“X-men 3: The Last Stand”

My tweet: X-Men 3: The Last Stand-While Bryan Singer is minding the Superman franchise, Magneto and Brett Ratner make a mess of things. 7 (out of 10) Brett Ratner, who took the helm while Brian Singer was directing “Superman Returns,” must be from the “too much of a good thing still isn’t enough” school of directing. Because in “X-men 3: The Last Stand” he piles it on. “The Last Stand” is bigger and louder than the first two X-men films, and has more characters than you can count. It also has two storylines: one involving a “cure” for mutants, derived from the DNA of a mutant boy and another about the resurrection of Jean Gray (Famke Janssen), who died at the end of the X-men 2. Needless to say, the mutants are split about the cure and Jean is now Phoenix with unimaginable, and uncontrollable, powers. These two stories collide in a effects-laden battle between the Brotherhood, led by Magneto (Ian McKellen) and the humans, with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Storm (Halle Berry) and the X-men providing support. But it’s all pretty much expected by now. So while “The Last Stand” may surpass the prior installments in pyrotechnics, unfortunately it comes up short on satisfaction. I’d recommend either one of the first two.

“X-men 3: The Last Stand”

Released: 2006

Rating: PG-13

Length: 105 minutes

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Kelsey Grammer, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn

Director: Brett Ratner

Genre(s): Adventure, Sequel, Action

“Julie & Julia”

I’m probably not the only reviewer who liked one half of “Julie & Julia” better than the other. (For those who are wondering, the “Julia” half.) But then, who is Julie Powell (Amy Adams) in comparison to Julia Child (Meryl Streep)? Julie Child is an icon – her kitchen is in the Smithsonian, for Pete’s sake. Julie Powell is a frustrated writer in an unfulfilling job looking for a creative outlet. For Julia, cooking is a passion. While perhaps no less a passion for Julie, her feat is more of a stunt, as she cooks her way through Julia’s classic, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and blogs about it. The truth is, the story of Julia Child and how she became “Julia Child” is just more interesting. The love affair between Julia and her husband, Paul (Stanley Tucci) is charming and something I’d never heard about. So it adds a new dimension to the character we know from “The French Chef.” Post-war Paris, where the Childs live when Paul is a diplomat, is much more picturesque than Queens, N.Y. And Amy Adams is simply outgunned in the acting department. Not only does Meryl Streep have more to work with in Julia Child, she performs the feat of bringing this larger than life character down to earth. In contrast, Amy Adams (who I usually love) feels like she’s trying to keep up, just as Julie is trying to keep up with Julia. Director Nora Ephron does a great job of knitting the two stories together and making them move in parallel paths. And it’s actually quite enjoyable, hence my rating. But I think it would have been even better if it were titled “Nobody & Julia” or better still, “Paul & Julia,” hence my tweet: Julie & Julia-Nora Ephron blends Julia Child’s story with that of blogging admirer Julie Powell and creates a lopsided soufflé. 7.5 (out of 10)

“Julie & Julia”

Released: 2009

Rating: PG-13

Length: 123 minutes

Cast: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Jane Lynch

Director: Nora Ephron

Genre(s): Adaptation, Romantic Comedy

“The Shootist”

I’m not a huge fan of westerns, but “The Shootist” is one I popped to the top of my queue because of its star, John Wayne. This was the last film he made before finally succumbing to lung cancer. I haven’t seen a lot of Wayne’s work, so I don’t know if it’s one of his best. But it’s certainly a good film. As my tweet says, The Shootist-In an unfortunate case of typecasting, an aging John Wayne dying of cancer plays an aging gunslinger dying of cancer. 8 (out of 10), Wayne’s character, J.B. Books, is dying of cancer. He returns to Carson City, has his doctor, E.W. Hostetler (James Stewart) confirm the diagnosis then takes a room in a boarding house owned by the widow Rogers (Lauren Bacall). While it’s Books’ intention to live out his final days quietly, Dr. Hostetler, the Carson City Marshal (Harry Morgan) and the widow’s son, (Ron Howard) who is fascinated by Books’ life as a gunfighter, coax him into going out in the proper fashion. Fans of the John Woo school of shoot-outs with their atmospheric lighting, slow-motion photography of unloading ammo magazines and an aviary-load of flying doves – may be a little disappointed by the simplicity of this film’s climatic scene. But it’s a fitting ending for a man of action and few words, just as “The Shootist” is for the career of John Wayne.

“The Shootist”

Released: 1976

Rating: PG

Length: 99 minutes

Cast: John Wayne, James Stewart, Lauren Bacall, Ron Howard

Director: Don Siegel

Genre(s): Drama, Western