X-Men: Days of Future Past Review

[redfiona99]

As you might have gathered from the last X-Men post, all I needed to be satisfied with Days of Future Past was time travel and Bishop. It went beyond that :D

Beneath lies gratuitous exclamation marks and high pitched squeaking, complete with run on sentences and bracket abuse. And also one giant spoiler for Watchmen.



Since it's right at the beginning, it can go at the beginning of this.

Xavier's info dump of much exposition at the start. No human being in the history of ever has spoken like that. It is a speech that even Patrick Stewart, a man knighted for his acting, could not turn into anything functional. It is terribad.




I loved the opening (except the aforementioned speech) because it explained how the time travel was going to work, showed the Sentinels in full action, complete with a weird skin thing that you could have sworn you'd seen somewhere but just couldn't place (which was one of my favourite things because it was foreshadowing done well), killed off characters we know and love (Bobby!!!) in truly gruesome ways (seriously, how is this a 12?), and then got them back. It also gave us line of awesome from Kitty Pryde - "Too late, assholes!" And it's Kitty kicking ass!!!

Also, hi Sunspot that I thought was Thunderbird from the trailers. Sorry about that. I also loved how they showed Blink's power. I'm also mildly freaked that one of the "new" mutants from when I was young is now old enough to be in the films.

I have been told that other people got Terminator (the first one) from the opening bit of the mutants and humans being lead to their deaths. Due to my lack of pop culture, *that* is not what my mind connected it to.

And we get to understand what enemy was terrible enough to cause Magneto and Xavier to reunite.

It's also interesting that Kitty ('n' everyone else) has waited till they're sure that this works until they've told Xavier. And I like that there is a solid, working plan. Until it hits reality and then it turns out that Wolverine is the only guy they can send back and you can hear Magneto thinking "this plan has just gone to hell." I suspect Wolverine is thinking the same thing.

Enter the 70s. The thing I liked, which First Class did too, is it conveyed era (noticably Hank's tight, tight jeans) without making it look like they were playing dress-up. I was fully expecting an underpants shot, forgetting that Hugh Jackman spends almost as much time naked as Ewan McGregor and that the X-Men is at least reasonably even-handed with it's nakedness. A lady in the audience made a very happy 'ooh'ing noise of approval at that shot.

I loved the work of everyone who was playing Mystique playing characters, especially the guy playing Col. Sanders. He got the body language down and everything. It makes me happy that Mystique got to save at least one of the old mutants. Admittedly, it's now reached the stage that I reflexively jerk at the name of Stryker, because I know icky evil is about to ensue.

I wish to say that I called Xavier's thesis causing problems in the future. I totally called it. I hate knowing how evil scientists think. Although Trask is a magnificent evil scientist. Because he doesn't think he's evil. In many ways, this is Ozymandias done right, which I don't think the Watchmen film did. The scene where he's discussing mutants made my skin crawl, as did any scene where he was all "keep her, I want her" over Mystique. Peter Dinklage was another one who did a bang up job both as himself and as Mystique playing Trask. That scene when Mystique finds out what he's done to her friends and she has enough about herself to change back when Trask's secretary appears but she can't stop herself crying.

Dear X-Men film crew, just so you know, I am never forgiving you for killing of my boy Banshee. Never. Just so we're clear on this. I am still pissed off at your comic brethren for the same sin.

Although it's a very comics thing, to have the bad guys kill a few of the lower level good guys to show they're serious. I really should be used to this.

"I sure as hell hope not!" is a very Wolverine answer to "are you a parent?"

Wolverine, you are being mean to Hank. I mean, I get you're doing it for a good cause and you can't help it but ...
And of course, once bluified, Hank gives as good as he gets.

Yeah, Charles has spent the past mumblety years (because various things make little sense if you actually try to time them out so I think X-Men maths has happened again) at the bottom of a bottle. And shooting up mutant heroin. I love that the imdb page warns for the drinking but not for the drug use. Is it because booze is real, or is it that you only think it's heroin if you're old enough not to need warnings about drug use?

Now admittedly, we the viewers had the advantage of seeing the trailer and James McAvoy's truly awful looking hair at last year's Canadian Grand Prix (the hair so awful that I made several comments about it in my liveblog of my favourite grand prix) but it's still a bit of a shock and I don't blame Wolverine for his reaction at all.

I'm presuming Hank didn't get drafted because they managed to somehow get him diagnosed with asthma or something.

I love that everyone's reactions to 'I'm here because of time-travel' is mockery and incredulity. It's very real.

I also love that it wasn't appealing to his better self that got Charles on-side, it was him loving his little sister. It's adorable.

And then we get the reason why Magneto was looking shifty in the future. Something that even he realises might be hard to explain away. Which you knew had to be a doozy but "Magneto killed JFK" is definitely one spectacular plot point (even if he didn't, and it's a mark of who he is that no-one [except Xavier who, you know, immediately realises he's wrong and has all kinds of reasons for thinking the worst of Magneto] thinks he's lying when he says he didn't). Related to the above - JFK was a mutant is also pretty spectacular as plot points go.

I need to apologise to Evan Peters. I was wrong ever to have doubted the X-Men casting team, even for a moment. You, sir, were spectacular.

Because it makes sense that if everything goes so slowly relative to you're natural speed, you're going to look like the poster child for ADD (I work with the other poster child for ADD, and will be watching the film with him on the third viewing). The look on his face at the idea of breaking into the Pentagon is just so ... glee-making. Everything about Peter Maximoff is glee-making. Even the silly costume.

You could see how he could easily turn into someone quite dangerous. I mean I really want to know what he was like when Wolverine knew him in the original timeline.

I also love that even without his powers, Xavier is good enough at people (who are not his sister) to know how to get Peter onside.

Also, I think that look is Magneto's version of 'I hope I'm not the parent'.

I loved that Xavier really isn't good at violence. Because I suspect that punch hurt Xavier more than it hurt Magneto. And of course, the minute they get threatened, Magneto's immediately 'Charles, fix this!' They are as bad as each other.

Cue the plane flight of great drama including:

Magneto nearly killing them all in a rage, complete with shadow SFX stolen from one of future him's films. Actually, question, how much of that is Magneto not being able to control his powers when he's in a rage?

One of these days, Hank is just going to give up and actually blue fur-splode at both of them. And no-one will blame him.

I did like Wolverine going "so you were always an asshole." Again v. in-character. As was Magneto's question about whether they were friends in the future because the tone was very "no way in hell." And, of course, there's Wolverine's answer, and in between that and the way he looks at Rogue at the end, I worry that something truly horrible happened to Rogue in the future.

Then there's the good awkward conversation about Mystique, good because it is good, and awkward because Charles is bitter and inquisitive at the same time and Erik, bless him, is trying not to make it obvious that 1) he is madly in love with Mystique, 2) Mystique is in love with him and 3) this has been physically expressed, because I think that point three in particular comes under the heading of "things we are never, ever, ever talking about". And Charles is pleased that she's happy, and displeased that she's turned into someone who 1) does some really bad (if justifiable) things and 2) that someone Magneto admires in quite that way because that means she has done some really, really bad (if justifiable) things.

That's another thing I liked about this film. I made it quite clear that Xavier loves Mystique and Magneto, that Mystique loves Xavier and Magneto and that Magneto loves Mystique and Xavier, and at no point are any of these loves held to be better, stronger or purer than each other, nor are they the only reason for any of these characters's actions, because Mystique wouldn't have gone off with Magneto at the end of First Class if she just wanted in his pants. And it's so nice to see that in a film.

Of course, it's all going so well, so Erik gets one of his *ideas*. And then it all goes to hell.

And you can just about see Magneto's logic (I think that's one of the masterstrokes of how they've written Magneto in all the films, you can always just about see his logic), except, what was he planning on doing with Mystique's body? I know that comes under 'fixating on all the wrong details' but it's kind of important.

And OMG!!! Kitty also gets to be the hero that doesn't get medical treatment because the mission is too important and there is no time. That's a point, actually, and one they could have done with emphasizing more, Kitty spends half the film bleeding out. She's literally killing herself to get the mission to work because it is more important than her, and I am all Kitty <3 <3 <3.

Related to the question above about Magneto's powers, was he heading into unconciousness in the fountain and his powers took over, or did he relax once he'd found enough metal to get Beast off him?

Also, mildly topic jumping, but OMG!!! Hank's face every time he sees Mystique.

The scene with Mystique and Magneto in the Metro station was just perfect. Because of course Magneto doesn't apologise for trying to kill her, he's only sorry that it left blood for Trask to wipe up. There's something ... very whatever it is about Magneto in that scene.
And then, of course, he makes the same mistake with regard to Mystique, but opposite, as Xavier does. Oh, they really are as bad as each other.

While I may have spent large chunks of the film face-palming at what Magneto called plans, I must say the trick of putting metal into the non-metal robots before they were activated was a good one.

The "Xavier has to chose the greater good over his personal wishes" scene worked, because we see how much it costs him. Because this is a much more vulnerable Xavier than we're used to, and I don't know if it's because of the mumblety years gap of not having everyone else's voices in his head, or if it's because he's been having a spectacularly shitty time, but yes, there is someone who does not want his powers.

I suspect they set the time travel logic up to be "changes only take hold when traveler wakes up" so they could have the Future Xavier speaks to Past Xavier scene. It was a good choice.

And the airport scene. Charles really does have a terrible way with words, doesn't he?

Cue show down. In two time-lines. I shall deal with the future fight first. Mostly I want to repeat my previous statement re: how did this get away with a 12 given the horrible deaths of all the speaking mutants? I could have done without the wailing soundtrack woman of sorrow. I also didn't think you could over-charge Bishop like that. Other than that, I thought it was very well done, particularly the mutants's desperation, and their willingness to do anything to slow the Sentinels down, even though they're not sure that the plan would work. I think it was the look on Bobby's face that really got me.

I did like that Blink sent Magneto through a portal after he got hit by shrapnel. And the scene of great awwing, and thinking "we have been telling you that for years." (Or as P put it, they really do love each other.)

Returning to the past - Before the film came out, T said that he didn't like the look of the Sentinels because they looked too retro. He came out of the cinema going "well at least I know why they look retro. And it worked." I loved the look, because it was almost the right colours and just yes, the scene where they turned on and the stomping noises.

I can't remember which of the film critics spent 3/4 of their review giggling (mostly in the good way [the remaining 1/4 was squeeing over Quicksilver]) over Magneto transporting the RFK stadium. It's a very action set-piece, and yet, it's also a good plan because it's very difficult to storm through an entire sports stadium, even if you're the armed forces of a country.

Oh Hank, don't ask Wolverine questions you don't want the answer to. He's not the sort of person who sugar-coats things.

I did nearly shout at Erik when he turned the Sentinel against Wolverine and Hank, because it's such a shitty thing to do (especially given, you know, everything) and yet, oh well played to that adversary. Of course Hank's way of getting out of that situation is even better!!!

I loved Mystique's reply of "I still am". It's like their entire relationship in a nutshell because of course Magneto forgives her as easily as she forgive him for the same.

Then Charles finally gets it. It's taken him two films but finally, finally he gets it. And it's just perfect because he's right to trust her and it's lovely.

P, after the film, asked why Xavier had let Magneto go at the end, and was it just basically that he loved him. And I was like "well, that and the fact the government would torture and kill him" so P goes "he loves him." "Totally." It is not slash goggles when everyone who watches the film says that.

I loved the Wolverine waking up scene. It's just because there was just the right mix of happy (because everything was right, and Rogue was there and Piotr and Kitty were together and everyone was alive) and 'is it too good to be true?' Especially when Jean appeared. Because if Wolverine was having a near death experience then of course he'd imagine Jean being there (and after her occasional appearances in The Wolverine). But then Scott's there too and you know that isn't someone that Wolverine would imagine by choice and it's real.

So you know it's real and it's worked, and then the Professor realises what's happened and he smiles (and it's a great piece of acting by Patrick Stewart because he suddenly looks like McAvoy Xavier and twenty years younger) and it's :D :D :D because it worked!!!


tl; dr I enjoyed it and it was good and I nearly shouted at the screen several times.



1 - The thing that made Xavier believe again wasn't a personal happy future for himself but the existence of the school in the future. It's just ... yes, they got what makes Charles Xavier tick.

2 - Wolverine was happy to see Cyclops. Partly it was Scott's reaction that made it because he was all "Logan went to sleep loathing me and woke up wanting to hug me. WTF!" and partly it's just that Wolverine is happy to see him and it's so clear that he doesn't hate him and misses him (in his timeline) and it's just wonderful.

3 - Everyone gets to have a point in the grand mutant argument. Even Trask. Even if I disagree with his point totally.

Mystique gets a point both in the kill Trask for the terrible things he has done to her friends sense and in the 'killing one man is never enough for Erik' sense. Her actions make sense.

Magneto really does get a point because the future was the second time people had tried to wipe his people out. He gets enough of a point that younger Xavier (not a man in the mood to agree with him).

And then, despite that, they give Xavier the point, because when it all goes to hell in the future, some humans try to save the mutants so having hope is worth it. And apparently it's enough of a point to get future Magneto to agree with him and, somehow, despite everything, this is an optimistic film.

4 - It's entirely Mystique's choice. She alone chooses. The entire fate of the world rests in her hands. And she chooses the righter choice.

5 - Xavier's trust in people's better natures works. It's shown to be the right thing to do.

This is awesome.

Especially because, normally, if a film goes that route, immediately after the success of the hopeful version, one of the less hopeful characters goes and does something violent that means the bad guy can't be a problem again, and this film doesn't do that. And it makes me so happy to have a blockbuster where believing the best of people is a good idea and is the solution to the problem.

Comments

[lilacsigil.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with those five things! Your point about Scott being in the future as a kind of grounding moment is a really good one - I'd only being thinking about it in terms of a treat for the audience (apparently one of the screenwriters, Simon Kinsberg, felt really guilty about killing him off in X3) but that makes a lot of sense in terms of Logan's character. Also, in terms of him seeing Jean as a kind of death vision in "The Wolverine".

[coneyislandbaby]

I LOVED IT. Every second. From the song (I adore The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face for itself) to the effects, to the characters, to everything. I'll just ditto your entire review. I loved Peter/Quicksilver (second best use of music in the film as well). I do think it's at least alluded that he is Magneto's son, yes? I saw a fan review that said it was unlikely and I was like wtf? Apparently it was unlikely because Magneto didn't come to the US until too late for him to be the father, and I'm like, aside from anything else, it's not unlikely he could've passed through while Nazi hunting and had a one night stand, plus X-Men maths and timeline never works out anyway. But yes, I loved every part of it, and special mention to Peter Dinklage's acting (especially when he was Mystique) and the nude scene for Hugh Jackman. Oh and Scott being alive, because Scott remains my favourite ever, and also Kelsey Grammer's cameo as Beast because I love Kelsey Grammer (and find it terribly amusing that Nick Hoult grows up into him). Speaking of, if you ever see the episode of Frasier Patrick Stewart was in (if you haven't already of course), it makes the X-Men movies very amusing.

[redfiona99.livejournal.com]

I think I've gone with the smile and wave attitude to the occasional maths lapse in the X-Men films.

[coneyislandbaby]

I think you kind of have to, honestly. And with Peter, there could also be accelerated aging as well. Lots of handwaving possibilities.