4. Dr. Henry 'Hank' McCoy/ Beast - X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
20th Century FoxMention the third X-Men film to fans and you will most likely get one of two responses: either abject depression that Bryan Singer jumped the franchise to make Superman Returns (yawn), or seething hatred towards 'Hollywood's toilet' Brett Ratner, who took over the direction and by all accounts did a rubbish job. But every cloud has a silver lining, and even Ratner's worst offerings usually boast a good performance trying to get out. In X-Men: The Last Stand, that performance is Grammer as Beast, a role he has since reprised in
X-Men: Days of Future Past. X-Men: The Last Stand revolves around the existence of a cure for mutants, developed by Worthington Labs, which will allow any mutant who wishes it to give up their abilities and live like normal human beings. Believing this cure to be a means to exterminate his race, Magneto (Ian McKellen) reforms his Brotherhood of Mutants and begins an attack, wanting to harness the power of Jean-Grey (Famke Janssen) in her incarnation as Phoenix. The film ends in a hugely overblown battle between rival groups of mutants on Alcatraz near San Francisco. Beast plays a minor part in the proceedings up until the final confrontation; his biggest act is to inject Magneto with the cure, which eventually leads the X-Men to victory. But despite being a passenger for much of the story, Grammer does manage to get to grips with Beast's character. He brings a dignity and intelligence to proceedings which is crucial for the part, and even during the chaotic battle scenes he has a definite presence. It's just a pity that his rendition of the 'St. Crispin's Day' speech from Henry V was cut from the theatrical release.