I didn't bother rushing to the theatre to see this one. I'd heard all the troubling reports during its production, read the reviews after it came out, and relevated it to DVD Rental status. Surprisingly it wasn't too bad. The trailer looked good, and consequently the movie looked good, some good action sequences and effects, but it suffers from too much to do in one movie - so consequently it doesn't really achieve anything particularly well. I really do think the studio needs to shoulder the blame for this one. I'd heard the tales of the unmovable release date, and I think if they'd been willing to push it back and give it the development time it required, it could have been a better film. X2 certainly set a high standard, and its a shame that this rushed film lets that down a bit. For instance, a major character dies in the film, but its never given the gravitas it needs to really impact. It's happens, some stuff happens after, that, then it's "move along, nothing to see here". I know Brett Rattner was much maligned, but I can't see that he's done anything wrong with what he was given to work with. It's quite watchable, certainly not as bad as reported, but a little disappointing given what came before it. Let's hope they can restore our faith when the next movie 'Wolverine' comes out.

Plot Synopsis:

A cure for the mutant gene is found by Worthington Pharmaceuticals, causing a huge upheaval in the mutant community. Some mutants are tempted by the cure, some abhor it, and others seek to destroy it before humanity forces the cure upon them. Beast is assigned as liaison between the humans and mutants. He begins to investigate the cure.

Magneto begins rallying more forces to fight against the humans, knowing that it is only a matter of time before the humans turn on mutant-kind.

Jean Gray returns as the Dark Phoenix, and after causing destruction and the death of Cyclops and Professor X, joins the side of Magneto's Brotherhood. Storm is forced into a position of leadership now that Cyclops and Professor X are gone. Rogue unhappy that she cannot touch anyone, and fearing that she is losing Iceman to Shadowcat, considers taking the cure to be normal. Magneto helps free Mystique from prison, but she is depowered by the cure, and abandoned by Magneto. He takes Multiple Man and Juggernaut with him instead. Wolverine infiltrates Magneto's camp to stop the Brotherhood's war plans.

Magneto tricks the humans using the Multiple Man's clones, and advances his full forces against the Worthington Labs on Alcatraz Island by moving the San Francisco bridge. He stands clear as his forces fight the humans who are armed with plastic guns that shoot the cure. The X-men intervene, and Wolverine ultimately renders Magneto powerless by stabbing him with the cure. Dark Phoenix's powers run amuck, and she threatens to destroy everything. Logan is forced to kill her. Shadowcat rescues the young mutant who was being used to create the cure. Archangel rescues his father. Rogue takes the cure willingly to become human. At the end, Magneto is seen in Central Park playing chess, and able to move the pieces just a little with his slowly returning powers. Doctor Moira Taggart is seen caring for a brain dead patient in hospital, who is now carrying the mind of Professor X.