TO all the Marvel fans out there waiting with baited breath, hoping and praying this movie lives up to the hype surrounding it … relax, it does.
This is an important film that ties up the X-Men saga in a neat little bow and you’d have to be pretty fussy not to enjoy it and absolutely mad not to at least appreciate it. Stunning special effects, a fantastic cast and a well-written script provide a recipe for success and, in my opinion, X-Men: Days of Future Past may be the best of the franchise to-date. As the title suggests, this movie takes place in the past and in the future. The characters from the original X-Men trilogy join forces with their younger selves from X-Men: First Class to change the past and save the future. The story begins in a dystopian future where the battle between mutants and humans has resulted in worldwide chaos and death. Only a select few mutants remain, locked in a constant struggle with giant, man-made robots called sentinels whose sole purpose is to kill them. Putting aside their personal differences for the sake of survival, Professor X, Magneto and Wolverine arrive to join the battle. It turns out that the horrific future can be traced back to a single event in the past. So, using their special powers they send Wolverine back to 1973 to stop Mystique’s assassination of Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage), which triggered the sentinel programme. Sounds simple enough, but in order to do this, Wolverine (Jackman) has to convince a young and bitter Charles Xavier (McAvoy) to work together with the man that paralysed him in the last movie, Magneto (Fassbender). Together, they must find Trask’s shape-shifting assassin, whose DNA is consequently used to help create the sentinels, and convince her not to do it. Although the plot is relatively serious, there are strategically-placed comedic moments that relive tension and had me cracking up. Among the highlights, Magneto is in jail for the assassination of JFK … who else could make a bullet bend around a corner? One of my favourites is when Wolverine and the gang enlist the help of Quicksilver to break Magneto out of prison. In the comics Quicksilver is the son of Magneto and this fact is cleverly alluded to, much to the delight of Marvel fan boys. Quicksilver is the funniest character in the film. Using his superhuman speed, he pulls a number of hilarious pranks that have to be seen to be believed. Hugh Jackman is in fine form and has played his role for so long now, there is little that can be said about it that hasn’t been said before. He is the glue that ties the franchise together, having appeared in every film. Although Wolverine is undoubtedly the ‘star’, professor Xavier is the constellation and his relationships with the other characters make up the heart of this movie. As with the other X-Men films, the love/hate relationship between Magneto and professor Xavier plays a huge part. Their drastically opposing views are somewhat held in check with a mutual respect. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender have amazing chemistry on-screen and are a joy to watch. McAvoy, however, simply steals the show. He’s disillusioned, jaded and angry, a far cry from Patrick Stewart’s older version of the character. He delivers a sterling performance with gravitas by the truckload. His delivery is faultless and he manages to convey even more with his facial expressions. A special mention goes to the effervescent Peter Dinklage, best known for his role as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones. I love this guy, seriously, he owns any role he takes and this movie is no exception. The character is cruel, driven and ruthless, something that Dinklage portrays effortlessly. The most interesting message I took away from this film is the idea that nothing is set in stone, people can change … but only if they want to. l Showing in Cineco, Seef I, Seef II, Saar Cineplex and Al Jazira Cinema
