Review: In “X-Men: Days of Future Past” The Team Is Back To Fight For The Future

Adam Reynoso ’15 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Photo Credit: Alan Markfield/Twentieth Century Fox.
Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Photo Credit: Alan Markfield/Twentieth Century Fox.
Boasting an all-star cast with actors from the older and newer X-Men films, as well as a popular storyline from the comics, X-Men: Days of Future Past had a lot going for it even before it’s release. Many have questioned if the film can live up to the hype and the answer is yes, and then some.
The film succeeds in weaving in a war torn, apocalyptic future with the bright, lava lamp filled 70’s and tying them both together by the end. This time around, the surviving X-Men from X-Men: The Last Stand are trying to survive in a world where mutant hunting robots, known as sentinels, have forced them almost to the point of extinction. It’s a bleak, dark world they live in and the film does a great job of making that clear.
In order for them to prevent this from happening, they use Kitty Pryde’s (Ellen Page) new unexplained ability to send Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back into the past to stop the event that started the sentinel program. Although the power is unexplained, the time travel aspect is a welcome way of bridging these films to the others. Not only that, but it presents a way to have alternate timelines and corrects the horrendous disaster that was X-Men: The Last Stand.
Jennifer Lawrence in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Photo Credit: Alan Markfield/Twentieth Century Fox.
Jennifer Lawrence in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Photo Credit: Alan Markfield/Twentieth Century Fox.
Director Bryan Singer (who is back after directing the first two installments) has always had a way of understanding what an X-Men movie should be. He’s had success with the past in using his cast to tell an ensemble story, and it shows in this sequel. The actors from the original trilogy have fun with their roles and get to have some intense scenes, and inevitable deaths as well. The newer cast from X-Men: First Class, including James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult and Michael Fassbender, continue to shine, showing a darker, more adult side since First Class. But one of great surprises is Evan Peters‘ Quicksilver. He’s a lighter, comical addition to the cast and there is an amazing escape sequence with the character. Although the costume might be a little goofy, the character is less so.
The only complaint would be that Peter Dinklage, as Dr. Bolivar Trask, seemed underused in his role and could’ve had more to do in the film. And of course, more time with the future cast would have been nice, but with a film like this, it’s going to be hard to balance both casts and still get a good, well-paced film.
Hugh Jackman in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Photo Credit: Alan Markfield/Twentieth Century Fox.
Hugh Jackman in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Photo Credit: Alan Markfield/Twentieth Century Fox.
The film is a worthy sequel, and may be the second best in the series, with X2 being one of the best films in the whole comic book film genre. The sentinels were done well and finally got their spotlight in the films. They were worthy opponents and the fights were spectacular. The climactic battle that goes on side by side was executed well and brought that much more to the ending. And with the events of this film, it’s changed the path of the series and has the opportunity to explore alternate storylines (like a possible X-Force film) as well as correct the mistakes of the past (and it allowed for a couple of fan favorite cameos).
Widening the scope more so than any previous film, X-Men: Days of Future Past is another great start to the summer. The digital effects look incredible in 3D, especially the scenes in the future. And make sure to stay after the credits for a scene that serves as a tease for the next film in the franchise, X-Men: Apocalypse.
Overall Grade: A-

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