So Good in Many Ways!!!!!

Rating: 10/10 (29 May 2014)

Watching a movie can be plenty of fun. Seeing a good movie in a movie theater is an experience that is hard to beat, and having the opportunity to see a great film turn into a classic in front of your eyes is a pleasure that it is hard to match, and that is the case with this chapter in X-Men saga. It's an almost perfect film, a thrill to sit through, a perfect blend of technical and good writing. This film proves that quality is not equal to classical drama, but something that occurs when you have some very talented people working together and giving you the best they can.
For starters, that marvelous cast, all of them in a perfect ensemble. Some taking care of the philosophy and the "heavy" duty stuff that gives X-Men its soul. Here we have Magneto and Xavier struggling with a love affair and the future of their kind. Two beings who know they must find a way to walk the thin line that could turn them into monsters and ruin humanity's chances of survival. Then there is the team that they need to support and protect, and who can help maintain their safety on Earth. It pays to hire some of the best: Berry, Jackman, Fassbender, and a list that is too long to mention.
Then we have one amazing piece of writing, weaving two time periods into a very tight story line that has the very difficult issue of time travel explored and played with in a very exciting manner. Bodies drops and destinies change in front of our eyes for better or worse. Nothing is simple, as we can see when Xavier and Magneto meet again, so to speak. Then there are those moments when all of these people are in the middle of a confrontation with their mortality, and we can see that we are really not that different from each other. Jackman just keeps getting better and better at making us forget how strong the soul of his character is. We know all of them struggle with the duality of their nature, but Wolverine makes it easier to understand that pain, and it doesn't hurt that he is very good at displaying his powers in action.
My favorite part of the movie deals with its heart, and this is pretty much left in the hands of Lawrence, who has grown so much in front of our eyes in the last few years. She has fire in her performance, and we can see the passion, the determination, and the fear when trying to choose when it's o.k. to listen. I wonder about the choreography of her fights, and if she's involved, I am in awe.
The story is basic. Wolverine must go back in time (his essence) anyway, and he has to find a way to stop a series of events to save both humans and mutants from a fate worse than death and/or death itself. The introductory scenes dazzle, as we see our heroes working in perfect unison trying to escape those machines that have been created in the past and now are exterminating every mutant they encounter. They are the perfect killing machines, and it's ironic that their source of power has originated from a mutant, too. In the beginning, things look pretty bad for everyone involved.
The ride gets more exciting, as the trip to the past begins, and we are treated to another of the highlights of this fantastic piece of cinema, as we see that it takes an action film to really bring out some of the best in craftmanship. We see sets that blow our minds as we are literally, with the help of 3D and much creative talent to the 70's. "American Hustle" was praised to heaven and had very little to offer. This film has huge sets, dazzling amounts of costumes, props to satisfy the biggest of cynics. Cars, drinks, furniture, hairdos, all perfectly integrated and propelling the story forward, without trying to be call attention to themselves by being too clever. Everything has a function here, and it's perfectly performed.
In the end, there's only one small disappointment here, and it is the fact that it will be very difficult to match this film. Earlier in 2014, "Captain America II" gave us a taste of what could be done when focus is regained, and this "X-Men" entry proves that practice makes perfect, and that careful planning and execution can indeed result in miracles. I know they only give 10 stars here, but I could probably go for an even dozen.