"X-Men: Days of Future Past."
"Impressive."
I'm going to get my quote for the back of the DVD out of the way: this is the best X-Men movie to date. It's an epic, high-stakes roller coaster that's grand, emotional, but above all, a ton of fun. It features some of the best performances of the entire series, primarily from James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, supported well by Patrick Stewart, Peter Dinklage, and Wolverine. Wait, I mean Hugh Jackman.
In the future, the government sanctions robots named Sentinels to hunt mutants and mutant supporters. Created by Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage), they're able to absorb and copy any mutant's powers, making them invulnerable. In 1973, Trask was killed by the mutant Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), and his death spread anti-mutant fear internationally, fueling the development of the Sentinels.
A ragtag team of remaining mutants, including Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) and Shadowcat (Ellen Page) from "X2", resists against Sentinel attack, able to survive due to Shadowcat's ability to send a person's consciousness back in time. By sending a person hours before the attack, the team can be warned and relocate. After a particularly risky battle, the team comes across the rest of the X-Men, including Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen), Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), who've taken refuge in an abandoned Chinese temple.
There, the group peruses the possibility of a person being sent back not just hours or days, but years back in time, in hopes of preventing the Sentinels from being built. The effort is dangerous, as it requires not only tremendous strength from Shadowcat, but also a person who can withstand the brain damage such an effort would make. Considering Wolverine is the only one whose regenerative properties can repair the damage as it's being done, he's sent back to 1973 in order to find a young Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender), and enlist their help in preventing Mystique from killing Trask, and shut down the Sentinel project before it ever starts.
As you can tell from the paragraphs above, the plot is huge, with a lot of content, characters, and subplots crammed in. What I mentioned above is about ten minutes of exposition necessary to understand the story in 1973. My main problem is that the additional info needed to tell the main story rushes by; I wish the movie could've slimmed down on the extra characters and kept the exposition short and sweet. However, while a rudimentary understanding of the "X-Men" movies helps with understanding certain subplots and background intricacies, the movie's plot is self-contained and can be followed with little trouble. Surprising for a movie about time travel, huh?
As in every movie set in the past, the typical period pieces are there, from the technology to the pop culture, politics, and fashion. The style's executed well, makes for some fun jokes and references: a scene where Wolverine walks down the street looking for a car had me humming "Shaft", trying really hard not to crack up.
Notable is the film's humor: from its juvenile moments to its more subtle dialogue, the movie throws joke after joke at the audience, most of them bulls-eyes. The stand-out scenes involve Quicksilver (Evan Peters), a kleptomaniac with super speed. His mischievous attitude is infectious; he steals the show, and I want more of him in the future. (One can also rely on Wolverine's gruff bad-ass attitude to deliver its fair share of chuckles.)
The Patrick Stewart/Ian McKellen bromance has been documented on the internet in hilarious, heartwarming photosets; this charisma carries over on-screen, where Xavier and Magneto regard each other with as much mutual respect as possible. The James McAvoy/Michael Fassbender relationship is no different: these two are phenomenal. McAvoy captures Xavier's internal fear, sorrow, and resilience while Fassbender makes Magneto more menacing than ever, commanding the screen with his presence. The two argue as rivals, enjoy each other as friends, and love like brothers. Their chemistry drives the movie's emotional and ideological undercurrent: the debate between non-violent or radical resistance to prejudice and discrimination.
Of course, all powers are on display: Wolverine's claws, Magneto's mastery of magnetism, Quicksilver's speed, Professor X's telekinesis. The action is fun and unique to each character, allowing each person a chance to shine in the sun as they punch, warp, slash, and phase through enemies. Consistently raising the scale as the climax nears, the tension and weight of these powers work phenomenally, helped by well-designed sets and battles.
"X-Men: Days of Future Past" takes a stagnant series and breathes new life into it, tying all movies and stories together in an entertaining, impacting package. It excels in its performances, comedy, drama, action, pacing, design. Bryan Singer impresses with a well-made blockbuster, and I am unbelievably hyped for what's to come. As "X-Men: Apocalypse" is announced for 2016, I can't wait to see how the movie tackles the series' arguably grandest, most powerful villain. Here's hoping we get another smash hit, but for now, go out and see this film. Thank you all for reading; I'm the Man Without A Plan, signing off.
Marvel post-credits warning: there's one post-credit scene at the very end of the credits; stick around for a teaser at the following X-Men movie.
"X-Men: Days of Future Past" trailer:
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