X-Men: Days of Future Past

By: John Delia

Exciting and action packed, X-Men: Days of Future Past takes center stage for a weekend box office blow-out.  The monstrous blockbuster should take Marvel Comic fans by storm with a relentless rollercoaster ride into yesteryears and back to the future using most every mutant in the graphic novels. The CGI factor is at a WOW level and the compelling storyline puts it on a level with Thor: The Dark World and Amazing Spider-Man 2. You don’t have to be an X-Men aficionado, but it helps.

The story opens in present day with Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) being called to action over the frequent destruction by the Robot Sentinels that are threatening the mutants.  In order to stave off this future annihilation, the two call upon Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page) to send Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back to 1973. With US relations at a low, President Nixon (Mark Camacho) has been convinced by Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) that his Sentinels are need to defend America from the evil Mutants.

In the meantime, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) [the only mutant working diligently to deter the attacks] has gone back 50 years and has set a course to take down Dr. Bolivar Trask. Professor X and Magneto are disturbed over her not consulting them and Wolverine sets out to upset her plan. Wolverine comes face to face with younger Professor X (James McAvoy) trying to cope with the Sentinels and he convinces him that he needs the help of younger Magneto (Michael Fassbender).

Switching from present to past and back again, we get to see the young mutants that were established in X-Men: First Class using their powers to help Wolverine and the young Professor X.  As younger Magneto develops his powers, we see a lot of him as well. In addition to those I have already mentioned, you’ll see Storm, Beast, Quicksilver, Iceman, Colossus, Bishop, Sunspot, Warpath, Blink, Havoc and Toad.  Each of the X-Men shows off their powers, although Toad is more subtle in his screen shot. Beast has a larger role here protecting Professor X and he shows his strength growing as he becomes a major mutant.

This episode is all about the mutants and there’s one scene that I found extraordinary.  Using stop motion and slow-motion camera techniques, we find Quicksilver (Evan Peters) taking down a number of adversaries during a rescue attempt to get Magneto out of a Pentagon prison where he’s been held by the US Military. The special effects are astounding in this scene, much better than anything to date. Here Quicksilver travels at high speed racing around the room moving objects and propellants as he attempts to save Wolverine, Professor X, Beast and Magneto from death. Not even the bullet dodging in the Matrix or the gun shot in Wanted that spun around the room can stand up to this scene.

The computer graphics and green screen special effects are numerous, but the acting still controls the movie as they play out the story.  And the script here is very involving, compelling and adventurous so don’t even blink or turn from the screen.  Director Bryan Singer does a nice job moving his film along at a fast clip.  He slows down just enough to make sure you understand the scene then explodes again with more super action thrills.  It’s a rollercoaster ride from start to finish.  My concern was the time element being an issue like in so many other films that have trouble with it like Men in Black 3, but even with the changing from future to past to future it’s not complicated at all.

If there’s a downside, it’s with a couple of scenes that are a little too bizarre.  Magneto goes berserk and takes the Washington National’s baseball stadium and drops it around the White House and a goofy performance by Mark Camacho as former President Nixon just didn’t set right with me. Yep, that’s all folks. 

X-Men: Days of Future Past has been rated PG- 13 for sequences of intense sci-fi violence and action, some suggestive material, nudity and language. Stick around for the end of the credits and see who’s up next on the X-Men’s hit list.

FINAL ANALYSIS:  A nice sequel to an already good franchise. (B)