Ever since
X-Men premiered in 2000, theatregoers have been interested in Marvel’s band of mutants. Director Bryan Singer was lauded for restoring interest in the superhero genre after the disappointing reception to
Batman and Robin. Shortly thereafter, the sequels
X2 and
X-Men: The Last Stand were released in 2003 and 2006. Two spin-off films depicting the Wolverine character were produced in 2009 and 2013, respectively. In 2011,
X-Men: First Class was released as a way of reestablishing the franchise with new actors. Now, Singer returns to connect the films with a new prequel-sequel.
X-Men: Days of Future Past takes place across two different timelines. Set 10 years after the events of First Class, the first storyline concerns the paths of friends-turned-foes Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) in 1973. Haunted by his past failures, Xavier has closed his private school for mutants, wallowing in depression. Meanwhile, Erik has been incarcerated for suspected involvement in the JFK assassination. The second plotline depicts a grim future of the year 2023, in which giant robots called the Sentinels hunt the mutants. Now forced to band together, Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) decide to change the future by sending Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) into the past. Upon waking up in his younger body, Wolverine must unite Charles and Erik to stop a new threat in the form of Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage), who is responsible for creating the Sentinels. However, they must stop Charles’ foster sister Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), whose actions cause the dystopian future.
Hugh Jackman is back in fine form as Wolverine for the seventh time. At 45 years old, he clearly enjoys playing the character that made him a star. Whereas some actors might have phoned in a performance, Jackman embodies the essence of the gruff, troubled loner and a man struggling to change the future. His banter with Charles and Erik is one of the film’s highlights, and he delights in making snarky comments about who they will become.
As the young Charles Xavier, McAvoy functions as the film’s emotional center and reluctant protagonist. Troubled over his past, Xavier has lost interest in teaching and is spending the 1970s as a bearded recluse. His dream for peace between humans and mutants has resulted in losing the people he cares about, and he has to pick up the pieces in rebuilding his life. McAvoy succeeds in playing a broken man who learns to rediscover hope.
Returning to the role of Erik/Magneto, Fassbender continues to surprise as the antihero who believes the ends justify the means in his war against humanity. However, he is given more depth by revealing the truth about his role in John F. Kennedy’s death. His chemistry and relationship with McAvoy is fascinating to watch, because these two men with different agendas and methods are not totally dissimilar. Their heart-to-heart conversation aboard a plane is one of the film’s most emotional scenes.
Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique continues to be fascinating, because her performance is closer to Rebecca Romijn’s complex portrayal of the original films. Estranged from both Charles and Erik, she wrestles with her humanity and an increasing resolve to do what is necessary for mutant survival. Lawrence holds her own during the film’s choreographed fight sequences, and she is able to assert herself as a lone-wolf type.
Nicholas Hoult reprises his role as Hank “Beast” McCoy, who continues to show his loyalty to Xavier. As the right-hand man, Hank provides a voice of reason to his mentor and a source of tension with Wolverine and Magneto. Indeed, his suspicion of Logan leads to one of the film’s best confrontations. While Hoult is more of a supporting character, he gives a pleasant likeability to the role.
The future X-Men deliver solid performances in the film, and it is frustrating to see them not get more screen time. Each of them, however, is given a moment to demonstrate the essence of their characters. As the older Xavier and Magneto, Stewart and McKellen have excellent chemistry and interactions with each other. In one particular scene, Stewart has an emotional discussion with McAvoy, which brings to mind the meeting of the two Spocks in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek.
Reprising her role as Storm, Halle Berry makes a solid impression in leading the rag-tag team as they fight for survival. Shawn Ashmore plays an older, mature Bobby Drake/Iceman, and he is able to fully demonstrate the character’s abilities. Although different from the original comic, Kitty Pride (Ellen Page) has a supporting yet pivotal role in the future scenes, and she delivers a quiet, determined performance. Daniel Cudmore reprises Colossus, who is given more screen time and presence during action scenes than in the previous films.
Of the newcomers to the franchise, Evan Peters steals the show in his role as Quicksilver. His juicily comedic timing and witty-delivery of lines makes for a hilarious performance. In contrast, Evan Jonigkeit’s Toad, Booboo Stewart’s Warpath and Lukas Till’s Havok amount to minor cameos intended for the hardcore Marvel fanbase. However, Fan Bingbing portrays the mutant Blink as a powerful asset; her powers of creating teleportation portals are important during scenes set in the future. Among the rest of the team, Omar Shy is compelling as Bishop, and it is disappointing not to see him featured more prominently.
Peter Dinklage is a welcome addition as Bolivar Trask. His portrayal is fascinating, because he believes his mutant-hunting creation is capable of saving the human race. In contrast to previous villains, Trask is not obsessed with exterminating mutantkind but rather studying them for the purpose of defending humanity. Sadly, Dinklage does not have a lot of screen time to work with. As a result, his motivations are vague and not fleshed out.
In keeping with the previous installments, Singer’s direction provides a serious tone for the film. He does allow some humor in the story, but it does not feel out of place or disjointed. Perhaps his most effective technique is intercutting between timelines during the film’s climax, which serves to make a compelling finale. Magneto’s raising of a baseball stadium is another breath-taking moment. John Ottoman’s rousing score has a Wagnerian style and serves as a solid addition to the film. Singer also makes wider use of the X-Men characters, especially during the last scene and the post-credits teaser for the inevitable sequel.
After being alluded to in X-Men: The Last Stand, the Sentinels finally appear in Days of Future Past as a force to be reckoned with. It is believed that former Fox studio chief Tom Rothman forbade them from being used in the original films, due to his dislike of giant robots. However, the Sentinels are shown to be different from the Transformers, because they are able to adapt and mimic the abilities of mutants. As a result, they play a major role in the film’s plot, which leads to an epic battle across both timelines.
X-Men: Days of Future Past is a stellar addition to the franchise, and it might be the best X-Men film to date. Bryan Singer had succeeded in revitalizing the series and making it interesting. One can only hope the next film will build on what Singer and company have established.
X-Men: Days of Future Past stars Shawn Ashmore, Halle Berry, Peter Dinklage, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence, Ian McKellen, Ellen Page, Evan Peters, and Patrick Stewart. The film opens in theatres on May 23, 2014.