X-Men: Days Of Future Past

Unfortunately, I do need to start this review with a bit of a mini-rant against some very common (and decidedly unfair) criticisms I've been seeing lobbed against this release. Those being people who are giving it poor reviews due to their anger over the release "double dipping" and those who are criticizing it for not having a 3D rendition included.Both of these complaints are honestly baffling to me, because both are so misguided. People who are complaining about the "double dipping" (aka, releasing the film in two different sets at different times) have been pretty consistently missing out on a simple fact- this release was announced a long time ago. The filmmakers were very upfront about the fact that there would be an extended version of the film coming out once they had the time to assemble and finish it. It was no secret at all- even when the original DVD/Blu-Ray release was coming out, we knew that "The Rogue Cut" was coming within a year. And this is nothing new- often new cuts of films are released after the initial release- why should this release suddenly be so savagely torn up for it? And people who are condemning the film for not including a 3D copy are being unfair. You shouldn't judge the film for what it doesn't have, you should judge it for what it does have. And this film does have more than enough to be worth the (actually pretty cheap) $15 price tag, considering many new Blu-Ray releases are in the $20-$30 range depending on where you buy.Now that I got that out of the way, I can actually get onto the proper review.2014's “X-Men: Days of Future Past” was by any stretch of the imagination a rousing success. Boasting strong and near-universal critical acclaim, generally stellar fan reception and becoming a box-office hit, it was without doubt the perfect continuation of a near 15-year-old movie franchise that has seen its ups and downs over the years.But there were some lingering questions left over for many fans who had followed the production, most notably the fact that we knew at least one major subplot had been removed from the theatrical version for time and pacing reasons. And so, director Bryan Singer and the studio answered our calls for an extended edition and released the so-called “Rogue Cut” of the film- which inserts about 15 minutes of new footage into the film, mainly comprised of two brand-new sub-plots and a small assortment of changes and additions here and there throughout the film. We also get the theatrical cut along with some other new bonus content to round-out the release, including some great feature-length audio commentary tracks and over an hour of new behind-the-scenes featurettes.How does this release stack up? I actually really admire it, and although I do think it could be argued that the theatrical cut is a superior film, I'm pleased to report that the fabled “Rogue Cut” is still well-worth seeing and owning.The additional scenes in the “Rogue Cut” give the film an interesting new set of twists and turns in the second half. And it's nice because it does give some more purpose and consequence to the “future” timeline in the film, which became less important as time went by in the theatrical cut. The two biggest contributions of this release are of course the “Rogue” subplot in the future and also a short-but-very well-done sequence involving the romance of Mystique and Beast in the “past” timeline, which fleshes out their characters more and gives a sense of closure to their tragic romance first established in “X-Men: First Class.” Both sequences are admirable and definitely worth seeing for fans of the film, even if they do hurt the pacing. (Which is why I think I prefer the theatrical cut- the pacing issues generated by the re-insertion of these two sequences cause some issues.)The new behind-the-scenes features are great. The commentaries are fun and informative, and the featurettes are a blast to watch. Definitely a step-up after the slightly underwhelming bonus content on the original release a few months back.I think fans of the series definitely owe it to themselves to seek out and buy this release. It gives us a fascinating new version of a film we love, and whether or not we prefer the theatrical or Rogue Cuts... both are great films in the end.And yes, even if you bought the original DVD or Blu-Ray release, this is still worth picking up. I own both this and the original 3D Ultimate Edition Blu-Ray, and I'm glad to have both.

I'm going to be honest, this movie was very surprising to me. All the previous X-Men films that I've seen thus far, even the good ones, had some issue with them. X-Men 3 and Wolverine: Origins are easy targets, but even the first X-Men film felt ponderously slow to me, and the predecessor to this movie, First Class, had some issues with what I felt were some clumsy character interactions and writing. The Wolverine was just watchable but not remarkable. This, though, was quite an amazing film, and really shows that if Fox really, really tries they can surpass their competition at (ironically) Marvel.The movie essentially takes place in two different time periods at once. There's the grimdark future where mutants and even many humans are being mercilessly hunted down by incredibly deadly Sentinels against which they have virtually no chance of defeating, and there's the past, which despite the wars of the time, was a picnic by comparison. But the heroes and villains of this era are blithely unaware of their impending doom in the future, and it's up to Wolverine to travel back to the past and warn them in a desperate bid to prevent their grim fate. Personally, I think the past was the stronger part of the movie, as the future is mostly just a depressing slaughter.What makes the film so good? I'd start with the performances, for one. The real standout, in my mind, is Michael Fassbender, who coldly exacts what he sees as the mutant agenda, and refusing to allow anyone to get in his way. His posture and bearing truly sell the character of Magneto, as do his precise gestures as he manipulates metal. Peter Dinklage appears in the film as Bolivar Trask as well, and as with his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister, does an excellent job of conveying his character's brilliance as well as his casual disgregard for ethics, but anyone expecting hilarious quips isn't going to get them from the terminally serious Trask. The other actors were quite good as well, and if I had one complaint it would be that it seemed like they used some sort of prosthetics on the guy playing Nixon that made him look almost like a living cartoon character.The film has quite a lot of action in it, so you're certainly not going to be let down in that regard. The future has a small army of mutants throwing everything they've got at the Sentinels, with some of the most impressive effects of the film occurring there. The past is not to be outdone, however, with some remarkable sequences, particularly one involving Quicksilver, and you just know Marvel has to be kicking themselves over the fact Fox outdid them on that character. And one neat touch is the Zapruder-esque footage captured of the mutants in action, which would no doubt serve as fodder for conspiracy theorists for generations. One letdown, oddly, is Wolverine, who gets to be violent and brutal exactly once before he's reduced to basically accomplishing little in the film beyond serving as a plot device. I guess they didn't want Hugh Jackman to overshadow the "new" generation?It's not quite perfect, though. Probably the most glaring issue is the plot hole involving Professor X still being alive in the future with no explanation whatsoever. It's not enough to say they ignored the events of X-Men 3, because this movie contains clips of that film, and also acknowledges the death of Jean Grey. So... what gives? Additionally, I haven't seen the original cut, but I can safely say that anyone concerned that the new scenes might ruin the movie needn't worry. On the other hand, the reinsertion of Rogue into the film, while it gives the future people more to do, is kind of wasted, because Rogue doesn't get to do all that much. I mean, it's nice to see her again, I guess, but, well... ehhh...I would say that even if you are getting tired of superhero movies, this film is so good that you may want to watch it anyway. And if you're a fan, then you'd have to be out of your mind to avoid seeing this movie.

As a lifelong X-Men fan and nerd, I've seen all the movies multiple times, but rewatching Days of Future Past: The Rogue Cut with my daughter has been an absolute blast. This extended version fleshes out the already incredible story even more and gives extra depth to the iconic characters we love.Seeing the future dystopia where mutants are hunted down and killed is haunting, but it makes the stakes feel so high. The way the timelines intertwine with the past and future versions of the characters is clever storytelling at its best. My daughter was on the edge of her seat watching the tense action scenes.While I've always been a huge Iceman fan, this cut really lets Rogue's narrative shine. Getting to see her siphon powers and be part of the pivotal moments was super cool. The cast is stellar, with Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy embodying the young Professor X and Magneto flawlessly.More than just an awesome superhero flick, Days of Future Past explores powerful themes about intolerance, fighting for equality, and controlling your own destiny. Watching it with my daughter and seeing her get invested in these characters and their struggles has been immensely rewarding as a dad hoping to share my nerdy passions.If you're an X-Men fan who somehow hasn't seen this extended cut yet, do yourself a favor and check it out ASAP. With killer action balanced by deeper storytelling, it's a wildly entertaining ride that had me and my daughter geeking out from start to finish. Easily one of the best X-Men movies ever!