On its own, the latest X-Men movie is very entertaining. Its impact on the franchise as a whole is not.
X-Men: Days of Future Past has all of the qualities of a good action movie; riveting, well-choreographed fight scenes and plenty of explosion-laden special effects. It has more characters than any other superhero movie, and its plot (which is loosely based off of the 1981 comic book storyline of the same name) isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination. The movie features many acclaimed actors, including Oscar-winning Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence.
However, the movie lacks the heart and wit of its prequel, X-Men: First Class. Where First Class gave every member of its relatively small cast a moment in the spotlight, Days of Future Past only focuses on three characters: Wolverine, Professor X and Mystique. Everyone else is reduced to a stereotype, with the exception of new character Quicksilver, who is spectacular; he brings a jolt of energy and humor to the movie whenever he’s onscreen. The dialogue isn’t nearly as good as First Class’ was, and the historical elements aren’t as organic; they don’t feel integral to the story.
Director Bryan Singer (who directed the first X-Men movie) has never had any respect for the comics, but the deviations from the source material here are far too strange to respect. Comic book storylines are almost always told in a serial format; they’re better suited to TV shows than movies. An excellent comic book movie takes the iconic characters and elements from the source material and uses them in original stories that work well as movies; the Marvel Cinematic Universe and First Class prove this. Days of Future Past feels clunky; its many moving parts are rarely working in harmony. With this movie, the franchise leaves the vibrant world of First Class behind in favor of the dark, overblown world the rest of the franchise inhabits.
I’m biased, though; I’ve been a diehard X-Men fan since I was eight. If you never saw or didn’t enjoy X-Men: First Class, then you won’t have many problems with this movie. If you saw X-Men: First Class and you liked it, then this movie will not meet your expectations.
by Ananya Nrusimha
