X-Men: Days of Future Past Review

Directed by Bryan Singer

Written by Simon Kinberg

The X-Men series doesn't really get enough credit. While Batman and Superman both had several films before the first X-Men film was released, in 2000 X-Men defined what a superhero film would be going forward. By moving its heroes to the real world it set the stage for a new era wherein costumed crime-fighters were consistently the top dogs at the box office. Without it, there would be no Spider-Man or even The Avengers. It's also easily the longest running superhero series to not have to resort to a true reboot, meaning that everything is canon (admittedly leading to some silly plot holes).

However, the last film in the "original" series, before spinoffs and prequels, was a disappointment. Filled with anti-climaxes and overstuffed with unnecessary characters and plots, X-Men: The Last Stand failed to satisfyingly end the series that started with the first film and was perfected with the second. As well, the spinoffs were a very mixed bag, with one being very good (First Class), one decent (The Wolverine) and one so terrible it barely counts as a movie (Origins: Wolverine). Because Days of Future Past was including members of the original cast for the first time since 2006 there was a lot of pressure on it to fix the mistakes of The Last Stand and deliver a solid conclusion while allowing for the First Class team to take over in movies going forward. In that regard, X-Men: Days of Future Past is an unequivocal success.

From the moment the original main theme appears during the opening titles it is apparent that director Bryan Singer and writer Simon Kinberg, missing since X2, have taken the series back to its best roots. Much like the best films of the franchise, this film has a grandiose scale, a feeling of importance and stakes, fully fleshed out characters and sequences that use the character's abilities in creative and unexpected ways. 

The film starts in the year 2025, as mutants are losing a war with the Sentinels, robots that can adapt to mutant powers in order to kill them and their supporters. The only way the X-Men are able to survive is through Kitty Pride (Ellen Page) who can send a person's consciousness back in time, which she does when they are attacked to warn them to leave. However, the changes aren't felt until the person wakes up, meaning that they have to conduct the changes in a limited time. Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) comes up with an idea to prevent the sentinels from ever being created, but it requires going decades back in time. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) volunteers, as he is the only one who will be able to recover from the process, and he goes about uniting young Charles Xavier (James MacAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) in order to stop this threat before it truly starts. 

X-Men: Days of Future Past is a very complex film. There are many different story threads going on at the same time. The unfortunate side effect is that a few characters and stories seem slightly underserved. However, by choosing one plotline to keep the focus on, the film avoids the common trap of having all of its stories be underserved, and delivers in spades with the main story thread, while the others support that thread well as B-plots. However, it does not follow the usual superhero formula of an A-plot in one way: there is no true villain. Usually the villain is the main plot of any superhero film, but this film has a greater ideas at work. This makes it feel less like "just another comic book movie" and more like a dramatic thriller that happens to feature characters with superpowers. And one that uses those superpowers in jaw dropping and entertaining ways. 

All of the actors outfit themselves greatly in this film. Jackman's played this part seven times so he'd really better have it down by now. MacAvoy and Fassbender are of course great, perfectly cast as the young Xavier and Magneto, both in looks and demeanor. Jennifer Lawrence outfits herself well as Mystique, given more depth than the character had in the original series. The real breakout of the film, though, has to be Evan Peters as Quicksilver. His scenes have a great energy to them and are easily the highlight of the already great film. Avengers: The Age of Ultron has a lot to live up to in terms of this character.

If there is a flaw in the film it's that there is not enough time spent in the future timeline. This is somewhat fitting, though, as this film is more about setting up the first class group while giving the original cast a fitting send-off. That said, the sequences in the future do give the truest sense of stakes. The sentinels are a terrifying and intimidating villain, one whose threat seems insurmountable. As such, these scenes convey a real sense that the characters are in danger. As well, the fact that time is being changed means that even the younger versions of these characters are in danger. Of all the films in the series, this one truly feels the most high-stakes, as the characters have the most to lose.

This film, in the end, falls just short of X2 in terms of standing in the franchise. That is not really an insult to this film, as X2 pretty much is as great as an X-men film can be. This film comes very close however. It is dramatic, exciting and a lot of fun. It sets up future films with the young cast and fixes the mistakes of The Last Stand to deliver a much more satisfying conclusion to the original series. Hopefully we see them again, as more screen time with Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen is always great, but if not then at least this is a film that does them justice. 

Verdict: X-Men: Days of Future Past may at times have too much going on for its own good, but for any fan of the franchise that will not, and should not, deter them from seeing this movie. Days of Future Past is one of the most satisfying and entertaining movies of the franchise, truly tying all of the movies together, short of Wolverine's solo outings. It also sets the stage for a future of great X-Men films. This is a must see for anybody who enjoyed the first two films of the franchise. A-