Days Of Future Past

The wait is over, and Bryan Singer's magnum opus is finally here, and by wait i mean waiting for the nearest multiplex to schedule a screening in English. Days of Future Past is a 2014 superhero action film adapted from the iconic Days of Future Past storyline written by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. The film focuses on an alternative future, in which sentinels have wiped out many of the mutants, and most of the few who remain live in work camps, what remains of the X-Men and the Brotherhood must come together in order to alter history.

In the future, Kitty Pryde phases Wolverine's consciousness back into his younger self, so that he can alter time, stop the creation and implementation of the sentinels, and stop the assassination of Bolivar Trask by Mystique, Wolverine must find Charles Xavier and Magneto, must reunite what remains of the X-Men and alter the course of history. Days Of Future Past features a phenomenally large and diverse cast, Wolverine, Storm, Kitty Pryde, Mystique, Beast and Iceman all return to the franchise. Both Charles Xavier and Magneto appear in their modern and prequel roles, and newcomers include Omar Sy as Bishop, Evan Peters as Quicksilver, Fan Bingbing as Blink and Boboo Stewart as Warpath. The film is successful in juggling such a large cast and also features a large number of cameos. Part of the reason for the films success with such a large cast is that it streamlines the story to revolve around three lead mutants, Wolverine, Charles and Beast, two villains, Mystique and Magneto, in addition to Bolivar Trask.

The action scenes of the film are also very contained, rather than resorting to a The Last Stand battle in which every single mutant imaginary gears up to fight each other leaving the audience struggling to decipher who belongs to which team, in this film, Singer limits the action sequences to five mutants maximum, in the final battle of the movie, our three heroes battle against two villains, and in the future segments of the film, the director limits the action to a small group of mutants. By streamlining the action sequences the director allows them to be much more character driven and feature less collateral damage, each loss feels meaningful and important. The fight segments are highly choreographed and visually stunning, and have the advantage of being highly paced, whilst at the same time allowing the audience to understand what is actually going on. The use of the 3D is effective and not overbearing, Singer knows how to effectively handle the medium without it becoming superfluous or irritating, and the added dimension, whilst certainly bringing something to the film, is not entirely unmissable.

The film is highly relevant  today, i mentioned in a previous X-Men review how the films are essentially a metaphor for what is happening in the world today, the film is a very powerful message about what will happen if we don't change our course. The film shows a world divided, a world where mutants are rounded into camps, a world at war. Magneto and Charles again essentially want exactly the same thing; peace for mutants, but they have hugely disparate methods of achieving their goal.

The film contains a highly complex storyline, far more complex than a film of this genre deserves, and perhaps the most exciting, successful and rewarding superhero film since The Dark Knight. Days of Future Past is easily one of the best films of the genre and features a powerful story, strong acting, strong emotional connection to the characters and thrilling action sequences. Director Bryan Singer is able to effectively juggle the disparate elements of the story in order to create a powerful story with a strong moral ethic. Days of Future Past is thrilling, tantalizingly plotted and powerfully acted, making this by far the most successful film of the X-Men franchise. Rating: A

Professor X: Mutants, we now find ourselves on the edge of extinction.