This shouldn't work, but it does.

Rating: 9/10 (23 May 2014)

Before I begin, I'll say this: It's recommended that you're familiar with other X-men movies (I'd say X2, the disappointing X3, First Class and The Wolverine or at least its mid-credits stinger) to fully appreciate this one. It's not necessary in order to understand the movie, but it certainly helps.
"Days of future past" is packed with story and characters. It moves quickly from one scenario to another without giving us much breathing time. You don't get to "dwell" in certain situations/revelations enough and about 15 more minutes to its runtime would've been welcome. Some things weren't explained that I hoped, and some elements seemed too much like cheapish plot devices in contrast to everything else that worked so well.
Those were my only gripes, and almost all of them don't matter that much in the end, because the movie convinced me that "It's OK, we got this". This movie took my hand and steadily led me through the story. Even when something didn't please me or disappointed me a little, something else quickly came along and hid the annoyances under a rug, allowing me to stay in the movie.
The time travel aspect is easy to grasp. You won't (and shouldn't) think about it too much to pick it apart. It works in its simplicity, and while it is a major piece of the story plot-wise, the main focus is on the 1970's characters and the drama. Don't get me wrong, this IS an action film, but the characters are a little deeper than what we usually get from movies of this genre.
All the main actors do a great job. Jackman is in his best form, McAvoy steals the central character arc, Fassbender is always enjoyable and Stewart/McKellen of course are full of charisma. Jennifer Lawrence (whose role is pivotal) didn't impress me in First Class, but now I'm a little more convinced. Nicholas Hoult is a likable presence. Trask's character is one we don't get to study deeply, but Dinklage is solid as usual. Some characters don't get much screen time (Ellen Page and BingBing Fan were really good, both for different reasons) and that's surely a problem for many, but in terms of the story every character worked. The surprise here is Evan Peters, in a positive sense.
For a fast-paced movie with much to show and tell, the pacing was as good as it could've been. Action, humor, wit, dialogue, some character arcs and drama were handled very well, and in a manner we don't usually see. The narrative is present at all times, even during most action sequences. The structure of this film feels refreshing. It's not something you've seen a hundred times before, and it's almost as if they went with their own pattern instead of following some other established formulas.
Normally shoving things that are meant to evoke every emotional response possible into one movie just doesn't work and makes it hard to define a tone. "Days of future past" handles it with ease. When things are serious, you're convinced. Whenever there's a conflict or a fight, you're excited. When it's funny, it's naturally funny instead of forcing a joke on you. Every little tonal shift feels natural. This film shouldn't work, but it works amazingly well. It reminded me of "Silver linings playbook" which also was a film that is quite messy as a concept, but the execution made it into something rare and memorable.
Directing is great and Singer's touches are there to be seen. Even with some epic action stuff, Singer keeps things "contained" in an intimate manner that's inventive, intense and works in favor of the movie. No blowing up half the city for no reason here, no unnecessary assaults on your senses. There's enough of intense conversational drama to make you care about said action, not to mention the characters themselves. This movie feels like X2+First Class combined and on steroids.
Technically "Days of future past" is pure quality. Cinematography is beautiful, as are all the special effects. The art and craft of cinema is well represented in many ways. Ottman's music is as good as it's ever been. Absolutely fantastic.
With a little longer runtime and a little more focus, "X-men: days of future past" would've been a 10/10 for me. That said, this movie doesn't feel broke, sloppy or unfinished. It's surprisingly solid for a movie this packed, and in the end I was thoroughly rewarded. How many times after seeing a movie you felt like you were cheated, that you didn't get a fitting ending? This one manages to reward you and tease you at the same time.
I loved this movie and was genuinely impressed and moved. DOFP rises alongside X2 as the most satisfactory X-men movie for me. While X2 is a little tighter purely as a construct, DOFP just might be the most enjoyable one. As a story with plenty of emotional weight, nice touches, love for its own characters and plenty of fan service, DOFP is a really wonderful achievement.
So thank you, Bryan Singer. You finally got your "X3". Also thank you, Simon Kinberg. You proved something with this movie. Hopefully you keep it up, don't let this be just a happy accident.