SPOILER ALERT!
You've been warned.
Two years before the world was dazzled by a man in red-blue spandex body suit web-swinging across Manhattan in 2002, a bunch of "human with superhuman ability", known as "mutant", had already saved the world from evil mutants who wanted to change the world leaders into mutant. Don't get it confused with the monstrous lizard who wanted to change people into lizards. That was from a different universe and different timeline. My point is, even though the critically and commercially successful Raimi's Spider-Man was largely considered as the one film that marks the rise of superhero genre, I think we should never neglect X-Men for it, along with Blade, was the first serious modern superhero film since Hollywood stopped making Superman films.
As a matter of fact, judging from today's outcome I strongly believe that X-Men franchise reigns supreme. And that fact would be the newest installment: Days of Future Past. As mind-boggling as the title is, Days of Future Past has gone to a place that no franchise has gone before. Whoever is in charge of the development for this film series, they're doing it the right way.
X-Men: First Class emerged in the midst of reboot wave, presenting itself as seemingly a reboot to the X-Men cinematic universe, by casting younger actors and taking the timeline back several decades. No one complained, because this reboot rules. And then came along X-Men: Days of Future Past, its direct sequel, so fresh and groundbreaking, as if saying to the audience, "Hey look, we reboot the X-Men story. LOL nope JK." [insert some meme face here]
What could a running superhero franchise possibly do to undo the damage its previous installment has done and at the same time make the supposedly reboot become relevant to the rest of the story that precedes it?
The answer is, time travel, baby!
Not just some time travel, but a time travel done right. Like how it's done in this film. Let's not overthink how Kitty Pryde ended up having the power to send someone's consciousness back in time. Really, some minor bug like that could easily be outweighed by the good things. Like I always say, no movie is perfect. It's just how the bads and the goods will add up to. Clever storyline, check!
But the genius of this film doesn't stop at being able to mess with your mind, it also succeeds to capture your heart. Powerful acting by the cast ensemble, check! Believable
I've said it and I'll say it again. Sometimes we like a film not because it is so great, but simply because it can connect you to the past. Like how this film supposedly will change the course of what has happened so far in the previous films. Like HOW IT SUPPOSEDLY WILL BRING BACK SCOTT SUMMERS TO LIFE. As shallow as it is, we miss the old crew, don’t we? Scott, Jean, Storm... hell, even I miss The Iceman. I squealed when Bobby Drake, played by the same actor as in the original trilogy, is seen kicking ass very early in the film. My heart jumped out of my chest when Famke Janssen and James Marsden appeared, alive and well, toward the end when the future has been reconstructed.
I mean, wow, Brian Singers. Just wow. You have touched my cinephile heart in a way that other films can't. You give the original cast a proper send-off before moving on with the new cast and new story in now an alternate timeline. Very brilliant. So much thought and care has been given here and it shows. I wish more franchises would have been given as much thought and care. I am looking at you directly in the eye, Sony.
