THE `X' FACTOR IS IT REALLY THE LAST ONE?

Byline: Stories by Bob Strauss Film Writer

They're telling us that ``X-Men: The Last Stand'' is an example of truth in advertising: There will be no more full-cast mutant movies after this third one in the series.

And enough characters get killed off in the movie to make that a distinct possibility. But heck, this is a Marvel Comics property, and everyone knows that nobody or nothing ever really dies in the Marvel universe.

``I can't say that we sat down and said, 'This is the end, like the third ``Lord of the Rings,'' ' '' says Zak Penn, who co-wrote ``Last Stand's'' screenplay with Simon Kinberg. ``I do think, at the risk of getting in trouble, that's coming more from the studio marketing side.

``That said, we're never going to reassemble this cast again, it seems to me,'' Penn continues. ``There was a lot of discussion between Simon and I about how to deal with that fact, and try to both leave the story open-ended enough that you could still tell stories in this world and feel like some of the stories have come to a close.''

``We are going to do a Wolverine movie,'' insists Hugh Jackman, the actor who plays the metal-clawed mutant. ``David Benioff (`Troy') has done two script drafts already and is working on the third draft. But I don't want this to be felt like it's 'X-Men 4.' I want it to be different, very much a character piece about this extraordinary reluctant hero.''

As to whether other X-folk would be up for another mutant mash, it seems to depend on how much extra chromosome fun they've already clocked.

``I have no interest in a Storm movie spinoff,'' Halle Berry states. ``But if they made an `X-Men 4,' I probably would be willing to take a look at that. Hugh's spinning off a Wolverine movie. If he asked me to stop by and make a storm or two, I'd probably do that for him.''

``It's certainly possible,'' says game new guy Kelsey Grammer, his three-hour daily Beast makeup torture notwithstanding. ``I think there's another story to tell about the guy. I think he's a terrific character, and he is fun to play.''

Bob Strauss, [phone]

bob.strauss(at)dailynews.com

`X-Men' ups the action

``X-Men: The Last Stand'' may pay a great deal of attention to character development and sociopolitical metaphors, but it's still very much about freaky-looking people performing impossible feats and having hellacious fights.

``You do not relish getting into it more than a couple of times, and after that, that part of it just becomes an intense labor of ... agony,'' franchise newcomer Kelsey Grammer says of becoming blue-skin-and-fur-swaddled diplomat/mutant Dr. Henry McCoy, also referred to as Beast. ``The makeup application took about three hours each day, top to bottom.''

On the other hand, Halle Berry was thrilled that her weather-controller Storm was actually allowed to zoom into the thick of battle for a change.

``I got to fly, which is what I wanted to do, and not just fly the plane,'' says the Oscar-winning actress, who would not have returned for the third round if her character didn't get to see some action. ``It was good fun; I love that physical part of these action movies.

``The spinning got me a little nauseous, though,'' she admits. ``There was a little projectile vomiting, but one keeps going.''

For Famke Janssen, who plays out the Dark Phoenix's fate while Alcatraz Island explodes in combat around her, it was a matter of keeping her computer-enhanced eyes on the inner struggle.

"The most difficult aspect was playing a character who is almost schizophrenic in a big action movie,'' the Dutch actress notes. ``There were some tough emotional scenes, and I had to keep that intensity for long periods of time.''

``Oddly enough, we didn't shoot a lot of green screen for the battle scene,'' Grammer marvels. ``It's mostly just full-on set. I mean, there were flaming cars flying around. It was not comfortable.''

All that said, Hugh Jackman, whose Wolverine sees more action than ever in ``Last Stand,'' argues that that's what makes this particular comic book movie series successful.

``I mean, no one cares about things blowing up and special effects, ultimately,'' the Australian actor reckons. ``That's great eye candy, and in this movie it's great fun and bigger than ever before. but it's still all about the characters.''

A franchise worth thinking about

Since the first issue of ``X-Men'' came out in 1963, the super-powered mutants have represented oppressed minorities, alienated youth and radical revolutionaries. The movies have continued this fantasy reflection of social issues, and ``The Last Stand'' -- with a divisive ``cure''-for-mutantism plot and Iraq War-era echoes of militarization, secret White House chicanery and agonizing calls for individuals to take sides -- ups the relevancy factor to heroic proportions.

``It poses a lot of questions,'' director Brett Ratner points out. ``I think the cure is a great concept. It's about choice -- and what kind of choice does the cure offer? It has very strong racial, political, social and even sexual aspects.''

``That's something that's so relevant today -- and always has been and always will be,'' adds Halle Berry, the only woman of color ever to win a best actress Oscar. ``We're always trying to figure out if we're the ones who need to change, or should we force people to accept us as we are? We will struggle with that issue, I think, throughout time.''

``One thing that is relevant, in terms of the government, is talk between the president and an adviser about weaponizing the cure without having told the cabinet members,'' co-writer Zak Penn reveals. ``A lot of that came from when I read about Colin Powell's frustrations with people within the administration.''

``The great thing about it is that it applies to many different things that we're dealing with in our society today,'' reckons Famke Janssen, whose telekinetic Jean Grey mutates into the ultra-powerful Dark Phoenix amid all the unrest. ``If people can read that kind of stuff into it, that's really great. It's sort of like looking at a painting; everybody has a different interpretation.''

"It's always been an important part of this franchise to keep a substantial amount of serious underpinning to the films,'' notes X-Men leader Patrick Stewart. ``They were never simply going to be wham-bam shoot-'em-up comic book movies.

``I have always felt that all audiences are many times smarter than they're sometimes given credit for being,'' continues Stewart, a veteran of that other socially conscious sci-fi series, ``Star Trek.'' ``They can enjoy and be stimulated by the invitation to think about and perhaps even to discuss some of these underlying issues of films that set out to be, first and foremost, entertainment.''

The director's vision

Both fans and collaborators were concerned about what Brett Ratner would do to the ``X-Men'' franchise. Known mainly for his his knockabout ``Rush Hour'' comedies and partying ways, could Ratner do justice to the intelligence and complexity Bryan Singer, the director of the first two ``X'' films, established?

The new director sure hopes he did.

``I thought Bryan did a brilliant job with the tone, and I just wanted to keep the tone consistent,'' Ratner says. ``I tried to focus on the emotionality of the story and the characters.''

``Although initially there was some disappointment that we lost Bryan,'' Professor X player Patrick Stewart says of Singer's decision to make the upcoming ``Superman Returns'' instead, ``Brett has done an extraordinary job. As he said he would do; I remember him telling me in our first phone conversation, 'I'm a fan of these movies, I'm a fan of Bryan Singer's, I think you all did a great job. Let's just pick up where you left off and move forward,' which was a charming and encouraging thing for him to say.''

There was a noticeable change in atmosphere on the new ``X'' film's set, though.

``Brett's like, five, in a big man's body,'' Halle Berry observes. ``So he brought that childlike quality. He brought the fun, he brought that innocence in a lot of ways. The movie is still very cerebral, as were Bryan Singer's. Bryan is a wonderful director. Brett had big shoes to fill and he didn't want to mess this thing up.''

``They're really, really different in terms of their style and their approach,'' says Zak Penn, who worked on the scripts for both ``X2'' and ``Last Stand.'' ``Bryan definitely intellectualizes the material, tries to puzzle his way through it and really obsesses over it. Brett is much more instinctual in his approach.

``Bryan and I butted heads a few times, but I have tremendous respect for him,'' the writer adds. ``Even when we butted heads, what I liked was he had a really clear point of view of what he wanted to do.

``Brett is a little more like a theater director. He really wants to be true to the script, so, as a writer, it's pretty flattering to be around him. There would be times when he would say, 'No, no! We have to do it exactly as they wrote it.' And we would say, 'Let Ian McKellen say whatever he wants; he's smarter than we are.' ''

CAPTION(S):

11 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) X-MEN EXIT

Halle Berry, Hugh Jackman and company make their `Last Stand'

(2) The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants (left to right) Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones), Kid Omega (Ken Leung), Magneto (Ian McKellen), Multiple Man (Eric Dane), Calisto (Dania Ramirez), Pyro (Aaron Stanford) and Arclight (Omahyra) are joined by Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix (Famke Janssen), as they ready for the war to end all wars.

(3) Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier

(4) Ian McKellen as Magneto

(5) Hugh Jackman portrays Wolverine, a solitary fighting machine who possesses amazing healing powers, retractable metal claws and an animal-like fury.

(6) Halle Berry is Storm, who can fly and manipulate all forms of weather.

(7) Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) is reborn as Dark Phoenix, with powers beyond her control and comprehension.

(8) Kelsey Grammer plays the Beast, Dr. Henry McCoy.

(9) Bryan Singer, above, directed the first two installments of the X-Men movies.

(10) Brett Ratner, left, took the helm in what is said to be the last film in this Marvel mutant trilogy.

(11) no caption (comic book: X-MEN)