“X-Men: The Last Stand” is preparing to make several last stands in your local stores soon. The main or entry-level DVD will be on the shelves on Oct.3, along with the Collector’s Edition that comes with a 100-page comic written by Stan Lee, both of which you will apparently drop like a diseased rock when the special 2-disc set comes out next year. Toon Zone has an advance look.
The set comes with commentaries from the director, writers, and producers (but no actors), alternate endings, 10 deleted and/or extended scenes, a feature called “A Night At The Museum, some easter eggs, and, for some reason, a sneak peek at “The Simpsons Movie.” Also a raft of Marvel movie trailers — “Daredevil,” “Elektra,” and “Fantastic Four” — presumably to make “The Last Stand” look better in comparison.
Personally I’d be happier if, instead of alternative endings, they offered several alternate entire movies, but that’s neither here nor there. But am I the only one getting a little annoyed at the Stan Lee bits?
I honor the man for an incredible contribution to American literature and pop culture. He made superhumans that were human, and he brought us humor and drama without (too much) camp. His gosh-wow enthusiasm for the world of comics inspired generations of creators in many fields. I’ve bought thousands of his comics, I love looking for his cameos in the Marvel movies, and I know if I stood before him I’d be reduced to fanboy quivering (which is like regular quivering, but with more accessories).
But lately, reading his new works is like having your beloved old uncle drop by to tell the same jokes he’s been telling since ’72. You love him and you remember being fascinated by him when you were young, but now it’s just awkward, you can’t think of a polite way out, and he eats all the candy in the house.
We won’t go into “Who Wants to Be a Superhero?” because then I’ll just start crying.