X-Men: The Last Stand took in nearly $45 million Friday to become the second largest opening, just behind Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, according to Fox News.
Sources predict X3 could bring in $150 million this Memorial Day weekend in defiance of critics who gave it a lukewarm reception.
"Word of mouth and 'tracking' are so strong that 'X Men 3,' with no real rivals, should shatter all kinds of records by time the numbers are in officially on Tuesday," the news service said.
Now a non-spoiler review of the film:
X-Men 3 earns a 3.5 stars out of 5 to my reckoning based on its undeniable affability and the way it neatly ties up the movie trilogy.
Many critics chose to slam director Brett Ratner's film (mainly and obliquely because it wasn't Bryan Singer's film) because they say it tries to do too much. One Washington Post reviewer said the film was too brutal. When you spotlighting the character of Wolverine, which all three films do, how can you avoid being "brutal"? Perhaps, Logan should have spent 1.45 minutes gardening with Meryll Streep. And for trying to do too much, X3 is grand in scale but and many, many things happen but that's what comic fans and movie fans should expect from a trilogy ender!
X-Men comic book fans will not be disappointed. There are many nods to fans weaved into the storyline from one-liners, to subtle visual cues, to out and out homages to the X-Men comic book. Watch for not only X-Men co-creator Stan Lee but also a cameo by Chris Claremont, the most influential writer in the series.
What fans will like: the film pulls no punches. There are shattering moments in the movie that have real impact on the lives of our favorite mutants and the film doesn't shy away from bringing the drama in full force.
What doesn't work so well: the tie-in between the Phoenix storyline and the Cure storyline. Although there's a thematic thread there it's fairly bare. In the end it doesn't matter much. Also, there are some jarring editing errors that can be forgiven (day becomes night suddenly, etc.) because the overall value of the film remains high.
My personal favorite takeaway from the film: Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut! Always loved Juggy and now even more so.
The critics are right to point out that Singer may have made a more polished film but Ratner gives us a satisfying ending to great X-franchise with enough emotional punch to evoke gasps from the audience and many great memories.
Be sure to stay through the very end of the credits! And then see this film again!
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