Movie Review: X-Men – Days of Future Past

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In this the fifth installment of X-Men movies, they finally got it right; from a storyline choice.  Whereas they tried, with complete ineffectiveness, to tell the Phoenix saga in movies past, here they took a well contained, almost minor story of Days of Future Past – all told, forty-eight pages of comic awesome.  With over forty years of ongoing tales, with countless issues and storylines to choose from it’s a joy to see something more settled come to light.

For those of you not familiar with the story as a whole, being as that the comic was originally published in 1989 (with subsequent reprints) it’s understandable if you’re not, the tale is set fifty years in the future.  The Sentinel program which was meant to quell the mutant aberration has turned into something much worse, hunting and killing not just mutants but those who would someday have mutant children.  Few mutants survived the onslaught (pardon the pun) and those that did were forever changed. 

The movie sets the viewer on a journey back in time to the 1970’s where we are introduced to a drunk, walking Professor Xavier.  Taking a serum which allows him to walk but suppresses his mutant powers, Xavier is lost; devastated by heartbreak.

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Wolverine/Logan is our main character, mentally sent back in time on a mission to unite those who couldn’t be move divergent – Xavier and Lehnsherr (Magneto), in an effort to interject and stop events from unfolding as they did which led to the future which Logan is sent back from.

Setting aside the time-space-paradox of being sent back in time (within the same timeline) to alter it – the idea in and of itself is cool and interesting since it involves mental time-travel, not actual physical time-travel like Cable/Bishop/Forge undertake at various times in the comics.  (if you don’t know those characters – GO LOOK THEM UP)

Days is captivating.  Certainly there are plot holes and things that any number of people could point to as incorrect or simply disliked portions of the movie.  I for one wasn’t wild about the ending.  But overall the movie is visually dynamic with amazing special affects and CGI Sentinels mixed with fantastic battle scenes involving a wide range of mutant powers.

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The cast of characters is outstanding: Bishop, Sunspot, Blink and Storm are but a few of the X-Men on display.  Blink is an interesting choice – certainly a fan favorite but most assuredly not part of the original group of characters in the comic…since the wasn’t invented till several years later during the Age of Apocalypse story, which on a side-note was probably the best thing Marvel has done in terms of Universe-spanning stories (with Infinity Gauntlet a close second).  Her inclusion sets up, potentially, her timeline to be the focal point of the next X-Men movie, which is already set to put Apocalypse front and center (FINALLY) as the villain.  Magneto, though surely a focal point in the comics for many years, was overdone to be sure.

There’s going to be a lot of really good movies out this summer: Godzilla (which you can read my review HERE), Guardians of the Galaxy and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes round out the blockbusters and Days of Future Past is more than worth the price of admission.  Whether you’ve been a fan of the comics for years, or came along with the movies or even if you’ve never read or seen anything related to the X-Men before – that’s ok, this movie welcomes you with open arms.  There are a few things you won’t understand at first, but the plot and overall story doesn’t require prior knowledge because a lot of it isn’t rooted in existing lore – it’s invented for the movie.

Go forth, partake and enjoy the fruits of Bryan Singer’s labor. 

BE SURE to stay through the credits…it’s worth it, trust me.

Godzilla Movie Review

**Mild Spoilers – Nothing Direct**

The King of the Monsters – that is what they once called him.  There was a time in past when Godzilla was more of a spoof character (not specifically talking about the 1998 American version, but that’s certainly part of the consideration).  As with any movie franchise at a certain point the developers run out of ways to make good films and they just start making things people will hopefully shell out money to see.

This revamp of the Godzilla character, directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters) who makes his blockbuster movie debut with this film comes out swinging for the fences. 

The writer, Max Borenstein is a relative unknown with no major motion picture experience; which unfortunately shows in the human character development. 

Courtesy of Warner Brothers

Let’s start with the bad, since there isn’t much and there’s no terrible.  I am of the camp who thinks that monster movies should focus on the monsters; especially in a Godzilla movie where you can have epic battles and don’t need an intricate character-driven script to tell an amazing story.  “Godzilla fights a Monster in downtown San Francisco for an hour” – Best. Pitch. Ever.

The problem with Godzilla from a human character standpoint is Borenstein tries to make us care – I’m assuming with the hope that the audience will then care more that these people are in danger.  They even tried to establish the fatality element with killing a “main” character early on.   But in reality, American movies have a track-record of not letting focal characters die so even when they are in “danger” they’re really not. 

I never once care about the humans in this movie; the acting isn’t bad, it’s not the actors fault – I wasn’t compelled by the nature of their story to become invested.  Other than Ken Watanabe’s character, who has maybe all of 20, introspective and impactful lines.  Now; on to the good stuff.

GODZILLA IS A BADASS.

Courtesy of Warner Brothers

Taking inspiration from some of the cheesier Japanese movies in the past Godzilla is the good guy – even though the United States military may have alternate ideas about that.  The scene where you first see him brings back so many memories of all the previous incarnations and his feet (which are the first part you see) look somewhat funny because they are so thick and stumpy, but when you see him in all his glory it is a sight to behold.

In the story, Godzilla is basically a bully – like the Earth is his playground and if you think you’re badass enough to play here we’re going to rumble and I will probably breathe fire in your face.  Watanabe’s character is who first realizes that Godzilla isn’t part of the problem but is their only chance at a solution, he has a great line where an Admiral asks his advice for solving the problem with the creatures rampaging though the Western United States and he just says, “let them fight”. 

The overarching story involving the creatures is solid – I don’t want to give anything away but it makes sense from a natural order perspective.  Special effects are masterful and though you are left wishing the fight scenes between Godzilla and his opponent were even longer there is still plenty of destruction for the rampaging glutton inside you.  To that point, there’s even a scene where an entire skyscraper falls on top of Godzilla…seriously.

The film’s been out in the US for about 36 or so hours and if you haven’t seen it yet, get off your ass and go to the earliest show you can today.  I went to a theatre that is notoriously dead (as it is in a mall that barely even exists anymore) and it was still a relatively full seating. 

As with any action-laden movie viewing thus on the big-screen is a must, but when you see Godzilla fill the screen and roar, don’t be surprised if your pants feel funny.