outcomes'
Transporting us back in time to the freedom power of the 70s
is Bryan Singer’s latest addition to the X-Men
film series; X-Men: Days of Future Past.
A sequel to both X-Men: The Last Stand
and X-Men: First Class, this new
venture is inspired by the ‘Days of Future Past’ comic (as part of Marvel’s Uncanny
X-Men series), which sees a shift in focus from two alternate time-periods;
1973 pre-assassination, and the future, where robot Sentinels dominate and
exterminate mutants (and the humans who help them or carry the gene).
In order to save both the mutant race and the humans,
Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) locates Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page) along with
Magneto (Ian McKellen), Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Storm (Halle Berry). Pryde’s
group - consisting of Iceman (Shawn Ashmore), Bishop (Omar Sy), Colossus
(Daniel Cudmore), Blink (Fan Bingbing), Sunspot (Adan Canto), and Warpath
(Booboo Stewart) - have been on the run from the Sentinels, but keep surviving
due to Pryde’s ability to send someone’s consciousness back into their younger
past self, so as to warn the group that the Sentinels are coming. Professor X
sends back Wolverine with the help of Kitty to his younger self, to stop
Mystique/Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) from assassinating Bolivar Trask (Peter
Dinklage), the creator of the Sentinels, as this is what kick-starts the
wide-spread mutant panic, and eventual extermination. To do this, Wolverine
must locate and unite young Xavier (James McAvoy), young Magneto/Eric (Michael
Fassbender), with the help of young beast (Nicholas Hoult), and young
Quicksilver (Evan Peters).
Where past X-Men
films have wavered between enthralling and mind-numbing, X-Men: Days of Future Past makes sure to avoid the faults of its predecessors,
as it offers up an almost seamless journey of action and adventure, with a
suitable balance of special effects and intriguing plot to keep the viewer
thoroughly engaged throughout its 131 minute running time. While some films
suffer from being overdrawn due to the lengthy time span, the movie does not
feel like it is adding in needless material for the sake of making it seem like
an epic adventure. Whilst X-Men: Days of
Future Past seems to start off on the slow-burner, it quickly progresses
itself, as the momentum of the characters picks up, and the performances of the
cast glide the picture to its climax in a satisfying fashion.
Keeping up with the energy of First Class, the film features some intriguing storylines that
centre on Pryde’s ability to transport people’s minds back into their younger
selves. Although this differs from the original storyline in the comics, (where
Pryde instead transports her own mind into her younger self instead of
Logan/Wolverine) this does not impact greatly on the film’s overall structure,
although we would have been pleased to see Pryde in a more dominant role over
Wolverine. This complex, but not overwhelming, plot makes for captivating
viewing, and combined with the outstanding performances from its cast, and the
overall arsenal of special effects that are thrust towards us, we can’t help
but feel X-Men: Days of Future Past
is probably the best X-Men film to
date.
Undoubtedly, the latest film benefits from the ‘marvel-lous’
(see what we did there) performances from its cast - with James McAvoy putting
in a strong performance, as the struggling young Xavier who has lost
everything. McAvoy is able to truly emulate the depression of his character, as
he has to reunite with the person who took it all away from him – Eric. There
are some unexpected tear-jerker moments in the film, courtesy of McAvoy and Lawrence,
surprisingly, as McAvoy’s Xavier attempts to get through to Lawrence’s
Mystique.
Speaking of Lawrence, she is back and bluer than ever, in
the infamous role as the coloured-skin mutant, who is able to change shape to
suit her purpose. Lawrence is dedicated to the role, and performs confidently
in a role for which she was heavily criticised by some for taking, with audiences
having high expectations left from Rebecca Romijn’s performance as the older
character. However, Lawrence proves that she is a perfectly capable actress,
and high-kicks her way past the critics to deliver a pleasurable performance as
the ever elusive character.
Of course, we also have the return of the acting
heavy-weights, in the form of Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart who reprise
their roles as Magneto and Professor Xavier. The two deliver masterful
performances as their characters, with Stewart embodying all the wisdom and
grace that his character is famous for, whilst McKellen has a whale of a time
as Magneto, whilst also uniting with Stewart to deliver some quite emotional
and touching sequences of the film. X-Men: Days of Future Past also sees the
return of some familiar faces, such as Kitty Pryde, portrayed by Ellen Page,
Halle Berry’s Storm, and Nicholas Hoult’s Beast, to name a few. Ellen Page’s
Pryde is as fantastic as ever, and she serves as a key feature to the film,
whilst Berry’s Storm is as potent as ever.
The film makes sure to introduce some new characters, in the
form of young Quicksilver, who is portrayed by the delightful Evan Peters,
whose performance is one of the best in the film. Peters commands every (albeit
brief) scene he is in, showcasing the true mutant talents of his character in
all their glory, and adding a quirky and comedic edge to the film that would
otherwise be lacking. Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage also heads up the film as
the notable ‘villain’, as Boliver Trask, whose ambition is to create Sentinels
that will hunt and destroy mutants. Over-ambitious to say the least, Dinklage
is at ease in the role and although there is some confusion as to whom the ‘villain’
actually is, his performance is still strong enough to carry the film.
So, with all the performances and plot-lines aside, are the
visuals up to scratch for a film that has the utensils (and budget) to make its
aesthetic so striking? In short – yes. Whilst action films often have a tendency
to go full-blown over-board with the amount of special effects included (the
result of which being something that is just pure spectacle and serves no
actual value), X-Men: Days of Future Past
makes sure that it uses its effects sparingly, but still effectively. The
big ‘fight’ sequences are daring and exciting, (without inducing multiple
headaches as you struggle to keep up with everything) with particular reference
to the ending sequences as the film reaches its climax. In a film rife with
mutant powers, we are treated to an array of abilities (from phasing to
teleportation, shape-shifting to metal manipulation) that are showcased
imaginatively on-screen, and that serve as one of the best elements of the
film.
Overall, X-Men: Days
of Future Past is a slick, frenetic, adventure that is elevated to new
heights by the outstanding performances from its cast, and the superb visuals
that are to be revelled in.
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