X-Men: Days of Future Past

X-Men: Days of Future Past, the latest movie from director Bryan Singer is the super hero movie I have been waiting for since The Dark Knight. Why is that you ask? Because it has everything you could possibly want in a movie of this genre and more. It's got great acting, great visuals, great music, and above all a great story. This is the second flawless movie I've seen this year, which is pretty amazing when you think about it, and because of that I am giving X-Men: Days of Future Past four buckets (with free refills) of Killer Korn.











X-Men: Days of Future Past is one of my all time favorite X-Men story lines. It's one I have never forgotten about even when adulthood grabbed me, held me upside down, and shook me until all my comics fell free. What stayed with me the most was the cover, it was the first time I had ever seen the word "slain" slapped across the face of ANY super hero.

So when I heard this was going to be the next X-Men plot, and that Bryan Singer was coming back to direct it, needless to say that little twelve year old boy that lives inside me was ecstatic. I wasn't sure if there was anything that could wash the bad taste in my mouth from that Brett Ratner X-Men: The Last Stand debacle, but if there was one person that could restore my faith, it was Singer. Let me tell you, the man exceeded any and all expectations I had going in and then some. 

Future Past the comic and the movie differ in many ways but the core story is there. The biggest difference is who goes back to the past. The movie gives a great reason why Logan goes and not Kitty Pryde. Logan/Wolverine is again played by the amazingly talented Hugh Jackman and he is the one man that can bridge the future to the past. Only he can really get the point across to Professor Xavier played by Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy that something needs to be done or every mutant and mutant sympathizer is imprisoned or murdered. Then Logan has to also convince Erik Lehnsherr aka Magneto played by Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender to fight along side them. His breakout of jail and scenes with Raven are worth the price of admission alone. I won't tell you why he was in jail, but the reason will definitely make you smile. 

The movie starts off with an incredible action sequence featuring the likes of future X-Men Bishop, Iceman, Kitty Pryde, Colossus, Blink and others squaring off against a horde of unbeatable Sentinels. The future mutant killing bots have the ability to adapt to their preys powers thanks to one mutant who is on the hunt for industrialist and scientist Bolivar Trask played by everyone's favorite, Peter Dinklage. The mutants and Bolivar are all after the one mutant who is the key to mutant eradication, Raven/Mystique played by Jennifer Lawrence. it soon becomes a race against time as Sentinel's close in on the future X-Men's position because they can't flee while Logan is back in the 70's trying to change the future.

Surprisingly Future Past was written by the same person who wrote Last Stand, Simon Kinberg. By all accounts it appears Simon has become a far better writer (he's also a producer on this film so there was more at stake for him). The story for Future Past was meaty which is the primary reason this movie was so stirring and gripping. Those behind the Captain America, Amazing Spider Man, and Godzilla movies should take notes because they could learn a few things from Future Past. Mainly the notion that a quality, entertaining super hero movie can be made without lowering the bar, insulting the intelligence of its audience, or giving them something they've already seen a dozen times. The music by John Ottman was pitch perfect for this movie, and while I wasn't always a fan of his, this is the second score in succession by him that I have come to appreciate. The cinematography by Newton Thomas Sigel was overall impressive. He worked on the previous Singer X-Men movies so the look is consistent. 

I highly recommend X-Men: Days of Future Past. If like me you have an eleven, twelve, or thirteen year old inside of you, they will LOVE this movie. I'll see you at the theater (again).

MarkEricEntertainment