X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

Directed by: Bryan Singer
Starring: A Lot of People

X-Men: Days of Future Past is a star-studded comic book extrrrravaganza in which Edward Scissorhands is sent back in time to save the world. In traditional comic book fashion the film is a retcon of sorts, taking notable effort to cover up certain… mistakes made in previous X-Men series using copious amounts of colorful explosions, magic, and melodrama. It’s all quite fun, actually.

The time is around 1973. The Vietnam War is drawing to a merciful end. A defeated and beleaguered ‘Murica is packing it in, tail between its legs. Meanwhile, Tyrion Lannister is on the verge of a scientific breakthrough that could rewrite history: his creation of superhuman cyborgs called Sentinels with the ability to detect and eradicate the meddlesome mutant peoples voted most likely to destroy the human race in his high school yearbook. His apparent assassination by a troubled Mystique sets off a butterfly effect that leads to a future of ruin, one in which neither Normal nor Mutant will survive should the rise of the machines have its way. Earth is fucked.

So as luck has it, Ellen Page is on hand at the top of the movie to give the mutants, lead by Professor X and Magneto together at last, one last hurrah. She uses a peculiar and convenient time turning ability to send Wolverine’s consciousness back to the past to reunite young Charles Xavier and Erik… Magneto so they can stop Mystique from being a foolish git and ruining everyone’s lives. Wolverine’s time is limited to the length of a feature film as the Sentinels home in on their post-apocalyptic location. Gau, I hope he makes it on time.

As I said, this film is a repackaging of sorts that ostensibly retells the origin of the X-Men story when in truth Marvel appears more interested in hitting the Reset button on the whole deal. I don’t mind; comic books do this a lot and it allows fan favorites some necessary shore leave to see their families. However, I am slightly disappointed that this was more of a Wolverine movie when young X, Magneto, and Mystique absolutely kill it on their own. If they would’ve been kind enough to consult me on the matter, this should’ve been the third of an epic trilogy and this, the second, should’ve had the young mutants deal with some other angsty or borderline racist-yet-smaller problem. The present really can wait, ya know? Pass the torch already! Gau! You were doing so well with First Class!

B+