After a brief respite in "X2" (2003) we have reverted to the rather procedural and unexciting format for this third instalment of malevolent mutant-mayhem. This time "Magneto" (Sir Ian McKellen) is outraged when the human government develops a top secret cure for mutants. On the face of it, this is going to lead to another simple battle royal between the forces of our man-metal and his eternal nemesis "Xavier" (Patrick Stewart) and his army of fair-minded supporters led by "Wolverine" (Hugh Jackman). Thing is, though, "Magneto" has an ace up his sleeve in the form of the "Dark Phoenix" that has turned "Jean Gray" (Famke Janssen) into something more lethal than anyone can imagine. Can she be stopped, persuaded, destroyed? It's really a bit of same old, same old, this - great visual effects, loads of pyrotechnics and a good old dose of good versus evil, but the story is actually pretty weak and the dialogue seems to regurgitate much of that from the first film. Jackman really tries to inject a sense of thrill into this, and there's no denying that Ben Foster looks particularly hot with his angelic wings, but otherwise it might as well be another episode in a Marvel mini-series that you just know will deliver nothing more at the end than an opportunity for a sequel. It is a good looking film, but the two leads are overly hammy, and Kelsey Grammer isn't the only one to feel a bit blue at the seriously over-orchestrated denouement.
