Monday, 9 June 2014

"X-Men Days of Future Past"

Following on from the events at the end of "The Wolverine", we find that the feuding mutants have joined forces, to try and do battle with an adversary that seems unstoppable.
The sentinels seem to be the all conquering opponent, and there is very little that the mutants can do to stop from having their kind destroyed.
So, in a plot reminiscent of a certain James Cameron film franchise, their aim is to go back in time and avert the creation of the Sentinels by killing their Creator.

It may sound like a brief overview but literally that is all there is to the film. Now the delivery is another matter. We see Wolverine step into his past, meeting up with younger versions of the characters that he knows so well from the current day. At this stage, in the past, there is still some animosity certainly between  Xavier and Magneto, and takes some effort from the others to get them to combine their powers.
There is an additonal strand to the story, and the possible repercussions of the timeline involving Mystique. It all adds to the wonder of this entertaining movie.

There is the whole question of whether the film breaks the rules of time travel, and I am sure if one sat down and gave it some thought it would all become clear as to whether it does. But then one could end up destroying the fun. Best not to think about it too much.
Bryan Singer returns to the Directors chair, and fashions these characters that he so wonderfully brought to life in the original film.

I do really enjoy seeing two great thespians like Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen on screen together. It is a real treat for any film fan. It is a shame that they have so little screen time. But at the end of the day the film is about the past.
As one would expect there are some excellent set pieces and action sequences, all delivered with great cinematic style, and a delight to watch. There is one stand-out sequence involving Quicksilver  when the gang are seemingly surrounded.
One of the few downsides is that there are so many mutant characters in the series, that as many of them appear in this new film, some have just so little screen time. I know that Wolverine is probably the most popular character, and he had rather taken over the francise, but it would be nice to have some expansion on some the other characters.

A fantastic, Xciting, Xcellent romp with great visuals, and a great cast.......8 out of 10


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