"X-Men: Days of Future Past" is in itself a redemption story. However, not in regards to the plot but for the franchise as a whole. While tricky to do Bryan Singer's latest film attempts to take the "retcon" idea from comic books and translate it to the 14-year-old movie series. "Days of Future Past" literally shows Wolverine traveling through time to rewrite the past in order to serve current plot needs ultimately to connect all the standalone X-Men and Wolverine films to create a streamline plot with one functional cast moving forward.
If you recall the last X-film to feature the entire original mutant cast was 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand," which unfortunately screwed up the entire timeline and plot as it killed off almost every major character including Cyclops (James Marsden), Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Jean Grey (Famke Janssen). While the end of "The Last Stand" may lead fans to believe Professor X and Jean Grey can be resurrected, we are left with unanswered questions as the creators break into spinoffs and flashbacks.
We don't get our next chapter in the franchise after "X-Men: The Last Stand" but instead a prequel introducing us to younger version of our favorite mutants. In fact "X-Men: First Class" makes no mention of the original cast and instead introduces us to a spry Professor X (James McAvoy), Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence).
Let's not forget about those two Wolverine standalone movies that only further complicated the X-Men plot line "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and "The Wolverine," which ended with Logan being approached by Professor X and Magneto, warning of a dire future and setting up "Days of Future Past."
"X-Men: Days of Future Past" is practicing good retcon by just taking what it wants from the previous films and ignoring what it doesn't like. An example of this is Professor Xavier being alive and well (but don't expect an explanation for that). When watching you know that Wolverine is not only in the past to save the mutants from utter destruction but to right all the wrongs from previous films.
SPOILER ALERT! If you don't want to know what happens stop reading right now.
The film opens with Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page), a telepath, using her abilities to transport Logan's mind back 50 years from a remote hideout in the post apocalyptic China to New York City during the Nixon year's.
He's given a very specific mission from Professor X and Magneto (Ian McKellen) to save mutant kind from annihilation by the sentinels created by Dr. Trask (Peter Dinklage). Wolverine must stop Mystique from killing Trask, and keep her from being captured and having DNA harvested to further the cause of mutant genocide.
Logan’s 2023 mind wakes up in 1973 where he has to find the young Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), free the young Magneto (Michael Fassbender) from prison ... They’re joined by Hank McCoy (Nicolas Hoult), who becomes Beast, and Peter (Evan Peters), a speedster named Quicksilver.
McAvoy and Fassbender inhabit their parts as flawlessly as veterans Stewart and McKellen. Logan's sarcastic wit is established just after he's sent back in time and wakes up dazed on a water bed gazing at a lava lamp. Jackman portrays Wolverine as both brawny and passionate. While Lawrence portrays an angry and vengeful Mystique perfectly.
The movie finds a lot of success, largely in part to all the solid work of all these extraordinary actors. They maneuver around a action-packed plot that is beautifully presented by Bryan Singer.
This is perhaps the most ambitious X-Men film in years. "Days of Future Past" high intensity action with deep emotional elements, humor and intimate storytelling make for a great movie. And by the end of the film you feel this franchise has a second chance at redeeming all the previous films mistakes.
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