Maybe since the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the X-Men decided its time to bring in as many superheroes into one film as they can. But this isn¡¯t like The Avengers with a plethora of heroes converging into one singular plot to save the world.
No, X-Men Days of Future Past takes place in two different eras, with two different teams. We¡¯ve got the older cast from the original X-Men trilogy led by Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) and their younger selves, led by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender.
Let¡¯s not to forget that¡¯s there¡¯s still Huge Jackman¡¯s Wolverine, Jennifer Lawrence¡¯s Mystique, Halli Berry¡¯s Storm, Nicholas Hault and Kelsey Grammar¡¯s Beast.
Confused? You won¡¯t be. This is where Bryan Singer deserves the up-most praise for the stylish and successfully way he¡¯s mingled two sets of teams to a rock-solid film that is the best in the entire franchise.
Time-travel is key to the story. In the ¡°oldies¡± plot line, the Stewart/McKellen X-Men are living in a dystopian future were humanity has been wiped out by mutant-turned-human hunting robots called Sentinels.
In order to save the world, they send back Wolverine to the 1970s, were he must unite the McAvoy/Michael Fassbender X-Men to stop Bolivar Trask (played by the wonderful Game of Thrones star, Peter Dinklage) from creating humanity¡¯s extinction.
But Fassbender¡¯s Magneto is locked away in a Pentagon prison, while McAvoy¡¯s Professor X is a disillusioned addict. Oh¡ and Lawrence¡¯s Mystique is key to the whole mission, because her actions will kick-start these horrid events.
In most films, this premise would crumble, but not here. Singer, as mentioned, does a superb job of juggling the superheroes at his disposal. There¡¯s always a quick gag, a lovely special effect and a well-executed action sequence to keep you on your feet.
Praise should also be given to Singer¡¯s dedication to his actors. McAvoy and Fassbender are superb as always, continuing their excellent work from X-Men: First Class. While Lawrence is as foxy and engaging as ever and Jackman¡¯s Wolverine is the best performance he¡¯s given to the metal-clawed beast.
With the perfect blend of action, character development, and the right amount of comic-book sci-fi knowledge to keep fans drooling at the mouth, X-Men: Days of Future Past is a splendid spectacle and if this is what we¡¯ll have in store in future, let the mutations continue.