Plot: What’s it about?
One of four major superhero movies released this past summer, Days of Future Past had a lot riding on it prior to its release. The Director Bryan Singer faced some serious accusations, this is the seventh film in the series and it dealt with a tricky time-travel plot that might’ve fallen apart in the wrong hands. The good news is that it’s a very worthy film, and one of the better installments in this long-running franchise. These films have been fairly consistent, but the first misguided Wolverine solo entry left a lot of fans doubtful that this series could continue much more. 2011’s First Class was a small step in the right direction and it tried to offer a fresh spin on things. Last year’s The Wolverine got a few things right, but I am glad to see this film put more emphasis on the other mutants as well as Wolverine. It’s also great to have Singer back as the director. The film was a huge hit with both audiences and critics this past summer. I am more than ready for the next installment.
I admit that I was one of the biggest skeptics going into this film. It’s just something about the time travel element that hardly sits well with me. In truth: The plot is a bit more complicated on paper than it plays out. It’s a surprisingly involving film that’s aided by a strong cast and Singer’s steady direction. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is sent back to the early 70’s to stop Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from murdering Dr. Trask (Peter Dinklage). He has created machines known as the Sentinels. Their goal is to eliminate all mutants and the humans hoping to help them as well. Mystique did in fact murder Trask, but the goal of sending Wolverine back in time is in hopes of stopping her. After the assassination, Mystique was captured and her DNA was used by Trask’s company. Clearly, this isn’t something the mutants want happening. Once again James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender return as Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto, respectively. There are many surprises in the film, and those are best left to the viewer to see. One of the highlights is a prison break scene where Wolverine and a few pals break Erik out of prison with the help of Quicksilver (Evan Peters). The climax involving Erik moving a football stadium is nothing short of amazing.
After two viewings, Days of Future Past holds up very well. It’s easy to see why Singer wanted to use the time travel element. It gives him the options to pretty much do anything since he can manipulate virtually any element at this point. There’s a lot to love about this film; they successfully recreate the 1970’s, the plot is involving and the pace moves along quickly for a film that’s over 2 hours. With so many positives, I can’t really find anything negative to report. This should please all X-men fans as well as the more casual fans. It’s not just a fun blockbuster film, but also one that’s smarter than most as well. You might be getting superhero fatigue lately, but this one is well worth checking out if you haven’t seen it yet. Highly Recommended.
The big addition here is the all new “Rogue Cut” of the film. There are several subtle changes throughout this cut. I’m not sure if it’s a game changer, but it’s still nice to see the differences. They’re fairly small changes that I think this is the cut that I’ll return to on future viewings. Fans can be thankful that the theatrical cut is also included in this package. Both cuts of the film (along with an old and new commentary track) are on disc one with new features on the second disc. The chapter section on the main menu indicates new and alternate scenes. This is helpful for those wanting to know, or those who want to jump directly to the new footage.
Video: How’s it look?
The first Blu-ray already looked excellent and this repeats that. Rest assured that the new footage is seamless and looks as great as the other scenes. There’s really nothing to complain about here. Details are consistently strong as well as nice, bold colors. The scenes set during the 70’s lack the “pop” of the modern days ones, but this was likely intentional. It’s not a problem, but it is noticeable. Still, the transfer is first rate and will please fans. The image (on both cuts) is AVC encoded with a 2.40:1 ratio.
Audio: How’s it sound?
We get a very robust DTS HD 7.1 track. It leaves no stone unturned as it offers a constantly enjoyable experience. Even if you don’t have the most elaborate setup, you won’t be disappointed. Vocals are always crisp and the channels all get plenty of usage here. The bass kicks in more than a few occasions as well. There are plenty of scenes involving background noise and that only enhances the experience as it makes the viewer feel as if they’re right there.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Here’s what fans need to know before purchasing this set. It doesn’t duplicate the extras from the previous edition. I no longer have the first edition, but this set has more than enough quality extras. Whether the new cut and new extras are enough to justify a double dip is up to the individual. For those that don’t own either version, I think this set is the way to go. Not only do you get both cuts of the film, you still get some great features. There’s also a 3D version out there, but I can’t comment on it.
- Audio Commentary – We get two tracks. One is with Director Bryan Singer and the Producer/Writer Simon Kinberg. There’s also a new commentary track for the Rogue Cut. Singer provides his thoughts for that track along with Composer/Editor John Ottoman. Both tracks are worth listening and provide good notes. I enjoyed hearing thoughts on the new cut.
- Mutants Vs. Machine – This is broken into 9 smaller segments, all discussing various topics. I particularly liked the bit about the new cut as well as what’s next for the X-Menfranchise. Also interesting is the discussion that Director Matthew Vaughn wasn’t able to return for this chapter.
- X-Men: Unguarded (30:11) – This is a roundtable style feature that includes interviews with the cast and crew. There’s a lot of ground covered and fans will want to give it a look.
- Gallery – This includes Storyboards and Costumes and Concept Art
- Fantastic Four Sneak Peak – This is essentially an extended promo for the film. It includes some short interviews with the cast of crew for the upcoming film.
- HD Digital Copy
The Bottom Line
One of the better X-Men films, fans will love being able to check out the new cut. It’s nothing drastically different, but it’s well worth watching. The question for most fans will be whether it’s worth double dipping for. I’ll leave that up to the consumer, but this set won’t disappoint regardless.
