X3

X-Men: The Last Stand trailer is out. Like Patrick, for the first time I'm hopeful.

The previous, teaser trailer was light on visual effects, vague of story, looking unpolished and unrefined. Even the teaser posters were unretouched.

The production looks to have tightened up. The new effects promise X3 will be a visually fun ride. Of course, the story still has me dismayed.

Like all the comic-related movies of late (see Elektra, Spider-Man 2 and upcoming 3, Batman, Daredevil), X3 will overload the audience with too many storylines. Shoehorning one, two or three into a single movie, telling all of them and none of them well. From what I gather, so far you've got The Phoenix Saga (Rebirth and Fall), Days of Future Past story arcs. Each could respectfully fill a single movie alone. Add to that several characters introductions, new to the big screen: Angel, Beast, Kitty Pryde, Callisto, and for the first time, in action, Colossus. The movie hopes to fill you in on their origins, bringing you up to speed to the present? Ambitious, maybe too much so.

X3 obviously isn't about character development, it's a film for the X-fans of which I am one. Still, I'd like to see the X-Men and Brotherhood properly fleshed out.

Nevertheless, I'm hopeful and I can't wait till May.