X-Men: The Last Stand offers everything that the closing chapter in a blockbuster trilogy should. There are shocking turns of events, jaw-dropping special effects and an entertaining balance of deadly serious set-pieces with welcome moments of comic relief.

The story opens shortly after the events depicted in X2, with Cyclops grieving over the loss of Jean Grey and Magneto beginning his war of liberation against humanity.

While the physically powerful but emotionally sensible Beast tries to mediate a solution, forces are in play which are rapidly building to a potential holocaust with the end of either the human or the mutant race as an outcome. A mutant whose innate power is to negate the paranormal attributes of other mutants has been discovered, and his DNA is first turned into a transformative 'cure' and then weaponized in the war against Magneto's army.

The unleashing of the ultimate in destructive mutant power is depicted in gradually building scenes that culminate in a whirlwind of special effects that dwarf anything seen in the X-Men series so far.

Director Brett Ratner, best known for the Rush Hour series and for the Hannibal Lector film Red Dragon, does an impressive job of pulling off the kind of directorial sleight-of-hand in which the impossibly silly and the impossibly horrific are made to seem equally natural within a fictional universe with its own surreal logic. A times the action is so intense that to call the moments of humor 'comic relief' is perfectly appropriate.

Fans of X2 may miss Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler, but the actor was quite vocal about his dislike of the make-up process for his character and declined to return to the series. The Last Stand introduces the young Canadian actress Ellen Page (seen recently in the dark thriller Hard Candy) as Kitty, the girl who can walk through walls. Notable new roles are also given to the characters of Callisto, Angel, Juggernaut, Multiple Man and Arclight.

Of course the star power of a truly impressive ensemble cast is again on display, including Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, Rebecca Romijn, and Anna Paquin. Kelsey Grammer is outstanding (and nearly unrecognizable) as Beast.