Movie Review: X-Men 3

I read an interesting article in the Advocate a few days before seeing this movie. It talked about why people like my partner and myself have such a liking to comic books and their many facets of television and movies. It was an editorial, but it made a good point--super heroes tend to live a double life like many gays and lesbians.

Not mention, they are hot, but we don't need to elaborate there.

Still, that's why so many of my kin ran to the movies when "X-Men" opened up. The whole story line of being 'different' and having to survive in a discriminatory world was profoundly (and sadly) too easy to relate to. I took "X-Men" probably more strongly than most.

I knew I was going to see this movie. I was nervous, being a cineast and knowing from my sources some of the changes they were making (Juggernaut as a mutie? Where's Bryan Singer's style? Why did James Marsden leave?). But I had no choice in those matters.

This film, like others I've seen this summer--is slightly better than most, but really doesn't have the power or skill of the first two. First off, as mentioned, characters are toyed with. They show up, like friends at a graduation party, but don't do much else then eat the dip and leave early. The first storyline involves the return of Jean Grey. Only now, she's evil. So evil that she destroys things. ALot. Why? I'm not sure, other than she's angry.

See what I mean? The story isn't quite right. The main protagonists flit between all the violence but don't become anything more by the end of the story. No one changes in their attitudes.

And they are given such great opportunities to send a message during this movie. A second storyline involves finding a cure for all of mutantkind. Imagine that and the impact it has on gay culture. How many of us hear the tales of 'ex-gays?' How many of my friends have wanted to not be what they are born to be? That's heady stuff and gives this film some gravitas.

But it is not played out. Merely mentioned to give both sides action sequences as they fight over it. So the concept is there, but the execution is not.

I so wanted to like this movie, and, in many ways, it is decent--but far from the end of a trilogy. I am very open to adaptations--I totally understand the need to play with storylines. But I have a problem when the plot detracts from the overall theme of a piece. There's a great message here, a way for nongays to understand something that they might not experience. It is as if the filmmakers did not have confidence in the message they were sending and decided to go for the gut with one more fight scene.

Unfortunate. So, yeah, it's good. But my heart kinda ached a wee bit after seeing it.