The Critics Speak

X-Men III

Critic: Steph Lewis
On a scale of 0 to Awesome, I rate this: Gotta See It
Released: May 26, 2006
Director: Brett Ratner
MPAA RATING: PG-13, for intense sequences of action violence, some sexual content and language

Synopsis: 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. -- Taken from Rotten Tomatoes

My Take: This movie was penciled in on my calendar for over a year. I hungered for it. And, it pretty much gave me what I wanted. The special effects were pretty sweet (but at times they looked like they were trying too hard to have cool special effects). The plot was pretty decent, & delivered all of the things you'd expect in an X-Men movie. The difficulty is, the fact that it delivered what I expected is what makes it good (fulfilling), but also what makes it bad (lack of surprises). I chose to be fulfilled because on the day I watched it I was just ready for some over-the-top special effects, cool one-liners from Wolverine, and some quality power struggle. Some of the special effects were just plain awesome. Though I did notice a few continuity issues & technical blunders - they were minor and did not damage my love for this third X-Men movie. Can't wait for the fourth!

Nacho Libre

Critic: Steph Lewis
On a scale of 0 to Awesome, I rate this: Fun
Released: June 16, 2006
Director: Jared Hess
MPAA RATING: PG, for some rough action, and crude humor including dialogue.

Synopsis: Nacho (Jack Black) is a man without skills. After growing up in a Mexican monastery, he is now a grown man and the monastery's cook, but doesn't seem to fit in. Nacho cares deeply for the orphans he feeds, but his food is terrible – mostly, if you ask him, a result of his terrible ingredients. He realizes he must hatch a plan to make money to buy better food for "the young orphans, who have nothing" (…and if in doing so Nacho can impress the lovely Sister Encarnación, that would be a big plus).

When Nacho is struck by the idea to earn money as a Lucha Libre wrestler, he finds that he has a natural, raw talent for wrestling. As he teams with his rail-thin, unconventional partner, Esqueleto (the Skeleton), Nacho feels for the first time in his life that he has something to fight for and a place where he belongs.

As Lucha is strictly forbidden by the church elders at the monastery, Nacho is forced to lead a double life. Disguised by a sky blue mask, Nacho conceals his true identity as he takes on Mexico's most famous wrestlers and takes on a hilarious quest to make life a little sweeter at the orphanage. --© Paramount Pictures --Taken from Rotten Tomatoes

My Take: I didn't want to go see this because it got terrible reviews. However, I think it was a bit better than the reviews it got because Jack Black is just hilarious. There were several quotable moments in the movie that were brought up even several weeks after watching it. So, it's at least memorable and quotable. There were no major plot holes. All in all, it's a good screw around, don't want to think, chill with some friends on an afternoon kind of movie.