Complex and astounding in many ways

Rating: 8/10 (13 June 2014)

If nothing else (and this is coming from a die-hard DC fan) Marvel will forever be known for doing their franchises right time and time again. Best of all, they are not afraid of staying strict to their comic roots and making their scripts and characters diverse, fiercely intelligent and complex. I wish more than anything I had sunk myself into the entire X-Men series again before going into this and I absolutely recommend doing exactly that before going into this. I know you don't NEED to but it would help IMMENSELY! Days Of Future Past is a complex web of a story that holds nothing back. Don't get me wrong, it makes perfect sense and it is a sci-fi/action lover's dream. I know my low score (comparatively to others) might make you upset but I assure you I thought this was excellently crafted. I just found myself a tad bit lost in trying to remember everything that came before it. I was certain that director Bryan Singer would complicate this more than it should have been. Most fans agree he dropped the ball with X-Men 3 but I am proud to say he actually used the old cast in the best possible way (minimizing their involvement.) However, where I felt the film stumbled just a little was the lack of characters in it. It certainly focuses on Wolverine, young Magneto and young Charles but the amazing cast from the "First Class" film are sadly lacking. There really isn't any additional development in the characters and despite a strong action storyline, it falls in character development. Its one and only flaw.
I think we've all long agreed Hugh Jackman is and always will be Wolverine/Logan. I can't say much else about him because he becomes the character, he is iconic and amazing in the role. He was the one good thing about the disastrous Wolverine film from last year. However, this time around felt a little lacking for him and it wasn't his usual level of performance in the role. I could say the same for the rest of the cast honestly. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender were absolutely astonishing in First Class as younger counterparts to Xavier and Magneto. They were still good in this but it was missing that same level of "wow" factor. Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique probably got the most development of the cast in this film and yet she still didn't seem to be as great as she was in the original and we know all these actors are fantastic. I think Singer focused so much on the script that he sort of uses the characters as backdrop to the story. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan return in their iconic roles and they are used sparingly but perfectly for the course of the film without getting in the way. Same for the rest of the old cast who are really barely there including Halle Berry and a few tiny cameos from the original X-Men cast. Nicholas Hoult and Ellen Page have important roles but again very small comparatively to First Class. Peter Dinklage was a great addition as our "villain" of sorts. He did a terrific job but (I'm going to say it again) underused.
The heart of this story is the Sentinel program and the time travel aspect in a desperate attempt to stop cataclysmic destruction in the future. The Sentinels were every comic geeks focal point going into this. The build up to finally seeing them for the first time was perfect and they don't disappoint. They are exactly what any fan would want. The other thing Days of Future Past knocks clear out of the park are the special effects...WOW. This was some of the best CGI and special effects I have seen in years. Give them an Oscar right now because nothing comes close. Nothing looks fake or cheap and the scenes are awe inspiring. Singer did some truly outstanding direction here and he should be heralded for it. The one flaw...which I think I've explained enough is that the characters feel just a little underdeveloped and I like my superheroes to be complex characters which X-Men has always done very well. I'm a little surprised the reaction this is getting from fans. Even a friend of mine called it "the best superhero film ever made." I can't quite agree with that. It definitely jumps some seriously astounding hurdles but I still don't feel in a lot of ways it matched First Class or even some of the earlier X-Men films. Still a first rate summer blockbuster!! 8.5/10