Film Review: Complex, Wow-Inducing ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’

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CHICAGO – Although a post graduate degree in space/time continuum studies may be necessary for maximum enjoyment, “X-Men: Days of Future Past” still delivers a comic book wham-bam, and the series continues its exploration of recent history through the prism of a mutant universe.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

And in that parallel universe, the film creates several levels, all based on changing the past to affect a war torn present. That complexity is accomplished through some overwrought explanation and a story that deliberately takes its time, but the action sequences are breath-taking and well thought out, and is presented in 3D with beautifully composed comic book filmmaking – courtesy of veteran X-Men director Bryan Singer. The saga of the X-Men – originally created by Marvel Comics and now in its fifth film – can be formulated into multiple expressions of symbolism and wonder, and “Days of Future Past” throws it all into the cinematic winds and makes it whirl.

The future is a desolate place, with constant war against a robot weaponry that can effectively track down and defeat the mutants – which include the X-Men. But luckily a mutant named Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page) can send her comrades back in time to warn each other of the attacks. This strategy intrigues Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellan), who figure they can send Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back to 1973, when the robots were invented, and have him alter a series of events in the past to prevent the present war.

These events involve Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), the shapeshifting blue mutant, whose pursuit of Dr. Trask (Peter Dinklage) – the creator of the robots – is the impetus for the future calamities. Wolverine tracks down young Professor X (James McAvoy), Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Beast (Nicholas Hoult) to help him get to Mystique. And this being 1973, it also involves the end of the Viet Nam War and, of course, President Richard M. Nixon (Mark Camacho).

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “X-Men: Days of Future Past”

Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Professor X (James McAvoy) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in “X-Men: Days of Future Past”.
Photo credit: 20th Century Fox

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “X-Men: Days of Future Past”