Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Review: X-Men: Days of Future Past: Bullet Version: Multi-Colon edition


Story
  • DoFP is a sequel to both First Class and The Last Stand. There are multiple references and flashbacks to both movies. At least see First Class before this.
  • Does not acknowledge either of the Wolverine films.
  • Tried and tested prevent-the-future-apocalypse plot that successfully connects the two X-Men series / timelines.
  • Not a whole lot of action for an X-Men movie, but makes up for it with awesome scenes featuring Blink and Quicksilver.
  • None of the movie takes place in present day. It phases between 1973 and 2023.
  • The only actual time travel is Wolverine's (and Bishop's) consciousness being sent back into his younger self. Somehow Kitty Pryde has this power, which is news to me.
  • Glaring inconsistency: Professor X died in The Last Stand, which is not mentioned at any time, even though there are flashbacks to that movie, and both Cyclops and Jean are dead. The same goes for Magneto losing his powers.
  • (Spoiler) Quicksilver is the coolest new character, and has the best scene in the film. Story-wise, he nails what they ask him to do, so why didn't they ask him to join the team? I was hoping and expecting him to show up and save the day at the end. 
  • New characters: Warpath, Sunspot, Bishop, Blink, Quicksilver, Bolivar Trask, Toad and Stryker return.
  • M.I.A.: Cyclops, Jean Grey, Rogue, Nightcrawler, Arcangel, Angel, Banshee, Pyro, Juggernaut.

Presentation
  • Effective use of suspense and tension as the glue that holds the story together. Bryan Singer is one of the masters of this; bringing him back was a great move.
  • No noticeably bad performances.
  • The cinematography is beautiful.
  • I was expecting and hoping for at least some mention of the Fantastic Four, since Fox has that as well, but if it's there I missed it.

In the Comic:
  • The years are 1980 (present day) and 2013 (the future).
  • Largely Kitty Pryde and Nightcrawler's story. But the movie has no Nightcrawler at all, and Ellen Page doesn't have much screen time.
  • Kitty Pryde's (not Wolverine's) consciousness is sent back to 1980 with the help of a mutant who actually has that power. Young Kitty Pryde is then embodied by her older self, who is more hostile and soldier-like. This couldn't be done in the movie due to continuity.
  • (Spoiler) The end of the comic is very open-ended: nobody actually knows if the future has been saved. Might have made a better ending to the movie.


Final verdict: 4 out of 5 rebar skeletons.