X-Men: Days of Future Past | Movie Review

Those X-Men sure are uncanny, aren’t they? Much like the characters themselves, this is the rare film series that is continuously evolving. Sequels, prequels, spin-offs and now this: X-Men: Days of Future Past decides to combine everything that has come before it and offer us a combination sequel, prequel and simultaneous mind explosion.

This new film pits the X-Men of the old guard (Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman) with the rebooted cast of the new (Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence) and weaves in a time-travel tale with merging plot lines aplenty. This is the film that has also returned director Bryan Singer to the head of the ship that he once so confidently stewarded with the first two installments, in an effort to right the perceived wrong that was wrought forth with his departure prior to The Last Stand. Does he succeed? We will get there.

Set decades in the future, mutants have become the focus of war. With humans aligned in their plight against mutants of any kind, they have created the adaptable robotic army known as Sentinels to hunt them down and eradicate their entire species. The few remaining mutants, led by the now united Professor X and Magneto (the always welcome Stewart and McKellen), have devised a last ditch plan to save their kind: Using Kitty Pryde’s ability to transfer one’s present-day consciousness into their much younger self, they will send a mutant back time to alter events that will change history and the eventual outcome of this vicious mutant war.

Logan / Wolverine (Jackman) is chosen due to his ability to heal his mind much like his body (we will just ignore all the amnesia and hallucinations this guy has suffered in every single film before this one) and takes a groovy trip back to his former self in 1973. Once here, and looking like Jackman NEVER takes a day away from the gym, he rounds up the younger drug-addled Professor X (McAvoy) and Magneto (Fassbender) to stop the brutal assassination of Sentinel creator Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage, finally getting a big-screen role worthy of his talents) by the former protégé turned bitter ass-kicking machine known as Mystique (Lawrence). X and Magneto must come to terms with each other, Wolverine must keep a level head (so as not to lose his grip with his future self) and Mystique must see the error of her impending ways.

While the film does offer a fair dose of humor related to the 70’s timeline, let’s face it – Logan and his attitude belong here, it becomes nothing more than a backdrop or a proponent for character growth. Even the assassination of John Kennedy is brought up and used in such a way as to offer a character more depth, as opposed to a cheap joke so many other films would have used it for in lesser films.

Most fans have also been concerned that with so many characters, this could be the most crowded room in this hotel that is the X-Men franchise. Thankfully, Singer and writer Simon Kinberg do an admirable job keeping the old guard mostly at bay for the duration of the film, while allowing the main players from First Class and the X-Men shepherd that is Wolverine carry us through most of the film. While the old guard is definitely prominent, they function more as bookends pushing the story forward than the singular story itself.

Of the deftly handled character work throughout the film, no one succeeds more than McAvoy’s Professor. Here is X as we have never seen him: beaten, tortured, hopeless. He has all but given up on his mission to assist mutants merge into society, as well as his own abilities, in order to wallow in his mansion of self-pity. McAvoy revels in the opportunity to showcase a deeper, darker Xavier and the film benefits greatly from breaking away from the established trope of this all-too-calm Professor’s demeanor.  Where Fassbender was the standout in First Class, McAvoy demonstrates here why these two are the perfect stars to inherit the mantles from their gifted elders.

In addition to McAvoy, we once again have wonderful characterizations by Fassbender, Lawrence, and (for my money) the leader of the franchise in Jackman. Each one of them understand their role in the film and each is given their defining moment to shine. The remainder of the overstuffed cast all do quality work, yet this film revolves around this main foursome and how their choices now will affect mutants forever. Even with story lines dripping over each other and mutants by the droves, we never lose sight of this singular purpose: To change history.

Changing history also seems to be Bryan Singer’s mantra for the film: Change history by undoing events that he felt did not work for him in previous films by unlocking numerous options in this one. For every storytelling element he gets absolutely right (the Quicksilver ‘Time in a Bottle’ sequence, with a glorious mix of humor and action, is simply brilliant), he gets one more wrong (the franchise was already redeemed in First Class and, in this reviewer’s opinion, did not need saving nor this merging of the separate casts). Yes, he has righted the wrong that was The Last Stand, but by doing so he also took away from the stand-alone sequel the First Class cast earned and deserved. Thankfully the film nails down much of what Singer is attempting so hopefully they will get the sequel they deserve in the next installment, it just seems as though there should have been a buffer or two of films before this one to really let the new cast establish their own identities.

Because the film involves time-travel, you could pick the film apart if you truly want to. Yes, there are numerous historical inaccuracies and plot points that simply do not connect with the other films…there also are no real mutants so what’s your point? The rules are fairly simple and the story is never taken to an overly convoluted narrative, so instead of looking at all of the things that make you scratch your head…just sit back and enjoy the ride.

This is an entertaining film with some wonderful character work and is a worthy addition to the X-Men franchise. With a cast that will unite both old fans and new, Singer has done a near impossible feat and brought the beloved Days of Future Past story line to life with enough respect to cure even the most devout fan of his or her cynicism. Something that even a future Kitty Pryde could never have predicted.

If $10 is the full price of admission, X-Men: Days of Future Past is worth $7.50

 

Aaron Peterson
The Hollywood Outsider