X3 - X-Men: The Last Straw

[Gamblour.]

storm

I think they look good.

[matt35mm]

The top left angel one looks like Angels In America II.  Or gay angel porn (i.e. Angels in America II).

I would have been confused by that poster if I didn't see it alongside the rest of them.

[RegularKarate]

They look like really bad pop album promotions.

[MacGuffin]

'X3' Director Says Movie Will Really Be 'The Last Stand'
Ratner reveals there will be no more X-Men films other than possible spinoffs. Source: MTV

HOLLYWOOD — Leaked images from the set of "X3" have been swirling around the Internet with the intensity of one of Storm's tornados, building a torrent of discontent from die-hard "X" fans repelled by the less-than-impressive appearance of beloved characters like Beast, Juggernaut and Colossus.

And while the man responsible, director Brett Ratner, is quick to defend his vision, all the noise being made is also furthering his desire to really go out with a bang.

"Well, it seems to be the last of the series," Ratner said of the eyebrow-raising title for the third film, "X-Men: The Last Stand," due May 26. "We wanted to make sure the audiences knew that this was a trilogy. Even though they weren't made together like 'Lord of the Rings,' this is really closure for the X-Men series. ... This is the last stand for sure."

A spokesperson for "X-Men" studio 20th Century Fox confirmed that "X3" will be the final film for the mutant team, a revelation that is likely to only increase the level of fan frustration over "The Last Stand."

It's no secret that the "Rush Hour" helmer has been under fire ever since he slipped into the director's chair vacated by Bryan Singer, who powered the first two films to financial success and an outpouring of geek glee. Web sites devoted to the series have been tearing down Ratner ever since, painting him as the man who will undoubtedly bring the franchise down, making the icy reception of the leaked photos a surprise to no one.

"Those photos were [taken] before I even started shooting," Ratner explained. "They were done in the testing process, so those photos are very, very old."

"I think whenever you're on the Internet and you have nothing to do and you're a fan, you become very anxious to get the information, but you have to consider the source," he continued, saying that such leaks undermine his efforts. "If it's sent out by [the studio], then you know it's official, but if it's put up on the Internet by someone who stole something illegally, then I think you should first consider what you're looking at."
 
The director insists the final version of the characters will stay truer to the classic comics and will vary greatly from the highly criticized images.

"If you take any beautiful woman and put her in bad lighting, she's not gonna look good," Ratner said, insisting that the leaked images have had the same effect on his costumes. "It's not the look of the movie and it's not even close to what we went for, and I'm hoping when the fans see the final result, they're gonna love it."

Following the directorial shuffle that found Ratner separated from his beloved "Superman" gig while Singer indirectly traded franchises with him, the Man of Steel will soar again one month after "The Last Stand," but winning the race to this summer cinema has apparently done little to hide which superhero story is closest to Ratner's heart.

"I love [the X-Men] world, and I'm sure Bryan Singer would love to do it too, and he's actually better at it than I am," he admitted before alluding to the long-rumored spinoff movies for Wolverine and Magneto. "For him to come back [for those] would be amazing," Ratner beamed, offering up another trade. "Just like I would love to do a Superman movie one day. We'll swap."

Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman has professed his enthusiasm for the spinoff idea, and Marvel Studios head Avi Arad has even said development for those two films is already in the works.

[Gamblour.]

From an interview on Dark Horizons:
"Question: Can you pinpoint a specific element that you put your personal stamp on once you came aboard?

Brett Ratner: Yeah. Like I said, it's been very important for me to stick to the tone that Bryan (Singer) and the actors created. My input really has been just trying to make a more emotional film. A film with more heart and more pathos. I wanted to try and tell a story and act if this is a trilogy and the third in the series. Go in there and not reinvent it, not make it a Brett Ratner film, but stay with the formula that's worked in the past and add more heart. I'm a very emotional guy and I like emotion and I like feeling something in the movie. The audiences care about these characters so much and it was very important to me to stay true to who they were and not try and reinvent it."

Brett Ratner might be the smartest man alive. (though I seem to be ignoring that part where he wants to have it dripping with emotion.... )

[MacGuffin]

New Trailer here.

[©brad]

that trailer isn't working for me. 

actually, maybe that's a good thing.

[Pubrick]

best picture 2006.

i'm backing a winner this time. oh, and turns out jean grey's a dude.

[©brad]

the trailer worked for you?

[modage]

it worked for me.  i mean, it didnt work for me, but i watched it.  i dont think this looks bad really but knowing the ratner situation i may try to wait until video anyways just to boycott him.  if this buzz is really good i'll see it in the theatre but if its really bad i'll wait.  if it's mixed i'll probably go anyways.

[©brad]

ok i got it to work.

this looks good actually, except for this line:

"sometimes when you cage the beast, the beast gets angry."

you don't say.

[Gamblour.]

agreed cbrad. I think the editing of the trailer is pretty weak and lacks any punch until the very end. it's bland bland, then suddenly it clicks and fucking rocks. Then again, it's just a trailer.

[sheshothim]

Well, it made me happy in the pants.

Just seeing the Phoenix makes my day though, so yeah....

[MacGuffin]

X3: Storm Whips It Good
Filmmakers get her ready to fly.

Let's face it. After two movies, Storm's character development leaves something to be desired. Yeah, we got to see her do a few actiony things, when she wasn't teaching class or leading a field trip. But change is upon us. For in X-Men: The Last Stand, we can tell you this: her level of anti-Magneto action takes a big jump. Or, more to the point, a lift-off.

"Those fans that wanted to see Storm fly finally get to see that," says producer David Gorder. "She has a bigger role, she's flying, and fighting, and Halle looks really cool doing it" he adds, promising fans will see moves from her they've never seen before.

"The movie for me is still very much an ensemble," says Berry. "That's one of the things I really love about working on X-Men. But this time my character is saying something, she has a definite point of view. Brett was really instrumental in making that happen. He's really been a supporter of just finding a voice for the character." And, she admits, he was adamant that this new movie featured Storm's flying ability.

"We incorporated it into the storyline," says Ratner. "It's part of the plot."

To put Storm in the air, the production turned to Simon Crane. He's "one of the best second unit directors in the world," says Ratner. "He's been shooting some fantastic action sequences with these guys. I'll look at the dailies at the end of every day and I'm shocked."

Part of making it all look real is having Berry do much of the flying herself. "I don't know why Halle actually does it," says Ratner, "because nobody is going to believe it's her anyway." Nevertheless, for one particularly tough scene, Berry was "up in the air, hovering. She's literally creating a kind of windy, tornado effect and she actually spins. She's on a wire. She must have done it eighty-seven times."

For the more complex scenes, the filmmakers "cyber-scanned" Berry, effectively creating a digital double for Storm. "Putting them in a wire is one thing," says Gorder. "But we would never use the actors in any serious practical stunts. Storm and Magneto will do wire work in which they're in a harness on a wire. They're the characters that will fly."

"I've been saying this now since I started the movie, I just want to fly," says Berry. "Storm flies in the comic book, and I wore a cape for two movies and never used it. It's part of her power and part of what her mutation is, and it's nice to be able to get to use that talent and that gift in a profound way that really helps my fellow characters."

For a glimpse of the new Storm in action, check out the latest trailer for X-Men: The Last Stand. As Professor X tells her, "You, of all people, know how fast the weather can change."

[©brad]

X3: Storm Whips It Good
Filmmakers get her ready to fly.

Let's face it. After two movies, Storm's character development leaves something to be desired. Yeah, we got to see her do a few actiony things, when she wasn't teaching class or leading a field trip. But change is upon us. For in X-Men: The Last Stand, we can tell you this: her level of anti-Magneto action takes a big jump. Or, more to the point, a lift-off.

"Those fans that wanted to see Storm fly finally get to see that," says producer David Gorder. "She has a bigger role, she's flying, and fighting, and Halle looks really cool doing it" he adds, promising fans will see moves from her they've never seen before.

bout damn time.

everyone talks about wolverine and the dudes but in my opinion, it was the WOMEN who made the X-Men  badasses, especially storm and rogue. however, i'm not too happy w/ rogue in these films b/c she doesn't fly and isn't super strong as she was in the comic.

i miss the cartoon that cartoon on saturday mornings!

::sigh::