x-men: the last stand

every good thing that had been built up in the first two x-men movies is torn asunder in this terrible movie. the battle between good and evil, typified by magneto and xavier, was played out in the first two films as a subtle and intentional chess match between the two players. in fact, the image of a chess game was prevalent in those two films. magneto would make a move, xavier would make a calculated counter-move. the balance was always struck, each event leading to the next, step by step increasing in scope and consequence. this third film is the equivalent of a bratty kid walking up and unending the chess board because he thought it would be cool looking. that brat is bret ratner, the director of this terrible film. now, i'm sure he isnt really to blame for all the problems of this movie, but he makes a good target, so the bad decisions fall on him by default.
the movie jumps around from when jean grey was first called to charles' mutant school, to the ramifications of her return after her valiant sacrificial death in the second movie. the story is far from coherent, and instead bumps around from one new character to another in hopes of making more toys to sell. many of the best characters and most interesting story lines from the first two films are tossed aside, usually with an unnecessary death, and we instead are given a lame showdown between magneto and the golden gate bridge. though the story does possess some possibilities and interesting ideas, such as the serum that can allow a character to lose their mutant powers, they are never mined deep enough to show the real depth of the choices and ramifications. rogue must decide if she wants to be free, mystique doesnt have the choice. this paradox in itself should have a deep impact and a strong theme of free will, but alas, it is only played for a romantic triangle or a cheap joke. it really is a shame that this movie was made and in effect, killing the x-men franchise. the best idea for them to continue the series would be for them to just ignore this one and pretend it never happened. i know thats what i'm going to do...