Movie Review: X-Men Days of Future Past - making for a brighter franchise future...

Well it's been a few weeks since my most recent review.  So how about two (almost virtually) together?  I'll start with a film which I guess a lot of people will have seen by now, but I still think it's worth weighing in with a few words on it (especially the implications it has for other films in the genre).  Following this I'll review a film which has just opened in the UK and elsewhere globally, but doesn't hit Stateside until this coming weekend - so my American friends, consider it a heads up!

Anyway, here's my first review...

When Marvels 'Avengers Assemble' hit biiiig in 2012, the studios holding the rights to other Marvel characters (principally Fox and Sony) reacted in two ways.  Sony, with the rights to Spider-man, decided to emulate the model of Marvel Studios of creating an ongoing 'universe', linking storylines and characters across multiple films; the results, so far, have been pretty mediocre, considering the potential of the character and his stories.

Fox, with the rights to the vast X-Men catalogue of characters and storylines, reacted differently - the success of 'Avengers Assemble' didn't mean the Marvel franchise model should necessarily be emulated - rather, it has made them raise their game.  Judging by how successful 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' is, this franchise is likely to go from strength to strength.

Based on one of the best-loved storylines from the X-Men comics, the film commences 10 years in the future and sees a dystopian vision of a war where Mutantkind - and humans that sympathise with their cause - are either rounded up in concentration camps in the blasted ruins of once great cities, or are hunted down by virtually indestructible robots called Sentinels.  The X-Men are losing this war, and in the impressive opening sequence we see just how outmatched they are, despite their impressive powers.  In the midst of this, the team discover that Kitty Pride (Ellen Page) - the girl who can walk through walls - can use her powers to send someone's consciousness back in time to their own, younger body.  The plan is hatched to send someone back to their younger body, in 1973 - when an assassination carried out by a prominent mutant kick-starts the development of the Sentinel programme.  As Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is the only one whose body is able to endure its mind being sent back that far (thanks to his regenerating ability), it's up to him.  He has to unite recent enemies Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik 'Magneto' Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender).

It wouldn‘t be an X-Men movie if Hugh Jackman didn‘t get to show off that physique now, would it???

This set up could have been needlessly complicated, but thanks to some brief but concise lines of exposition, once this plot kicks in to gear and hits the ground running.  This film has clearly been influenced by notable other time-travel adventures, and there are some fun nods to that - not long after reawakening in 1973, Wolverine makes a polite request to some thugs for their clothes and car keys (you can probably figure out how that goes)!  But while this film knows when to have fun like that, it knows when to keep things serious, and the tone never gets muddled.

Director Bryan Singer returns to the franchise he started over a decade ago (and, you might argue, the genre he helped to define) - and it's clear that he is relishing the potential of the X-Men universe as much as he did then.  It's clear that he enjoys the creative and technical opportunities the Mutants and their powers give him, and there's a sequence involving a newer franchise arrival - Peter 'Quicksilver' Maximoff (played by Evan Peters) which is on a par with the astonishing intro to X-2.  He also handles what could have been a very dense and cumbersome plot and cast skilfully - although some characters might not have a lot of screen time, it is never to their, or the narratives, detriment.

Whilst the theme of acceptance and tolerance of those who are different - 'Mutantkind' is a metaphor for pretty much any group you want to isolate due to ethnicity, creed, or sexuality - was at the fore in those earlier films, in this one it takes a bit of a backseat; the questions being raised here are more philosophical.  Is it possible to change a preset path - is time immutable, or can the past be improved?  Can it be improved by an individual (or group) if they, themselves, can change for the better?  This might feel an unusual shift from the previous films in the franchise, but it makes sense for two reasons.

Firstly, this film aims to take the X-Men franchise in to the Science Fiction genre further than before, with its time travel elements.  As the best works in this genre are not just about the spectacle of whatever technology or power that drives the plot, but are more interested in using this to pose philosophical or even spiritual questions, so this is the case here.  And it feels right for this film to adopt this genre - after all, it seems to be that the most successful Super-hero/Comic Book adaptations of recent years have taken the approach of using established genres to fit the story and/or characters.

Secondly, this main crux of this film is continuing what was set up in 2011's 'X-Men First Class'.  That story established the relationship between Charles and Erik, and this film carries this onwards.  It‘s McAvoy‘s Xavier that gets the greatest arc - moving from a broken man, verging on alcoholism and substance addiction, to someone who embraces their powers and abilities to the betterment of Mutantkind and humanity.  Perhaps Magneto‘s path as the main villain is too preset for similar development, but if this prequel series is about the growth of Xavier in to ‘Professor X‘ and the assembling of his ‘X-Men‘ team, then this part of the story is handled assuredly.

Despite the warnings from the future, Magneto still behaves like b*st*rd - but he wouldn‘t be the series villain if he didn‘t!

When you have a film that juggles two different time lines, virtually two sets of cast, and not to mention a plot that sets up the potential for head-scratching time paradoxes, the end result could have so easily been a mess.  Perhaps more time could have been given to establish the motivations of certain characters - but enough is done so that those upon whom the plot hinges, such as Jennifer Lawrence‘s Mystique or Peter Dinklage as Bolivar Trask, are fleshed enough that their intentions are never fully depicted as broadly ‘evil‘; there‘s enough done to sympathise with some of their motivations, if not to entirely agree with them.  Again, the economical script allows enough to be done with a few lines so that a sufficient picture can be drawn.  It might not be enough for some people, but arguably the narrative isn‘t weighed down so in my opinion it‘s job done!

Finally, this film really restores the potential of the series, after the disappointments of ‘Last Stand‘ and ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine‘.  If ‘First Class‘ was the franchise equivalent of correcting the direction of an immense ship, here we can say things are finally heading the right way.  And it sets up an intriguing and positive future for the franchise - both for the ‘First Class‘ cast, and those of the original films.  I won‘t spoil anything, but the end is beautifully done - it is clear the makers wanted to make up for those previously stated disappointments, and they have done so in a way which almost brought a tear of joy to my eye.  I hope that Sony and the team of writers they‘ve got currently failing to do Spiderman justice have seen this and taken note!

And to top it all, a post-credit scene sets up a great villain from the comics, and demonstrates that the team in charge of this franchise are taking its potentially seriously.  After this movie, the future, and it even its past, are indeed looking brighter.