I never thought it would happen....but bringing back Bryan Singer for X-Men: Days of Future Past has given us the BEST X-Men movie to date. And this is saying something since he directed the last great X-Men movie. Everything that Singer brought in the first two entries is back in this film. The unbelievably huge cast is uniformly excellent and somehow everyone is given just enough time to standout no matter how big or small their role. The writing, though not the best with dialogue, walks a tight line in bringing two X-Men universes together organically. Singers directing is so confident and focused that he gives total clarity to what could be a super convoluted plot. The production values are top notch, with significant improvements to the visual effects and make-up over First Class. The action scenes are incredibly entertaining, with one memorable bit in the Pentagon that will make you cheer, laugh and be in awe simultaneously. And the film juggles its tone excellently, as it maintains a constant sense of drama while offering bits of levity that never throw off the ever escalating tension. Best of all, Singer knew that the best way to resolve a story isnt to have the strongest powers win. Instead, everything hinges on a battle of emotions, will and morals, which is more tense than any action scene. Its a great climax that showcases the actors just as much as it entertains with the spectacle. (Also best of all, Singer makes his disdain for X-Men 3: The Last Stand so clear in ways you wont see coming but will be happy it happened). There are only a couple issues I have. As well as Singer keeps the plot and characters focused, there are a few minor elements throughout the story that are either under-explained or ignored entirely (How did Kitty Pride get the power to project peoples conscience back in time? How did Wolverine get his metal claws back in the future when they were destroyed in The Wolverine?). The intro, as well as it sets up the conflict, felt rushed at times as they tried to cram a ton of exposition into five to ten minutes. Also, as great as Peter Dinklage is, he feels underutilized as a complete villain like Brian Cox in X2, but to his credit theres only so much you could do with his character. Most of all, and this is personal preference, I really, REALLY wanted more Quicksilver. Evan Peters was superb in the role and it only made me sad when I realized that he wasnt going to be in it longer (though he will surely turn up somewhere). Im going to call it early, but I think he will be a better Quicksilver than Aaron Taylor-Johnson will be in The Avengers 2 (partly because I am not a ATJ fan). So yeah, I never thought they could make an X-Men film better than X2, but they did it. Singer has given us his best movie in a decade and the X-Men franchise has been completely revitalized in my eyes. Definitely one of the best movies you will see this summer! 4.5 out of 5!!!
Posted on: Fri, 23 May 2014 08:19:19 +0000
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