A Solid Entry

Rating: 7/10 (5 June 2016)

X-Men: Days of Future Past saw Bryan Singer return to the director's chair for the film series that he helped spark, having something of a mixed legacy since he chose not to direct The Last Stand. Following on from the effortlessly entertaining and swaggering First Class was never going to be an easy feat, especially with director Matthew Vaughn deciding not to return. However, a smart decision was made with Days of Future Past to craft a time-leaping plot with the political and social uncertainty of 1970's United States. Singer's familiarity with the character shines through which leads to an inventive and exciting entry to the series.
Story: In an apocalyptic future both humans and mutants are hunted by Sentinels, originally created in the 1970's to hunt mutants. Wolverine is forced to go back in time and prevent the assassination of the creator of the Sentinels, Bolivar Trask, in order to stop this future from happening. This story works perfectly in both creating a thrilling journey and in merging the old cast with the new. Sending Wolverine into the past to meet the younger Xavier and Magneto creates its own amusing outcomes, but it also allows for loose ends to be tied up. We find out how many of these characters came to be and how they're links to the X-Men were formed. The film also manages to expertly capture the feeling of unrest after the end of the Vietnam War and of the political paranoia found in many 70's thrillers.
Heroes: Hugh Jackman is a great lead once again as Wolverine takes centre stage. By this point he has all of the characters intricacies down perfectly and provides plenty of energy as well as humour. James McAvoy is excellent as a much more vulnerable Xavier who struggles to embrace his power and his arc throughout the film is carried off well, while Patrick Stewart makes a welcomed return as the older Xavier.
Villains: Michael Fassbender impresses again as Magneto. Showing that the characters conflict began early is a clever move and Fassbender makes his struggle feel so believable. Ian McKellen is also good fun in his return to the role. Peter Dinklage is superb in an understated performance as Trask. Making the character a dwarf is a nice subtle contrast to the mutants, but outside of that Dinklage gives the dialogue weight and provides a reserved intensity that works fantastically.
Support: Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique plays a much larger role in the plot here. She being the one who attempts the assassination and the character's DNA being used to craft the Sentinels. Lawrence is simply okay in the role. Nicholas Hoult does standout as Beast, giving the role are geekiness without overdoing it.
Action: The action scenes are as slick and stylish as ever before, with the emphasis on the scope of the sequences rather than the physicality. Arguably the highlight scene is breaking Magneto out of the Pentagon. Featuring super speedster Quicksilver, the editing is fantastic and the sheer inventiveness of the scene is a joy to behold. The climax involving the White House is also very creative.
Music: John Ottman's score is very Hans Zimmer like. There's a lot of throbbing synths and bombastic brass that can get distracting. That said, his more restrained pieces are very effective and work well as a backdrop to the drama.
Production: The visuals in the film are great and Singer shows that he can still make things look classy. As stated, what impressed me the most was that ability to capture the 1970's so effectively, with the film strongly invoking thrillers such as 'Marathon Man' and 'All the President's Men' for its era of paranoia. Switching these social and political issues over to the mutants was handled with grace. The effects were flawless for the most part, with the Sentinels looking unique as well as intimidating and images like Magneto lifting a football stadium looking spectacular. The story and character writings are a strength, with the film doing a really impressive job in explaining all of the motivations behind the characters decisions. I think Mystique lacks mystery, but her struggle between good and evil is played out well. I think the films main flaws lie in comparison to the earlier films in that I think at times it lacks the fluidity of X2 and the enthusiasm of First Class despite its intelligent story-telling.
Conclusion: Days of Future Past is another strong entry in the X-Men series, simultaneously developing its universes past whilst building onto its characters futures. There's a great deal fleshed out here and the story never loses focus, which is all the more impressive when you realise just how much is going on. We're at a point now where we really understand these characters and their personalities, so going into the past is actual a good logical choice. There is almost nothing to fault from a technical, action and acting standpoint, while Singer directs as if he's never been away. The film works on both levels, providing an entertaining action trip and for offering some interesting social commentary from that period.