Review of X-Men: Days of Future Past

Now this is what I'm talking about. In a market over-saturated by superheroes, movie-goers needed something bigger, bolder, and more engrossing than your average good-guys vs bad-guys entry. That's where X-Men: Days of Future Past, easily the best superhero film I've seen in six years, blows all competition out of the water. Yes, it's based on characters movie-goers have come to know and love over the past decade-plus (and even longer for most comic book aficionados), but more importantly, it works singularly as a science fiction film. Elements that seem standard-order in most blockbusters are given real weight due to the ideas and the stakes involved. The best of these types of movies have a three-pronged agenda: tell a captivating story with characters worth caring about, dazzle the senses with action-packed conflict, and use the trappings of a superhero tale to serve up social commentary that transcends the material. Director Bryan Singer, who first brought these characters to screen life 14 years ago, hits a home run in all three.

The basic story involves time travel of the Terminator variety, but the original "Days of Future Past" arc, as told in the comics, pre-dates James Cameron's action classic. This film wastes no time whatsoever getting the ball rolling as we glimpse a war-torn Earth circa 2023. The X-Men face extinction by the Sentinels, machines of war created 50 years ago to wipe out the threat of mutants and all humans who aide them. With powers based on the DNA of shape-shifter Raven aka Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), the Sentinels represent an overwhelming, impossible force to take down and have grown to enslave all civilization. The X-Men are far outmatched as is, so they place their hope in one last effort: send Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back in time to stop the creation of the machines. He has a full plate indeed; not only must he convince the 1973 versions of Prof. Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) to put aside their differences and work together, but he also must stop Mystique from killing Sentinel creator Boliver Trask (Peter Dinklage), an event which triggers an irreversible course of action.

Time travel is always an inherently fascinating concept in science fiction. Not only does it require audiences to pay close attention, but the paradoxes and moral quandaries provide endless intellectual food for thought. Days of Future Past, much like 2012's Looper, tills this fertile ground with awesome success. Here's the kicker of them all: the act of embarking on a mission to stop something from happening leads to a chain of events that results in the same outcome anyway. This is no lightweight action outing; a pall of darkness and dread hangs over events, even during some of the film's lighter moments of wordplay. In a vast majority of superhero films, we're certain that no matter what obstacles our heroes face, all will turn out fine in the end. That inevitability is missing here, especially when one considers that previous X-Men films haven't been shy about killing off characters. As a result, Days of Future Past at no point feels like events are going through the motions. The stakes are much, much too high for that.

Unlike most films of its ilk, Days of Future Past doesn't have a singular villain (with the possible exception of the Sentinels in 2023). One might think this to be a weakness, but upon closer examination, it's actually a great strength. One of this movie's major themes is that "good" and "evil" are relative; multiple characters in the 1973 scenes have compelling reasons for how they approach the "mutant problem." For Magneto, it's a growing realization that evolution favors his race. For Mystique, it's revenge for the capture and slaughter of her friends. For Trask, it's matters of National Security and peace among humans (Days of Future Past effectively weaves the Vietnam War and its accompanying controversy into the overall tale). And for Charles, it's freedom from the burden of his powers (shades of Anna Paquin's Rogue in the original film). The X-Men films have always represented a clever allegory for minority rights, but never has it been as potent as it is here. Days of Future Past argues that perhaps the greatest villain of all is our willingness to trade liberty for security.

Days of Future Past is longer (131 minutes) and denser than a majority of superhero films (with the possible exception of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy), but those who desire action and spectacle will certainly earn their money's worth. But this isn't like what movie-goers have seen in Marvel's Avengers arc or the two recent Amazing Spiderman flicks. The first action sequence, a fluidly choreographed skirmish between several X-Men and three sentinels, sets the tone early. Seemingly evenly-matched battles quickly turn into massacres by the superior Sentinels. Singer dazzles us later on with an awe-inspiring sequence involving the lightning-fast Quicksilver (Evan Peters) that, believe it or not, provides extremely effective (and welcome) comic relief. And that bit involving a floating RFK Stadium you've no doubt seen in the trailers? It's there all right, and Singer masterfully cross-cuts between it and the last stand of 2023.

Is there a better superhero ensemble cast than the one Singer has assembled here? Not only are Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan superb in their long-awaited return, but it's a credit to the job of the rest of the cast that we don't miss them when they're away for large stretches. Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is our anchor; many of the film's other key players have motivations painted in shades of grey, but we also need that one character we know is inflexible for all the right reasons. McAvoy is even stronger here than he was in 2011's X-Men: First Class, as well he should be given his character's turmoil. And Fassbender? It should come as no surprise that he's once again (sorry for the pun) magnetic, but you probably knew that already. Meanwhile, Jennifer Lawrence may not have the screen time she does as Katniss, but she's no less impressive in earning our sympathies. And of course, Game of Thrones fans are likely to get a kick out of Peter Dinklage.

With all the things Days of Future Past does right for the casual fan, one could argue it's greatest achievement of all is Singer's brilliant, table-clearing move to heal the wound caused by 2007's disappointing X-Men: The Last Stand. I won't reveal it here, but let me put it this way: if a giant asteroid was on its way to wipe out Earth tomorrow and that meant no more X-Men movies, I couldn't think of a better note for things to conclude on. Obviously we know that won't happen as a short post-credits scene teases X-Men: Apocalypse in 2016 (also to be helmed by Singer). Nevertheless, Singer's masterstroke here might very well nullify even the concerns of continuity nit-pickers (come on, we all know at least one of those people). For the rest of us, one thing is certain; this is top-notch entertainment all around. It satisfies viscerally, intellectually, and emotionally the way greatness should. To date, this is the best film featuring any of Marvel's library of characters. Bravo to all involved.

Rating: **** (out of ****)