It's good to see Bryan Singer hasn't lost his touch for the X-Men movies, just wish he had directed X-Men Last Stand. This is going to be a completely biased review because my nerd genes are totally geeking out from this movie. Not to say it's without its flaws - the whole time travel thing at the end and time travel in general don't normally seem to get the full attention it deserves but seems more used as a gimmick. Even in this movie it starts to be gimmicky versus story based as is the opposite of the Terminator movies (the first two only) and the Back to the Future trilogy, where it's used a gimmick but as movies go on it becomes very story line and character based. There was a chance for them to not gimmicky up the time travel aspect of this story line but I really felt they dropped the ball on this as the movie ended but I didn't mind because the roller coaster ride until the end was so much fun.
All of that being said I still found this movie hugely enjoyable with the pacing zipping by with such energy that you won't question much of what is going on. I also must admit I do enjoy the younger versions of Professor X and Magneto than the older versions of them, for some reason the actors playing them and the characters themselves feel more real and defined than their older selves. McAvory and Fassbender are simply mesmerizing as these two character as they were in X-Men First Class - still my favorite and I think the best X-Men movie so far. Hugh Jackman will always be Wolverine no matter who they get to replace him in the future - this is his character and I'm glad to see that he plays him whenever he can.
This is a movie of set pieces, but what set pieces they are. Bryan Singer seems to be more interested in these set pieces, as his firs two movies showed, than in exploring the themes and issues raised by the story. Where as a more polished director, like Nolan, feels more comfortable letting the story unfold, the actors act together, and set pieces/action scenes fall where they may. But Singer when he is on game makes some great set pieces/action scenes and he is very comfortable in the X-Men universe. Unlike his movie Superman Returns or Jack The Giant Slayer, where nothing seemed to gel well, in Days of Future Past everything gels well and these action scenes are simply amazing with the quieter scenes not interrupting the flow of anything. I think a large part of this can be credited to the actors of the movie: Jackman, Fassbender, McAvory, and Lawrence. They all really bring something to the table that makes every scene they are in worth watching. The investment in their characters really shows and helps the audience connect with what is going on.
The character Quick Silver almost steals the show in the best set piece of the movie, hands down. What Singer does with this scene mixing music, action, slow motion, with a quirky character only makes the character more interesting as we get a glimpse into how he sees the world. Singer does a great job of introducing Quick Silver making that scene with Wolverine, Prof. X, Magneto, and Beast funny and hugely watchable as it acts as a foreshadow of what Quick Silver will do later and better. Such is the impact of his character that the movie makes us want more of him when he is gone.
All in all it was great movie in the X-Men universe and a welcome return of Bryan Singer.
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