Raven Darkholme
(Rebecca Romijn)
Dr. Moira MacTaggert
(Olivia Williams)
John Allerdyce/Pyro
(Aaron Stanford)
Callisto
(Dania Ramirez)
Kid Omega
(Ken Leung)
Arclight
(Omahyra Mota)
Jimmy, aka Leech
(Cameron Bright)
Warren Worthington II
(Michael Murphy)
Warren Worthington III/Angel
(Ben Foster)
Dr. Jean Grey/Phoenix
(Famke Janssen)
James Madrox/Multiple Man
(Eric Dane)
Cain Marko/Juggernaut
(Vinnie Jones)
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