When “X-Men” premiered in 2000 it set the standard for what are today’s comic book based movies. Now, 14 years later and seven movies in, “X-Men: Days of Future Past” is the latest installment of the “X-Men” movie franchise.
Loosely based on the original story written by Chris Claremont, “Days of Future Past” is set in a dystopian present run by man-made and mutant-hunting machines known as Sentinels. In order to prevent this these events from happening, the mutant Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman), is sent back in time to pinpoint and stop the cause that had the effect on present-day earth.
What may seem like a spectacular movie on the surface, “Days of Future Past” is nothing but a drinking game full of plot holes and continuity errors, a common trend in the films that deviate from the original movie trilogy.
For those who look past the glue that holds the “X-Men” movie universe together, then the present story-arc and action sequences will tickle your fancy. But for the rest of us, our mind is blown away and offended by how dumb director Bryan Singer, or whoever is truly behind this mess, really expects us to be.
Though this movie contained a lot of good elements, they are overshadowed by bad writing, creating a symbolic tangent throughout the film.
Story aside, the cinematography of the film is still definitely something to catch the eye. But actors are the true saving grace of the movie and it is hard to pick out a bad performance.
With many reprising their roles from previous films, “Days of Future Past” has an abundance of returning cast members, including Ellen Page as Kitty Pryde and Shawn Ashmore as Ice Man, to give you a sense of nostalgia.
Evan Peters makes a short appearance as Quicksilver and steals just about every scene he is in. His interaction with the other characters and extras is incredibly comical, making you wish there was more of him.
James Mcavoy returns as young Charles Xavier, portraying a lost and troubled side to the character that we have never before seen on-screen. His chemistry with Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique give a sense of warmth and heartbreak and are hands-down the best performances in the film’s entirety.
Jackman does what he can with Wolverine. His portrayal as the character is perfect as always but the character itself is written very sloppily and conflicts a lot with previous story-arcs. Sadly, this character has experienced most of the damage from conflicting stories, creating a humpty-dumpty effect when you try to piece his timeline together.
If “X-Men: First Class” and “Days of Future Past” had served as a reboot to the franchise itself, then this movie would have been potentially flawless. However, the constant attempts to connect the five “X-Men” movies and the two “Wolverine” movies together creates a headache when you are trying to enjoy the movie adaptation of an iconic story-arc.
If you wish to watch and enjoy this movie, the best I could suggest is to go in there with an open mind and try to watch it as a standalone film.
If you want to play a game of “spot the continuity error” that may result in you punching a wall through at the end, sit back, bring some vodka and enjoy the ride.
Final verdict: 2 ½ stars out of 5
