The best scene in the new X-Men movie features a young Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) linking his mind to the subconscious of his older self, the wise Professor X (Patrick Stewart). In this moment, viewers see two versions of the same character talking with each other. In order to do what he must to save mankind, Charles has to look to his future self for guidance.
It is this kind of imaginative storytelling which makes X-Men: Days of Future Past the best film yet in the series. Though it could have very well been the most convoluted and overstuffed installment, the movie turns out to be a terrifically entertaining and well-directed sci-fi flick, which appeals to both mainstream audiences as well as devoted X-Men fans.
The story opens in a post-apocalyptic world where mutants are on the verge of extinction. As the last members of their race are being hunted down by the Sentinels (giant robots which are designed to terminate mutants), Professor X and Magneto (Ian McKellen) unite the few survivors remaining.
Knowing they are already defeated, their only hope is to send one of their own back in time to erase the mistakes of the past, thereby preventing the war from ever taking place. With Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) being the only mutant who can survive the physical transaction of transferring his subconscious to the body of his younger self, the famous X-Men veteran travels back in time to 1973.
Wolverine’s mission is to prevent the shape-shifting mutant Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from assassinating Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage), the scientist who developed the Sentinel program. But in order to do this, Wolverine must convince the young Xavier and young Magneto Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) to work together, at a time when the rival mutants were neck and neck with one another. With a limited amount of time and the fate of humanity at stake, failure here is not an option.
The Usual Suspects director Bryan Singer returns to make his third X-Men movie, with his other two being the original and X2. He also co-wrote and produced X-Men: First Class, and it is clear he has been eager to tackle this film for quite some time.
Singer’s style of filmmaking is absolutely fantastic in Days of Future Past. Not only are the visual effects great, but everything from the positioning of the camera to the choreographing in each scene is dynamic.
In particular, a scene that comes to mind takes place during a wonderfully entertaining cameo with Quicksilver (Evan Peters), a mutant who is in essence the Marvel equivalent of DC’s The Flash. As he helps Wolverine and company break the young Magneto out of prison, a slow-motion sequence takes place here which demonstrates some of the most precise camera movements in a big-budget blockbuster I’ve seen in recent years. Rather than apply the shaky camera technique that is so popular today, Singer invites audiences to absorb each shot in its entirety.
In conjunction with Singer’s style, the screenplay by writer/producer Simon Kinberg tells a coherent and engaging storyline, which is both well-paced and devotes a proper amount of time to each central character. Despite a few noticeable continuity errors with previous X-Men installments, which is kind of inevitable in a time-travel movie on this massive a scale, the script is nonetheless one of the stronger aspects of the film.
When I first saw the trailer, I had my reservations about Wolverine being the central protagonist yet again. Although I love the character and Jackman’s iconic portrayal of him, he has already had five movies to shine in. In the comic series which the movie is based on, it’s actually Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page) who is sent back in time.
Nevertheless, the movie does a great job of making Wolverine a team player. While Jackman has plenty of great scenes, there are equally strong performances from supporting cast members. And because Wolverine plays the role of the mentor this time around, the characters who undergo the most development are Charles and Mystique.
In addition to the casts of the original trilogy and First Class being united in this film, we also get to see “Game of Thrones” star Peter Dinklage join the movie’s roster of celebrities. This is made all the better by the fact that Trask is made into an intriguing character with realistic motivations, rather than a one-dimensional mad scientist.
With a movie this big and a cast that includes everyone from McAvoy to Halle Berry, there are million ways it had the potential to fail. Not only could the story have been too outlandish and crammed, but an excess of big names might have prevented it from having a core group of central characters.
Instead, X-Men: Days of Future Past avoids all these mistakes, resulting in a wildly entertaining thrill ride from start to finish. Despite a number of ups and downs within the franchise as a whole, this film succeeds where previous installments have failed. Whether it’s the story, the directing, or the all-star cast, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in this knockout of a blockbuster movie.