So here we have another X-Men movie, chugging along from the shockingly good time-warp reboot that was X-Men: First Class.
Some differences exist. First Class was directed by Matthew Vaughn, and was a truly first class film (sorry). This is in retrospect unsurprising, since from what I can tell Matthew Vaughn directs exclusively top-shelf stuff (think Layer Cake and Kick Ass), but his work requires a certain just-so knife’s edge approach to comedic violence, and those who follow in his footsteps have fallen flat (thinking here of the wretched Kick Ass 2). It’s not quite so bad with Days of Future Past, but coming off the high that was First Class it feels like an also-ran.
Days of Future Past dusts off the venerable Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen (showing their age, and at this point, how could they not?) for mercifully low-exertion roles as their own future counterparts. The younger chaps carry most of the water in the historical chunk of the story, and Hugh Jackman and his garden-hose shoulder veins bridge the two periods. It’s a nice concept, you know, tying in the preceding sixties reboot with the slew of not-always-great films that came before. And like adding a little poop to your smoothie, the stink of the first several has intercalated and distributed itself throughout this picture.
It’s got plenty going for it. The youth crowd from First Class is strong as always, and a lot of the (now seventies) historical fare is nicely shot and refreshing to watch. But it wanders. Characters rev on idle. The story here is so thin, and the characters in the future make so little sense to me, and it so lacks the Vaughn magic that it ends up all sizzle and no steak. I’ve heard people say they loved this film, even preferring it to First Class. I don’t see it. It’s a good movie, a solid movie, with some sharp shots, crisp colors, decent 3D, and fun counterfactuals. But the future scenes come off like a tacked-on afterthought, and the film, she don’t make no sense. She really don’t.
Haus Verdict: X-Men: Economy Class.