After the untimely death of Jean Grey the X-Men are still reeling from their loss and are dealing with their pain in different ways. Storm has taken command of the school for gifted youngsters with Charles Xavier and Scott has retreated into himself. But when the Government find a cure for their mutancy, the world's mutants have to choose between an ordinary life, and one filled with fear, pain and prejudice. When Jean is resurrected and struggles with the revenge she feels, the team have to save the world, whilst fighting for their place in the world.

Sadly there is a distinct lack of tone in The Last Stand; Ratner fails to establish a consistent pace - so often makes the audience feel alienated and confused. Unfortunately his emphasise is squarely on the CGI and stunts and he fails to leave his mark on the franchise as a whole. There are only so many explosions one can take in a film and he comes dangerously close to pushing the quotation a little too far. And sadly the sub plot I was most interested in -will Rouge give up her mutancy to pursue a normal relationship? - is left floundering in a sea of fire and fights. But kudos to him, he knows how to drag you in, grab your attention and then throw you back into your seat. He crafts a glossy and engaging flick with quite a bit of heart. I personally thought Jean Greys search for redemption through enormous pain and anger was dealt with brilliantly, showing that Ratner has sensitivity and thoughtfulness and it allows -the lovely- Famke Janssen to show off just how talented she really is. This film takes a new, darker turn and it rides fairly happily on a wave of pure Marvel fantasy.

The action sequences and special effects are genuinely impressive and hugely extravagant. Seeing the Golden Gate Bridge being torn from its bearings really has an impact and the final -super apocalyptic- battle is one of the most technically advanced of the year thus far. The set pieces are enormous, grand and lush as well as hyper realistic and effective in extracting the appropriate reaction from the audience. As Storm summons dense fog clouds and Jean literally raises the roof with her new found powers you can do nothing but gawp at the sheer realism of it all. It all looks slick and professional and has that sheen that only big budget Hollywood flicks have. The many fight sequences are extremely well choreographed, mixing flashy and extreme with gritty and real to astonishing effect. Hugh Jackman is particularly adapt to the very physical side of his role, being thrown through the air and fighting with complete ease and finesse, while Berry and Janssen look amazing in the action scenes.

The Last Stands premise is wonderful and inventive; it allows the film makers to mix in a lot of realism to the fantasy world and really draws parallels to the world we live in at the moment. It causes the audience to ask themselves, would I trade what makes me unique to fit in with everyone else? And really gives the chance to increase the character development. Yes, it has a lot of potential, but Ratner fails to completely use that to his advantage. He lets much of the character development fall by the waste side and some of the most interesting sub-plots disappear with either unfulfilling climaxes or are not given enough screen time to fully capitalise on the potential. So many of the questions the film throws up are left with insufficient answers that you may feel cheated by the time the credits role and the thought of both Magneto and Wolverine spin offs kind of spoil the roundedness of the film.