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The opening scene of X-Men III: The Last Stand
unfolds like our recently visited "Serenity"
with a futuristic virtual simulation (big ups
to the Graphics team, they outdid themselves with
this one)-featuring the X-Men waged in apocalyptic
warfare with the enemy. Wasting no time in getting
into the action, the film
jumps full throttle into the plot which involves
a threat of possibly genocidal proportions for
the mutant species. Never to be bested by the
potentially subversive powers of outcasts and
undesirables-the government contrives a diabolically
benevolent scheme (think: Tuskegee experiments',
"we're doing this for your own good"
type rationale) to exploit the gifts of what is
perhaps the most threatening mutant power yet
to eliminate the "mutant problem" once
and for all.
A small pallid boy (like the eerie "there
is no spoon" kid from the Matrix) safely
ensconced in a starkly bright white room (like
the one with all televisions at the end of Matrix
3) is the antidote and the culprit all in one.
When greeted by the blue behemoth that is the
X-Men's amicable Beast, portrayed by Kelsey Grammar
(I know I know-like what the hell!), the blue
creature shakes the boys hand only to find his
unusual pigment swiftly deliquescing into pale
alabaster. Just so happens his new little friend
possesses the rare gift of being able to absorb
all of the mutant powers of anyone he touches
(something like Rogue except that he completely
de-mutanizes the recipient of his touch minus
the violent convulsions and neurotic faint spells).
This all works out quite well for the government
who's been seeking a way to eliminate the mutant
threat. They respond in tow by developing a serum
(presumably out of the boy's blood or DNA strands)
that helps them perform, on a mass level, the
feat that the little boy requires one on one contact
to pull off; a collective mutant immunization
as it were.
Enter the onslaught of the resistance: the two
opposing forces (Magneto and the 'bad' mutants
against Professor Xavier and the 'good' mutants).
The two opposing forces displayed an embodiment
of the polar opposite representations of rebellion
in its realm of possible manifestations. Confronted
with the prospect of a boulder that blockades
one's path to progression, one has the option
of either doing all in one's power to destroy
said rock, or (less aggressively), simply moving
the rock out of the way. Needless to say, Magneto
and his cohorts are more of the "let that
mutha… burn" fold while Professor Xavier
and his tribe have clearly linked their travels
to the instinctive path of karmic rhythm as they
prefer to simply push it along. Enter Jean Grey,
who for the sake of "X-Men 3" has adopted
the beautifully metaphoric moniker of 'Phoenix'.
She serves as an embodiment of the struggles of
both sides of mutant-good and evil-and for the
entire human struggle for that matter. Think back
to April's review of Star Wars 3-well Phoenix
is Darth Vader and Jean Grey is Anakin. Once Jean
Grey catches wind of the voracity of her powers,
she's like the Kali Goddess in the flesh. (Halle
Berry's Oya doesn't' quite stand up to comparison.)
A little probing and temptation on the part of
Magneto (who plays the Emperor to Professor Xavier's
Obi Wan Kenobi) and the mutant version of Shiva
is ready to let loose her powers in a more free
wielding environment, if you will. Perhaps to
keep the script congruous with the vitriolic nature
of our times, the screenwriters pulled no punches
on the body count and didn't hesitate to include
a few crucial casualties and losses in the story.
So once things kick off, it's a war between the
good mutants including the ever ready Wolverine,
Beast the blue bastion of morality (he serves
as a Congressman lobbying for mutant rights as
his daytime job) and a few other guest spots from
the likes of Colossus (and even Arch Angel stops
thru for a quick spiel) and of course Halle Berry's
all too flaccid Storm; and the bad guys headed
by Magneto and his cauldron of chaos couriers
(including some real dope additions to the team
the likes of which only comic book aficionados
may recognize). The good mutants are trying to
thwart the bad mutants' attack against the government
in their attempts to spread the serum. Essentially
they're trying to stop them from killing the little
kid and a bunch of humans in the process while
simultaneously serving their usual cause of preserving
the name of Mutants worldwide. Quick metaphoric
correspondence check: this allegory easily brought
to mind, Shiites and Sunnis, negro quasi-pacifist
resistance/ civil rights marchers versus black
nationalist quasi-militant freedom fighters…
so called "terrorist" name calling versus
the perhaps more apt nomenclature of freedom fighter.
If any episode finally drives the point home that
Magneto's squad and Professor Charles Xavier's
are flipsides of the same coin, this one does
so.
Meanwhile, the government is the greatest enemy
as it attempts to, for the sake of its conformist
populace of course, quell the potentially disruptive
integration of mutant consciousness into mainstream
society. Of course the mutants are a metaphor
for everything in present society diverting from
the right wing propagated, global white supremacist
ideologue rooted, Southern Bible Belt Anglo Saxon
Protestant aided and somnolent listless societal
automaton conformist (Christian) abetted agendas
of the present presidential regime. In short,
can't have those ni-ahem, negro/African-American,
gay and lesbian, threateningly insurgent hungry
Mexican, abortion supportin', feminist free thinking
left wing liberal outsiders of these great states
thinking they're gonna encroach upon our formulated
comfort zones and make this nation-god forbid-actually
live up to the edicts of its proposed democracy.
No sir… we've got another option. How about
a pill, or a drug, or a TV show (or series of
them), or internet connection, or addiction to
illusion of consumerism, or, as in this case,
a government/pharmaceutical corporation sponsored
serum…that can simply ease all of the outsiders
into conformity back within the margins.
Enter the government's agenda to spread the serum
amongst the mutants like wildfire. Meanwhile,
some overzealous patriots of the great mockery
of a democracy take it upon themselves to take
to the streets and take shots at the mutants for
themselves. The liberal representation is there
too with zealots protesting on behalf of mutant
rights claiming that everyone has the right to
be themselves. The final showdown is no slouch
with Magneto pulling out all stops and sacrificing
hundreds of human lives in the process of attempting
to destroy the little boy. I'll let you peep the
flick and fill in the blanks for yourself. It's
definitely a worthwhile dig-but don't look for
heavy plot or character development. That's never
been a strength of the X-Men series. They never
even get around to delving beyond the surface
level of any of the characters-as in what their
special talent is and where it comes from (if
that much is exposed). And the more characters
(and there's a plethora in this edition), the
less development. But alas, this a mainstream
movie derived from a comic book and you get what
you pay for. And for what it's worth-it's a good
ride; a modern mythology with subtly timeless
implications-what else are comic books good for?
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