Even if Bryan Singer had returned to direct the third X-Men movie, X2 would have been a tough act to follow. However, he hinted at a clear path forward, or at least enough of a hint that it allowed fans to imagine what could have been. When Singer decided to direct Superman Returns instead, he left a sequel in limbo. Fox was going to move forward with or without him, and it was a bumpy road just to put someone in the director’s chair let alone find a way to get the right script. Even with these issues, X-Men: The Last Stand isn’t a disaster. If X2 didn’t exist and this was the direct sequel to 2000′s X-Men, it would be on par. But X2 raised expectations, and in The Last Stand‘s attempt to pursue two potentially great plotlines, it reduces the impact of both.
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