X-Men: Days of Future Past
'X-Men: First Class' was a great film and 'Days of Future Past' director Bryan Singer has certainly continued to harvest the spirit of the X-Men in this movie.
With it's complex storyline being set in a grim future and demanding the X-Men alter an event in the past leading to them communicating with younger versions of themselves on screen or telepathically— could've possibly been a headache waiting to happen. But the screenplay triumphs within this complexity and one of it's strongest components is investing you into the story early on.
Wolverine is the driving force behind this film
A key contributor to that is Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine. In previous X-Men movies, Wolverine has been guilty of being the one who maybe brought the film down by always being the main focus. Wolverine is the driving force behind this film. His character has developed somewhat since and is far from the stereotypical Wolverine who broods and slashes people with his razor sharp claws. He acts as a councillor to this group of eccentric individuals. His character development works handsomely within the narrative, after all, he's the one who has been through the grind.
Jackman has maybe in the past been undervalued as Wolverine in previous X-Men movies, but this time around, he has certainly found a common bond with Wolverine. The promotional materials that were heavily pushed in promoting this blockbuster focussed strongly on Wolverine, but 'Days of Future Past' almost brought out the 'A' game out in Jackman's repertoire. In this movie, Jackman as Wolverine, is better than advertised.
Enjoyment comes when we venture off into the past
X-Men: Days of Future Past boasts a cast of riches, a who's who of Hollywood. Sometimes a cast this deep in familiar faces can handicap a film— and 'Days of Future Past' certainly fell into the category of potentially falling to it's knees under the weight of too much star power.
It's a joy to see Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen as older versions of Professor X and Magneto. The real enjoyment comes when we venture off into the past and see James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender playing their younger counterparts. It's a great moment within the film and as a viewer you can't help but sink further into your seat and enjoy the festivities that await you. This dynamic of the film is a testament to Singer's ability— he pulls this interaction between new and old with surety and a sense of understanding of the source material.
When movies hire acclaimed actors to play iconic characters such as these, it can be a concern that we will see the star first and not the character they are portraying. With 'Days of Future Past' it's easy to let go of those reservations. The cast embrace their characters, giving us a realistic interpretation on these comic book heroes. This is essentially a Mystique and 'young' Professor X movie for the overall but when given their chance, the rest of the cast deliver. Peter Dinklage plays an important role as 'Dr. Bolivar Trask' and he is just as good as he is on Game of Thrones. The same can be said for Evan Peters as Quicksilver. X-Men fans who may of had their skepticism over Quicksilver will be satisfied, he steals a lot of scenes.
Being one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, it doesn't disappoint. X-Men pulls off a lot of impossibles by adapting comic writer Chris Claremont's cherished 1980 story arc, giving us an extravaganza to behold.
