Summary: The X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants.

Year: 2014

Australian Cinema Release Date: 22nd May, 2014

Australian DVD Release Date: TBA

Country: USA, UK

Director: Bryan Singer

Screenwriter: Simon Kinberg, Jane Goldman (story), Matthew Vaughn (story)

Cast: Andreas Apergis (Col. Sanders), Shawn Ashmore (Bobby/Iceman), Halle Berry (Storm), Mark Camacho (President Nixon), Massimo Cannistraro (Ramone), Adan Canto (Sunspot), Chris Claremont (Congressman Parker), Daniel Cudmore (Colossus), Larry Day (General Caris), Peter Dinklage (Dr. Bolivar Trask), Bingbing Fan (Blink), Michael Fassbender (Erik Lehnsherr), Jan Gerste (Gwen), Josh Helman (Maj. Bill Stryker), Gregor Hlady (General Petrov), Nicholas Hoult (Hank/Beast), Hugh Jackman (Logan/Wolverine), Famke Janssen (Jean Grey), Evan Jonigkeit (Toad), Jennifer Lawrence (Raven/Mystique), Thai-Hoa Le (General Nhuan), Michael Lerner (Senator Brickman), Zehra Leverman (Ms. Maximoff), Morgan Lily (Young Raven), Gregg Lowe (Ink), James Marsden (Scott Summers), James McAvoy (Charles Xavier), Ian McKellan (Magneto), Francois Paquette (Congressman McCarter), Ellen Page (Kitty Pryde), Anna Paquin (Rogue), Evan Peters (Peter/Quicksilver), Booboo Stewart (Warpath), Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Omar Sy (Bishop). Lucas Till (Havok), Len Wein (Congressman Davis)

Runtime: 131 mins

Classification: CTC

OUR X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST REVIEWS & RATINGS:

Adam Ross: You can check out Adam’s X-Men: Days Of Future Past review on The Good The Bad The Ugly Film Show Ep #80

Greg King: You can check out Greg’s X-Men: Days Of Future Past review on www.filmreviews.net.au

Nick Gardener: You can check out Nick’s X-Men: Days Of Future Past review on The Good The Bad The Ugly Film Show Ep #80

David Griffiths:

It’s not exaggerating to suggest that X-Men: Days Of Future Past is one of the biggest projects ever attempted by Marvel. The idea of bringing together the casts of the original X-Men franchise and X-Men: First Class is enough to make comic book fan begin drooling, actually delivering it to the screen though was something that could have gone horribly wrong. Luckily though director Bryan Singer (Jack The Giant Slayer, Valkyrie) was up to the task and what has been delivered is a visually spectacular comic book film that doesn’t forget about the fact that characterization is something that shouldn’t be left out of a screenplay.

Like most of the films in the X-Men series X-Men: Days OF Future Past is set in the not too distant future. But the world is a very different place. Large robotic creatures known as Sentinels have scoured the Earth killing off any mutants that they have come across while doing the same to any human they find that has the potential of passing down the Mutant X gene to other generations.

A small group of mutants made up of Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page – The East, Touchy Feely), Iceman (Shawn Ashmore – Breaking The Girls, The Barrens) plus others have managed to use Kitty’s time travel skills to escape the Sentinels but even that means living on the run. When they are found by Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart – Match, Hunting Elephants), Magneto (Sir Ian McKellan – Miss In Her Teens, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug), Storm (Halle Berry – The Call, Movie 43) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman – Prisoners, The Wolverine) it is quickly decided that something must be done or soon they will soon be facing their deaths as well.

When it is realised that the whole Sentinel program got off the ground when the world panicked after Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle, The Devil You Know) killed a leading scientist named Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage – Low Down, The Angriest Man In Brooklyn) it is decided that Kitty must pull off the dangerous procedure of shifting the modern day Logan back into his 1970s body so he can stop Mystique in her tracks.

The task doesn’t only pose physical risks to Logan but also means that he is going to have to convince the younger Charles Xavier (James McAvoy –  Muppets Most Wanted, Her), Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender – The Counselor, 12 Years A Slave) and Hank (Nicholas Hoult – Young Ones, Jack The Giant Slayer) that he is who he says he is and that he needs there help.

The massive amount of characters from the X-Men universe that feature in this film could have really caused some problems in the script. But luckily the screenwriting team was up to the task. It doesn’t feel like any character gets left out of the action and to that team’s credit there are some seriously touching moments throughout the film and that all comes down to the characterization of the characters and the relationships between them.

One of the things that will shock fans this time around though is the way  that Singer establishes early on that nobody is safe in this film. An early mutant massacre seems some franchise favorites get killed and as a result of that the audience sits on the edge of their seat throughout wondering who may not actually make it to the end credits. By the time Magneto is picking up a whole sports stadium and dumping it down where Hank, Wolverine and Xavier are you can only wonder if any of them will make it out of there alive.

The well written screenplay also means that some of the actors can really bring their A-Game to this film. James McAvoy is a standout as he portrays the young Charles Xavier as a battling ‘drug addict’ who must either choose between his mutant abilities or being able to walk again. Nicholas Hault again takes a massive step in his career and carries on his good work from Warm Bodies while it seems that the likes of Jackman, Page, Lawrence and co are simply in cruise control but still deliver good performances.

With X-Men: Days Of Future Past is seems that Bryan Singer has brought everything, a great screenplay and amazing special effects to create one of the best films of this franchise. The film also closes with a finale that would have been the perfect way to close off this franchise but the after credit teaser suggests that it will continue on. Still this is a great film that certainly won’t leave fans of the series disappointed. At last one of the blockbusters of 2014 lives up to its hype.

 

 

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Other Subculture Media Reviews of ‘X-Men: Days Of Future Past′: For our full X-Men: Days Of Future Past review please check The Good The Bad The Ugly Film Show Ep #80

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