As the third installment of the X-Men series opens, the world has entered a relatively peaceful period for mutants. There's a mutant-tolerant president of the United States, a blue furry mutant named Beast (Kelsey Grammer) heading up the Department of Mutant Affairs, and Magneto's shape-shifting femme fatale, Mystique, has been captured. The tranquility is shattered by two events. Worthington Laboratories, using a powerful mutant boy, develops a serum that eliminates the "mutant X gene" permanently. This so-called "cure" quickly divides the mutant community; Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and his school are willing to give the government the benefit of the doubt, but Magneto (Ian McKellen) and his mutant Brotherhood see the serum as a vile threat to their way of life. They form an army of mutants and march on the fortified Worthington Laboratory located on Alcatraz Island. A much more dire threat appears in the form of the resurrected super-mutant Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), who has succumbed to her cataclysmic Id identity known as The Phoenix. To face these menaces Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Storm (Halle Berry) and the younger members of the X-Men must leap into action, but they must do so without the guidance of Professor Xavier--in a showdown with the powers of The Phoenix, his mind-control powers proved insufficient.

To his credit, new X-Men director Brett Ratner emulates the style and tone struck by Bryan Singer (director of the two previous films) by combining outrageous special effects and hyperkinetic action sequences with earnest soul-searching and mutant "issues" that are clearly meant to parallel the political hot-button topics of tolerance, prejudice, power, and responsibility.

Theatrical Release: May 26, 2006

DVD Features:

Keep Case
Widescreen - 2.35
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Dolby Digital 6.1 EX - English
Dolby Digital Surround - Spanish, French
Subtitles - English, Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
Additional Footage - Behind the Scenes ("Inside Look- A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM")
Alternate Scenes - 1. Deleted Scenes (with Optional Commentary)
2. Extended Scenes (with Optional Commentary)
3. Alternate Endings (3)
Audio Commentary - 1. Brett Ratner - Director; Simon Kinberg, Zack Penn - Screenwriters
2. Avi Arad, Lauren Shuler Donner, Ralph Winter - Producers
Trailers - 1. Previews - The World of Marvel (3)
2. Previews - Forced Trailers (3)
3. Previews - Other 20th Century Fox (3)
Interactive Features:
Interactive Menus - 1. X-Men Version
2. Brotherhood Version
Additional Product:
Book - Including Exclusive Custom Comic by Stan Lee and Stan Lee's Favorite X-Men Comics (3, Reprinted)

Hugh Jackman: Actor
Patrick Stewart: British Stage/TV Actor
Ian McKellen: British Actor/Screenwriter
Famke Janssen: Model/Actress
Halle Berry: Oscar winning actress, MONSTER'S BALL
James Marsden: Actor, DISTURBING BEHAVIOR
Anna Paquin: Oscar winning Actress, THE PIANO
Rebecca Romijn-Stamos: American model, actress, UGLY BETTY, X-MEN
Shawn Ashmore: 
Aaron Stanford: Star, TADPOLE (2002)
Daniel Cudmore: Actor, X2: X-Men United (2003)
Vinnie Jones: Actor
Ellen Page: Actor, HARD CANDY (2006)
Josef Sommer: American Character Actor
Ben Foster: American actor, ALPHA DOG, SIX FEET UNDER

Brett Ratner: Director, RUSH HOUR series/X-MEN: THE LAST STAND

Ralph Winter: Producer - Star Trek films
Avi Arad: Executive producer, many Marvel Comics properties

Simon Kinberg: Screenwriter, XXX: STATE OF THE UNION (2005)
Zak Penn: SCREENWRITERS\ASPIRING

John Powell: Composer/ FACE OFF (1997), ANTZ, CHICKEN RUN

Julia Wong: Editor, X-MEN: THE LAST STAND (2006)
Mark Goldblatt: Editor, PEARL HARBOR (2001)
Mark Helfrich: Editor, RED DRAGON (2002)

"Political strides notwithstanding, the anxious standoff between humans and mutants has reached a crisis point, and the slow-building momentum of the last two installments finally reaches escape velocity..."
"[T]he third X-Men film retains the franchise's kick-butt action, and it has a few emotionally resonant scenes....Director Brett Ratner has a way of blending special effects and action with drama..."
3 stars out of 5 -- "X3 is fast, furious....With plenty of shocks in store for trilogy stalwarts, it's a gift of a screenplay..."
"[The film has] undeniably spectacular moments....Kelsey Grammar is ideally cast as Beast..."
3 stars out of 5 -- "As the opposing leaders of the Mutant culture, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen bring their usual gravitas....It is entertaining, has an air of finality, and it boasts some spectacular visuals."
"LAST STAND is a brisk dilution of the original comic-book 'Dark Phoenix' story line with mostly top-notch acting."
"[B]ursting with high-end stars....A worthy addition to any X-library."