Ensign Lestat's Film Log, 31/05/14
Where do you start when you've heard so much, and you expect so little? X-Men: First Class was such a disaster, despite the fact that it put James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender on the stardom map.
So, I expected less than nothing for X-Men: Days of Future Past. DOFP is high on my list of enjoyable storylines, more so than the Phoenix Saga, probably because I'm a female comic book fan, so the gaze can be very jarring for me. And considering First Class was terribly focused on pleasing only one half of the audience, I was expecting the worst from DOFP.
Anyone who's been following the cinematic adaptations can guess that there would have to be a deviation from the original comic book storyline. But, enough conjecture, down to the real thing. Warning, I'm the king of spoilers, so be warned, read no further if you've not seen the film.
DOFP is a fan favourite storyline that sees Kitty Pryde from 2013 transfer her consciousness into her younger self with the sole purpose of diverting a terrible war that would cost a lot of lives; mutant lives to be exact.
The film follows a similar routine, but this time, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) goes back in time, while Kitty (Ellen Page) becomes the sender. Giving her a secondary role is a bit of a kick in the chest for most readers (especially female ones, who anyway have a limited choice in female heroes), but is utterly plausible given the cinematic circumstances.
Wolvie goes back to 1973 to enlist the help of young Professor Xavier (McAvoy) and young Magneto (Fassie) to stop young Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence). All these young people turn out to be a proper handful, barring the young Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult minus his annoying mannerisms), who has a level head on him.
Wolvie remains our main source of amusement and entertainment and drives the two parallel narratives. While not much happens in the future timeline, things are apace in 1973. Mystique makes her move, Mags is sprung from jail, courtesy the smart talking devil-may-care Quicksilver (Evan Peters) and Xavier faces his demons. All the while Wolvie tries to keep it together and complete his mission.
There's something to be said about the man behind it all. The hand that gave life to the cinematic franchise certainly has a knack for understanding the characters and the audience. Bryan Singer is part of the reason comic book films have become so popular. What could have been a campy mess, the X-Men movie of 2000 delighted audiences and fans alike, giving rise to a new age of summer blockbusters.
With the narrowed down supporting cast in the '70s, we don't have a lot of errant plot lines to cover. A lot of the original cast are already dead in this film, actually, which is actually a real shocker, as most play much larger roles in the comics. Especially Banshee, who is Moira's partner in the comics, so that's a bit of a shock.
Not everything was perfect with this film, of course. How could it be. I would have loved if the future characters had a given storyline of their own, rather than just standing about in the hopes of Wolvie succeeding. But that very closely follows the comics, where the others die off-panel, with only Rachel Summers protecting Kitty's body.
Also, a lot of the characters we later glimpse, didn't get any other scenes. Rogue was supposed to be an integral part of the future story, but her role was cut due to time constraints. However, someone forgot to fix the end credits, because Anna Paquin's name comes before a lot of other actors. Oops.
Also, I didn't quite see the point of bringing back Alex Summers (Lucas Till) for a cameo in the film, unless it was to assure us that the other Summers brother was still alive, and may play a role in the third film of the franchise.
As I said, I went in expecting the worst of the worst. I was so concerned about the output, that the thought of bringing along the parents was a nightmare. But, having seen the film now, I wish we'd made it a family affair, like the original X-Men trilogy. This film has got rave reviews with people hailing it as the best comic book film yet.
I reserve my judgement on that because my inclination is still toward Captain America: The Winter Soldier - that film has changed the way comic book films should be. But DOFP rates very, very high. In fact, had Cyclops been the main protagonist (okay, I know that's impossible, but one can dream) this film would undoubtedly have been my favourite of all time.
I didn't feel like DOFP did anything very different from the comic book films that have gone before it, but what sets it apart is the fact that it did a lot right. We still have the issue of next to no female characters (Mystique's the only woman with a significant role), and the '70s cast has zero diversity (while the future timeline is beautifully diverse). Some people are upset that the series now extinguishes The Last Stand. X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Wolverine but it doesn't, because those incidents still took place, and they are still remembered by Wolvie even in the new timeline. Retconning is part and parcel of comic books, and if it makes sense and fits into the cinematic universe, then I gladly accept.
It also helps that this retconning has brought back from the dead two of the characters my sister and I dearly loved from the original trilogy. The death of Cyclops (James Marsden) in The Last Stand almost ruined the whole film for me. And both of Jean Grey's (Famke Janssen) deaths were canon, but painful losses to the franchise. Bringing them back, but keeping it a secret is great way to keep hopes for the franchise alive.
The end credits scene is the icing on this gorgeous cake. El Sabah Nur is building his flock. The third film has already been announced. It will be about Apocalypse. Rumours are rife about who'll be in it. The excitement is palpable. Be still my beating heart, there's a long way to go still.
Where do you start when you've heard so much, and you expect so little? X-Men: First Class was such a disaster, despite the fact that it put James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender on the stardom map.
Anyone who's been following the cinematic adaptations can guess that there would have to be a deviation from the original comic book storyline. But, enough conjecture, down to the real thing. Warning, I'm the king of spoilers, so be warned, read no further if you've not seen the film.
DOFP is a fan favourite storyline that sees Kitty Pryde from 2013 transfer her consciousness into her younger self with the sole purpose of diverting a terrible war that would cost a lot of lives; mutant lives to be exact.
The film follows a similar routine, but this time, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) goes back in time, while Kitty (Ellen Page) becomes the sender. Giving her a secondary role is a bit of a kick in the chest for most readers (especially female ones, who anyway have a limited choice in female heroes), but is utterly plausible given the cinematic circumstances.
Wolvie goes back to 1973 to enlist the help of young Professor Xavier (McAvoy) and young Magneto (Fassie) to stop young Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence). All these young people turn out to be a proper handful, barring the young Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult minus his annoying mannerisms), who has a level head on him.
Wolvie remains our main source of amusement and entertainment and drives the two parallel narratives. While not much happens in the future timeline, things are apace in 1973. Mystique makes her move, Mags is sprung from jail, courtesy the smart talking devil-may-care Quicksilver (Evan Peters) and Xavier faces his demons. All the while Wolvie tries to keep it together and complete his mission.
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| Prison break - X-Men style. |
He didn't always succeed, of course. His Superman Returns was an unmitigated flop with critics and fans, though my sister and I rate it as one of our guilty pleasures.
But his departure from the X-Men franchise led to the uneven and universally reviled X-Men: The Last Stand. I kinda liked that film to be honest, except for the part where they killed off my beloved Cyclops and gave Phoenix very little to do. Another guilty pleasure I guess.
As is obvious by now, I am a big fan of Singer's work, and I've seen a lot of his films. DOFP is the icing on the cake of his work, and I nearly gave the film a miss.
The recent reports that have surfaced about Singer's behaviour really made me question whether I should go for the film at all - wouldn't it, by extension, mean that I was condoning his behaviour? But I finally decided to take a cue from the LGBT community that supported the release of Ender's Game and decided that it wasn't worth it to ignore a film just for its director.
I am so glad that I gave this movie a chance. It did a lot right, and most importantly, it felt like an X-Men
film. Some films just have a style and an essence attached to them. All of Singer's X films have a similar feel to them. Which is why DOFP feels more like part 3 of the original trilogy, rather than a sequel to FC. It's insane, but by the end of the film, you feel like this is how the trilogy would have ended if Singer hadn't jumped ship and Ratner been given the job.
This isn't surprising however, considering that was partially the intention of the creators of DOFP. When my sister and I watched FC, we told ourselves that all of it could be ignored because this was an alternate timeline. Singer and his crew did a great deal of research to make their time travel concept viable. On IMDb, it says that Singer believes in multiverses - he doesn't need to, by dint of being a comic book franchise, any audience member can easily believe that. How many alternate universes have we read (and in each one Wolvie loses the girl and ends up alone)? So, the time travel theory works fine in the film. Retconning a lot of the events also works, because they're working parallel to each other. We're cool with it - comic book nerds like that kind of thing.
But I've been basking too long in ambiguity. If it's not obvious by now, let me tell you that this film is something special. It gives us, the fans, a lot to love and to fall in love with. But it also gives the average layman a lot to enjoy and think about.
In the future, mutants and potential parents of mutant progeny are rounded up and herded into concentration camps. Humans who try to help these mutants are also locked up. There is no life, there is only war. We see the kind of violence perpetrated, when a gang of X-Men - Warpath (Booboo Stewart), Blink (Bingbing Fan), Kitty Pryde, Bishop (Omar Sy), Colossus (Daniel Cudmore), Sunspot (Adan Canto) and Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) try to fend off a group of sentinels.
We learn that Kitty has developed a secondary mutation of phasing others through time. This band of X-Men scout for potential sentinel attacks and then go back in time to warn themselves and others.
This is when she is contacted by Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) who brings along his imposing posse, Magneto (Ian McKellen), Storm (Halle Berry) and Wolverine. Their plan is to go back in time and annihilate the existence of the sentinel program even before its begun. Xavier pinpoints the date and location when this timeline became possible - the Paris peace talks in 1973 where Mystique shoots and kills Boliver Trask (Peter Dinklage), thus issuing in the threat of mutants. Xavier wants to go back in time, but as he can't make the journey, Wolverine volunteers.
Once in '73, Wolverine has a tough time of it convincing Xavier, a battered man, who's lost so much, he's currently addicted to a serum created by Hank that gives him the ability to walk but takes away his powers. But they eventually team up, and enlist the help of Quicksilver who breaks out Magneto (and hints that indeed he may be Magneto's son).
Once together, Erik and Charles don't miss a beat in blaming each other for the current circumstances and proving who exactly is in the right. Neither of them are, actually. While they avert Mystique's plans in Paris, they aren't able to stop her. Despite being injured by Magneto, she remains set on her goal to kill Trask. Erik goes on his own mission, which is later revealed to us, while Charles finally gives up on the serum, and starts exercising his powers again.
In the end, Mystique makes the right choice, and the future is changed. But that's not all, the future is a much better one for our mutant companions.
From the past we only have four of the original cast members - Charles, Erik, Raven and Hank. They were by far the most fleshed out characters in FC and they're valuable characters in this film. However, where the comic book DOFP was nestled in the 'current' events of the '70s, the film DOFP takes its cue from the 'future', because it's the actual present and those are the characters and actors we know and love so well.
The beauty of the story is how Singer and Simon Kinberg use the dynamics between characters to move the plot and our hearts along. Charles and Erik have been at war for as long as we've known them, but in the future an outside war brings them together. Throughout, Wolvie reminds the young ones of 1973 that they eventually come together, and together they make the decision to send him, to fix the future. This is a recurring theme in the comics as well, the heroes and villains often combine forces for a mission or two, and then split up and go back to business. Young Erik and Charles start out together, split up, are brought together again by Wolvie in this film, before Erik does what he does best, betrays them, and they're at logger heads again.
There's also the dynamic between Wolvie and young Charles. Wolvie is a man who threw their offer of joining the original X-Men in Erik and Charles' faces in FC. Here he must convince Charles to go out there and save the world again. As older Xavier says, the tables will turn in 1973, and Wolvie has to do for Charles what Charles once did for Wolvie. This beautiful dynamic plays out brilliantly throughout the film, especially because of the friendly chemistry that Hugh and Mac cultivate with each other. Wolvie has to be patient with the wild Xavier. It also shows us how much Wolvie has grown from the man we first met in the 2000 film.
I am still not convinced by Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique. There is something lacking in her portrayal and I do not know if that is because of her extreme youth (as compared to the rest of the cast) or my innate bias. I don't think it's bias, I think the trouble really is that her youth makes the character less plausible. Yes, Mystique ages differently from the rest, but there's a determination and surety that her character needs that Lawrence does not exude. I have always loved Rebecca Romijn's Mystique. She was energetic, athletic and most importantly mature. That lack of maturity seriously impacts the credibility of the character that is the central antagonist of this film. Without Mystique there would be no story, but with this Mystique we are often pulled out of the story.
There are a lot of standout and memorable moments in this film, though it certainly lacks a great deal of the action that we got used to in the original trilogy. The most physical fights belong to Mystique, who is in battle pretty much every time we see her. Mags uses his powers sparingly, as does Wolvie.
The memorable action set pieces are reserved for the future timeline. With Blink's portals, Colossus' metal exoskeleton, Sunspot and Bobby's fire and ice powers, as well as Bishop's superpowered weapons, we have some spectacular action sequences. Once the original team arrive, their sole set piece is one of power, intellect and, above all, heart. Singer makes sure that you are torn apart by the destruction of these characters, and it's painful to watch the way all of them (including Wolvie in 1973) are killed or almost killed. That sequence is up there with the 'Order 66' sequence in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith - characters that you've grown attached to, are torn from you in the most hideous ways possible.
However, one of the most outstanding scenes is the meeting between old and young Charles. It's memorable because the two actors try and channel each other and there is a lot of mutual respect that each version feels for each other; each looks to the other for hope. I wish they had left this seminal moment out of the trailers. I never saw the trailer, but unfortunately it was a screenshot that could be seen all over the internet. Marketing movies has got to be overhauled if any surprise is to be kept alive.
But, it's not just the doom and gloom that makes this film attractive. There's plenty of humour, especially in the beginning and usually around Wolvie. Evan Peters, in his scenes, brings in an energetic vibe - he's sassy and funny. He doesn't look anything like Quicksilver in the comics, however, and I don't really know why the casting directors aren't bothering to look for someone who actually looks the part. Having said that, he certainly wears the character well.
I've mentioned already there's plenty of heart in this film. That's because the acting is mesmeric. I know, it's a comic book film, how much could they possibly have to do, but they do enough, if not more, to drag you in and make you care.
I like the choice of Dinklage as Trask. I've not seen Game of Thrones so can't comment how great he is in that, but he is a very stoic and determined Trask, and called to mind the comic book character, even though he looks nothing like him.
James McAvoy as the desolate Charles Xavier is so utterly beautiful and vulnerable, yet so exasperating. The sorrow in his eyes as he remembers the child Raven to the absolute rage and pathos with which he confronts Erik for abandoning him, makes you fall in love with this character. It looks like McAvoy really enjoys playing this character, and it would be lovely to see more of him again.
Fassie doesn't get to exercise is acting chops much in this film. His few moments with Charles are where he comes alive the most. There is genuine anger and disgust when he retorts to Charles' confrontation. I'd give him an Oscar just for that scene. He makes you see it clearly from Erik's point of view, one that we can't help but sympathise with. Let's also not forget that he is an exquisite beauty, and though he enters the stage a good thirty minutes into the film, we are immediately reminded why we fell in love with him in the first place - because he's beautiful that's why. Oscar nomination? What nomination?
There were next to no McFassy moments in this film, which is a huge pity because the two of them have an electrifying chemistry that beats all others (okay, not all others, but a lot of others). I believe we could have done with the two of them sorting out some of the issues that they were left with in FC. It's been ten years since their last meeting, you'd think they'd have a fair amount to fight out. But bar that one scene on the plane, they do not get the chance to confront their mutual demons.
The really glorious scenes come from the veteran stalwarts Stewart and McKellen. They don't have much to do, but their scenes together are electric as well as touching. Nothing quite breaks your heart as much as when older Magneto wishes to take back some of the years they've spent fighting each other. And then he and Charles shake hands, ready to die together as friends. It's a tearjerker that one.
Hugh is brillaint as always as Wolverine, though he doesn't get to take his claws out much in the film. He is unimaginably attractive dressed in '70s clothes, which makes me wonder why he doesn't do more of those kinds of films. He is so beautiful in this film, that I can't remember if he did a good job with the acting. He's Wolverine, let's leave it at that.
The recent reports that have surfaced about Singer's behaviour really made me question whether I should go for the film at all - wouldn't it, by extension, mean that I was condoning his behaviour? But I finally decided to take a cue from the LGBT community that supported the release of Ender's Game and decided that it wasn't worth it to ignore a film just for its director.
I am so glad that I gave this movie a chance. It did a lot right, and most importantly, it felt like an X-Men
film. Some films just have a style and an essence attached to them. All of Singer's X films have a similar feel to them. Which is why DOFP feels more like part 3 of the original trilogy, rather than a sequel to FC. It's insane, but by the end of the film, you feel like this is how the trilogy would have ended if Singer hadn't jumped ship and Ratner been given the job.
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| Sentinels. It always comes down to the sentinels. |
But I've been basking too long in ambiguity. If it's not obvious by now, let me tell you that this film is something special. It gives us, the fans, a lot to love and to fall in love with. But it also gives the average layman a lot to enjoy and think about.
In the future, mutants and potential parents of mutant progeny are rounded up and herded into concentration camps. Humans who try to help these mutants are also locked up. There is no life, there is only war. We see the kind of violence perpetrated, when a gang of X-Men - Warpath (Booboo Stewart), Blink (Bingbing Fan), Kitty Pryde, Bishop (Omar Sy), Colossus (Daniel Cudmore), Sunspot (Adan Canto) and Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) try to fend off a group of sentinels.
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| The future - Sunspot, Shadowkat, Iceman and Colossus. |
This is when she is contacted by Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) who brings along his imposing posse, Magneto (Ian McKellen), Storm (Halle Berry) and Wolverine. Their plan is to go back in time and annihilate the existence of the sentinel program even before its begun. Xavier pinpoints the date and location when this timeline became possible - the Paris peace talks in 1973 where Mystique shoots and kills Boliver Trask (Peter Dinklage), thus issuing in the threat of mutants. Xavier wants to go back in time, but as he can't make the journey, Wolverine volunteers.
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| The original team (and Blink) reunite. |
Once together, Erik and Charles don't miss a beat in blaming each other for the current circumstances and proving who exactly is in the right. Neither of them are, actually. While they avert Mystique's plans in Paris, they aren't able to stop her. Despite being injured by Magneto, she remains set on her goal to kill Trask. Erik goes on his own mission, which is later revealed to us, while Charles finally gives up on the serum, and starts exercising his powers again.
In the end, Mystique makes the right choice, and the future is changed. But that's not all, the future is a much better one for our mutant companions.
What brings this story alive is not just the plot, but the exquisite characters. The makers have an easier job than usual because these characters are known to us and we already love them. But as each one pops up with familiar names and faces, the fan in you does emerge. My sister and I really were fangirling throughout the film, excitedly calling out the names of the characters as they emerged on screen. It was embarrassing, but you may not be able to contain your excitement on seeing these people.
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| You have to ask yourself, who's not in this movie? Thanks, whoever made this. |
There's also the dynamic between Wolvie and young Charles. Wolvie is a man who threw their offer of joining the original X-Men in Erik and Charles' faces in FC. Here he must convince Charles to go out there and save the world again. As older Xavier says, the tables will turn in 1973, and Wolvie has to do for Charles what Charles once did for Wolvie. This beautiful dynamic plays out brilliantly throughout the film, especially because of the friendly chemistry that Hugh and Mac cultivate with each other. Wolvie has to be patient with the wild Xavier. It also shows us how much Wolvie has grown from the man we first met in the 2000 film.
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| Wolvie and young Charles - they get along. No seriously, they do. |
There are a lot of standout and memorable moments in this film, though it certainly lacks a great deal of the action that we got used to in the original trilogy. The most physical fights belong to Mystique, who is in battle pretty much every time we see her. Mags uses his powers sparingly, as does Wolvie.
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| At one point Wolvie bashes people with a frying pan. And here Erik uses a gun. Beast just stands about. |
However, one of the most outstanding scenes is the meeting between old and young Charles. It's memorable because the two actors try and channel each other and there is a lot of mutual respect that each version feels for each other; each looks to the other for hope. I wish they had left this seminal moment out of the trailers. I never saw the trailer, but unfortunately it was a screenshot that could be seen all over the internet. Marketing movies has got to be overhauled if any surprise is to be kept alive.
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| This is the seminal moment in the film when James McAvoy shows off his long locks and big blue eyes... Oh, no wait, this is when the two Xaviers meet each other. Oops. My bad. |
I've mentioned already there's plenty of heart in this film. That's because the acting is mesmeric. I know, it's a comic book film, how much could they possibly have to do, but they do enough, if not more, to drag you in and make you care.
I like the choice of Dinklage as Trask. I've not seen Game of Thrones so can't comment how great he is in that, but he is a very stoic and determined Trask, and called to mind the comic book character, even though he looks nothing like him.
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| Boliver Trask |
Fassie doesn't get to exercise is acting chops much in this film. His few moments with Charles are where he comes alive the most. There is genuine anger and disgust when he retorts to Charles' confrontation. I'd give him an Oscar just for that scene. He makes you see it clearly from Erik's point of view, one that we can't help but sympathise with. Let's also not forget that he is an exquisite beauty, and though he enters the stage a good thirty minutes into the film, we are immediately reminded why we fell in love with him in the first place - because he's beautiful that's why. Oscar nomination? What nomination?
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| Mesmerising!!!! And that's just his mugshot. |
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| Just not enough of these two together. |
Hugh is brillaint as always as Wolverine, though he doesn't get to take his claws out much in the film. He is unimaginably attractive dressed in '70s clothes, which makes me wonder why he doesn't do more of those kinds of films. He is so beautiful in this film, that I can't remember if he did a good job with the acting. He's Wolverine, let's leave it at that.
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| This was totally acceptable '70s attire. |
Not everything was perfect with this film, of course. How could it be. I would have loved if the future characters had a given storyline of their own, rather than just standing about in the hopes of Wolvie succeeding. But that very closely follows the comics, where the others die off-panel, with only Rachel Summers protecting Kitty's body.
Also, a lot of the characters we later glimpse, didn't get any other scenes. Rogue was supposed to be an integral part of the future story, but her role was cut due to time constraints. However, someone forgot to fix the end credits, because Anna Paquin's name comes before a lot of other actors. Oops.
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| Bobby, Kitty, Hank and Ororo. |
As I said, I went in expecting the worst of the worst. I was so concerned about the output, that the thought of bringing along the parents was a nightmare. But, having seen the film now, I wish we'd made it a family affair, like the original X-Men trilogy. This film has got rave reviews with people hailing it as the best comic book film yet.
I reserve my judgement on that because my inclination is still toward Captain America: The Winter Soldier - that film has changed the way comic book films should be. But DOFP rates very, very high. In fact, had Cyclops been the main protagonist (okay, I know that's impossible, but one can dream) this film would undoubtedly have been my favourite of all time.
I didn't feel like DOFP did anything very different from the comic book films that have gone before it, but what sets it apart is the fact that it did a lot right. We still have the issue of next to no female characters (Mystique's the only woman with a significant role), and the '70s cast has zero diversity (while the future timeline is beautifully diverse). Some people are upset that the series now extinguishes The Last Stand. X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Wolverine but it doesn't, because those incidents still took place, and they are still remembered by Wolvie even in the new timeline. Retconning is part and parcel of comic books, and if it makes sense and fits into the cinematic universe, then I gladly accept.
It also helps that this retconning has brought back from the dead two of the characters my sister and I dearly loved from the original trilogy. The death of Cyclops (James Marsden) in The Last Stand almost ruined the whole film for me. And both of Jean Grey's (Famke Janssen) deaths were canon, but painful losses to the franchise. Bringing them back, but keeping it a secret is great way to keep hopes for the franchise alive.
The end credits scene is the icing on this gorgeous cake. El Sabah Nur is building his flock. The third film has already been announced. It will be about Apocalypse. Rumours are rife about who'll be in it. The excitement is palpable. Be still my beating heart, there's a long way to go still.
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| Just to remind you, we are likely to meet a version of this guy in two years time. Sweet dreams. :) |
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