I'm as big an X-fan as anybody. In fact, as the movies roll by, and the opinions roll in (each one more lenient than the next), I begin to wonder if I might be more of an X-fan than most people. It means enough to me to bother me when things are wrong; In the same way legions will get passionate about the biggest fantasy properties, I don't see that fervor when it comes to X-Men. The consensus seems to be a general sort of 'it's cool' when it comes to this new movie, which seems to get a pass for so may of the very things the films were criticized of screwing up in some of its weakest entries.
So I present for you fine readers another patented WTF? Review to set the record straight on a film lauded for being expertly crafted, when I saw quite a fair share of problems.
Spoilers to follow.
There is a fantastic article about the importance of Days of Future Past as a comic book in history, and some of the legacy it left on the medium and the franchise. Bryan Singer's film, the director who brought X-Men to the cinema mainstream in the first place, has a similar task in front of him, as the series spiraled out of control after his departure, and he had a lot of course-correcting to do.
Days of Future Past actually isn't even interested in said course-correction. Sure, the ending basically wipes the slate clean, giving our heroes a much needed reset button. But everything that happened in previous films like X3 and First Class, were either totally ignored, or confirmed as official continuity in this universe, and even went so far as to emphasize that the retcon I liked the least in X-Men First Class- Xavier and Mystique as childhood bffs- is the driving force of this entire film!
F*ck.
So on the other hand, there is my hope that a lot of the burning questions viewers had going in from the trailers would be addressed. How did Logan get his metal back in this dystopian future? Will we see if Alex Summers is somehow related to Cyclops? How did Magneto get his powers back after he took the cure? When did Shadowcat randomly get time-travel powers? How does Professor X exist if his body was obliterated in X3? Absolutely none of these questions are addressed.
So I'm left having to assume the bonus scene at the end of The Last Stand means Xavier transferred his consciousness into an exact twin who conveniently also happens to be crippled too? Do they think we're stupid or that we just wouldn't notice? Unfortunately, judging by the film's reception, it seems to be a little of column A and a little of column B. Days of Future Past is so hellbent on straightening out the timeline, it oddly has no interest in continuity. I would like to make a side note that these are the kinds of details fans are so quick to jump all over movies like Man of Steel or The Dark Knight Rises, when they slip up, so again I wonder why this one is getting a pass. Hypocrisy says hello.
What DoFP does want to explain, is why Young Charles can walk again, and how Beast can be back in human form. Both explanations are lazy writing. Cheats that involve nothing more than injecting magic antidotes that the characters will either use or not use depending on if the plot needs them to. And this development totally and completely goes against the point of these two great characters (accepting who you are no matter what happened to you), ultimately making them both a lot more shallow.
Days also decides that Mystique is now literally the most important person on earth, considering the stakes, and I couldn't be more wary of the Jennifer Lawrence overhype now leaving an indelible influence on these movies. It is discovered that her Raven now has "magic blood" that will be the tool in the future to wipe out the mutant race. From a story standpoint, it actually kind of works, but I'd be remiss in not noticing that this plotline practically insists Mystique may be the new face of the franchise moving forward, should Hugh Jackman ever decide to hang up the tights.
My final complaint is actually the same one many of us have shared throughout the course of the series. Too many mutants are pointless or wasted. All the pop and circumstance surrounding the new faces in the series doesn't actually amount to much in the final product. The future mutants are there just to blast and fight- and they look great doing it- but there is zero connection with any of them, so I wonder why there was such hype about it in the first place. It would have been good to have them give us some real insight on this apocalyptic future, which even that setting is a bit of a let down. I want to see a destroyed society. Not everyone hiding up in the Chinese mountains. But in the end, when new guys get killed, you don't feel anything because you never got to know them.
Now, I realize I might be a little harsh on this movie, but such is my relationship with the X-Men films. It's love/hate through and through. And yes, there is a lot to love in this movie. The principle characters shine as usual, with Wolverine, Xavier and Magneto delivering at top notch levels. As much as I dislike J-Law, she's a better Mystique in this movie than in her First Class debut, bringing more physicality and more emotional depth than the character has probably ever had. The 70s era was used a lot better than the 60s, and if the 80s (my favorite decade) is next, I can't wait. There are little winks and nods peppered throughout the film, that make the fanboy in me giddy. At the end of the day, I really did like the Bolivar Trask Sentinel plotline, and yes, everything you heard is true: Quicksilver has the best single showcase scene since Nightcrawler's White House attack in X-Men 2.
So X-Men: Days of Future Past is in a tricky spot with me. As it stands, I don't think it's better than X2 or even First Class. But it is a solid film in its own right, if I throw all the baggage out the window. And I'm glad people have embraced it, when I felt like I had to defend Bryan Singer from the haters for months. No I didn't love it like everyone else, but I'm just surprised no one is mentioning all these gaping issues. It bothered me more than most, and since this was my most anticipated movie of the summer, it had farther to fall. Perhaps when the dust settles and the movie has had tome to breathe, people will see the truth about it: Captain America 2 is still the superhero film to beat this year.
Grade: B-