History YMMV / XMenTheLastStand

** Storm, thanks to her "there's ''nothing'' to cure" speech. She has the power and body of a goddess, but she's telling that speech to a mutant (Rogue), whose power makes her kill everyone she touches, barring her from having any physical relationship, in front of a mutant (Beast) whose mutation makes him look like a blue-haired humanoid monkey. Beast does call her out for that, lampshading that [[BlessedWithSuck there're mutants with shitty powers]].[[note]]Like the mentioned Rogue or Barnell "Beak" Bohusk from the comics, who's power is just being a deformed humanoid chicken.[[/note]]

* EvilIsSexy: Jean returning as the Phoenix is of course accompanied by her gaining beautiful long hair, a scene in her underwear, a more seductive personality and a very flattering trench-coat in the film's final act.

** Creator/KelseyGrammer's take on Beast is considered one of the highlights of the film, being one of the most faithful translations of an ''X-Men'' character from the comics to Fox's film continuity and receiving a charismatic performance befitting of the character. His take was so popular that it was widely thought that Creator/NicholasHoult, who is well-regarded as an actor, had a ToughActToFollow in the prequel series. Grammer’s performance as Beast wound up being so popular that [[spoiler: Creator/MarvelStudios brought him back a full 17 years later to reprise his role in ''Film/TheMarvels2023'']].

* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: More like bad subplot, but despite the film's poor handling of the Phoenix storyline, Famke Janssen really tries her hardest to commit to it. She plays both the vengeful Phoenix and the sympathetic Jean Grey so well that it's an even bigger shame not more was done with her.

** Creator/KelseyGrammer's take on Beast is considered one of the highlights of the film, being one of the most faithful translations of an ''X-Men'' character from the comics to Fox's film continuity and receiving a charismatic performance befitting of the character. His take was so popular that it was widely thought that Creator/NicholasHoult, who is well-regarded as an actor, had a ToughActToFollow in the prequel series. Grammer’s performance as Beast wound up being so popular that [[spoiler: Creator/MarvelStudios brought him back a full 17 years later to reprise his role in ''Film/TheMarvels'']].

** Creator/KelseyGrammer's take on Beast is considered one of the highlights of the film, being one of the most faithful translations of an ''X-Men'' character from the comics to Fox's film continuity and receiving a charismatic performance befitting of the character. His take was so popular that it was widely thought that Creator/NicholasHoult, who is well-regarded as an actor, had a ToughActToFollow in the prequel series. Grammar’s performance as Beast wound up being so popular that [[spoiler: Creator/MarvelStudios brought him back 17 years later to reprise his role in ''Film/TheMarvels'']].

** Creator/KelseyGrammer's take on Beast is considered one of the highlights of the film, being one of the most faithful translations of an ''X-Men'' character from the comics to Fox's film continuity and receiving a charismatic performance befitting of the character. His take was so popular that it was widely thought that Creator/NicholasHoult, who is well-regarded as an actor, had a ToughActToFollow in the prequel series.

* HoYay: [[Film/XMen Once again]], Scott and Logan have this. In the one scene they share, Logan acts significantly more gentle with Scott, and says "''we'' should move on," from Jean's death. When Logan and Storm investigate Alkali Lake, Logan finds Scott glasses and holds onto them. Logan asks the newly-ressurected Jean what happened to Scott and, when he puts the pieces together, Logan appears horrified.

** Iceman came out as gay in the comics. Makes his semi-love triangle in the movie with two girls quite a bit funnier, especially when you consider that both his love interests are played by actors who are into girls in real life (Ellen/Elliot Page is a straight trans man[[note]]Though it would be a decade and a half before he came out as trans, he was identifying as a lesbian at the time[[/note]], and Anna Paquin is bisexual).

** Storm's passionate speech about how there's nothing wrong with being a mutant when Rogue asks if there's a cure, while well-intentioned, falls a bit flat when you remember that the woman who can ''control the weather'' is lecturing the woman ''who kills everything she touches'' about how she's wrong to consider getting rid of her ability to kill everything she touches and should embrace herself. This, at the very least, makes Storm come off as a bit pompous, blinkered and sanctimonious. The movie does point out that Storm is being a bit myopic and self-centred later, however.

* OvershadowedByControversy: In November 2017, Ellen Page accused Creator/BrettRatner of homophobic abuse during the production of this film, with Anna Paquin corroborating Ellen's account of the incident. In the space of a day this film went from being at the back of most people's minds to being negatively referred to on every news broadcast and website in the world. At time of writing, Brett Ratner has denied the claims.

** Ellen Page as Kitty Pryde. She had only just finished ''Film/HardCandy'' at this point and it would be a couple of years before her Oscar-nominated role in ''{{Film/Juno}}''.

** '''Creator/EllenPage'''. Even a lot of the film's detractors enjoyed Kitty Pryde taking down the Juggernaut. These included Bryan Singer, who went on to bring Page back for ''Days of Future Past''.

** Iceman came out as gay in the comics. Makes his semi-love triangle in the movie with two girls quite a bit funnier, especially when you consider that both his love interests are played by actors who are into girls in real life (Elliot Page is a straight trans man[[note]]Though it would be a decade and a half before he came out as trans, he was identifying as a lesbian at the time[[/note]], and Anna Paquin is bisexual).

* OvershadowedByControversy: In November 2017, Elliot Page accused Creator/BrettRatner of homophobic abuse during the production of this film, with Anna Paquin corroborating Elliot's account of the incident. In the space of a day this film went from being at the back of most people's minds to being negatively referred to on every news broadcast and website in the world. At time of writing, Brett Ratner has denied his claims.

** Elliot Page as Kitty Pryde. He had only just finished ''Film/HardCandy'' at this point and it would be a couple of years before his Oscar-nominated role in ''{{Film/Juno}}''.

** '''Creator/ElliotPage'''. Even a lot of the film's detractors enjoyed Kitty Pryde taking down the Juggernaut. These included Bryan Singer, who went on to bring Page back for ''Days of Future Past''.

** Storm, thanks to her "there's ''nothing'' to cure" speech. She had the power and body of a goddess, but she's telling that speech to a mutant (Rogue) who's power makes her kill everyone she touch, barring her from having any physical relationship, in front of a mutant (Beast) who's mutation make him look like an blue-haired humanoid monkey. Beast call her out for that, lampshading that [[BlessedWithSuck there's mutants with shitty powers]].[[note]]Like the mentioned Rogue or Barnell "Beak" Bohusk from the comics, who's power is just being a deformed humanoid chicken.[[/note]]

* SignatureScene:
** Wolverine killing Phoenix, one of the most heart-wrenching sequences of the original trilogy.
** [[BigGood Professor X]]'s apparent death showed this franchise wasn't afraid to [[AnyoneCanDie kill off major characters]].
** The Juggernaut's "I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!" remark to Kitty Pride, thanks mostly to MemeticMutation.
** Magneto lifting the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most breathtaking scenes from the original trilogy and still holds up more than a decade later.

* UnfortunateImplications: Some critics, such as Creator/LindsayEllis, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGr0NRx3TKU felt that]] the scene where [[spoiler:Logan is forced to kill the Phoenix because she's too powerful]] is similar to real-life abusers justifying why they hurt their victims.

** One moment that is slight more subtle is the "digital skin grafting" that made Patrick Stewart and Ian [=McKellen=] look two decades younger. While it borders on UncannyValley, it's still convincing.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:

* VindicatedByHistory: For a long while, it was considered the lowest rung in the X-Men movie franchise by a lot of fans for one reason or another (Change in directors, wonky writing, Cyclops getting shafted ''again'' and killed off, the Phoenix being Jean's SplitPersonality instead of an initially good cosmic being that was just corrupted by evil forces, clashing the storyline with one about a mutant cure). But over the years, fans eased up on the movie and admit it's not as bad as initially viewed or word of mouth would suggest. Especially true after the mess that was ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' and, years later down the line, the second attempt at the Phoenix Saga, ''Film/DarkPhoenix''. The latter film, while trying to be more accurate to the comics, didn't do the story any better and is actually compared unfavourably to ''The Last Stand'' by both fans and professional critics, who cite that its middling tone fails to match the fun and energy of its predecessor. Some critics even felt that ''Dark Phoenix'' unwittingly proved that the Phoenix Saga simply wasn't possible to adapt to a single movie, and that ''The Last Stand'' had the right idea all along in simplifying the story, even if the execution could have been better.

** ''X2'' ends with Professor Xavier suddenly getting distracted during a class and staring into the distance, after which he smiles and says "everything will be alright". The implication is that he felt the Phoenix as she appeared in Alkali Lake, therefore realizing Jean had survived. But the third movie ignores this scene and has him act as surprised as everyone else when Jean is found. This in turn means Cyclops is the one who unleashes the Phoenix and [[spoiler: gets killed for it.]]

* UnfortunateImplications: Some critics, such as Creator/LindsayEllis, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGr0NRx3TKU felt that]] the scene where [[spoiler: Logan is forced to kill the Phoenix because she's too powerful]] is similar to real-life abusers justifying why they hurt their victims.

* EvilIsSexy: Jean returning as the Phoenix is of course accompanied by her gaining beautiful RapunzelHair, a scene in her underwear, a more seductive personality and a very flattering trench-coat in the film's final act.

* WhatAnIdiot:
** Prior to the events of the film (and the trilogy), Xavier implanted a series of mental mind blocks in Jean's mind to prevent a latent personality (Dark Phoenix) from taking over.\\
'''You'd Expect:''' That anytime over the last twenty-plus years, Xavier would have at least mentioned this information to Jean for her own safety. Not even when she's brought back to the school from Alkali Lake does he bother to come down and see her (when she's feeling conflicted about her identity) and try to restore the mind blocks. Instead, he's ''teaching a class''.\\
'''Instead:''' Jean, more pissed off than ever, takes up residence at her old home, and Xavier willingly walks in (with Magneto, no less) to try and reason with her. It ends [[AnyoneCanDie about as well as you would expect]].
** Magneto wants to kill the mutant whose DNA is being used to create the anti-mutant serum, who is located on Alcatraz Island. Magneto, in a stupendous display of power, ''lifts the freaking Golden Gate Bridge'' to get to Alcatraz.\\
'''You'd Think:''' Since Magneto wants to kill this particular mutant, and doesn't really care about civilian casualties incurred in the process, that while he was lifting an object hundreds of feet in the air that weighs over 1000 tons, he'd just drop it on their heads or turn it into a blizzard of shrapnel to tear every living being on the island into shreds.\\
'''Instead:''' He uses it to form a bridge, marches across it and digs in for a long, difficult, and unsuccessful siege of the place.
** The government hears that Magneto is raising an army to attack the mutant cure laboratory on Alcatraz. In response, they arm the guards there with mutant cure dart weapons in plastic dart rifles, the latter of which is sensible to stop Magneto but the former being CripplingOverspecialization at its finest. They also leave Leech at Alcatraz instead of quietly moving him somewhere else when they know his life is in danger. Even though Magneto has a mutant sensor character in his ranks and would know they moved him, the government doesn't know that.
** Magneto is surprised that the humans are using plastic guns, as if he genuinely didn't expect them. This from a guy who's not only been held in a plastic prison for quite some time (which included guards with plastic weapons), but has shown the ability to detect metallic signatures from far greater distances and act on them accordingly. He does so in this very film, in fact.
** Magneto just sends his army in with no plan, using them as fodder to determine the enemy's capabilities. As he demonstrates later, he could just have his A-list destroy everyone in a few moves and they would be powerless to stop him. This essentially serves no purpose but to make Magneto seem unsympathetic and callous to his own race.
** Magneto controls metal. Wolverine has metal bones and Colossus turns into metal. You would think Magneto would just toss them into the ocean (something he would do in a later film), but instead he leaves them on the battlefield.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: In the beginning of the film, Logan tells Scott that he knows how the latter feels, which is in general a terrible thing to say to someone that's grieving, and in the specific case, makes Logan seem incredibly self involved. He's essentially equating his grief over a woman he knew for about a week to Scott's over his fiancee that he'd known for at least a decade.