As such, every time a new X-universe film comes hurtling towards our screens, I can't help but find myself overwhelmed with excitiement. Since the crushing disappointment that was The Last Stand, and indeed its follow-up, Origins, however, I have done my utmost to avoid getting myself worked up into a childlike frenzy, and dodge all hype as best as I can. Indeed, I think that going into last year's The Wolverine with little to no expectations was what made it for me the best X-men film since the comic book masterpiece that was X-men 2.
With this year's Days of Future Past receiving so very much media attention, however, it has been hard not to find myself swept up in the hurricane of excitement.
An all-star cast, featuring not only First Class' wonderful little team of reprobates, but also the original trilogy's ensemble quickly caught my attention, and promises of a handful of my favourite unto unseen muties in the shapes of Quicksilver, Bishop and Warpath, I was both tittilated and concerned... With Byran Singer at the helm, surely this could not be a repeat of the "too many mutants, too much story and not enough of either" that was The Last Stand?
And no, for the most part, it isn't. Singer manages to weave a complex and enthralling storyline peppered with enough cameos to keep any fan delighted. Each mutant receives enough screen time to satisfy, whilst at the same time adding their own seasoning to the overall dish. Unlike The Last Stand, no-one feels superfluous, and yet in reality, it's only Logan, Mystique, Charles, Erik and Beast that are vital to the overarching narrative.
The main cast shine out as always; McAvoy is enchanting as the embittered but encumbered Xavier, whilst Fassbender delivers an utterly determined and menacing Magneto. Jackman, as ever, is quite simply The Wolverine and Jennifer Lawrence oozes sexuality as the overly alluring Mystique. The true star of the film, however, is Evan Peters as Magneto's long-lost love child Quicksilver. Peters quite simply steals very scene he is in, and is the one character who really did need some more screen-time. I look forward to his return in 2016's Apocalypse with great anticipation.
The future team is full of some familiar faces; Ellen Page seems rather more comfortable in her role as Kitty Pryde, whilst Shawn Ashmore has becoming astonishingly rugged in the years since The Last Stand. Characteristically, Dan Cudmore is stoic as ever as Collosus, and thankfully Halle Berry and Anna Paquin's roles are mercifully fleeting. New recruits Bishop (Omar Sy), Warpath (Booboo Stewart) and Sunspot (Adan Canto) each show off their powers with aplomb, whilst Bingbing Fan as blink steals the futuristic show with a fantastic blend of awesome special effects and all-round adorableness.
Jumping between the dystopian future and the bustlin' seventies rarely feels forced, as I feared it might (though perhaps a teeny bit more of the future setting might have been welcome...) and the final payoff (leading to some of the most smile-inducing cameos possible in a non-Muppets movie!) is a fitting end to what may of may not be Wolverine's final outing with the ensemble cast.
All in all, Days of Future Past stands strong in the X-men oeuvre, and I'm sure with further viewings, I shall come to enjoy it ever moreso. But still, I want more. Expectations are always high, and I think deep down I know that I'll never have the absolutely perfect X-men movie, but I can still hope. For now, however, I'll be happy enough as long as J-Law keeps covering herself in blue paint... Oh yes...
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