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Life & Arts

'X3' plot deficiencies made up with effects

Mutant-human war is eerily similar to wars on today’s cable news

by Robyn Morrow
The Daily Cougar

X-Men: The Last Stand is packed full of action, high-tech special effects and a variety of good-looking superstars, including Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry. What more could X-Men fans ask for? How about a plot?

With such an entertaining comic book plot available, you’d think director Brett Ratner would have remembered one of the most essential things that makes X-Men so popular: the story. It’s true the movie doesn’t follow the comic plot to a tee, but there still could have been a semblance of a good storyline somewhere in those nearly two and a half hours.

Much to Magneto’s (Ian McKellan) chagrin, humans have created a so-called "cure" to administer to mutants to relinquish them of their abilities. Although this substance was created as a voluntary "cure," Magneto, among others, is convinced humans will use the substance as a weapon to inoculate all mutants, thereby obliterating the race.

He begins a crusade to create an army to overthrow humans and destroy this "cure," and that’s the movie in a nutshell. The simple story leaves the movie’s success in the hands of Ratner’s highly talented special effects team.

The entire movie centers on the creation of a war between humans and mutants. From that premise to Storm’s comment, "If you’re with us, then be with us," it’s actually quite close to what we see every time we turn on the news ­ kudos to you on that one, Ratner.

To create his war, Ratner enlisted an incredible special effects team. Every detail looks perfect, with elaborate fight scenes coming across as believable even though they show men with metal fingers unleash their fury on other equally unusual characters.

Not only does Ratner subtly touch on our own war, he also seems to comment on prejudice. Although X-Men’s mutants possess traits humans don’t, the message in the film still rings true in today’s society: Many people feel those who aren’t like them are the enemy. Although extreme in his measures, Magneto manages to make people realize that differences should not condemn people to lives of oppression and persecution. 

Even though the film is based on a thin plot, it does try to make viewers aware that being different is not necessarily a terrible thing. X-Men helps teach us to look past the appearance or stereotype of a group or individual and accept those people for their ideas and positive contributions to society as a whole.

The film also comments on one of the fundamental human needs: the need to fit in. Unfortunately, even one of the most popular of the X-Men characters succumbs to this need, wanting desperately to be like everyone else. Fans might be disappointed to learn one of their heroes isn’t quite as unique as they once thought.

With intense special effects and clear references to current events, Ratner makes a very entertaining film. 

Too bad he didn’t follow the comic a little more closely, though ­ he could have found some very good ideas to flesh out his thin plot.

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