The first word on "The Last Stand"

The reviews are starting to come in for “X-Men: The Last Stand” — and most aren’t exactly what you’d call rave reviews.

I won’t see the movie until sometime over the three-day holiday weekend. But here’s my prediction: X-Men fans, who are used to a mammoth rotating cast of mutant heroes in the comics, will enjoy the movie. Other moviegoers will likely be scratching their heads as they leave, befuddled by the sea of characters.

Anyway, here’s what the critics are saying:

“The nuance and complexity of character that made the first two ‘X-Men’ movies more compelling than the typically mindless summer blockbuster are gone in ‘X-Men: The Last Stand,’ the third and allegedly final installment in the comic-inspired franchise. In their place this time, you get flying, flaming cars and a totally naked Rebecca Romijn.” - Christy Lemire, Associated Press

“Never trust a movie that bills itself as ‘The Last Stand,’ especially when said movie ends with a feeble teaser that speaks of anything but finality. Then again, X-Men fan boys (and girls) probably aren’t looking for the end of the ride, even if they find the third film chapter a little more fast, cheap and out of control than the previous pair." - Chris Vognar, The Dallas Morning News

“Like sands through the hourglass, ‘The Last Stand’ minutes tick by, and the second hour is the worst, with one explosion after another and poor Ian McKellen, as Magneto, reduced to a punny quip Arnold Schwarzenegger would have rejected as too dumb.” - Chris Hewitt, Knight Ridder Newspapers

And a thumb’s up from the New York Daily News: “Explosive, adrenaline-fueled fun, ‘The Last Stand’ is likely to be the best popcorn movie of the summer — unless it’s unseated next month by (Bryan) Singer’s ‘Superman Returns.’”