X-Men 3: The Last Stand is certainly an energetic and rampageous comic book movie come to life. On this level it delivers, and we if try and criticize it for not being Shakespeare, then we can just imagine a hissing Hugh Jackman bringing out his adamantium claws and demanding a fight for such a prejudiced comment.

X-Men 3, like the first two films re-envisioned by director Bryan Singer, has its playfully interesting moments. When a cure is discovered by the US government that treats mutations, it both unites and divides mutants all over the country in a riotous political movement, including the X-Men who must consider the personal ramifications and universal ethics behind accepting such a cure. Some mutants are repulsed by the idea, others are longing to fit in with a society that fears them and are willing to lose what makes them so special in the first place. Naturally, in real life and especially in movies, all these heated opinions end in violence. And there is a lot of satisfying well-choreographed violence in X-Men 3. It is the sort of violence that lacks the artistry of men being torn apart in say, Gladiator or Braveheart, but it does nonetheless satiate our inner rage to see a mutant knock around a few rude commoners.

Director Brett Ratner is taking over for the third installment and directs the film solidly in term of technical prowess, without bringing any particular vision or importance to the material. Ratner is a competent enough director to give the people what they want, namely nonstop action and laughs, with a few deep thoughts thrown in for those popcorn grabs. It worked in Rush Hour, though no one ever accused Jackie Chan of being Russell Crowe, nor Chris Tucker the next Morgan Freeman. Truthfully, it would have taken a very "special" director to bollocks up this franchise, given the production costs, the all-star cast and the strong note of finality the story boasts.

The story line itself is at once entertaining without being exceptionally relevant. There are no underlying societal points being made throughout the film, though arguably the "Shut up, Mr. President" could be taken as a Bush-jab. Yet the story line delivers a lot of unexpectedly deaths, allows a few characters to shine in a moment of kick-ass sincerity, and of course, hints at the possibility of their posthumous return. The movie lacks a relevancy to any subtext, though it effectively satirizes racial issues minus an honest viewpoint. The story gives us numerous important deaths that amount to little, considering the deaths on screen were fast and to the point, as if the panels on each page were strictly limited. In fact, the movie's greatest joy for me, a casual comic book fan, was discovering the "power levels" of all these mutants (Levels 1-5) and finding out just which mutant could kick the ass of the other mutant, while spouting lines of barbaric ecstasy. Nice to know a woman was unanimously decided as the strongest mutant of them all, though of course, men everywhere had to have that suspicion.

Where the movie truly succeeds beyond its Level 1 script and director, is the Level 4 performances by an all-star cast who don't know the meaning of the phrase "scenery chewing." Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart bring a decidedly Shakespearean pathos to roles that easily could have easily been under performed or overwrought. Ian McKellan, with his subtle British weisenheimer charm, is possibly the best actor working in Hollywood today, no matter what ridiculous costume he happens to be wearing. How about a round of applause for Kelsey Grammar who is learning to play against type (even while the Frasier voice remains ever present) and underwent hours of blue make up and fur for his creation of Dr. Hank McCoy aka The Beast? Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman, Famke Janssen and other actors also bring all gusto to their respective performances, though the script doesn't exactly give them much to do besides look longingly into the clouds and ready themselves for the next beating.

I found myself wanting to hate X-Men 3 for stubbornly refusing to be about anything relevant, or even having the heart to offer up a few strong soliloquies for all the dead heroes. (The tombstones apparently said better than any of the cast could have) But understated charm and an enthusiastic envisioning of classic comic book characters go along way in teasing a smart audience bored of terrorism/espionage plots. There is a time and a place for comic book movies with strong performances and unique characters. This summer might well be the right timing for a few comic book movies that don't take themselves too seriously.

X-Men 3: The Last Stand succeeds in that mission, and does make a comic book movie come to life, much in the way the old FOX-Kids network did with X-Men: The Animated Series in the 90's. Right down to the heartfelt cries of superhero desperation in the face of death, ("Jean!" "Cyclops!" "Wolverine!"), this movie captures the spirit of the comic book and is a colorful page-turner. Grade: B