Hero Worship: X-MEN Redux

Since the comic book genre first broke out onto film, there has always been a demand for a certain level of realism and continuity. After all, when you’re talking about a genre where most characters receive powers from being bitten by something radioactive, you need to make it realistic.

Hero Worship with Jason McCall: Episode 1 full download

Although Bryan Singer’s X-Men franchise may have been one of the earliest films to make the superhero film culture what it is today, it has always been plagued with a plethora of plot holes that haven’t gone unnoticed.

Now, with Singer’s latest addition to the franchise X-Men: Days of Future Past, which slashed its way into theaters May twenty-third, we get a bold and impressive attempt to right some wrongs that have been made to Wolverine and his friends.

The movie itself is based on the X-Men comic book storyline of the same name and, although it has some distinct differences, it does keep many similar themes that are crucial to a narrative about time travel.

The film begins in a not-too-distant future torn apart by the mutant hunting Sentinels. Kitty Pryde and a small group of mutants are on the run when Professor X and Wolverine come looking for Kitty’s help with a risky plan: send Wolverine back to 1973 to change the events that have lead to this horrible future.

Although the bulk of the film may take place in 1973, Singer reminds us what is at stake by interweaving scenes of the future in a brilliant manner that really heightens the drama of an action scene.

The film has many large-scale and impressive fight scenes, but you’ll find yourself less focused on what’s going on in the film and, instead, pay attention to who is a part of the scene. Simply put, the mutants steal the show. Days of Future Past boasts an incredibly talented cast and is filled with fun and imaginative characters.

Ranging from famed thespian Patrick Stewart to Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, everyone involved, no matter how small their role, gives it everything they have, and there isn’t a single empty performance in the group.

Many fans may have expected characters like Wolverine or Professor X to be the favorites of the film, but critics agree that Evan Peters as Quicksilver stood out with his impressive comedic timing that helped him steal every scene he appeared in. An interesting development considering the movie received a lot of negative criticism prior to release regarding Quicksilver’s poor costume choices. A costume that included a silver jacket, silver pants, an obviously fake silver wig and even silver eyebrows. I wonder if they used enough silver?

The film is determined to cover its bases and fix the mistakes that previous X-Men movies have made. Unfortunately, in the attempt to fix everything the storyline inevitably creates some new continuity errors.

The most notable of which is the use of the character William Stryker. Stryker is a crucial piece to the history of Wolverine but is ill placed in the timeline. At best he is simply a prop to remind us that Wolverine has bad memories about his Weapon X experiment. The movie would have been just fine, if not better, if the decision to leave Stryker out of the story had been made.

Don’t let that deter you though, even with its small flaws X-Men: Days of Future Past remains one of the greatest comic book films that have ever appeared on the silver screen: it has a wonderful story, great acting and is filled with Easter eggs for any X-Men fan.

That’s why X-Men: Days of Future Past gets four flailing Wolverine claws out of five.

Writer and Producer – Jason McCall

Other Side Drive Producer – Shannon Williams

Editor – Brittany Hansen