In "X Men: Days of Future Past" the X-Men need to use the mutant powers of Kitty (Ellen Page) to send Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back to the early 1970s Photo: Supplied
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
(M) 4 stars
General release
It shouldn't work. The full cast of two film series, more narrative than War and Peace, more back story than five seasons of Lost. And yet, somehow, director Bryan Singer and the three writers behind this latest in the decade-old X-Men franchise pull off a funny, tight action film that doesn't feel rushed or over-crowded.
Book-ending this film is a storyline set some time in the future with the cast from the original X-Men series where the likes of Storm (Halle Berry), Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Magneto (Ian McKellen) and Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) are fighting robot warriors which have all-but destroyed the Earth.
Their one last hope is to use the mutant powers of Kitty (Ellen Page) to send Wolverine back to the early 1970s and prevent Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from falling into the hands of the scientist (Peter Dinklage) who uses her genetic mutations to develop these Sentinel robots. To do this, he needs the help of the younger Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender).
For the folk who consumed first the comic book series and now the films, the X-Men might have superpowers, but their story is about the struggle for acceptance and understanding, both within - as with Wolverine's multi-film story arc - and by the world.
The film's best moments play out between the polar figures of the young Charles Xavier, a diplomat and an educator, and Magneto's them-or-us militaristic stance on protecting the mutant species, and it is great fun watching actors the calibre of McAvoy and Fassbender pound this out.
Hugh Jackman shines once again, and those shirtless scenes almost break the 3D, though the standout among a crowded cast is American Horror Story actor Evan Peters' brief but hilarious cameo as lightning-fast mutant Quicksilver.
Among other casting, wonderful to see Game of Thrones' Dinklage cast for his acting abilities, his size not once mentioned. Acceptance and understanding at work. Meanwhile the characters of Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry and a glimpse of Anna Paquin are under-utilised.
The writing, led by Simon Kinberg, is funny and weighty. There are a few leaps in logic, though they could have been explained in the original screenplay but edited out through the shooting process. I'm sure the collective internet will enjoy that discussion over coming week.
Technically, the film is dazzling. A little dark in the future scenes with a confusion of CGI effects - I think I'm getting old - while the 1970s section enjoys brilliant costuming by Louise Mingenbach and team.
A film for fans, certainly, but that is a wide demographic.
Source : http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/xmen-days-of-future-past-hits-the-spot-again-20140522-zrhqc.html
