X-Men: Days of Future Past Movie Review

Reviewed by Lynn Barker on May 24, 2014

Rating:

Two generations of X-Men fight across the ages to save both Mankind and Mutants. Get Kidzworld’s review of X-Men: Days of Future Past.

By: Lynn Barker

Wolverine doesn’t see himself as the savior of the future but when his physical healing abilities make him the right mutant to travel through time, he’s got to take a trip to the past to get young Professor Xavier and his frenemy Erik/Magneto to make up long enough to save the day for men and mutants.

Young Xavier and young Magneto play chessCourtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Doomed Future

It’s 2023 and our world is at war. Our government supports the “Sentinel” program created by scientist Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage). Giant, self-repairing robots tirelessly hunt both mutants and the humans who try to help them. No human or mutant is really safe. Many X-Men have died but remaining are Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page), Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen), Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Storm, (Halle Berry), Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) and others who hide away and hatch a plan to send one of them back to 1973 to stop the beginning of the “Sentinel” program.

Young X-Men defendersCourtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Wolverine to the Rescue

Wolverine is chosen as the time-traveler. He heals very quickly and doesn’t really age. With Kitty’s powers, Wolverine’s body stays in 2023 but his mind and younger bod appears in ’73 where he has a heck of a time convincing young Xavier (James McAvoy), who can walk because he uses a drug which also wipes out his vast mental powers, to believe the crazy “doomed future” story. Xavier has closed the school for mutants and simply doesn’t care about much of anything. Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult) is his only confidant and friend.

Wolverine is action readyCourtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Younger Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Xavier are bitter enemies in ’73. Each feels he was abandoned by the other but Wolverine finally gets the angry Magneto, who has to be busted out of a maximum security prison under the Pentagon, on board.

Young Magneto retrieves his helmetCourtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Mystique at the Center

Everything hangs on stopping Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from killing Trask. It seems that she will be caught trying to do so and it is her amazing DNA that is used to create the “Sentinels”! This just can’t happen. Approaching Raven and asking her to back off is just not working. Even securing the help of young Peter/Quicksilver (Evan Peters), a mutant who can move faster than the speed of light doesn’t save the day.

Mystique is the key to the futureCourtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

On the Brink

While the future X-Men fend off Sentinels and hope their younger counter-parts will be successful, we wonder if Raven/Mystique will abandon her murder plan, will Wolverine’s mind be able to stay in 1973 long enough and will Magneto and Xavier’s truce last long enough for the future to be saved.

Magneto levitates to fight SentinelsCourtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Ready to rumbleCourtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Wrapping Up

This latest X-Men film combines your favorite characters, adds some newer mutants and is both visually and emotionally satisfying. Humor pops in when needed, especially in a brilliant scene in which mutant teen Quicksilver, moving at amazing speed, rearranges a room full of soldiers determined to shoot our heroes. We are with him as he sets up crazy domino-effect slapstick moves that, when seen at “normal” speed are hilariously successful.

Mystique rescues fellow X-MenCourtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

There are many well-acted and emotionally satisfying scenes especially those between Wolverine and the younger Xavier and Patrick Stewart as the mature Xavier talking to his younger self, played with riveting grace by James McAvoy. Michael Fassbender as Erik/Magneto and Jennifer Lawrence as the determined but misguided Mystique, have some good confrontations as well.

Older and younger Xavier are face to face

Older and young Xavier are face to faceCourtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Action is well-choreographed and visuals, overall, really rock. I would only say that there might be a few too many younger X-Men to keep track of if you aren’t a super comic book fan.

You don't want to tangle with BeastCourtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

The plot is a bit complicated but we understand the goals of the older, future X-Men and the ending of the film is very satisfying overall. For snack-munching, emotionally-charged action with well-developed characters we have grown to love, this latest X-Men outing almost can’t be beat. We go 4 stars.