X-Men: Days of Future Past – Probably the Best X-Men Film Yet
The X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants. “I’ve been waiting for this movie for a while and what a payoff,: exclaims KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Keefer B., age 13. Raven D, age 16, adds, “This film is absolutely epic. I have been a fan of the X-Men from the very beginning and, seeing the cast from the original films right along side the younger cast of X-Men: First Class, is amazing.” See their full reviews below.
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Reviewed by Raven D., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16
X-Men: Days of Future Past is the newest installment in the “X-Men” series. The world is in a war unlike any we have ever seen before. With the government targeting mutants and any human who tries to help them, the earth has been set into a futuristic holocaust. The main weapon being utilized to hunt down the mutants are the Sentinels – war machines with the ability to adapt to any mutant power, making them invisible. What made all of this possible is the DNA of a mutant named Raven, also know as Mystique. Now, with the power of the Sentinels, the entire mutant population faces extinction. The X-Men who are still alive (from the original group) call upon the assistance of a small group of mutants to help them end the war. They send Logan / Wolverine, back in time to the 70s to stop the original event that set this war into motion. It is up to Logan to convince the younger versions of his mutant comrades to change their ways before it’s too late, otherwise the future has a darker fate then ever.
This film is absolutely epic. I have been a fan of the X-Men from the very beginning and, seeing the cast from the original films right along side the younger cast of “X-Men: First Class” is amazing. The cinematography and special effects in this film are gorgeously stunning. From the first scene, the crispness of the images and the way each unique mutant power is brought to life on the screen is completely breathtaking. It is interesting to see how the war of the future is shown in this film. All mutants are branded with the letter M across their faces and are being forced into camps along with any humans who have assisted them to be slaughtered and dumped into mass graves. This completely reminded me of a futuristic holocaust and immediately set a serious tone for the film. Most of the movie is set in the 70s and involves quite a few public political events. Whenever there is an incident involving a mutant, the cinematography changes to look like a live filming of the original event. This is a very cool aspect of the film. When the visuals change to a vintage, grainy, hand-held look, it adds to the realistic feeling of what is happening. The soundtrack is amazing, of course, and completes the feel of the film by carrying the emotions and climaxes of each scene.
My favorite character is Quicksilver, played by the incredible Evan Peters. I am so thrilled that he is in this movie. Evan Peters is my all-time, favorite actor and is in some of my favorite films and TV shows such as “American Horror Story” and “An American Crime.” So, I was very excited to see him in a film that I love so much. Quicksilver is a teen mutant with the power of super-speed. Not only can he move at the speed of light but he talks insanely fast and has a speedy personality with a sense of wit to match. Logan, a young Xavier and Beast go to him for assistance in freeing Magneto from the Pentagon. Quicksilver, being a bit of a kleptomaniac and a sucker for breaking the rules, jumps at the opportunity to break into the most heavily guarded building in the country. Quicksilver is so hilarious and entertaining to watch during the break-in to free Magneto and, even though he is only in a few scenes, he is such a memorably funny character.
My favorite scene is after Quicksilver frees Magneto and is now trying to escape the Pentagon with Xavier, Beast and Logan. They have a run in with a few guards and, right when it seems like it’s all over, Quicksilver comes to the rescue. Since he is so incredibly fast, the scene is in slow motion with Quicksilver running around at what appears to be normal speed. This is such a hilarious scene because he is so nonchalant about saving everyone. Not only does he casually move bullets aside so they miss his friends but, he takes his time to have some fun and mess with the security guards. He seems so pleased with himself the whole time and has a very funny air about him. I think Evan Peters does an amazing job of embodying this fun, mischievous and comical character.
Being a long time fan of these films, I believe I was able to get a lot more out of it than someone who may have not seen the previous films. This movie has so many old faces and characters that we haven’t seen in a while and there are quite a few inside jokes from past films. It is nice for the series to get back to its roots. I think that if you haven’t seen the older movies you may be confused about some of the characters and their importance to the film and its events. I saw this with my mom who has only seen the first X-Men film and I did have to fill her in on a few things throughout the movie. However, this film is so well done, the cast and characters are so phenomenal, the story line are so detailed and moving, the visuals are so incredible, that anyone will have a wonderful experience with this movie, regardless of your history with the previous films.
This movie does have some very heavy and dark situations, some graphic and violent images and profanity. Parts of this film get so dark that it lead me to believe many times that the outcome of the story line would be less than pleasant. This film is rated PG-13 and I believe it is too intense for younger children. I give this film 5 out of 5 stars and I will definitely see this again. Be sure to check it out in theaters now!
X-Men Days of Future Past
Reviewed by Keefer B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13
X-traordinarily perfect! I’ve been waiting for this movie for a while and what a payoff.
The future, as we know it, is a wasteland for mutants: hunted and eliminated by the Sentinels. To stop this from ever happening, Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is sent into the past to prevent this dark outcome.
I adore the X-Men series and to see it again is beyond fantastic. Bringing back the original iconic actors such as Sir Patrick Stewart (Professor X) and Sir Ian McKellen (Magneto) makes me overjoyed! Even the younger versions of them – Micheal Fassbender and James McAvory are their own 3-dimensional characters because they’re not trying to be replicas of their older selves. Their interaction and relationships are strong and, just as in “X-Men First Class,” I love seeing Eric and Xavier just talking. These two started as friends and the film shows that perfectly. They have different pathways and ways to fix events but they never give up on each other.
The action and special effects in this film are grand. Showing different mutant powers is what made X-Men unique to begin with. It’s not entirely combat action, like “Avengers,” it’s more letting their powers do the work. Magneto slowly lifts an entire baseball stadium, which allows us to marvel at how powerful mutants can be.
The story is astounding! This film has to pick-up from the previous films and tie-up loose ends. Not only do they succeed but, they also remember little details. Example: the young Wolverine doesn’t have metal claws. They’re bone because he doesn’t get the metal ones until sometime in the future. Specifics like that add to how incredible this film is.
It can also confuse people who haven’t seen the other films. There are inside jokes and character connections that could be lost.
My favorite character is Quicksilver (Evan Peters), a mutant who has incredible speed.
This is by far the best representation of a comic-book character. Evan shows the mischievous and cocky side of Silver that is always a kick to watch.
My favorite scene is Quicksilver’s super speed sequence. This is when the team breaks Eric/Magneto out of a Pentagon prison and the group is cornered by security. Quicksilver, without a care in the world, pranks the guards by poking the bullets in mid-air, pulling their guns out of their hands and more. This is such an incredible ride that it just needs to be experienced.
The message of this film is, “Choices you make in the present, affect your future.” The whole reason for this story is that one careless act has changed the world forever. We need to think through the choices we make to have a bright future.
I give this 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to 13- to 18 year-olds. This film shows dark images and language that is not intended for younger audiences.
