Sword's Edge

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X-Men: Days of Future Past

So, I finally saw X-Men: Days of Future Past thanks to it being on Netflix. I have to say, while I enjoyed the movie, I wasn’t that impressed with it. I had been thrilled with X-Men: First Class when it came out – though it too had its issues – and was interested to see how Bryan Singer returned to the franchise. While it was an interesting story and I loved seeing the intro of characters like Warpath and Blink, all in all, the movie didn’t blow me away.

I didn’t find the movie all that tense. There were no periods in which I felt actual tension. For me, it seemed too artificial. I’m thinking especially of the ending and the two storylines moving to convergence. The delays in the one timeline didn’t work for me, and seemed too much like manufacturing indecision in an attempt to create apprehension in the audience. It lacked any emotional punch.

And I think that’s where the movie fell down for me. The performances were solid enough – as one would expect from this stellar cast – but I just don’t think the writing was up to the task. The movie needs to create excitement and audience investment in the characters and their predicaments. I don’t feel this movie did that for me.

As much as I blame the writing, the director is the final arbiter – generally – for what appears on the screen, and I don’t think Bryan Singer delivered much emotional depth. It wasn’t that the actors didn’t portray their characters’ pathos or fears well, it is just that – like the tension – it all seemed artificial, like there were a collection of boxes he was checking off: “This is the part where Professor X needs to be redeemed,” “this is the part where Logan’s past/future catches up with him.” It’s funny, since after the first two X-Men movies, Bryan Singer hasn’t had any more big successes. Superman Returns and Jack the Giant Killer didn’t seem to find audiences, although Valkyrie did well.

I don’t have much more to say because this movie didn’t incite any strong emotions. I think it was a fair enough movie, and certainly a fun movie to watch on Netflix, if one is looking for something to watch one night. This is not a movie I’ll be seeking out again.

I give X-Men: Days of Future Past 3 giant, turbofan, polymer robots out of 5. It’s a fair enough movie and fun, but it lacks power and impact.

You can find more information on X-Men: Days of Future Past at Wikipedia and IMDB.