Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: Bryan Singer, Marvel Entertainment, M, 131 Minutes.
The much-anticipated X-Men sequel is an exhilarating epic and by far the best in the franchise due in large part to filmmaker Bryan Singer returning as director, having helmed the first two X-Men movies in 2000 and 2003.
The movie opens in 2023, a particularly despondent period for mutants and their human collaborators, as an army of faceless robots known as Sentinels systematically undertake their own ‘mutant-cleansing’ of the population which results in old foes joining forces.
In a surprising move even Magneto (Ian McKellen) has decided to team up with Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and the other mutants to face a further deadly onslaught from the Sentinels.
By using the mutant powers of Kitty (Elliot Page – The East) they send the Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back in time into his 1973 body with the prime purpose of stopping the scientist responsible for inventing these robots.
Once back in the ’70s, Wolverine seeks out the help of the younger Xavier (James McEvoy) along with Magneto (Michael Fassbender), only to find the latter has been locked-up by the authorities in a secure fortress facility.
In addition to bringing both of the opponents together, Wolverine needs to prevent Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), the consistently changing chameleon mutant, from killing the Sentinel’s inventor Dr Trask (Peter Dinklage – ‘Game of Thrones’ ).
With the help of the mutant speedster Quicksilver (Evan Peters – ‘Safelight’), Magneto manages to escape to join Xavier and Wolverine in their desperate mission.
With time running out, Wolverine and the mutants from the ’70s must stop Trask in order to alter history and the fate of the mutants in the future.
Once again Jackman’s performance is one of the highlights (often showing off his muscular build in numerous shirtless scenes) not to mention that of Lawrence as the marvellous Mystique.
And of course, one cannot overlook Singer’s faultless direction nor his great cast of other leading stars that include the impressive performances of Dinklage, Fassbender, McEvoy, McKellen, Stewart, and Halle Berry’s cameo role as Storm.
But to date it is Singer’s addition to the franchise that is the most enjoyable and entertaining as it completes the cycle of characters that have appeared in past X-Men movies as well as introduces others.
Through the sheer spectacle of his stirring storyline, incorporating both superior special effects and time travel, Singer has made his ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ a fantastic movie to enjoy.
Vic’s Verdict: 4 ½ Stars
X–Men: Days of Future Past is being televised on Channel 7 at 9.20pm on Saturday, 28 August.
