Above: Nicholas Hoult and James McAvoy return as Hank McCoy and Charles Xavier
Logan. Charles.
Erik. Scott. Hank.
Raven. Jean. Ever since I first fell in love with the
“X-Men” movies, those names have been moored in my mind. There are plenty of reasons to esteem these
characters, not least of which is their coolly assorted superpowers (including,
but not limited to, mind-reading and shape-shifting). But it’s more than that. In the comics and the films that have adapted
them, the X-Men may have been referred to as mutants, but they’ve always been
recognizably human—lonely, bickering, and ever in need of connection.
At first, “X-Men: Days of Future Past” seems destined to
further that dark disposition (in the film’s opening scene, we see a crowd of
mutant prisoners, looking as tortured and desperate as Holocaust victims). But quickly and somewhat disappointingly, the
movie morphs into one of the series’ lighter affairs, complete with bright
colors, goofy jokes, and an oddly jolly tone.
As someone who prefers the “X-Men” movies when they’re at
their darkest and most cerebral, I’m slightly miffed. Yet if “Days of Future Past” is less
substantial than some of its predecessors, it’s still the franchise’s finest
adventure in half a decade. Some of the rich
subtext about persecution and prejudice may have vanished, but the artistry of
director Bryan Singer hasn’t—aided by a fantastically nimble cast and crew
(including composer-editor John Ottman and cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel),
he has made a sleek and satisfying popcorn picture with emotional conviction to
spare.
Zipping along at top speed, “Days of Future Past” begins
in the year 2023, in which Earth has been devastated by an army of
mutant-hunting robots known as the Sentinels.
At first, the situation seems hopeless—in one battle alone, the
Sentinels slaughter a group of mutant refugees and the clever Kitty Pryde
(Ellen Page) just barely escapes (“Too late, assholes,” she grimaces as the Sentinels
lose her trail).
But not all is lost.
Soon, Kitty reunites with the other X-Men, who concoct a bizarre scheme
for survival—sending the hairy, bad-tempered Logan (Hugh Jackman, playing the
character to grumpy perfection for the seventh time) back to 1973 to stop the
Sentinels from being created in the first place (according to the movie,
evil-robot-building was quite popular during the Nixon administration).
That bygone year is where “Days of Future Past” spends
most of its running time and Mr. Singer clearly relishes playing with period
details (particularly in the hair and makeup department). Yet he’s more interested in Logan’s attempts
to reunite the fractured friends Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik
Lensherr (Michael Fassbender)—powerful mutants who parted company in a previous
X-film (Matthew Vaughn’s “X-Men: First Class”).
Charles
and Erik are Logan’s only hope for precluding the ascension of the Sentinels and
the film spotlights the high-minded squabbling between these (somewhat) friendly
adversaries. Charles rags on Erik’s
genocidal impulses; Erik berates Charles right back for his failure to support
his “mutant brothers.” “We were supposed
to protect them!” he roars, the force of his wrath literally shaking the room.
In that moment, the real heart of “Days of Future Past”
bursts forth. Erik’s outrage is cathartically
appealing, but the scene still reminds us that even though Charles is a deadbeat
(he’s addicted to some kind of strange, high-tech drug), his compassion will
make him a better man than Erik once he chooses to use it. And that’s what Logan wants—for Charles to
emerge from his gloomy reverie and take his destined place as a leader and
inspiration for oppressed mutants everywhere.
I wish that “Days of Future Past” had handled his journey
with more finesse. Mr. Singer has a gift
for saying more with beautiful pictures than words (as he did in his two
masterpieces, “X2” and “Superman Returns”).
But here, he relies too heavily on Simon Kinberg’s screenplay which,
though alive with zesty banter, feels blandly therapeutic at times. A long take where the camera stares into
Charles’ eyes makes for a meaningful moment, but there are too many scenes
where the man grouses verbally about his failings, boring us with his
obviousness.
And yet…such flaws are as easy to forgive as the villainous
and increasingly likable Erik (let Mr. Fassbender near a film set and he can’t
help but make movie magic). Because
while Mr. Singer has journeyed far beyond his indie thriller roots, “Days of
Future Past” still has the eloquence of his breakout feature (the Sundance
prize-winner “Public Access”).
Just
look at how Mr. Singer bookends the movie with scenes of Logan waking up and
hearing “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” playing on the radio. The first time, the song rings with giddy
amusement because Logan is in bed with a gangster’s daughter. But at the end, it’s different—Logan awakens alone,
only to find his fellow X-Men, his friends, close by. And it’s a sweet moment because he truly
loves them, this messy group of heroes who are just trying to survive, like we
all are.
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