X-Men Days of Future Past: Review

I had no considerable issue with the recent X-Men films such as The Wolverine, but many felt that the series had lost its way. Because of this, expectations for Days of Future Past were considerably high in hopes that it would be the film to set this beloved franchise back on course. And in my opinion, it did so spectacularly. 

The film begins in 20th century, with a bleak vision of the future. Large, sinister beings known as 'Sentinels' have taken over the world, and have enslaved both human and mutant. Only a scarce few mutants still remain un-captured, including the iconic Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen), but their chance of survival is dwindling by the day. Another small group of mutants led by Bishop (Omar Sy) also live in this dangerous landscape, but their chance of surviving also grows unlikely. The only hope for all of human and mutant kind is to send Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back to the year 1973 and stop the events which set this terrifying future in motion. 

Charles Xavier / Professor X (James McAvoy)

The plot of Days of Future Past sounds almost as complicated as the strange title when put down on paper, but the film manages to deliver such a story in a surprisingly coherent manner. In fact, the plot of the film is one of its strongest assets, as it allows numerous references and cameos which will appease long-time fans as well as entertain those newer to the series. The return of James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as a young Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr is also very welcome, as both have proven themselves as incredibly talented actors to portray these iconic characters, as exhibited within First Class. The star of the show however is yet again Hugh Jackman as Wolverine / Logan, as he plays the pivotal role in this story of time-travel. Wolverine acts as a thread which ties both the future and past together, and no other actor could convey such a complex character to the standard of Jackman. 

Another asset of the film is its ability to switch seamlessly between genuinely funny humour and deadly serious drama. There were times the entire cinema was filled with laughter, which was then followed by eerily silent tension as one scene transitioned to the next. The main conduit of this humour is the character of Quicksilver (Evan Peters), who acts as a cocky, arrogant adolescent, despite being fairly important to the success of Logan's mission. The only problem with this is that Quicksilver was barely in the movie, but the scenes which he does feature in are amongst the most memorable. 

Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto (Michael Fassbender)

The only real issue I have with Days of Future Past are less about the film itself, but more about the topic of continuity. Without spoiling anything, the events that take place within the movie drastically throw-off events which have occurred in other films in the series, which makes some almost entirely redundant. Although this needed to happen for the plot in Days of Future Past to take place, it just felt a little strange. 

Verdict 
X-Men: Days of Future Past is not only an incredibly enjoyable movie, it is also my favourite amongst the X-Men franchise. The plot is interesting and unique, the acting is excellent, and the action is exciting. The only real issues I can think of aren't even explicitly about the film, which should speak for itself. Basically, if you are a fan of the X-Men or comic-book movies in general: see this film. 

"You'll need me as well. Side by side to end this war 

before it even begins."