Bryan Singer has made a summer blockbuster that has some gravitas to it which is rare these days. While Marvel Studios is the reigning champion of comic book movies, Singer has given them a run for their money. Go see the film. You'll be glad you did!
So it's the future and Mutants are on the verge of extinction because of the Sentinels. A Sentinel is a mutant-hunter-killer robot that does just that, hunt and kill mutants. The X-Men are no match for these Mutant Terminators because they can adapt, learn, and counter any mutant power. And I do mean any. How the Sentinels became this badass is because of the mutant Mystique. You see, her power is that she can shape change and mimic any human being. She can also mimic any mutant ability now for some reason. I don't remember her having this ability in any of the other movies? Maybe Rouge would've been a better lab rat? Anyways, so the Sentinels can now counter any mutant attack.
The remaining X-Men are running out of time. Kitty Pryde and her time travel trick can only save them for so long until the Sentinels finally get em. Magneto and Professor X come up with a plan to have Kitty send Charles back to 1973 and stop the Sentinel program from ever happening. It turns out that the trip would be too hard on the brain of the world's most powerful mutant. According to Miss Pryde it would tear Professor X's brain apart. So the next best candidate is Wolverine (Cool!!!), the world's most popular mutant.
So The Wolverine is told when he gets to 1973 find Charles and Erik because it's going to take the two of them to help Mystique from taking her dark path. Logan finds Xavier who is now a recluse living in his mansion due to the eventful ending of X-MEN: FIRST CLASS. He cannot deal with the pain and loss given to him by the actions of himself and his once best friend Erik Lehnsherr. To help this he gets high on heroin (not really, but you know it is) which blocks his mutant gene in his DNA. Once Logan tells him about the bad things Mystique is about to do he agrees to help.
We learn Erik is being held prisoner underneath the Pentagon for the assassination of JFK. With the help of a super fast mutant Logan happens to know they break Erik out.
Now that everybody is assembled it's time to find Miss Mystique before she goes all Terminator on poor Bolivar Trask.
Before I get into spoilers let me talk about what I really really like about this movie.
From the opening shot I fell in love. The bleakness of a worn torn future sets the tone nicely. There is a lot of neon in the future and it looks awesome. Very comic book looking! The same has to be said about 1973. The past looks pitch perfect with set design and camera work. Many times it looks like you are watching a film from the 70's. I just love details like that!
Director Bryan Singer has vastly improved his skills in terms of action. X2: X-MEN UNITED felt restraint in the action, especially when mutants were fighting each other. This time around the action and fights are more interesting.
And lastly the cast is just awesome! I love the main ensemble, James McAvoy, Micheal Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence are just fantastic. The First Class iteration is by far my favorite of the franchise.
Here are some things I didn't like but overall fine with:
So what is up with Mystique and her new powers? I don't ever remember her having the ability to actually mimic a mutants power? Wouldn't Rouge be a better candidate for Trask to experiment on?
JFK a mutant? Because as Erik put it “he was one of us”. Really? Surely it's not literal and just because he was big on civil rights.
Hank “Hulking-out” when he becomes Beast. We all know why the studio insisted on this idea. Just have him be Beast.
!!!SPOILERS!!!
Here is one of the main reasons why X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST is the best X-movie thus far. Bryan Singer has successfully removed most if not all of the dumbest plot threads in X-MEN: LAST STAND and X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE. How awesome is that!
Jean Grey and Scott Summers are back, and It's quite possible that the first Wolverine movie never happened or if it did it's more in line with X2 continuity. Who's to know for sure? I like to think X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST has changed everything for the better.
So X-MEN: APOCALYPSE is next. Man, I really want them to go all out on this one. So far only the First Class cast are returning and it is set in the 80's. I pray we get to see a young re-cast of Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Storm in this one.
My biggest fear is that 20th Century Fox doesn't realize X-MEN: FIRST CLASS was the reboot and they make the same mistake Sony has with the Amazing Spider-Man series.
