The
movie opens in a dystopian world of 2023 where the Sentinels are hunting the
remaining mutants. Professor X (Patrick
Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellan) are working together as they hatch one last
plan to send the mind of an older Wolverine/ Logan (Hugh Jackman) back into the
past of 1973 with the help of Kitty Pryde/ Shadowcat (Ellen Page) to stop Raven/
Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from killing Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage), the
creator of the Sentinels. Logan wakes
up in the past and he must convince a disillusioned Charles Xavier (James
McAvoy) to break out a young Magneto/ Erik (Michael Fassbender) out of the
Pentagon with the help of Quicksilver (who is one of the scene stealing
characters in the film) to help stop Mystique from killing Trask in Paris. Their
plan goes wrong when Magneto decides
Mystique must be killed, but she escapes and Hank McCoy/ Beast tries to stop
Magneto from killing her. Their actions
seem to keep the future of 2023 on course instead of helping to stop it.
X-MEN:
DAYS OF FUTURE PAST acts as a sequel to X-MEN: FIRST CLASS and the other X-MEN
films resulting in an ambitious narrative and one of the best X-MEN films
ever. Michael Fassbender continues to
be great while Bryan Signer directs his best X-MEN film to date. It manages
to blend history with the mutant
storyline like the last X-MEN movie did.
It sets the stage for another X-MEN film (which is briefly teased at the
end of the end credits) while creating a story that is good as or better than
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS. The team dynamic is
even stronger in this film than it was in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS and I hope they
continue to build on that for X-MEN: APOCALYPSE. Other than that, the production
design,
characters, writing, and direction is perfect.
It is the best movie based on a Marvel comic this year so far (pulling
ahead of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE
WINTER SOLDIER). They manage to bring
together both casts while playing fan service to the various characters you
never seen before like Bishop and Blink (who does some incredible things with
her teleportation skills). This X-MEN
sequel is firing on all cylinders to deliver one of the best X-MEN films
yet. I’m excited to see what they do
for the next one.
The
Rogue Cut of the movie is 17 minutes longer and includes scenes that Bryan
Singer cut for the theatrical version including a subplot where Rogue (Anna
Paquin) is rescued). The Rogue Cut is as
valid a version of the movie that the theatrical cut is. This new edition
of the movie on the blu-ray
contains both cuts of the movie.
SPECIAL
FEATURES:
None
of
the extras from the first release have carried over including the old
featurettes (which dig very deep into the making of the movie), the theatrical
trailers, and the deleted scenes- so keep the first release if you want to hang
onto those extras.
DISC
1-
Two
audio commentaries-
One
for
the theatrical version by Director Bryan Singer and Producer/ Writer Simon
Kinberg
The
other audio commentary for the Rogue cut by Director Bryan Singer and Compser/
Editor John Ottman where Bryan even talks about a couple of deleted scenes not
included in either version of the movie (and they are included among the extras
on the first blu-ray release of the movie).
Second
Screen App
DISC
2-
MUTANT
V.S MACHINE (52:41)- a nine part making-of documentary that really looks at the
making of the movie:
TIME
SWITCH- cracking the story and crafting a time travel story
PANELS
TO FRAMES- all about the comic story it is based on and the changes they did
for the movie like sending Wolverine back (instead of Kitty Pride)
CORE CADRE
OF THE X-MEN- bringing back some of the core crew and cast (scheduling the cast
was something to figure out)
TWO
WORLDS, TWO BATTLES- costume design and production design
THROUGH
THE LENS:
REVISING HISTORY- cinematography and challenges of filming in 3D and the look
of the movie (different color for time periods and using mylar and epoxy for
one scene)
SYNCHRONIZING
THE VISION- editing and music of X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
MUTANT
MEANCE: MANKIND’S DEFENSE- digital effects of the movie
A
ROGUE
MOVE- the
decision to take Rogue out of the theatrical cut and making an alternate cut
for blu-ray with Rogue back in
WHAT’S
NEXT- a look
ahead to the next film- X-MEN- APOCALYPSE
X-MEN:
UNGUARDED- cast and crew look back at the making of X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
and even the other movies in this half hour chat between Bryan Singer, Simon
Kinberg, the original cast and the new cast
Galleries
for Storyboards, Costumes, and Concept Art
Fantastic
Four Sneak Peek (1:51)
FINAL
ANALYSIS: The new extras are great to
watch as they give a more in-depth look at the making of the movie, but sadly
Fox decided not to include any of the extras from the first release of X-MEN:
DAYS OF FUTURE PAST in the Rogue Cut blu-ray (so you may want to keep the first
release if you still want to watch those extras). The new alternate version
for the movie does
hold up against the theatrical version, but I will pick the Rogue Cut over the
theatrical version if I had to pick what version in my favorite. The alternate
version gives a little added
depth to what is one of the best X-MEN movies of the series.
This
review is ©7-22-2015
David
Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com
Like
Enterline Media on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/enterlinemediaweb
and follow on tumblr at http://enterlinemedia.tumblr.com