By Jeremy Hannaford (Contributor) – Email
Print Edition: June 4, 2014
When Chris Claremont sat down to write the tale of Days of Future Past, he likely didn’t know his story would go on to be one of the best X-Men comics in history — and save the film series from certain destruction.
Days of Future Past is about Wolverine being sent back in time to prevent a future of mutant genocide. Frankly, it gets a little messy along the way, but it needs to exist to clean up the mess left behind by the previous films.
Bryan Singer got an opportunity few directors ever get: restart the franchise and erase all existence of a film that desecrated the series.
Brett Ratner’s abysmal Last Stand left a mark on the X-Men franchise that lasted for almost a decade. The irrational use of mutants and the complete inaccuracies with the previous films threw the future of the series into a hole from which many fans thought it would never return. Some didn’t want it to. But if there ever was one man to bring it back from the depths, it would be the man who started it in the first place.
This task must have proven daunting, as it required both elements from Singer’s universe and that of Matthew Vaughn’s First Class to bring the series back. It is still murky in some areas, but that is a given considering the state the film series was in.
Singer had to go one step further and essentially rewrite the history of the original X-Men movies to revitalize the franchise.
Days of Future Past is very story-heavy with surprisingly few action scenes. That’s because the majority of the conflict happens among the characters. Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) combat each other’s ideals, which breaks the trust and care they had for each other, while Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) follows a wayward path of vengeance that has unthinkable consequences for the future. While Wolverine has been sent back to rewrite history, he isn’t the one who can make it happen. He must let the fate of the world be decided by two former friends turned enemies and a lost girl who feels completely alone.
The cast is fantastic for the most part: McAvoy and Fassbender embody the characters they developed in First Class and Lawrence delivers a surprisingly in-depth look at Mystique. There are new characters in this film, but much like in X2, they are recognized for their powers, not for who they are. This is where the film could be longer; it is difficult to introduce a slough of new characters while still focusing on the ones everyone knows.
X-Men films have their fair share of continuity errors, but the amount in this one is staggering. How does Kitty suddenly have the ability to send people’s consciousness back in time? How does Wolverine have metal claws back in the future? How is Professor Xavier even alive? These questions and series of MacGuffins have become routine for the X-Men series. These should not be excused by any means, but these questions don’t linger once the story gets underway. While Singer’s story may have a lot of holes, he can still weave a great narrative.
The true conflict goes beyond ideologies or future genocide. This film is about hope, both for the characters’ future and for the future of the films. Days of Future Past is a reflection on what the series was and what it became.
Not only did Singer want to rewrite the past movies’ mistakes, but he wanted to give back to the fans what they had deserved for so long, but were robbed of by Brett Ratner. This is both Singer’s return and serves as an apology to the fans of the series.
I personally prefer X2 over this film because this film leaves a feeling of dissatisfaction, but I cannot deny the amazing star power and expansive story it gives. This film could have been longer by at least 30 minutes to help explain the additional characters and perhaps fill in plot holes.
But I can respect Singer for choosing this way for his “baby” to return. Days of Future Past is entertaining, and proof that superhero films don’t always have to be about the battles and effects. It will certainly pump you up for the next film — that’s a guarantee.
