document_title: Field goal

question_text: who has the longest field goal kick in the nfl

text: Field goal

text: Strategy[edit]

text: As a field goal is worth only three points, while a touchdown scores at least six (which usually becomes seven with a successful conversion, and potentially 8 with a two-point conversion), teams will generally attempt a field goal only in the following situations:

text:
It is fourth down (third down in Canadian rules), especially if the offense is more than a yard or two from a new first down, and within about 45 yards of the goal posts.
In the first half, there is enough time remaining to execute only one more play.
In the second half, there is enough time remaining to execute only one more play, and the team on offense needs three points to win or tie (four points in a few leagues given special circumstances).
The game is in overtime, and a FG is the quickest, easiest, and least risky way to end the match.

text: Except in desperate situations, a team will generally attempt field goals only when keeping a drive alive is unlikely, and its kicker has a significant chance of success, as a missed field goal results in a turnover at the spot of the kick (in the NFL) or at the line of scrimmage (in the NCAA). In American high school rules and Canadian football, where a missed field goal is treated the same as a punt, most teams still opt not to attempt field goals from very long range since field goal formations are not conducive to covering kick returns. Even under ideal conditions, the best professional kickers historically had difficulty making kicks longer than 50 yards consistently (the NFL record is 64 yards and the CFL record, 62 yards).[2] If a team chooses not to attempt a field goal on their last down, they can punt to the other team. A punt cannot score any points in American football unless the receiving team touches the ball first and the kicking team recovers it (though it can result in a single in Canadian football), but it may push the other team back toward its own end.

text: The longest field goal kick in NFL history is 64 yards, a record set by Matt Prater on December 8, 2013. The previous record was 63, originally set by Tom Dempsey and then matched by Jason Elam, Sebastian Janikowski, and David Akers. High school, college and most professional football leagues offer only a three-point field goal; however, some professional leagues have encouraged more rare kicks through four-point field goals. NFL Europe encouraged long field goals of 50 yards or more by making those worth four points instead of three (much like Australian rules' Super Goal or basketball's three-point line), a rule since adopted by the Stars Football League. Similarly, the sport of arena football sought (unsuccessfully) to repopularize the drop kick by making that worth four points; it failed, since only one kicker (Brian Mitchell) was able to do it with any semblance of proficiency. (In six-man football, where there is no offensive line, all field goals are worth four points instead of the usual three.)

text: The overall field goal percentage during the 2010 NFL season was 82.3. In comparison, Jan Stenerud, one of only two pure kickers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (along with Ray Guy), had a career field goal percentage of 66.8 from 1967 to 1985.[2]

text: How field goals are kicked[edit]

text: When a team decides to attempt a field goal, it will generally line up in a very tight formation, with all but two players lined up along or near the line of scrimmage: the placekicker and the holder. The holder is usually the team's punter or backup quarterback.[citation needed] Instead of the regular center, a team may have a dedicated long snapper trained especially to snap the ball on placekick attempts and punts.

text: The holder usually lines up seven to eight yards behind the line of scrimmage, with the kicker a few yards behind him. Upon receiving the snap, the holder holds the ball against the ground vertically, with the stitches away from the kicker. The kicker begins his approach during the snap, so the snapper and holder have little margin for error. A split-second mistake can disrupt the entire attempt.

text: The measurement of a field goal's distance is from the goalpost to the point where the ball was positioned for the kick by the holder. In American football, where the goalpost is located at the back of the end zone (above the end line), the ten yards of the end zone are added to the yard line distance at the spot of the hold.

text: Until the 1960s, placekickers approached the ball straight on, with the toe making first contact with the ball. The technique of kicking the ball "soccer-style", by approaching the ball at an angle and kicking it with the instep, was introduced by Hungarian-born kicker Pete Gogolak in the 1960s.[3] Reflecting his roots in European soccer, Gogolak observed that kicking the ball at an angle could cover more distance than kicking straight-on; he played college football at Cornell and made his pro debut in 1964 with the Buffalo Bills of the AFL; his younger brother Charlie was also an NFL kicker. The soccer-style kick gained popularity and was nearly universal by the late 1970s; the last straight-on kicker in the NFL was Mark Moseley, who retired 32 years ago in 1986.

text: Successful field goals[edit]

text: If there is any time left in the half, the method of resuming play after a successful field goal varies between leagues.

text: Missed field goals[edit]

text: A missed field goal is said to be "no good" if the kicked ball does not cross between the uprights and/or over the crossbar of the goal posts. If it misses to the posts' left it may be called "wide left" and "wide right" if it misses to the posts' right. A field goal attempt may be described as "short" if it does not have sufficient distance to go over the cross bar. Some commentators will only describe a field goal attempt as being short if it appears to have been aimed correctly while others will describe an attempt appearing to lack both accuracy and distance as being both wide and short.

text: If a field goal attempt is missed and does not go out of bounds, a defensive player may catch the ball and return it, like a punt or kickoff. This type of play usually occurs during an extremely long field goal attempt due to the distance the defense must travel to reach the returner. If there is a significant likelihood of a miss and the strategic game situation warrants it, the defense places a player downfield, in or near their end zone, to catch the ball. The risk in this is that the return man may be tackled deep in his own territory, at a considerably worse position than he could have gotten by letting the ball go dead (see below); furthermore, should the returner fumble the ball, the kicking team can recover it and gain a new set of downs (the advantage is that the kicking team is lined up very close together to stop kick blockers, and not spread across the field like a kickoff or punt team, and is therefore in poor position to defend the return). Thus, teams will usually return a kick only towards the end of a half (when the kick will be the final play) or in a particularly desperate situation.

text: If a ball caroms off one of the goal posts or the crossbar, but lands in the field of play, the ball is considered dead and cannot be returned. (This is not the case in arena football, where large "rebound nets" surround the goal posts for the explicit purpose of keeping the ball in play.) However, if the ball caroms off one of the goal posts or the crossbar and continues into the goal, the score counts.

text: Situations where the defense does not return a missed field goal vary between leagues and levels of play:

text: Blocked field goals[edit]

text: Occasionally, the defense will succeed in blocking a field goal. If a blocked field goal is in or behind the neutral zone, it is treated like a fumble and can be advanced by either team. Beyond the neutral zone, a blocked kick is treated like a punt and can be advanced only by the defense, unless a defensive player fumbles the ball, after which an offensive player can advance it.

text: History[edit]

text: In the early days of football, kicking was highly emphasized. In 1883, the scoring system was devised, with field goals counting for 5 points, and touchdowns and conversions worth 4 apiece. In 1897, the touchdown was raised to 5 points while the conversion was lowered to 1 point. Field goals were devalued to 4 points in 1904, and then to the modern 3 points in 1909. The touchdown was changed to 6 points in 1912 in American football; the Canadian game followed suit in 1956.

text: The spot of the conversion has also changed through the years. In 1924, NCAA rules spotted the conversion at the 3-yard line, before moving it back to the 5-yard line in 1925. In 1929, the spot was moved up to the 2-yard line, which the NFL had done until 2014. In 1968, the NCAA diverged from the NFL rules in moving the spot back to the original 3-yard line. Canadian rules originally spotted the conversion at the 5-yard line, which remains closer than in the American code as the goalposts are at the front of the end zone. In 2015, to make conversion kicks harder, the NFL and CFL moved the spot of the kick to the 15 and 25-yard lines, respectively. In addition, the CFL moved the spot for a two-point conversion up to the 3-yard line to entice more teams to go for 2 points as opposed to one.

text: The goalposts were originally located on the goal line; this led to many injuries and sometimes interfered with play. The NCAA moved the goal posts to the rear of the end zone in 1927. The NFL (still following NCAA rules at the time) followed suit, but moved the posts back to the goal line starting in the 1932 NFL Playoff Game, a change made necessary by the size of the indoor Chicago Stadium and kept when the NFL rules stopped mirroring the NCAA rules in 1933. The NFL kept the post at the goal line until 1974, when they were moved back to the rear of the end zone. This was partly a result of the narrowed hashmark distance made in 1972, which had made for easier field-goal angles. The Canadian game still has posts on the goal line.

text: The width of the goalposts and the hashmarks have also varied throughout the years. In 1959, the NCAA goalposts were widened to 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m), the standard width for high school posts today. In 1991, the college goalposts were reduced in width to 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m), matching the NFL. For the 1991 and 1992 seasons, this meant potentially severe angles for short field goal attempts, since the hashmark width remained at 53 ft 4 in (16.26 m). In 1993, the NCAA narrowed the distance between the hashmarks to 40 ft (12.19 m), matching what was the width of hashmarks in the NFL from 1945 through 1971; the NFL narrowed the hashmarks in 1972 to goalpost width at 18.5 feet (5.64 m). In the CFL, the hashmarks are 51 feet (16 m), but the field is 195 feet (59 m) in width, 35 feet (11 m) wider than the American field.

text: The NFL increased the height of the uprights above the crossbar to 20 feet (6.10 m) in 1966 and 30 feet (9.14 m) in 1974. In 2014, they were raised five feet to 35 feet (10.67 m) after the adoption of a proposal by New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.[7]

text: The "slingshot" goalpost, with a single post curving to support the crossbar, was invented by Jim Trimble and Joel Rottman in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[8] The first were built by Alcan and displayed at Expo 67,[8][9] the World's fair in Montreal. The NFL had standardized the goalposts in 1966 and adopted the slingshot for the 1967 season;[8] the NCAA later adopted the same rule, but later allowed the use of "offset" goalposts, with two posts rather than one (which were the norm prior to the invention of the "slingshot" goalposts). The CFL was the first league to use the new goalposts; they made their debut in the 2nd game of the CFL's Eastern Conference final in 1966 (which was played at Montreal's Autostade as Landsdowne Park [now TD Place Stadium], the home of Ottawa Rough Riders, was undergoing renovations), and were used in the Grey Cup the next week at Vancouver's Empire Stadium. Three schools in Division I FBS currently use dual-support posts: Florida State, LSU, and Washington State. A special exemption was allowed by the NFL for the New Orleans Saints to use the offset goalposts during the 2005 season, when they used LSU's stadium for home games after Hurricane Katrina.

text: Goalposts at the professional level today are sometimes equipped with a camera mounted to the stanchion immediately behind the center of the crossbar. Since these cameras are both above and slightly behind the crossbar, a field goal attempt will be judged good if it strikes this equipment.

text: In 1989, the NCAA banned the kicking tee for field goals and extra points, requiring kicks from the ground.[10][11]

text: During the 2011 NFL season, a record 90 field goals of 50 yards or longer were made.[12] In 2012, this record was increased to 92 field goals of 50 yards or longer.[12]

text: Longest field goal records[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: As recorded in Guinness World Records:

text: The record for a field goal at any level is 69 yards. It was kicked by Ove Johansson of the Abilene Christian University Wildcats in the 1976 game against East Texas State University Lions (now Texas A&M University–Commerce) in Shotwell Stadium, Abilene, Texas.[13]

text: NFL[edit]

text: The longest field goal made was 64 yards by Matt Prater of the Denver Broncos on December 8, 2013.[14] The longest field goal attempt in an NFL game was 76 yards by Sebastian Janikowski on September 28, 2008.[15]

text: In the history of the NFL regular season, only 18 field goals have been made from at least 60 yards:[16]

text:
Distance
Kicker
Team
Result
Opposition
Date
Notes
Location
Elevation
Weather

64 yards
Matt Prater
Denver Broncos
51–28
Tennessee Titans
December 8, 2013
End of 1st half
Sports Authority Field at Mile High
5,280 ft (1,610 m)
13 °F; Sunny; Wind: S at 3 mph; Humidity: 72%

63 yards
Tom Dempsey
New Orleans Saints
19–17
Detroit Lions
November 8, 1970
Born with a stub for a right foot. Game-winning kick as time expired. Detroit kicker Errol Mann had kicked a field goal with :08 remaining to give Lions the lead.
Tulane Stadium
16 ft (4.9 m)

63 yards
Jason Elam
Denver Broncos
37–24
Jacksonville Jaguars
October 25, 1998
First field goal to tie record; soccer-style kicker
Mile High Stadium
5,280 ft (1,610 m)

63 yards
Sebastian Janikowski
Oakland Raiders
23–20
Denver Broncos
September 12, 2011
Left-footed
Sports Authority Field at Mile High
5,280 ft (1,610 m)
Light rain early

63 yards
David Akers
San Francisco 49ers
30–22
Green Bay Packers
September 9, 2012
Left-footed; end of first half; ball bounced off crossbar before crossing the plane
Lambeau Field
640 ft (200 m)
70 °F; Mostly Cloudy; Wind: N at 7 mph; Humidity: 43%

62 yards
Matt Bryant
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
23–21
Philadelphia Eagles
October 22, 2006
Game-winning kick as time expired
Raymond James Stadium
35 ft (11 m)

62 yards
Stephen Gostkowski
New England Patriots
33–8
Oakland Raiders
November 19, 2017
Right-footed; kicked as time expired at the end of the first half
Azteca Stadium
7,280 ft (2,220 m)
63 °F; Mostly Cloudy

61 yards
Sebastian Janikowski
Oakland Raiders
9–23
Cleveland Browns
December 27, 2009
Left-footed
FirstEnergy Stadium
580 ft (180 m)

61 yards
Jay Feely
Arizona Cardinals
16–19 (OT)
Buffalo Bills
October 14, 2012
Right-footed; longest game-tying field goal with 1:09 remaining in the 4th quarter, missed a 38-yard field goal that would have won the game at the end of regulation
University of Phoenix Stadium
1,150 ft (350 m)
Retractable roof closed

61 yards
Justin Tucker
Baltimore Ravens
18–16
Detroit Lions
December 16, 2013
Right-footed; game-winning field goal with 43 seconds remaining; sixth field goal of the game
Ford Field
601 ft (183 m)[17]
Dome

61 yards
Greg Zuerlein
St. Louis Rams
18–21 (OT)
Minnesota Vikings
November 8, 2015
Right-footed
TCF Bank Stadium
869 ft (265 m)
58 °F (14 °C); sunny

61 yards
Jake Elliott
Philadelphia Eagles
27–24
New York Giants
September 24, 2017
Right-footed; game winning kick as time expired. Second game of NFL career. NFL rookie record for longest made field goal.
Lincoln Financial Field
39 ft (12 m)
91 °F (33 °C); sunny

60 yards
Steve Cox
Cleveland Browns
9–12
Cincinnati Bengals
October 21, 1984
Straight-ahead kick; on AstroTurf
Riverfront Stadium
490 ft (150 m)

60 yards
Morten Andersen
New Orleans Saints
17–20
Chicago Bears
October 27, 1991
Left-footed; on AstroTurf; first 60-yard kick done indoors
Louisiana Superdome
Sea level
Dome

60 yards
Rob Bironas
Tennessee Titans
20–17
Indianapolis Colts
December 3, 2006
Right-footed; game winner with six seconds remaining
LP Field
400 ft (120 m)

60 yards
Dan Carpenter
Miami Dolphins
10–13
Cleveland Browns
December 5, 2010
End of 1st half
Sun Life Stadium
5 ft (1.5 m)
77 °F (25 °C), wind SW at 14 mph (23 km/h)

60 yards
Greg Zuerlein
St. Louis Rams
19–13
Seattle Seahawks
September 30, 2012
In his rookie season; longest field goal in third quarter; also kicked a 58-yard field goal in the first quarter
Edward Jones Dome
466 ft (142 m)
Dome

60 yards
Chandler Catanzaro
Arizona Cardinals
18–33
Buffalo Bills
September 25, 2016
Longest field goal in career
New Era Field
600 ft (180 m)

text: Prior to Dempsey's 1970 kick, the longest field goal in NFL history was a 56-yard field goal by Bert Rechichar in 1953. A 55-yard field goal, achieved by a drop kick, was recorded by Paddy Driscoll in 1924, and stood as the unofficial record until that point; some sources indicate a 54-yarder by Glenn Presnell in 1934 as the record, due to the inability to precisely verify Driscoll's 55-yarder.

text: In a pre-season NFL game between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks on August 29, 2002, Ola Kimrin kicked a 65-yard field goal.[18] However, because pre-season games are not counted toward official records, this accomplishment is not the official record.

text: CFL[edit]

text:
62 yards, Paul McCallum, Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Edmonton Eskimos, October 27, 2001[19]
60 yards, Dave Ridgway, Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers, September 6, 1987[19]

text: College football[edit]

text:
69 yards, Ove Johansson, Abilene Christian vs. East Texas State on October 16, 1976. (NAIA)
67 yards, Tom Odle, Fort Hays State vs. Washburn, 1988. (NCAA)
67 yards, Joe Williams, Wichita State vs. Southern Illinois, 1978. (NCAA Division I)
67 yards, Russell Erxleben, Texas vs. Rice, 1977. (NCAA Division I)
67 yards, Steve Little, Arkansas vs. Texas, 1977.[20] (NCAA Division I)
65 yards, J. T. Haxall, Princeton vs. Yale, 1882.

text: All of the above kicks were successful with the use of a kicking tee, which was banned by the NCAA after the 1988 season.

text: 65 yards, Martin Gramatica, Kansas State vs. Northern Illinois, 1998 - without a tee [21]

text: The longest known drop-kicked field goal in college football was a 62-yard kick from Pat O'Dea, an Australian kicker who played on the Wisconsin Badgers football team. O'Dea's kick took place in a blizzard against Northwestern on November 15, 1898.[22]

text: U Sports[edit]

text: The longest field goal in U Sports football history is 59 yards, by Niko Difonte of Calgary Dinos, playing against the UBC Thunderbirds on November 11, 2017. The field goal was the final and winning play of the 81st Hardy Cup.[23][24]

text: High school[edit]

text:
68 yards, Dirk Borgognone, Reno High School vs. Sparks High School (Nevada), September 27, 1985[25][26]
67 yards, Austin Rehkow, Central Valley High School (Spokane Valley, Washington) vs. Shadle Park High School (Spokane, Washington), October 18, 2012, game-tying FG with :02 left in 4th quarter (CV would go on to win 62-55). [27][28] (tied with two others)
62 yards, David Rosenbaum, Woodrow Wilson High School (Washington, D.C.) vs. Spingarn High School, October 3, 2003. While no records are kept, considered to be the longest extra point scored. Penalties due to excessive celebration, unsportsmanlike conduct, and taunting.[29]

text: Independent amateur[edit]

text: 68 yards, Fabrizio Scaccia, Treasure Coast Bobcats (FL), March 29, 2009[30] (world record for a kick without the aid of a tee, which was banned for field goal and extra point attempts in the NCAA in 1989)

text: Independent Women's Football League[edit]

text: 44 yards, Sarah Oliver, California Quake vs. New Mexico Menace, April 26, 2008.[31]

text: Longest missed field goal return records[edit]

text: NFL[edit]

text: Field goal returns are rare in the NFL, since an attempt with sufficient distance that misses the uprights will automatically be dead. Returns are possible when a field goal is short, but in that case returners will usually down the ball so as to scrimmage from the spot of the kick. Normally, a return will only be attempted when there is not enough time left in the half to run a play from scrimmage. Nevertheless, four field goals have been returned for at least 107 yards in the 21st century:

text:
Distance returned
Returner
Team
Opposing kicker
Opposing team
Distance attempted
Date
Location

109 yards[32]
Antonio Cromartie
San Diego Chargers
Ryan Longwell
Minnesota Vikings
58 yards
November 4, 2007
Metrodome

108 yards[33]
Devin Hester
Chicago Bears
Jay Feely
New York Giants
52 yards
November 12, 2006
Giants Stadium

108 yards[34]
Nathan Vasher
Chicago Bears
Joe Nedney
San Francisco 49ers
52 yards
November 13, 2005
Soldier Field

107 yards[35]
Chris McAlister
Baltimore Ravens
Jason Elam
Denver Broncos
57 yards
September 30, 2002
Ravens Stadium

text: CFL[edit]

text: Because the goalposts in Canadian football are on the goal line, and because downing the ball in the end zone results in the kicking team scoring a single point, field goal returns are much more common. The longest missed field goal return in the CFL is 131 total yards. Against the Montreal Alouettes on August 22, 1958, the Toronto Argonauts' Boyd Carter ran 15 yards, then threw a lateral to Dave Mann, who then returned it for the final 116 yards.[36] This return, which started 21 yards behind the goal line, was during the era of 25-yard end zones (which made the maximum theoretical missed field return distance 134 yards in those days) and therefore cannot be met or exceeded on the modern field with 20-yard end zones. Since the shortening of the end zones in the CFL in 1986, a field goal has been returned for the maximum 129 yards on two occasions: by Tristan Jackson of the Saskatchewan Roughriders on July 14, 2012 [37] and by Trent Guy of the Montreal Alouettes on September 23, 2012.[38]

text: NCAA[edit]

text: In NCAA college football, only five missed field goals returns for touchdowns have ever been returned 100 yards or more:[39]

text:
September 17, 1966: Don Guest (California Golden Bears), 108-yard return for a touchdown after a failed 47-yard field goal attempt by Washington State.[39]
September 28, 1968: Richie Luzzi (Clemson Tigers), 108-yard return for a touchdown after a failed 47-yard field goal attempt by Georgia.[40]
September 7, 2013: Odell Beckham Jr. (LSU Tigers), 109-yard return for a touchdown after a failed 59-yard field goal attempt by UAB.[39]
November 30, 2013: Chris Davis, Jr. (Auburn Tigers), 109-yard return for a touchdown after what would have been a tie-breaking 57-yard field goal attempt by Alabama fell short as time expired, what some writers and fans call the greatest play in college football history.[41][42][43][44]
September 3, 2016: Brandon Wilson (Houston Cougars), 109-yard return for a touchdown after a failed 53-yard field goal attempt by Oklahoma.[45]

text: U Sports[edit]

text: In U Sports football, like in the CFL, the longest possible missed field goal return is 129 yards, and this has occurred three times.[24]

text:
Jeremy Botelho of the Manitoba Bisons playing against the Simon Fraser Clansmen on September 11, 2009
Jedd Gardner of the Guelph Gryphons playing against the McMaster Marauders on October 8, 2010
Tunde Adeleke of the Carleton Ravens playing against the Ottawa Gee-Gees on October 5, 2013


document_title: Table tennis racket

question_text: why is there a red and black side on a table tennis bat

root

text: Table tennis racket

text: Various[edit]

text: Table tennis regulations approved by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) allow different surfaces on each side of the paddle for various amounts of spin (including nullifying it) or speed.[1] For example, a player may have a spin-heavy rubber on one side of his paddle, and no spin on the other side. The player can flip the racket in play for different types of returns. To help a player distinguish between different types of rubber used by his opponent, regulations specify that one side of a paddle must be red while the other must be black, allowing a player to see what side of a paddle hits the ball mid-play. The player has the right to inspect his opponent's racquet before a match to see the type and color. Current rules state that, unless damaged in play, the paddle cannot be exchanged for another at any time during a match.[2]

tag: p

text: The rubber coating may be of pimpled rubber, with the pimples outward, or it may be composed of a sponge layer, covered by rubber that may have the pimples pointed inwards or outwards. Some paddles are not covered with rubber ("naked") to make it spin resistant. However, it is illegal to use these types of racquet in competition as they are not approved by the ITTF. Some types of rubbers are also not approved. Approved rubbers have the ITTF emblem on the base of the rubber.[3]

text: Assembling[edit]

text: Players have many choices and variations in rubber sheets on their racquet. Although a racquet may be purchased assembled with rubber by the manufacturer, most serious tournament players will use a custom racquet. A player selects a blank blade (i.e., a racquet without rubber) based on his or her playing style. The type of wood or synthetic layers used to make up the blade will determine the blade's speed. The different types of rubber sheets affect the level of spin, speed, and other specific playing characteristics. Racquet construction and new rubber technology contribute significantly to the amount of deviation from the expected ball flight path.

text: Glue and gluing[edit]

text: Normally, a sheet of rubber is glued to a blade using various table tennis brand glues such as Butterfly, Donic, and DHS. Some glues may work even if it wasn't designed specifically for table tennis, such as Rubber Cement and Tear Mender. The rubber is not removed until it wears out or becomes damaged. In the 1980s, some players developed a new technique with a special glue called speed glue to apply the rubber every time he played. The glue would help provide more spin and speed by providing a "catapult" effect.

text: The fairly recent development of speed glue speeds up the departure of the ball from the rubber considerably, though at the cost of some ball control on touch shots where little or no spin is put on the ball. Speed glue was allowed for the last time in the 2008 Summer Olympics. From the 2012 Summer Olympics onward, the Olympic games banned speed glue.[4]

text: Maintaining and protection[edit]

text: The surface of a racquet will develop a smooth glossy patina with use. The rubber surface needs regular cleaning to retain a high friction surface for ball spin. Commercial cleaners or water and soap can be cleaning agents.[5]

text: Sun exposure may damage the rubber.


document_title: Madea's Family Reunion

question_text: who played lisa in madea's family reunions

question_tokens: who played lisa in madea 's family reunions

text: Madea's Family Reunion

text: Plot[edit]

text: After Madea (Tyler Perry) violates the terms of her house arrest (which she was subjected to in the previous film), the judge orders her to take in a troubled foster child named Nikki (Keke Palmer) in order to avoid jail. At first, Madea and Nikki clash due to the latter's bad attitude and disrespect, stemming from her poor life up to this point, including an absent father, a mother in jail, and a slew of uncaring foster homes. However, Madea tells her that the only way to really overcome her poor life is to work to do and be better than the people who have let and put her down. Nikki takes Madea's words to heart and gradually reforms her behavior over the course of the film.

text: Lisa Breaux (Rochelle Aytes), one of Madea's nieces, is engaged to Carlos Armstrong (Blair Underwood), an abusive and controlling investment banker. While she desperately wants to get out of the engagement, her mother, Victoria (Lynn Whitfield), urges her to go through with the wedding, telling Lisa to avoid doing things that make Carlos angry, because Victoria is a conniving gold digger. Vanessa (Lisa Arrindell Anderson), the other of Madea's nieces, who lives with her, has two children fathered by two different men, neither of whom is involved in their children's lives; Victoria regularly degrades Vanessa for this, even referring to her grandchildren as "bastards". Vanessa is successfully, though through some struggle, wooed by poetry-spouting bus driver Frankie Henderson (Boris Kodjoe), who is the single father of a young son, and has a passion for painting. As much as Vanessa likes Frankie, she is emotionally closed off and has a difficult time trusting him.

text: Lisa eventually leaves Carlos with the intention of calling off the wedding, temporarily moving in with Madea. Carlos, eager to move forward with the wedding, dispatches Victoria to bring her back to him. Victoria confronts Carlos about the abuse, suggesting that insecurity about his masculinity is causing him to act out and that he needs counseling. Carlos counters this by suggesting that she's controlling every aspect of Lisa's life because she wants to make up for all of the shortcomings in her own. It is then revealed that Victoria, with Carlos's assistance, has stolen from Lisa's trust fund over the years, leaving virtually no money left, and is now encouraging Lisa to marry Carlos in order to keep up her livelihood. Carlos makes it clear to Victoria that he will not bail her out unless the wedding goes forward. Victoria goes to Madea's house to fetch Lisa, only to end up in a passionate argument with Vanessa, who has become aware of Carlos's abuse and is eager to protect her sister.

text: During the confrontation, Vanessa reveals a shocking secret to her younger sister: Victoria allowed her second husband, Lisa's father, to rape Vanessa in order to keep him in the marriage. Vanessa states that the sexual abuse occurred on a regular basis after that, which as a result, left her closed off emotionally and unable to trust the men in her life, including Frankie. Even more shockingly, Victoria makes no attempt to deny Vanessa's accusations. Instead, she rationalizes her actions, telling her daughters that they would have been destitute if Lisa's father had left, and that after going through a previous divorce with Vanessa's father and working two jobs to support the family afterwards, she was tired of struggling and felt that she deserved better. She also reveals that her own mother, a prostitute and drug addict, regularly traded her for "ten dollars and a fix", essentially almost mirroring what she'd done with Vanessa and Lisa's father.

text: Victoria then states that she would not allow Vanessa to ruin her happiness, and that she would not apologize for the choices she'd made. She then turns on a horrified Lisa, demanding that Lisa begin taking care of her financially as she made sure that Lisa had the best of everything while she was growing up. Victoria then leaves and later lies to Lisa, telling her that Carlos has agreed to counseling. Lisa returns to Carlos and resumes her wedding plans. At the family reunion, held at the home of ninety-six-year-old Aunt Ruby (Georgia Allen), Vanessa and Victoria get into another verbal confrontation, which eventually turns into a physical fight after Victoria insults Vanessa about her relationship with Frankie in front of the family. The fight is broken up when Myrtle, (Cicely Tyson) Madea's daughter-in-law, and Aunt May (Maya Angelou) gather the family members to an old shack the family's ancestors grew up in. They, along with some of the older members of the family, express appellation and disappointment at how the family has turned out and Myrtle gives a long speech convincing them to act better to each other and to themselves.

text: On the day of Lisa's wedding, Madea tells her to stand up against Carlos and fight back. When he arrives at Madea's house, he asks that he and Lisa be alone. Madea asks Carlos if he'd like something to eat, and tells Lisa to give him some grits on the stove, noting to Lisa that they're hot. When Madea leaves the house with Nikki, Carlos brutally slaps Lisa in the face, but then, in retaliation, she throws the pot of hot grits in his face, burning him badly, and then beats him with a frying pan, as Madea listens outside with laughter. She then takes off her ring and throws it at an injured Carlos before leaving. At the church, Lisa announces to the guests that Carlos had been beating her every day since they were engaged and that the wedding is off. Frankie then asks Vanessa to marry him. She says yes, and they're married at the church instead. At the reception, Victoria tells Vanessa that the two are a beautiful couple and they hug, signifying the first steps in a possible reconciliation.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Tyler Perry as Brian, Joe, and Mabel "Madea" Simmons
Blair Underwood as Carlos Armstrong
Lynn Whitfield as Victoria Breaux
Boris Kodjoe as Frankie Henderson
Lisa Arrindell Anderson as Vanessa Breaux
Maya Angelou as Aunt May
Rochelle Aytes as Lisa Breaux
Jenifer Lewis as Milay Jenay Lori
Keke Palmer as Nikki Grady
Tangi Miller as Donna
Henry Simmons as Isaac
Cicely Tyson as Myrtle
China Anne McClain as Tamara
Johnny Gill as Wedding singer
Cassi Davis as Aunt Sarah
Georgia Allen as Aunt Ruby
Nicholas Ortiz as Himself
Judge Mablean Ephriam (cameo) as Herself
David Wiebers as Wedding Musician (trumpet)

tag: ul

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text: The soundtrack was released by Motown Records on February 21, 2006.

text: Track listingNo.TitlePerformer(s)Length1."Find Myself in You"Brian McKnight4:142."We're Gonna Make It"LL Cool J and Mary Mary4:543."Keep Your Head Up"Chaka Khan4:344."Tonight"Kem3:555."Everyday (Family Reunion)"Chaka Khan, Carl Thomas, Yolanda Adams, and Gerald Levert4:486."Love and Happiness"Al Green5:027."You For Me (Wedding Song)"Johnny Gill5:378."Family Reunion"The O'Jays6:559."I'll Be"Will Downing4:1010."Wounds in the Way"Rachelle Ferrell4:21

tag: table

text: Release and reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: Madea's Family Reunion was budgeted at $6 million and opened at #1 in its opening weekend (2/24-26) with $30,030,661[1] and eventually grossed $63,257,940 in North America with an additional $50,939 internationally, tying $63,308,879 worldwide after 9 weeks in theaters.[2]

text: Small independent filmmaker Tyler Perry has garnered one of the highest wide-release openings to date in 2006, in both gross ($30 million) and screen average ($13,687).[3]

text: "The number one movie is Madea's Family Reunion, a small comedy/melodrama which grossed an astounding $30.3 million from 2,194 venues. It had a super-hot venue average of $13,787...."[4]

text: "Playing at 2,194 locations across North America, the film averaged a remarkable estimated $13,788 per screen, demonstrating the enormous breadth and depth of Perry's audience. The debut weekend of Madea's Family Reunion outperformed the opening weekend of Lionsgate's first Tyler Perry film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, by nearly 40 percent."[5]

text: Audience[edit]

text: The reasoning for the film's relative success,[1] according to Steve Rothenberg, Lions Gate president of domestic distribution, is due to its targeted market appeal, "I believe that we're in all the right theaters...I'm not sure there's much room for expansion."[6] To illustrate the point, Lions Gate's exit polls[6] showed 52 percent of the audience were black women over the age of 35.

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: Madea's Family Reunion received mixed reviews from critics. It holds a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 25%, based on 55 reviews, with an average rating of 4.5/10. The consensus reads "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion is sincere in its positive intentions, but leaves something to be desired as a film."[7] Metacritic gives the film a score of 45% based on reviews from 18 critics.[8]


document_title: List of Yu Yu Hakusho season 2 episodes

question_text: what episode does the tournament start in yu yu hakusho

text: List of Yu Yu Hakusho season 2 episodes

text: Episodes (1993-1994)[edit]

text:
EP#
Title
Original airdate
English airdate

26
"Toguro Returns" (Invitees To The Dark Tournament)
"Ankoku Bujutsukai e no Shōtaisha" (暗黒武術会への招待者)
April 17, 1993
April 8, 2003

Yusuke Urameshi unexpectedly crosses paths with the Younger Toguro on a street intersection, who shows Yusuke a demonstration of his true strength in a parking garage. Yusuke is given an ultimatum, in that he must participate in the Dark Tournament two months ahead, organized by human crime lords and drawn in by fierce apparitions, or have him and his friends killed. Left no choice and feeling helpless, Yusuke and his allies begin a two-month training period. Soon after, Yusuke, along with Kazuma Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, and a mysterious masked fighter, band together a board a ship leading to the Dark Tournament grounds.

27
"The Dark Tournament Begins" (Departure of Death! To The Island of Hell)
"Shi no Funede! Jigoku no Shima e" (死の船出! 地獄の島へ)
April 24, 1993
April 9, 2003

Team Urameshi finds out that the preliminary competition is on the ship itself. While Yusuke sleeps due to exhaustion from training, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, and the masked fighter quickly dispose of the attacking competitors, qualifying for the next level of the tournament in the process. Upon arriving at the hotel, the five are briefly visited by Rinku and Zeru, two members of Team Rokuyukai.

28
"First Fight" (The Little Mighty Foe! Rinku's Secret Technique)
"Chiisana Kyōteki! Rinku no Higi" (小さな強敵! 鈴駒の秘技)
May 1, 1993
April 10, 2003

Koenma as well as Botan, Keiko Yukimura and Shizuru Kuwabara, come to witness the Dark Tournament. Kuwabara faces off against Rinku, the first member of Team Rokuyukai. Kuwabara is overwhelmed by Rinku's acrobatic maneuverability, almost being knocked out. Although Kuwabara displays his newfound ability to wield two spirit swords at once, he is unable to overcome Rinku's assault of yo-yos.

29
"Flowers of Blood" (Kurama Makes Blood Flowers Blossom)
"Chi no Hana o Sakasu Kurama!" (血の花を咲かす蔵馬!)
May 8, 1993
April 11, 2003

Both Kuwabara and Rinku display the ability to control their spirit energies using their spirit sword and yo-yos, respectively. They both are pushed outside of the ring, yet Rinku manages to defeat Kuwabara. Kurama battles Roto, one who can morph his finger into a sickle, who threatens to have his brother kill Kurama's human mother. However, Kurama deceives Roto by conversing with him until a seed Kurama planted in Roto at the start of the round blooms, killing Roto from the inside.

30
"Dragon of the Darkness Flame" (The Unfinished Secret Technique--Ensatsu Kokuryuha)
"Mikan no Oshigi Ensatsu Kokuryūha" (未完の奥義·炎殺黒龍波)
May 15, 1993
April 14, 2003

The leader of Team Rokuyukai, Zeru, challenges Hiei, who is seemingly overwhelmed by Zeru's initial fiery assault. However, Hiei uses the jagan eye, enabling him to shrug off the assault without a scratch. Hiei later uses his new technique, the dragon of the darkness flame, to obliterate Zeru. The final member of Team Rokuyukai is Chu, introduced as a drunkard. Yusuke finally wakes up from his long slumber to begin his match.

31
"Stumbling Warrior" (The Drunken Warrior! Chu's Sui-ken)
"Yoidore Senshi! Chū no Suiken" (よいどれ戦士! 酎の酔拳)
May 22, 1993
April 15, 2003

Yusuke is annoyed by Chu's unpredictable movements, as he is constantly being pummeled to the ground. Yusuke shows his ability to use his spirit gun on each of his fingers on his right hand. Chu then unleashes his special attack, resembling much of the power of the spirit gun. They are evenly matched as both have exhausted all of their spirit energies.

32
"Knife Edge Death-Match"
"Naifu Ejji Desu Matchi" (ナイフエッジデスマッチ)
May 29, 1993
April 16, 2003

Yusuke and Chu agree to have a hand-to-hand combat with one foot pressed against the edge of a knife, with the loser receiving death at the hands of the victor. Keiko cannot stand to see Yusuke fight anymore, but Kuwabara explains that Yusuke must fight in order to rematch the Younger Toguro once more. Yusuke brutally counters a headbutt executed by Chu, overcoming him. Though it was designed to be a death match, Yusuke spares Chu's life.

33
"A Day in Waiting" (Clash! The Best 8 are Decided)
"Gekitotsu! Best 8 Derō" (激突! ベスト8出そろう)
June 5, 1993
April 17, 2003

Yusuke realizes that he cannot use his spirit gun after encountering a member of the Spirit Warriors in a forest, who is shortly killed by his leader thereafter. Hiei endures the pain of a paralyzed right arm near the seashore after having used the dangerous technique from before. Upon returning to the stadium, Yusuke and Kuwabara watches as the Younger Toguro effortlessly defeats the Spirit Warriors by himself, of which the leader of the team had been acquainted by Yusuke earlier in the forest.

34
"Percentage of Victory" (A Desperate Battle, With a 0.05% Chance of Winning)
"Shōritsu Maru Ten Maru Go Pāsento no Shitō" (勝率0.05%の死闘!)
June 12, 1993
April 18, 2003

Yusuke, Kuwabara, and the masked fighter participate in a three-on-three battle with Yen, Ryu, and Kai of Team Ichigaki. As the members of this team are revealed to be humans, they are unwittingly under the control of Dr. Ichigaki. After realizing this, they essentially refuse to fight and Team Ichigaki gains the upper hand very quickly. Meanwhile, Kurama and Hiei has to deal with two other members of Team Ichigaki, who unleash the robot Gatasval to attack the two.

35
"Glimpse Beneath the Mask" (The Identity of Mask?! A Beautiful Warrior)
"Fukumen no Shōtai?! Utsukushiki Senshi" (覆面の正体?! 美しき戦士)
June 19, 1993
April 21, 2003

The masked fighter saves Yusuke and Kuwabara from direct attacks by Team Ichigaki, later revealed to be a young woman with pink hair, yet her name is still unknown. Kurama and Hiei defeat Gatasval, mentioning how Dr. Ichigaki took command of Yen, Ryu, and Kai using the blood-saver node as his invention. The three shed tears of blood after Kuwabara uses himself as a human shield to bear the combined attack of the three. Yusuke takes them all on and is able to sense and counter their attacks.

36
"Ambition Destroyed: A Trial of Light" (Ambition Crushed! A Baptism by Light)
"Yabō o Funsai! Hikari no Senrei" (野望を粉砕! 光りの洗礼)
June 26, 1993
April 22, 2003

The masked fighter uses the spirit wave technique to remove the blood-saver node from their bodies, thereby defeating them. Dr. Ichigaki transforms himself into a monstrous creature as a last resort to win the battle, however he is quickly bested by an enraged Yusuke. Due to the mechanics of the spirit wave technique, it is realized that En, Ryu, and Kai are able to regain control of their bodies, as they make their way back home. Team Urameshi is forced to battle back-to-back with Team Mashotsukai, a group of shadow channels, much to their chagrin.

37
"Master of Disguise" (Stealthy Figures of Darkness, The Mashotsukai Team)
"Yami no Shinobi Mashōtsukai Team" (闇の忍·魔性使いチーム)
July 3, 1993
April 23, 2003

Kuwabara is unable to fight due to the attack by Team Ichigaki. Ruka, the nurse of the Dark Tournament, is summoned to hold custody of Hiei and the masked fighter, creating a barrier around them, and rendering them unable to escape due to their depleted spirit energy. Kurama is to face off against Gama, who uses paint to immobilize his opponent. Kurama unexpectedly uses his rose whip with his hair to severely wound Gama, gradually bleeding to death.

38
"Kurama's Stand" (A Desperate Kurama! Bodypaint of Death)
"Kurama Muzan! Shi no Keshō" (蔵馬無惨! 死の化粧)
July 10, 1993
April 24, 2003

Kurama's spirit energy is sealed by the dying efforts of Gama, as his paint was actually mixed with his blood. Kurama is to battle Toya, described as an ice master. Kurama breaks free of paralysis, but is denied access to his spirit energy. Toya attacks Kurama multiple times, but is unable to target his vital points. Kurama defeats Toya by implanting his plants into his own body to use as a weapon, however falling unconscious.

39
"Crushing Revenge" (Annihilation! Yusuke's Iron Fist of Fury)
"Funsai! Yūsuke Ikari no Tekken" (粉砕! 幽助怒りの鉄拳)
July 17, 1993
April 25, 2003

Bakken, another member of Team Mashotsukai, brutally assaults the comatose Kurama. Nevertheless, Kurama's life is spared after noticing Yusuke preparing to use his spirit gun in retaliation. Bakken uses his sweat glands to create a fog of mist in the ring, attacking a blindsided Yusuke. It is apparent, however, that Yusuke uses his spirit gun in order to clear the mist, making the ring visible. Yusuke punches Bakken in the stomach for payback of his cruelty, utterly damaging his thoracic cage and knocking him out of the ring. Jin, the wind user of Team Masho, then faces off against Yusuke, displaying the ability of flight.

40
"Jin, the Wind Master" (Jin, the Wind Tamer! A Stormy Air Battle)
"Kazetsukai Jin! Arashi no Kuchūsen" (風使い陣! 嵐の空中戦)
July 24, 1993
April 28, 2003

Jin uses his tornado fist to land a hit on Yusuke, who is literally blown away from the attack. Yusuke later counterattacks with a series of punches, yet Jin flies after being hit in the stomach. Yusuke then uses the spirit gun on him, only to see Jin create a whirlwind to deflect the blast. When Jin dives down from the sky using tornado fist a second time, Yusuke uses spirit gun again to cause a mass explosion, however both are surprising still alive. Both contenders prepare for their ultimate attacks.

41
"Reverse Decisions" (Reikodan! An Unexpected Conclusion?!)
"Reikōdan! Igai Na Ketchaku?!" (霊光弾! 意外な決着?!)
July 31, 1993
April 29, 2003

While Jin has initiated a double tornado fist, Yusuke begins to use the spirit wave technique. After disabling both fists, Yusuke catapults Jin out of the ring, overcoming him. Before Yusuke is about to fight with the next opponent of Team Masho, it has been realized that he has been disqualified by a technicality. Yukina arrives outside the stadium, meeting up with Botan, Keiko, and Shizuru. Kuwabara, though still seriously injured volunteers himself to fight the last battle against Risho, the leader of the team.

42
"A Matter of Love and Death" (A Desperate Kuwabara! The Charge of Love)
"Kesshi no Kuwabara! Ai no Totsugeki" (決死の桑原! 愛の突撃)
August 7, 1993
April 30, 2003

Risho easily inflicts further pain upon Kuwabara. He later unleashes his earth powers, initially overwhelming Kuwabara, who is able to stand up to his feet and every critical hit. Kuwabara sees Yukina in the audience, who has arrived to gives him moral support, in which he manages to overcome his injuries and defeats Risho with his spirit sword.

43
"The Masked Fighter Revealed" (The Masked Warrior's Stern Face!)
"Fukumen Senshi no Kubishiki Sugao" (覆面戦士の厳しき素顔)
August 14, 1993
May 1, 2003

The spirit beast of Yusuke, as his ordeal succeeding his death a year ago, has hatched, resembling that of a penguin, now named Pu. Team Urameshi catches a glimpse of Team Toguro in the stadium. The masker fighter takes Yusuke into the forest to reveal herself to be Genkai. She begins the final step of training in order to perfect Yusuke's spirit gun.

44
"Yusuke's Final Test" (The Greatest Trial from Genkai)
"Genkai Kara no Saidai no Shiren" (幻海からの最大の試練)
August 21, 1993
May 2, 2003

Yusuke is told that he must take Genkai's life in order to take her power, though this was a test administered to see if Yusuke cared about Genkai's death at all. Genkai creates a spirit wave orb and fuses it into Yusuke's body as a test of endurance. Meanwhile, as the semifinal rounds begin, the remaining members of Team Urameshi prepare to face off against Team Uraotogi. In the first match, Hiei fights the ogreish fighter Makintaro, slicing off his left arm. Even when Makintaro transforms his arm into an ax, Hiei effortlessly dispatches him.

45
"Hiei Battles On" (Hiei Battles Consecutively! Shoot Your Kokuryuha!)
"Hiei Rensen! Gekite Kokuryūha!" (飛影連戦! 撃て黒龍波!)
August 28, 1993
May 5, 2003

Yusuke struggles as he bears the pain of the spirit wave orb within him. Even when Genkai attempts to remove it, Yusuke still chooses to handle the torture. Hiei is to battle Kuro Momotaro, able to transform with apelike instincts, making Hiei's techniques useless. Unable to use the dragon of the darkness flame, lest it consume him in the process, Hiei is left with dwindling options.

46
"Many Faces, Many Forms" (Tremble! Kuromomotaro's Transformation)
"Senritsu! Kuromomotarō no Henshin" (戦慄! 黒桃太郎の変身)
September 4, 1993
May 6, 2003

As Kuro Momotaro then transforms with birdlike qualities, Hiei's attacks are proven ineffective. Kuro Momotaro later transforms with wolfish capabilities, forcing Hiei to use his powers in an unorthodox fashion by channeling the dragon of the darkness flame through his sword in order to dispatch Kuro Momotaro. Kurama is to fight the unwitting Ura Urashima, as it is the rose whip versus the fishing pole whip, in which a telepathic conversation between the two leads to deception of the former. Kurama is introduced to the Idunn Box, reverting to his demon form, Yoko Kurama, as the ring is covered in fog.

47
"Legendary Bandit: Yoko Kurama" (The Legendary Thief! Yoko Kurama!)
"Densetsu no Tōsoku! Yōko Kurama" (伝説の盗賊! 妖狐·蔵馬)
September 11, 1993
May 7, 2003

It is explained that Kurama had gone into human form fifteen years past, recovering his spirit energy from when he was a fox demon. While Yoko Kurama grows a manlike tree, having acidic saliva to melt its prey. He interrogates Ura Urashima to discover the secret of the Idun Box, however Ura Urashima is murdered by Shishiwakamaru, the leader of Team Uraotogi, before he can reveal any information, clearing the fog. Kuwabara is chosen to fight against Shishiwakamaru after a game of rock-paper-scissors, much to the dismay of Kurama and Hiei. Pu flies to Yusuke inside the cave in order to nurture him with water to ease his ongoing pain, soon overcame when Yusuke smashes a boulder that was headed towards Pu.

48
"The Cape of No Return" (Item of Darkness: The Mantle of Death)
"Yami Item Shide no Hagoromo" (闇アイテム·死出の羽衣)
September 18, 1993
May 8, 2003

As Kuwabara fights against Shishiwakamaru with the spirit sword, the latter quickly sends the former through the cape of no return, transporting him outside of the ring. Kuwabara lands in another stadium, meeting up with Botan, Keiko, Shizuru, and Yukina. Shishiwakamaru then is to battle the masked fighter, as to which Genkai is shown now as elderly and not youthful from before. The legality of the battle is called into question, concerning the occurrence of disqualification. After the match has been approved, Shishi Wakamaru unsheathes his banshee shriek sword. Kuwabara, Botan, Keiko, Shizuru, and Yukina find Yusuke and Pu in the forest on their way to the semifinals stadium.

49
"Genkai's Strength" (Remaining Power! Genkai's Life or Death Battle)
"Sareta Chikara! Genkai no Shitō" (残された力! 幻海の死闘)
September 25, 1993
May 9, 2003

Shishiwakamaru twirls his banshee shriek sword to resonance the shrill call of the reaper, disturbing the ears of the audience. Moreover, he dissipates the chorus of a thousand skulls from the sword and devours much of the audience. Kuwabara arrives as Shishiwakamaru forms the cage of hell, trapping Genkai. It is then that Genkai turns the tables on Shishiwakamaru by using her spirit reflection blast against his attack. Kuwabara must now face off against Onji, who appears to be just an old man.

50
"Suzuki's Challenge" (Demon Battler Suzuki's Challenge!)
(魔闘家·鈴木の挑戦!)
October 2, 1993
May 12, 2003

Keiko is almost attacked by demons in the forest, but is saved by the appearance of Chu, Rinku, Jin, and Toya. They note that Yusuke has become stronger. Onji creates the dimensional travel sphere and sends Kuwabara back to the other stadium. This elderly fighter then reveals himself to be the clownish Suzuki, as Genkai is elected to fight him. Suzuki strives to be known as a god after first defeating Genkai. He whooshes his rainbow cyclone attack on an unharmed Genkai, who abruptly takes his rubber nose. The two engage in hand-to-hand combat, as Suzuki demonstrates his body of steel muscle explosion technique. Yet despite this, Genkai easily defeats him.

51
"Arch-Rivals" (Confrontation of Destiny! The Shadow of Toguro)
"Shukumei no Taiketsu! Toguro no Kage" (宿命の対決! 戸愚呂の影)
October 9, 1993
May 13, 2003

Three members of Team Toguro demonstrate their power on another team in the semifinals. Kuwabara watches over Yusuke in the hotel room, Kurama spectates the fights, and Hiei goes to the seashore to improve his technique. Team Toguro utterly slaughters this team with minimal effort. Genkai meets with the Younger Toguro in the forest, mentioning a conflict between them from fifty years ago. Yusuke wakes up and runs into the forest after sensing the Younger Toguro's immense spirit energy.

52
"The Death of Genkai" (Genkai Falls! Settled After 50 Years)
"Genkai Chiru! 50 Nen Me no Ketchaku" (幻海散る! 50年目の決着)
October 16, 1993
May 14, 2003

It is explained that Genkai and the Younger Toguro were once a pair fifty years back, however the Younger Toguro was greedy for eternal youth and ultimate strength. The Younger Toguro confronts and battles a weakened Genkai. Despite a final effort using her feeble energy, Genkai is overwhelmed by Toguro and becomes mortally wounded as Yusuke arrives. Giving Yusuke her dying words, she passes away and the Younger Toguro subsequently launches an enraged Yusuke through the forest. It is then that Yusuke reminisces of when he trained under Genkai, mourning for her death.

53
"Overcoming Grief" (Before the Storm! Overcoming Sorrow)
"Arashi no Mae! Kanashimi o Koete" (嵐の前! 悲しみを越えて)
October 23, 1993
May 15, 2003

Suzuki encounters Kuwabara and Kurama, giving them an elixir and a hilt, respectively, to enhance their natural abilities. Koenma finds Yusuke in deep depression over Genkai. Sakyo proposes to make a portal between the Spirit World and the Living World. Yusuke is motivated to prepare himself for the final round against Team Toguro.

54
"The Beginning of the End" (The Turbulent Final Round Begins!)
"Haran no Kesshō Sen Kaishi!" (波瀾の決勝戦開始!)
October 30, 1993
May 16, 2003

Team Urameshi, now with ameliorative spirit energies, are ready for the final round begins, with Sakyo and Koenma arriving to fill the vacancies on each of their teams. The first match begins with Kurama facing Karasu.

55
"The Beast Within" (Explosion! The Yoko Awakened)
"Bakuretsu! Mezame Ta Yōko" (爆烈! 目覚めた妖狐)
November 6, 1993
May 8, 2004

Karasu's bomb abilities overwhelm Kurama's plants. Just when all seemed grim, Kurama transforms into Yoko Kurama, due to ingesting the fruit of previous life he received from Suzuki before the fight. Attaining new and improved abilities, Yoko Kurama's demon plants prove too much for Karasu to handle.

56
"Yoko's Magic" (The Desperate Kurama! A Final Measure)
"Kesshi no Kurama! Saigo no Te" (決死の蔵馬! 最後の手段)
November 13, 1993
May 15, 2004

Kurasu loses his mask, the only thing inhibiting his full power. He unleashes a massive explosion, seemingly killing Yoko Kurama, and although he survived, however, the fruit of previous life reaches its time limit and Yoko Kurama reverts into his human form, giving Karasu the advantage. In response, Kurama plays on Karasu's overconfidence, and uses a desperate final attack to secure victory.

57
"Beneath Bui's Armor" (Intimidation! Bui Removes his Armor)
"Kyōi! Yoroi o Hazushi Ta Bui" (脅威! 鎧を外した武威)
November 20, 1993
May 22, 2004

Despite Karasu's death, Kurama loses the fight on a technicality. Hiei begins to fight Bui, able to deal with his immense ax attacks with little effort. Bui is later forced to remove his armor in order to effectively fight Hiei.

58
"Wielder of the Dragon" (The Ultimate Secret Technique! Roar of the Kokuryuha)
"Kyūkyoku Ougi! Hoero Kokuryūha" (究極奥義! ほえろ黒龍波)
November 27, 1993
May 29, 2004

In response to Bui's increased abilities, Hiei uses the dragon of the darkness flame. Although Bui reflects the attacks back to Hiei, Hiei absorbs the flames, drastically increasing his physical abilities. Bui is later defeated in the process. Hiei goes into hibernation after having drained all his spirit energy.

59
"The Shadow of Elder Toguro" (The Eerie Shadow of Toguro the Elder)
"Toguro Kei no Bukimi na Kage" (戸愚呂兄の不気味な影)
December 4, 1993
June 5, 2004

A long intermission is called for replacing the ring after it was highly damaged. Kuwabara fights the Elder Toguro, and grows incensed when he is the last to learn of Genkai's death. However, the Elder Toguro's regenerative abilities makes Kuwabara's attacks useless.

60
"Sakyo's Proposal" (Explosion of Anger! Kuwabara's Counterattack)
"Ikari Bakuhatsu! Kuwabara no Hangeki" (怒り爆発! 桑原の反撃)
December 11, 1993
June 12, 2004

Using the trial sword given to him by Suzuki, Kuwabara manages to crush the Elder Toguro, ensuring him the victory. Due to Sakyo feeling that a fight with Koenma would be meaningless, he bets his life on victory of the Younger Toguro, and Koenma follows suit. Sakyo explains to the Younger Toguro how his gambling obsession first emerged. Despite the survival of the Elder Toguro, who gloats over the wagers placed between the two fighters, the Younger Toguro denied his assistance in the battle against Yusuke and kicks him off the island.

61
"Yusuke vs. Toguro" (Confrontation of Destiny! The Tempestuous Battle of Captains Commences)
"Shukumei no Taiketsu! Arashi no Taishō Sen Kaishi" (宿命の対決! 嵐の大将戦開始)
December 18, 1993
June 19, 2004

Rinku, Chu, Toya, and Jin come to watch the final match between Yusuke and the Younger Toguro. The fight becomes a standstill, as both contestants prepare to attack. Yusuke shoots a massive spirit gun blast that sends the Younger Toguro out of the stadium. However, the Younger Toguro returns, surprisingly uninjured by Yusuke's attack.

62
"Toguro's Full Power" (Toguro's 100 Percent Terror!)
"Toguro Hyaku Pāsento no Kyōfu!" (戸愚呂100%の恐怖!)
December 25, 1993
June 26, 2004

Yusuke removes the spirit cuffs from the arms and legs, chained to him by Genkai, unlocking the full power of his spirit energy. Even after Yusuke inflicts a barrage of hits towards the Younger Toguro, the latter remains uninjured. The Younger Toguro presents one hundred percent of his total strength, overwhelming Yusuke.

63
"Yusuke's Despair" (Yusuke! A Trial to the Limits of Sorrow)
"Yūsuke Jo! Genkai He no Kanashii Shiren" (幽助! 限界への悲しい試練)
January 8, 1994
July 3, 2004

Yusuke is reminded of his childhood life with Keiko when she cries out his name during the battle. Genkai possess Pu and suggests the Younger Toguro to kill one of Yusuke's friends in order to increase his power exponentially. The Younger Toguro choose Kuwabara to die at his hands.

64
"Toguro's Desire" (Deathbattle Concluded! A Final Full Power)
"Shitō Ketchaku! Saigo no Furu Pawā" (死闘決着! 最後のフルパワー)
January 15, 1994
July 10, 2004

With Kuwabara dead, Yusuke's power rises with his grief. In response, Toguro powers to one hundred and twenty percent of his total power. As the two clash, Toguro manages to block the final blast of Yusuke's spirit gun, but ends up crumbling down in defeat after its completion.

65
"Out With a Bang" (The Scheme Vanishes, Together With the Stadium)
"Tōgi Jō Totomoni Kieru Yabō" (闘技場と共に消える野望)
January 22, 1994
July 17, 2004

It is quite a shock that Kuwabara is actually alive, as his vital points were not damaged. To fulfill his promise of defeat, Sakyo commits suicide by detonating the stadium, with the participants and spectators barely able to escape, destroying all his progress in his proposal. Keiko, feeling catatonic, is unresponsive to Botan's voice, and Yusuke later slaps her back to her senses. The protagonists make it out alive at the last minute.

66
"Toguro's Wish" (Toguro's Atonement -- His Greatest Desire)
"Toguro no Tsugunai. Ichiban no Nozomi" (戸愚呂の償い・一番の望み)
January 29, 1994
July 24, 2004

The protagonists prepare to sail home since the tournament has ended. In the Spirit World, the Younger Toguro demands to go to the most brutal level of the underworld to repent for his deeds in life. It is explained that the Younger Toguro had been psychologically scarred fifty years ago by a demon named Kairin, who killed all the students of his dojo. Genkai confront the Younger Toguro for blaming himself for his wrongdoings. Genkai is resurrected in the Living World as the prize for winning the tournament.

text: Anime and manga portal


document_title: X-Men: The Last Stand

question_text: who plays angel in x-men the last stand

question_tokens: who plays angel in x-men the last stand

text: X-Men: The Last Stand

text: Plot[edit]

text: Twenty years in the past, Professor Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr meet young Jean Grey at her parents' house to invite her to join their school, the X-Mansion. Ten years later, the industrialist father of Warren Worthington III discovers his son is a mutant as Warren tries to cut off his wings.

text: In the present, Worthington Labs announces it has developed an inoculation to suppress the X-gene that gives mutants their abilities, and offer the "cure" to any mutant who wants it. The cure is created from the genome of a young mutant named Jimmy, who lives at the Worthington facility on Alcatraz Island. While some mutants are interested in the cure, including the X-Men's Rogue, many others are horrified by the announcement. Lehnsherr re-establishes his Brotherhood of Mutants with those who oppose the cure, warning his followers that the cure will be forcefully used to exterminate the mutant race.

text: With help from Pyro, Lehnsherr recruits Callisto and several other mutants. They attack the mobile prison holding Mystique to free her, also freeing Juggernaut and Multiple Man. Mystique saves Lehnsherr by taking a shot of the mutant cure aimed at him, rendering Raven Darkhölme human. Hateful of humans, Lehnsherr abandons Darkhölme, much to her shock and disappointment. Meanwhile, Scott Summers, still distraught over the loss of his fiancée, Jean Grey, drives to her resting location at Alkali Lake. Jean appears to Summers but, as the two kiss, Jean kills him. Sensing trouble, Xavier sends Logan and Storm to investigate. When they arrive, they find only telekinetically floating rocks, Summers' glasses, and an unconscious Jean.

text: When they return to the X-Mansion, Xavier explains to Logan that when Jean sacrificed herself, she also freed the "Phoenix", a dark and powerful alternate personality which Xavier had telepathically repressed, fearing the Phoenix's destructive potential. Logan is disgusted to learn of this psychic tampering with Jean's mind but, once she awakens, he discovers that she killed Summers and is not the Jean Grey he once knew. The Phoenix emerges, knocks out Logan, and escapes to her childhood home.

text: Lehnsherr learns of Jean's resurrection through Callisto, and the X-Men arrive at the Grey home at the same time as the Brotherhood. Lehnsherr and Xavier go in alone, and both vie for Jean's loyalty until the Phoenix resurfaces. She destroys the house and disintegrates Xavier before leaving with Lehnsherr. The Brotherhood decides to strike Worthington Labs, and the government sends multiple teams to attack the Brotherhood's base in the forest, with information gained from Darkhölme, furious over Lehnsherr's betrayal. However, the life forms in the camp are all copies of Multiple Man, and Lehnsherr uses his powers to move the Golden Gate Bridge so he and his army can get to Alcatraz and facilitate the attack on Worthington Labs. The remaining X-Men confront the Brotherhood, despite being significantly outnumbered, and arrive just as the military troops who thus far have been neutralizing the attacking mutants are overwhelmed by the Brotherhood.

text: During the fight, Kitty Pryde saves Jimmy from Juggernaut, who had been sent to kill him. Logan has Colossus throw him at Lehnsherr and distract him long enough for Hank McCoy to inject Lehnsherr with the "cure" and thus nullify his powers. Army reinforcements arrive and shoot at Jean just as Logan had calmed her down. The Phoenix is awakened by the attack and disintegrates the troops in retaliation. The Phoenix then begins to destroy Alcatraz and anyone within range of her powers. Logan realizes that only he can stop the Phoenix due to his healing factor. When Logan approaches her, Jean momentarily gains control and begs him to save her. Logan fatally stabs Jean, destroying the Phoenix, but mourns for her death.

text: Sometime later, mutant rights are finally obtained and Xavier's school is still operating with Storm as headmistress. The President of the United States appoints McCoy as ambassador to the United Nations. Rogue reveals to Bobby Drake that she has taken the cure, much to his disappointment. Meanwhile, Lehnsherr sits alone at a chessboard in a San Francisco park. As he gestures toward a metal chess piece, it wobbles slightly, indicating his powers to be returning and the "cure" to be temporary.

text: In a post-credits scene, Moira MacTaggert checks on a comatose patient[7] who greets her with Xavier's voice, leaving her startled.

text: Cast[edit]

text: Hugh Jackman as Logan / Wolverine

text: Halle Berry as Ororo Munroe / Storm

text: Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto

text: Famke Janssen as Jean Grey / Phoenix[12][12][13][14]

text: Haley Ramm as Young Jean Grey

text: Anna Paquin as Marie / Rogue

text: Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Hank McCoy / Beast

text: James Marsden as Scott Summers / Cyclops

text: Rebecca Romijn as Raven Darkhölme / Mystique

text: Shawn Ashmore as Bobby Drake / Iceman

text: Aaron Stanford as John Allerdyce / Pyro

text: Vinnie Jones as Cain Marko / Juggernaut

text: Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier

text: Ellen Page as Kitty Pryde

text: Ben Foster as Warren Worthington III / Angel

text: Cayden Boyd as Young Warren Worthington III

text: Dania Ramirez as Callisto

text: Michael Murphy as Warren Worthington II

text: Shohreh Aghdashloo as Dr. Kavita Rao

text: Josef Sommer as The President

text: Bill Duke as Bolivar Trask

text: Daniel Cudmore as Peter Rasputin / Colossus

text: Eric Dane as Jamie Madrox / Multiple Man

text: Other actors who portrayed mutants were: Meiling Melançon as Psylocke, a mutant with the ability to teleport herself through areas of shadow; Omahyra Mota as Arclight, a mutant who has the ability to generate shock waves of concussive force; Ken Leung as Kid Omega, a mutant with the ability to eject spikes from his body, most notably his face (though the character resembles the comic books' character Quill however, the official cast credits read "Kid Omega"); and Cameron Bright as Jimmy / Leech, a mutant who has the ability to neutralize the powers of nearby mutants. Various characters were included at the suggestion of editor Mark Helfrich, who brought Marvel's X-Men Encyclopedia to director Brett Ratner, searching for mutants who could make appearance. Mark Helfrich portrays an unnamed mutant with ash-gray skin. These include Phat, a mutant that is a very large man who can slim down to fit in a smaller space (played by two actors, Via Saleaumua – "large mode" – and Richard Yee – "small mode");[27] Spike (played by Lance Gibson), a mutant who battles Wolverine in the forest by extruding bony spikes from his flesh – the character was added because the editing team felt that the original cut of the scene portrayed Logan as a cold-blooded killer, which could be changed if another mutant attacked Wolverine before he struck the Brotherhood[32] and Glob Herman (played by Clayton Dean Watmough), a mutant with transparent skin.[18] Various other mutants make cameos at the X-Mansion; Shauna Kain and Kea Wong reprised their cameo roles as Siryn and Jubilee respectively, and three identical girls in the background in one scene are a reference to the Stepford Cuckoos. Olivia Williams portrays Moira MacTaggert. X-Men co-creator Stan Lee and writer Chris Claremont have cameos in the film's opening scene as the neighbors of young Jean Grey.[27][33] The sergeant directing defensive preparations before the Brotherhood assaults Alcatraz Island is played by R. Lee Ermey.[34] Lloyd Adams portrays the green-skinned mutant that climbs the guard tower on Alcatraz. Many fans believed this was Toad however, the credits list him as lizard man and Brett Ratner confirmed it was Anole. Avalanche and Vanisher also appear however it is not known who portrayed them.

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: Bryan Singer, the director of the first two X-Men films, left the project in July 2004 in favor of developing Superman Returns.[35] Singer stated that he "didn't fully have X-Men 3 in my mind" in contrast to a fully formed idea for a Superman film and interest in joining that franchise.[36] By the time of his departure, Singer had only produced a partial story treatment with X2 screenwriters Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty, who accompanied him to Superman Returns. The treatment focused on Jean Grey's resurrection,[37] which would also introduce the villainness Emma Frost, a role intended for Sigourney Weaver.[38] Frost was an empath manipulating Jean's emotions in the treatment and, like the finished film, Magneto desires to control her. Overwhelmed by her powers, Jean kills herself, but Jean's spirit survives and becomes a god-like creature, which Dougherty compared to the star child in A Space Odyssey.[39]

text: New contracts for returning cast members were made, as the actors and actresses had signed for only two films.[40] Hugh Jackman's contract included the approval of director,[41] initially offering the position to Darren Aronofsky, with whom he had just finished filming on The Fountain.[42] Joss Whedon, whose comic book "Gifted" was integrated into the script's plot, turned down the offer because he was working on a Wonder Woman film.[43] Rob Bowman[44] and Alex Proyas[45] were also rumored to be up for consideration, though Proyas personally turned it down, citing feuds with 20th Century Fox president Thomas Rothman while producing I, Robot.[46] Zack Snyder was also approached, but he was already committed to 300.[47] Peter Berg was also considered to direct the film but he too turned down the job. In February 2005, with still no director hired, Fox announced a May 5, 2006, release date, with filming to start in July 2005 in Vancouver.[48] One month later, the studio signed Matthew Vaughn to direct, and pushed the release date three weeks to May 26, Memorial Day weekend.[49] Vaughn cast Kelsey Grammer as Beast, Dania Ramirez as Callisto, and Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut, but family issues led him to withdraw before filming began.[24][50] Vaughn was also cautious of the tight deadlines imposed by Fox, stating that he "didn't have the time to make the movie that I wanted to make".[51] John Moore was also considered to direct the film at one point.

text: Brett Ratner, who was previously considered to direct X-Men in 1996, replaced Vaughn during pre-production.[24] Ratner said he was surprised to get an invitation, as he thought he would have no chance to do a comic-book film after the cancelled Superman: Flyby for Warner Bros.[52] With a limited knowledge of the X-Men mythos, Ratner trusted his writers on doing something faithful to the comics, having the script drawing all of its scenes from the original Marvel publications.[27]

text: Writing[edit]

text: Simon Kinberg, who had worked in other two Marvel adaptations for Fox, Fantastic Four and Elektra,[53] was hired as writer for X-Men 3 in August 2004. X2 co-writer Zak Penn was separately working on his own draft, and the two joined forces for a combined screenplay in January 2005. Kinberg wanted "The Dark Phoenix Saga" to be the emotional plot of the film, while "Gifted" would serve as the political focus.[54] The duo had seven months to complete The Last Stand's script, and during the first week of work completed the first eighty pages, consisting of the first two-thirds of the plot. This incomplete draft was leaked to Ain't It Cool News, who proceeded to write a negative review.[55][56]

text: The writers had to fight Fox's executives to retain the Phoenix plot, as the studio only wanted the cure story as it provided a reason for Magneto's conflict with the X-Men. Still the disputes made them not add much for Jean Grey to do in most of the film's second half, as the executives considered the tone of the Phoenix story too dark for a mainstream summer movie, and that its appeal would be limited to hardcore fans rather than a general audience.[55] Penn defended the divergences from the original Dark Phoenix stories, stating that the Phoenix was not a firebird-shaped cosmic force "because it doesn't fit into the world," and that Cyclops did not have as much screentime as Wolverine because the latter was more popular and "with Cyclops, you can't see his eyes. It's a harder character to relate to for the audience."[57] Killing Cyclops was Fox's decision, based on the availability of actor James Marsden, who was cast in Singer's Superman Returns. The studio considered killing him off-screen with a dialogue reference, but Kinberg and Penn insisted that Jean kill him, emphasizing their relationship. Xavier's death was intended to match the impact of Spock's demise in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, as Fox felt the script called for a dramatic turning point. Kinberg and Penn were originally cautious, but grew to like the idea of killing off Xavier. They decided to write a post-credits scene suggesting the character's return for a sequel.[55]

text: As the studio was simultaneously developing X-Men Origins: Wolverine, limitations were set on which mutants could be used for cameo appearances in X-Men 3 in an attempt to avoid risking character development for Wolverine.[58] Gambit was considered for both the convoy scene being freed by Magneto and the Battle of Alcatraz along with the X-Men, but the writers did not want to introduce a fan favorite character and "not be able to do him justice." Kinberg reasoned, "there just wasn't enough space", and considered Gambit would only work with as much screentime as Beast.[27][54] Alan Cumming had been uncomfortable with the long hours he had to take with the prosthetic makeup as Nightcrawler in X2, but still planned to return for the sequel. The part of Nightcrawler was so minimal, however, that the studio felt it was not worthwhile to go through the long and costly makeup process, and the character was cut.[59] Kinberg felt that "there wasn't much left to do with the character. It also felt like he might tread a little bit on the terrain of Beast, in terms of similarities in the characters and their political standpoints in terms of dealing with their mutancy." Nightcrawler's absence was later explained in the tie-in video game.[54] The introdutory scenes tried to emulate the Auschwitz opener for the first film, going with different scenes that resonated later in the plot instead of an action scene like in most blockbusters. Afterwards came a scene in the Danger Room, which was considered for the previous X-Men films but never included for budget and writing concerns. The writers tried to make the simulation not feel extraneous by showcasing some of the character conflicts and abilities in a "Days of Future Past"-inspired battle with a Sentinel. Another repurposed scene was Magneto attacking the convoy to free Mystique, Madrox and Juggernaut, which Penn had previously envisioned for X2.[27]

text: Ratner collaborated with Penn and Kinberg in rearranging the plot structure of the film.[52] Originally, the Golden Gate Bridge sequence was in the middle of the film, where the moved bridge was used by Magneto to free mutants being held prisoners on Alcatraz, and the climax was set in Washington, D.C..[60] Ratner felt too many recent action films, such as Planet of the Apes and X2 itself, had their ending in Washington, and the Golden Gate sequence "would be the biggest sequence in my entire career", and suggested to instead put the Worthington laboratory in Alcatraz, along with "creating a face for the cure", which became the character of Jimmy/Leech. Kinberg agreed, as he previously argued with Penn about "blowing so many things early in the movie".[27][61][62]

text: Filming[edit]

text: X-Men: The Last Stand began shooting in August 2005 and wrapped in January 2006. Much of the film was shot at Vancouver Film Studios, the same location of X2.[48][59] Locations included the Hatley Park National Historic Site and Royal Roads University, which doubled for the X-Mansion.[63] An old lumber mill next to the Fraser River doubled as Alcatraz Island.[64] The tight schedule made Ratner "begin post-production the day I started shooting," sending the scenes he had just filmed to his editors. The editing team was led by Mark Helfrich, who had edited all of Ratner's films, assisted by Mark Goldblatt in the action scenes and Julia Wong with effects-heavy footage.[65]

text: According to associate producer Dave Gordon, "This is the biggest production ever filmed in Canada. It used to be X2, now it's X3."[59] The $210 million budget also made The Last Stand the most expensive film to be made at the time.[3][41][66] The film's record would be first broken by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest's $225 million budget.[67] The original cinematographer was Philippe Rousselot, who eventually opted to depart production. Dante Spinotti, a frequent collaborator of Ratner, replaced him, with assistance of J. Michael Muro.[8][68] Fox Filmed Entertainment co-chairmen Thomas Rothman and Jim Gianopulos debated whether Rogue should give Iceman a passionate kiss at the film's end or simply hold his hand. The two executives screened The Last Stand for their daughters, as well as the studio's female marketing executives, and the hand holding prevailed. Gianopulos stated that the kissing "was all about sex, and we didn't want that."[69] A strong campaign of secrecy about the script was enforced by Ratner and the writers. Even the actors had problems with getting full screenplays, the call sheets did not reveal all the characters, and many scenes were shot in varied ways.[64][70] Both of the ending scenes were not included on the shooting script, with Ratner taking a small crew during one day's lunch time to film the post-credits scene with Xavier, and later going to London to film Magneto in the park.[71]

text: In 2014, Kinberg said of the wobbling chess piece at the end of the film, "There is a scene before the credits where Magneto's playing chess, and you see that he can just make the chess piece move, so there's a hint that he's starting to regain his powers. The leap from there was that cure from The Last Stand didn't work exactly the way they thought it would, and so we just leaped forward however many years, and he's got his powers back."[72]

text: Visual effects[edit]

text: To make sure the visual effects were made in just one year and without exceeding the budget, special effects supervisor John Bruno shipped the 900 effects shots to eleven companies in four countries – United States, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Canada – and did extensive previsualization.[16][62] Their work begun in April 2005, before the director Brett Ratner had even been announced,[3] and Bruno made sure to emphasize practical effects, "shoot as many practical elements as possible, and only use CG when we had to." For instance, complex wirework rigs were employed which enabled the actors to do some stunts without resorting to digital doubles,[18] including a computer controlled flying rig from Cirque Du Soleil for Angel's flight,[62] and one for Halle Berry's flying spins.[65]

text: Bruno estimates one-sixth of the effects budget was spent on the Golden Gate Bridge scene, which employed both a miniature of the bridge and computer graphics.[3] The effects team had to work without reference footage due to the city of San Francisco vetting any filming in the actual bridge, including aerial shooting as the area has restrictions on flying helicopters.[18] Framestore had further challenges in matching the varied weather conditions across the film's plates. As compositing supervisor Matt Twyford detailed, "the elements consisted of cold, rainy night live-action footage from Vancouver, sunny day miniature elements, traditional misty day background plates of San Francisco, and of course the CG bridge and fx elements."[73] Another miniature was for the Grey home, which had a destructable equivalent matched the Canadian location and also had a digital equivalent.[18] A notable effect was the "digital skin-grafting", which rejuvenated the faces of senior actors Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, made by the Brothers Strause's Lola Visual Effects.[74] Bruno made sure to ask the atomization made by Phoenix was not too vivid and gruesome, instead resembling oatmeal.[62]

text: Music[edit]

text: Ratner, a fan of John Powell's work in The Bourne Identity, invited Powell to write the music for The Last Stand. Powell was unsure if the Bourne work was "the kind of score that would fit the film" and Fox got reluctant on the composer's availability given he was already scoring Ice Age: The Meltdown at the time of Ratner's contact. But Powell finished the Ice Age score early to accept the X-Men job even if it meant a tighter schedule. Powell included references to the score from the previous two films as "it all had to be in the same family, and the same language". The Phoenix theme used lyrics from Benjamin Britten's Requiem Mass for the choir parts.[75] A soundtrack album was released on May 23, 2006.[76]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: The marketing for The Last Stand was darker and more ambiguous compared to the two predecessors. Fox president Tom Rothman declared that the decision was made so the film would "be different from all of the other movies in the summer," with a campaign that "wanted people to stop and not have it be so immediately apparent that we're selling a movie. We're interested in selling an emotion and an idea."[77] The film's official website was launched in October 2005.[78] The teaser trailer release with King Kong the following December[79] was done in conjunction with the studio releasing the film's first official screen shots of the film to USA Today.[80] Diamond Select Toys created a toy line, scanning the actors from the film with likenesses for the first time in the trilogy.[81] Additional product tie-ins came with Harley-Davidson[82] and 7-Eleven.[83] A seven-minute sneak peek aired on Fox Broadcasting two weeks before the film's theatrical release.[84]

text: Del Rey Books published a novelization of the film, written by comic book writer Chris Claremont,[85] while Newmarket Press published The Art of X-Men: The Last Stand: From Concept to Feature Film.[86] Claremont also worked on Activision's tie-in video game, X-Men: The Official Game, doing the script along with screenwriter Zak Penn. The game's story bridges the events between X2 and The Last Stand,[87][88] featuring Wolverine, Iceman and Nightcrawler as playable characters, voiced by their film portrayers Hugh Jackman, Shawn Ashmore, and Alan Cumming. Patrick Stewart also appears as Professor X.[89] The game was released to negative reviews and eventually underperformed commercially.[90]

text: Release[edit]

text: X-Men: The Last Stand premiered at an out-of-competition event of the 2006 Cannes Film Festival on May 22, 2006.[91] Two days later, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry and Kelsey Grammer attended an advance screening at USS Kearsarge (LHD-3), as the ship was en route to New York City for Fleet Week.[92] The film was released in the United States on May 26, 2006, in 3,690 theaters,[93] while also opening in 95 international markets that same weekend.[94]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 58% based on 232 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "X-Men: The Last Stand provides plenty of mutant action for fans of the franchise, even if it does so at the expense of its predecessors' deeper moments."[95] At Metacritic, the film has a score of 58 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[96] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale.[97]

text: Ebert and Roeper gave the film a "two thumbs up" rating, with Roger Ebert saying, "I liked the action, I liked the absurdity, I liked the incongruous use and misuse of mutant powers, and I especially liked the way it introduces all of those political issues and lets them fight it out with the special effects."[98] Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com gave it a mixed review, noting that it was "only half a mess", and that Ratner "could have stuck a bit more closely to the 'Dark Phoenix' narrative than he did." However, Zacharek did note that that third act captured some of the original story's "majesty".[99] Famke Janssen's performance was praised by critics and audiences. Also impressed with Janssen's performance was Total Film, who said, "Playing the super-freaky mind-control goddess like GoldenEye's Xenia Onatopp's all-powerful psycho sister, her scenes – particularly that one with the house – crackle with energy and tragedy. If only the rest of X3 had followed suit."[100]

text: Justin Chang of Variety said the film was "a wham-bam sequel noticeably lacking in the pop gravitas, moody atmospherics, and emotional weight that made the first two Marvel comicbook adaptations so rousingly successful."[101] Frank Lovece of Film Journal International said, "A risk-taking script with genuine consequences elevates this above the lackluster direction of Brett Ratner, whose competent mechanics move the story efficiently but with very little soul."[102] Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly called it a ""diminished sequel, a brute-force enterprise" and said it was an example of "what happens when movies are confused with sandwich shops as franchise opportunities".[103] The Minneapolis Star Tribune characterized Ratner's approach as "Forget subtlety! Let's blow things up!"[104] David Edelstein of New York magazine called it "just another big-budget B-movie. It's a fast and enjoyable B-movie, though."[105] Foreshadowing X-Men: First Class, Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said, "Last stand? My ass. Billed as the climax of a trilogy, the third and weakest chapter in the X-Men series is a blatant attempt to prove there is still life in the franchise. And there is: just enough to pull a Star Trek and spawn a Next Generation saga."[106]

text: Writer Kinberg would later state that "there are a lot of things about 'X3' that I love and there are a lot of things that I regret", detailing that he would have preferred the Dark Phoenix as the main plotline and "I would have fought harder" for that, considering that at the period "the darkness of her story was a little bit daunting on a huge $200 million studio movie" leading Fox to ask for rewrites.[107] Previous X-Men director Bryan Singer declared that The Last Stand "isn't what I would have done" and he was dissatisfied with the busy plot and excessive character deaths, but Singer still liked some parts of the movie, such as Ellen Page's casting – leading Singer to bring her back as Kitty Pryde in X-Men: Days of Future Past – and the scenes with Leech, which he described as "really sweet moments".[108] Matthew Vaughn, who was attached as director before dropping out, criticized Ratner's direction: "I could have done something with far more emotion and heart. I'm probably going to be told off for saying that, but I genuinely believe it."[51] While promoting his own installment of the franchise, 2011's X-Men: First Class, Vaughn would say regarding The Last Stand that "I storyboarded the whole bloody film, did the script. My X3 would have been 40 minutes longer. They didn't let the emotions and the drama play in that film. It became wall-to-wall noise and drama. I would have let it breathe and given far more dramatic elements to it."[109]

text: Box office[edit]

text: The film broke the Memorial Day weekend record with $102,750,665 in its four-day opening weekend.[110] The film's release was also a new single-day record for Friday openings.[111] The opening weekend gross was surpassed six weeks later by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, making The Last Stand's opening the second-highest of 2006.[112] Internationally, The Last Stand topped the box office in 26 countries with a total gross of $76.1 million overall, but suffered competition from The Da Vinci Code, which retained the top spot in most markets, and beat The Last Stand in international gross that weekend with $91 million.[94][113] The film's second weekend dropped 67 percent to $34 million, which was the steepest post-Memorial Day opening drop on record.[114] X-Men: The Last Stand eventually grossed $234,362,462 in the domestic box office and $224,997,093 internationally, for a worldwide total of $459,359,555,[93] the fourth-highest in domestic grosses[112] and seventh-highest worldwide for 2006.[115] X-Men: The Last Stand was also the highest-grossing film in the franchise, until it was surpassed by X-Men: Days of Future Past eight years later.[116]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
Award
Category
Subject
Result

Empire Awards[117][118]
Best Sci-Fi / Fantasy

Nominated

Scene Of The Year
The Phoenix and Professor X showdown
Nominated

Costume Designers Guild Awards[119]
Excellence in Costume Design for Film – Fantasy
Judianna Makovsky
Nominated

Irish Film & Television Award[120]
Best International Actor
Ian McKellen
Nominated

People's Choice Award[121]
Favorite Movie Drama

Nominated

Favorite Movie

Nominated

Favorite Female Action Star
Halle Berry
Won

Satellite Award[122]
Best Editing
Mark Helfrich, Mark Goldblatt, Julia Wong
Won

Saturn Award[123]
Best Supporting Actress
Famke Janssen
Won

Best Science Fiction Film

Nominated

Best Supporting Actor
Kelsey Grammer
Nominated

Best Music
John Powell
Nominated

Best Costume
Judianna Makovsky
Nominated

Best Special Effects
John Bruno, Eric Saindon, Craig Lyn
Nominated

Teen Choice Award[124]
Choice Movie: Action

Nominated

Choice Movie Actor: Action
Hugh Jackman
Nominated

Choice Movie Actress: Action
Halle Berry
Nominated

Choice Movie: Villain
Ian McKellen
Nominated

Choice Movie: Liplock
Hugh Jackman and Famke Janssen
Nominated

Choice Movie: Rumble
The X-Men vs. Magneto's Brotherhood
Nominated

Young Artist Awards[125]
Best Supporting Young Actor in a Feature Film
Cameron Bright
Nominated

text: Home media[edit]

text: X-Men: The Last Stand was released on October 3, 2006, on DVD and VHS.[citation needed] It was available in three editions: single-disc, two-disc, and a trilogy box set with the previous two films. Extras included three alternative endings, each with optional commentary by director Ratner; 10 deleted scenes; audio commentaries from Ratner, the writers and the producers; and two hidden Easter eggs. The two-disc edition came with a 100-page commemorative comic book with a new story written by X-Men co-creator Stan Lee, his first original Marvel comic book in five years.[126] The DVD sold 2.6 million units in its first day, exceeding Fox's expectations,[127] and sold a total 5 million in its first week.[128] A Blu-ray edition was issued in November 2006.[129]

text: Sequels and prequels[edit]

text: In February 2006, Ratner said that The Last Stand could be the final X-Men film: "We wanted to make sure the audiences knew that this was a trilogy. Even though they weren't made together like Lord of the Rings, this is really closure for the X-Men series. … This is the last stand for sure."[130]

text: However, the next two X-Men films, X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and X-Men: First Class (2011) were instead prequels that took place before the events of the first X-Men movie. The first installment set chronologically after The Last Stand was The Wolverine, released in 2013. A stand-alone sequel,[131] The Wolverine shows Logan heading for Japan to escape the memories of what occurred during The Last Stand. Hugh Jackman and Famke Janssen reprised their roles, while Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart appear in a mid-credits scene.[132]

text: X-Men: Days of Future Past, the sequel to First Class, was released on May 23, 2014, with Jackman, Berry, Stewart, McKellen, Paquin, Page, Ashmore, Cudmore, Grammer, Janssen, and Marsden returning in their respective roles.[133] The plot, inspired by the arc "Days of Future Past", begins in a dystopian future years after The Last Stand, and Wolverine's consciousness is sent back into his 1973 self so he could guide the past Xavier and Magneto into preventing the catastrophe. The events of the film end up retroactively changing the continuity of the series, erasing key events in films set after First Class (including The Last Stand) resulting in an altered timeline where Jean and Cyclops are still alive.[36][107]