X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

DIRECTED BY

Bryan Singer

STARRING

James McAvoy - Professor Charles Xavier/ Professor X

Michael Fassbender - Erik Lehnsherr/ Magneto

Jennifer Lawrence - Raven Darkholme/ Mystique

Oscar Isaac - En Sabah Nur/ Apocalypse

Nicholas Hoult - Hank McCoy/ Beast

Rose Byrne - Moira MacTaggert

Tye Sheridan - Scott Summers/ Cyclops

Sophie Turner - Jean Grey/ Phoenix

Olivia Munn - Elizabeth Braddock/ Psylocke

Lucas Till - Alex Summers/ Havok

Evan Peters - Peter Maximoff/ Quicksilver

Kodi Smit-McPhee - Kurt Wagner/ Nightcrawler

Alexandra Shipp - Ororo Munroe/ Storm

Josh Helman - William Stryker

Ben Hardy - Warren Worthingston III/ Angel/ Archangel

Genre - Action/Adventure/Science Fiction/Fantasy/Comic Books

Running Time - 144 Minutes

PLOT

Ten years have gone by since the events of DAYS OF FUTURE PAST - Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) has turned the School for Gifted Youngers into a place for mutants to embrace their powers and be educated at a safe place. Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) is now considered a mutant hero, even though she refuses to live her life that way. Magneto (Michael Fassbender) has started a new life in Poland with a wife and daughter.

While they are trying to build new lives for themselves, the resurrection of the first and one of the most powerful mutants, En Sabah Nur/ Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac), bares potential for armageddon as he wants pure world domination. He gathers his Four Horsemen - Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Psylocke (Olivia Munn), Angel (Ben Hardy), and Magneto [whose wife and daughter are murdered after his past is unfortunately revealed]. Apocalypse decides to use Xavier as a conduit to let everyone in on his plans, as well as preserve Xavier’s body for a transfer to maintain his corporal form. Now led by Mystique and Beast (Nicholas Hoult), they recruit a new set of X-Men - Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), Quicksilver (Evan Peters), and Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee) - to combat the new threat and stop the world from being turned into Apocalypse’s image.

REVIEW

HITS

• The great cast. Many have come out since X-MEN: APOCALYPSE was released, stating that the actors and actresses in the film were pretty much wasted. Yes, some of the actors don’t get to do much, which is a damn shame. But even so, I think the cast do very well with the material they’re given, with not one bad performance in the bunch.

       There are too many cast members to go through, so I’ll just highlight a few. Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, and Jennifer Lawrence all return, being able to play their respective roles in their sleep. Fassbender, though, is the star of this bunch. He’s given the best material, crafting a fully dimensional character whose tragic life influences his decisions, both good and bad. Fassbender captures every single emotion perfectly throughout the film - his happiness when he feels normal, his sadness and anger when his world is taken away from him by accident, and his regret when he begins to realize that destroying the world around him is not going to change the past and take away the pain. Just really great stuff. Lawrence plays Raven more than Mystique [she must have gotten tired of the make up], but she does well. Hoult is still funny as the geeky Beast, while McAvoy is still the conscience of the film as Xavier. Add in Rose Byrne as the returning Moira MacTaggert, who doesn’t remember her role in FIRST CLASS to amusing moments, and you got a solid crew here.

      For the new crew, Sophie Turner is pretty great as Jean Grey, playing the character as stoic and wise beyond her years while afraid to unleash the full potential of her powers. Kodi Smit-McPhee is a surprising delight as Nightcrawler, being the comic relief of the film and working very well with the other actors. You’d really believe he’d grow up to become the Alan Cumming version of the character from X2. Alexandra Shipp is a more believable Storm than Halle Berry ever was, even though Shipp unfortunately doesn’t get more to do. Olivia Munn looks great as Psylocke, but not much else. But she handles herself well during the final act.

     Evan Peters returns as Quicksilver, expanding his character in a way that will probably be important in future installments. He’s part of another X-MEN film highlight, and you can tell he’s having a blast playing the character. And Oscar Isaac is a good Apocalypse, although I wish his character was more than just “I want to conquer the world now” villain. Still, he carries himself very well in the role and I liked that he tried to ham it up a bit. I still think he was a great choice for the role, but the script could have handled the character a bit stronger.

• The visuals. While some CGI is troublesome at certain points - I felt like I was watching a cartoon sometimes - the direction and special effects are good for the most part. X-MEN: APOCALYPSE is probably the X-MEN film that felt the most like its comic book counterpart. It’s very colorful, capturing a 1980s feel at times with shots of Pac-Man arcade machines, perms, pastels, shoulder pads, and Jubilee. The Quicksilver slow-mo scene where he’s saving everyone inside the X-Mansion is another stunner, perfectly set to the tune of Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”. While the last Quicksilver set piece was great, I felt that this one was more fun. The final act is pretty chaotic, but in an entertaining way, as the characters unleash their powers in various ways. The characters looked like their comic book characters for the most part, which was a vast improvement over past X-MEN films - especially those films from the original trilogy.

       I will admit that the middle portion does drag a bit somewhat. Plus there are multiple scenes with Mystique and Nightcrawler teleporting that ruined the flow and pacing for me during the first act, making me question when the hell these scenes were taking place since the rest of the film was moving forward in time. But overall, I thought Bryan Singer did a commendable job juggling a vast amount of characters and keeping it coherent for the most part.

• Weapon X. The Wolverine cameo in APOCALYPSE is one of those moments that you’ll either like or you’ll either hate. I was torn where to put this moment since I do feel it was shoehorned into the story just to have Hugh Jackman portray the character one more time to bring in audiences. We saw this moment in deeper length in X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE. But it was great to see Wolverine wearing the classic Weapon X head gear, and watch him go in full berserker mode with blood even involved. And the Jean moment with Logan is an interesting one, as it deepens their connection for the future. So yeah - it was a forced moment that didn’t need to be in this movie. But it was fun - and the best part? I don’t need to watch X-MEN ORIGINS again because of it since it’s in a better movie. So thanks for that!

• The potential for some cool stuff in the future. I think the real reason for X-MEN: APOCALYPSE is still introduce characters for another trilogy. Cyclops, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, and Storm are now together again. One character unleashes their full power, most likely leading to the next sequel which will supposedly take place in space, as well as recreating the angle of THE LAST STAND in a more faithful way. And the end credits unveil the next major villain - a villain I’ve been anticipating since these films became a success. X-MEN is not my favorite comic book movie franchise, but the future has me excited for stuff we haven’t seen in an X-MEN movie before. So that’s a plus.

CONS

• A cliche narrative. X-MEN: APOCALYPSE is a blast to watch unfold on screen. But how many times can we have a comic book movie where a villain just wants to destroy the world to change it into his or her image? This year alone, we’ve had three superhero films where the villains were more personal antagonists, not foes who were overly power hungry. It’s your typical good-vs-evil film that’s pretty generic and predictable. If you have no clue how this film will end, you probably never read a book or watched a movie a day in your life.

       It also didn’t help that a lot of characters didn’t get much development, due to the amount of them. What is Psylocke’s story? How come Angel was portrayed much better in THE LAST STAND than here? Why not explore Storm more? I also kind of wish Apocalypse had appeared in previous films, just to establish him as a more epic and dangerous villain. He mostly just stood around for the most part. Marvel has an issues with their villains in these films, and APOCALYPSE is no exception. Still, I had fun with the narrative, even if it has been done to death.

• Continuity issues. As a stand alone film, APOCALYPSE is fine timeline wise. But as a person who has seen every one of these films, I keep wondering why certain characters appear younger in this timeline, but were older in the previous timeline - and vice-versa. Are you telling me that in the original trilogy that Jubilee was a 30 year old student, because she’s clearly represented here as a teenager? Same with Angel. Why is William Stryker younger in 1983 than he was in X-MEN ORIGINS? Same with Charles Xavier. Do Magneto and Xavier even age? Even Moira looks great after 20 years. I understand that in the last X-MEN film, Beast claimed that the timeline will eventually lead to the same future, no matter how much you try and change it. That’s a great excuse, but you also have to explain why this timeline is so convoluted. I guess I’m not supposed to think that deep about this, but it’s tough after you’ve watched all the films days before this movie.

THE FINAL HOWL

Not everyone is going to like X-MEN: APOCALYPSE. Some might find it too long. Some may think the actors and/or characters were wasted. The CGI won’t work for everyone. And yes, the narrative is pretty cliche and tired by this point. X-MEN: APOCALYPSE is definitely a flawed film that has nagging issues you can’t ignore. But even so, I had a lot of fun with this film. It felt like a comic book brought to life, with colorful characters and performances that I found enjoyable. Plus, it sets up new stories that could be really great if the right people are involved. It’s disappointing as a follow up to FIRST CLASS and DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. But as a popcorn flick for the Summer Movie Season, I was into it. I didn’t expect much out of this film based on the trailers, but I came out of it pretty satisfied. Not a complete success, but I was entertained. And that’s all that matters sometimes.

SCORE

3 Howls Outta 4

Deadpool (2016)

DIRECTED BY
Tim Miller

STARRING
Ryan Reynolds - Wade Wilson/ Deadpool
Morena Baccarin - Vanessa Carlysle
Ed Skrein - Francis Freeman/ Ajax
T.J. Miller - Weasel
Gina Carano - Angel Dust
Brianna Hildebrand - Negasonic Teenage Warhead
Stefan Kapicic - Colossus (voice)
Leslie Uggams - Blind Al
Jed Rees - The Recruiter

Genre - Action/Adventure/Comedy/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Comic Books

Running Time - 108 Minutes


PLOT
Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a sarcastic mercenary who falls in love with Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). The two live a fulfilling life and become engaged, only for Wade to find out he has cancer. Realizing that he probably won’t survive the disease, Wade takes up an offer by The Recruiter (Jed Rees), who tells him of a special experiment that will cure him of cancer, plus grant him abilities he couldn’t imagine. There, Wade meets Ajax (Ed Skrein), who heads the operation. Ajax decides to torture Wade, telling him that he’s there to be his slave once he activates his mutant abilities after being injected with a serum. While the serum gives Wade lightning reflexes and the ability to regenerate cells that will cure him of anything, it also cures him of his cancer while disfiguring his body. After a battle with Ajax, Wade escapes the experiment and decides to suit up as Deadpool - an antihero whose only motivation is to find Ajax and get revenge on him for ruining his life. It only gets more personal when Ajax realizes that Wade is Deadpool and decides to kidnap Vanessa for leverage.


REVIEW

I’m a fan of Mr. Reynolds and it was tough to watch the guy star in bomb after bomb after bomb, even though he was usually a highlight in each of them. His A-list status was declining, especially after three failed superhero gimmicks. First was the terrible BLADE: TRINITY, which soured the BLADE franchise after two very good installments. Next was  X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, which had Reynolds playing Deadpool for the first time - to disastrous results that resulted in the character getting his mouth wired shut. Obviously the nickname, “Merc With a Mouth” didn’t mean jack to the producers of that film. While decently successful at the box office, the film is seen as a critical failure. Then there was 2012’s GREEN LANTERN, a film that had a lot going for it but fell apart as it went along. Reynolds was struggling to find the right role to build himself back up, popping up in films that no one bothered to watch, or were watched [and well made] but didn’t gain enough attention to really matter in terms of mainstream.

Reynolds, however, never hid the fact that he hated how Deadpool was portrayed in X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE. Being a huge fan of the character, he wanted to redeem the character not only for himself, but for the disappointed fans. Test footage for DEADPOOL was released, which Reynolds jokes he may or may not have helped release, and it gained a lot of internet attention that led to Reynolds stepping in to help produce a faithful adaptation of the Deadpool character that would make fun of his previous film stints and the entire comic book universe through the character’s fourth wall antics and Reynolds’ humorous wit. People were excited by the trailers and really funny marketing, but expectations for the film were low due to the character’s lack of A-list status in comparison to other comic book heroes and Reynolds’ box office performances. However, the film broke a bunch of records for a R-rated film and comic book movie to everyone’s surprise, proving that DEADPOOL can work on a big screen. And much of that credit has to go to Ryan Reynolds himself.

HITS
+ Ryan Reynolds. Let’s face it - the guy was meant to play Wade Wilson. We always knew he was funny. We always knew he was a talented actor. He has the looks and charm that Hollywood loves. He just couldn’t find the right character [at least since VAN WILDER] until DEADPOOL became a reality. And Reynolds is mainly the reason why the film works as well as it does. He’s fully invested in the character, making fun of himself and his fellow comic book actors [especially Hugh Jackman] to get across that Deadpool isn’t your standard comic book character. You feel bad for him when he learns that he has cancer. You root for him when he gets the girl. You laugh with him when he’s goofing around. And you want to be him when he’s kicking ass and breaking the fourth wall. I was so happy when I learned that Reynolds was playing Deadpool all those years ago, only being angry when they wasted him in that terrible WOLVERINE movie. I’m glad he got his second chance and I’m glad he was finally able to make up for that first failure and capitalize on it to become one of the biggest comic book adaptations during its opening weekend. Reynolds seems on board with this character until he can’t do it anymore, and I’m looking forward to what else he has up his sleeve as Deadpool. The absolute highlight.

+ The rest of the cast. Reynolds wouldn’t have been able to make his character work if he didn’t have talented people to play off of. Monica Baccarin is just a delight as Vanessa, Wade’s girlfriend. She’s gorgeous, intelligent, and can give as much as take from Reynolds. Their banter and interaction are just infectious. I can totally believe that Vanessa is Deadpool’s perfect woman, thanks to Baccarin. Maybe they’ll do more with her Copycat alter-ego in a later film, but I liked her a lot here. T.J. Miller as Weasel, and Leslie Uggams as Blind Al were perfect as Deadpool’s inner circle, being sarcastic and realistic in this wacky world. Stefan Kapicic voiced Colossus, making me smile since he finally sounded Russian!! And whoever did the motion capture did a great job as well. Even better was Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead. Playing a typical emo teenager with a bad ass superpower, Hildebrand brought it and I want to see more of her in another X-MEN film. Nice to see a character who isn’t as popular get some shine. Ed Skrein and Gina Carano did well as Ajax and Angel Dust respectively, carrying a lot of presence that was welcomed. Along with some cool cameos, DEADPOOL rocked it in the casting department.

+ The soundtrack. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY still has the best soundtrack in any Marvel film. But DEADPOOL is a close second. First of all, hearing Juice Newton’s “Angel of the Morning” during the incredible opening credits made me giddy. You also have Chicago’s “You’re the Inspiration” and some Wham! [especially “Careless Whisper”] playing throughout the film as well. Can’t hate on some DMX and Salt-N-Pepa either. All these songs together shouldn’t work, but it does and I enjoyed the film more because of it.

+ The fun screenplay. I thought DEADPOOL’s narrative was pretty damn great. It’s a comic book film. It’s a comedy. It’s an action film. It’s a love story. It all works better than it ought to. The fourth wall breaking aspects never feel forced, feeling true to the title character. I thought the use of flashbacks within the present was well done, and I usually have issues with that sort of thing. The love story and Wade dealing with cancer like a real person gave the film heart that I wasn’t expecting. And the jokes don’t always work, but when they do, they hit hard and will make you laugh. The shots at Hugh Jackman are all in good fun. I also loved the dialogue relating to the X-Universe and the Marvel Universe in general. Maybe the film didn’t need to be R-rated for it to work after all. But I’m glad it was because it gave the film a different feel from recent comic book movies. It’s just a fun script that takes itself serious while not doing so. That’s a tough balance to maintain, but DEADPOOL mostly does it right. One of the better origin films, in my opinion.

+ The direction. I can’t believe Tim Miller never directed a feature before. The visual presentation of DEADPOOL is just fantastic in almost every way. The stylish opening credits with the funny names for the actors and production crew is extremely memorable. The use of flashbacks mixed with the present makes the cliche origin story a lot more bearable. The kinetic energy of the action sequences matches the quirky tone of the script. The use of CGI, especially with Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead, look great. The film is violent and dark at times, but still manages to be colorful and a bit cartoonish at the same time. Tim Miller was the perfect director for this project, as he understood the characters and the world they lived in. Nice to see a comic book film with a bit of an edge for a change.

MISSES
- The middle portion. Some of the middle act of the film drags a bit, as Wade struggles with moving in with Blind Al in order to avoid Vanessa. It’s not the worst deal ever, but compared to the acts surrounding it, the energy is a bit different. Plus some of the jokes don’t land as well as they should. But it doesn’t ruin the film all that much. However…

- The villains. Marvel, most of the time, has an issue with its villains. If you’re lucky, you get someone like Magneto or Loki to be a threat. Or else, you can get a Yellowjacket. Unfortunately, both Ajax and Angel Dust are on the latter side of things. Both actors are great in their roles, but the characters aren’t threatening enough, nor do they have much to do. I kind of wanted to know more about them and the experiments they were conducting. Instead, they did the cliche “kidnap the girlfriend” plot that we’ve seen countless times already. I wish they had more character development in order to be on the same level as Deadpool. They just seemed “there” because the hero needed villains for the story to work. Maybe we’ll get some better villains in the sequel when Deadpool joins forces with Cable.


THE FINAL HOWL

DEADPOOL isn’t the best R-rated comic book/graphic novel adaptation out there - I think THE CROW, DREDD, WATCHMEN, and BLADE II would be tops - but it’s probably the most fun since GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. It’s just a violent, over-the-top cartoon that adapts the character in the right way for a movie audience. Juvenile and ridiculous, it’s the kind of film we could all use right now. A stellar cast, headed by Ryan Reynolds in the role he was made for, and stylish action and direction put DEADPOOL near the top of the superhero movie totem pole. It’s not perfect and I wish the villains were better, but it lives up the hype and then some. DEADPOOL is just as fulfilling as a well made chimichanga.



SCORE

3.5 Howls Outta 4

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

DIRECTED BY
Bryan Singer

STARRING
Hugh Jackman - Logan/ Wolverine
James McAvoy/ Patrick Stewart - Charles Xavier/ Professor X
Michael Fassbender/ Ian McKellen - Erik Lehnsherr/ Magneto
Jennifer Lawrence - Raven Darkholme/ Mystique
Halle Berry - Ororo Munroe/ Storm
Ellen Page - Kitty Pryde/ Shadowcat
Nicholas Hoult - Hank McCoy/ Beast
Peter Dinklage - Bolivar Trask
Shawn Ashmore - Bobby Drake/ Iceman
Omar Sy - Bishop
Daniel Cudmore - Peter Rasputin/ Colossus
Evan Peters - Pietro Maximoff/ Quicksilver
Fan Bingbing - Clarice Ferguson/ Blink
Josh Helman - William Stryker

Genre - Action/Adventure/Fantasy/Science Fiction/Comic Books

Running Time - 131 Minutes


PLOT
In the year 2023, there's a global apocalypse due to a war between mutants and sentient robots known as Sentinels, which has pretty much made mankind a casualty. Hiding together somewhere in China, frenemies Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) have come together with other mutants with a plan to go back in time and reverse these terrible events. Using Kitty Pryde's (Ellen Page) new ability to phase the consciousness of someone to their younger body in the past, Xavier and Magneto send Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back to 1973 due to his healing factor.

As Wolverine wakes up in 1973 and adjusts to a time before his events with Weapon X, he learns that this was the year where a military scientist named Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) attempts to build funding for a project to capture and study mutants, known as the Sentinel Program. Shape shifting Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) wants to murder Trask due to him participating in the deaths of many of her FIRST CLASS friends, which would be the catalyst for the terrible future Wolverine has experienced. Wolverine hunts down the younger, yet disillusioned Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Beast (Nicholas Hoult) to rescue Magneto (Michael Fassbender) from a government prison [he apparently assassinated John F. Kennedy] in order to stop Mystique from creating a future where all mutants will be hunted down and killed.

REVIEW

For those who know me really well, the X-Men were always my favorite comic book heroes. I have a bunch of X-Men comics in my basement somewhere, watched every episode of the cartoons, and have seen all the films. Yes, I'm an X-Nerd and proud of it. And while the film franchise has been a struggle at times [X-MEN: THE LAST STAND and X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE come to mind], I always hoped the series would find its way again - especially after the awesome X-MEN: FIRST CLASS and better-than-expected THE WOLVERINE from last year.

While X-MEN: THE LAST STAND ruined the "Dark Phoenix Saga" for me, I was hoping better for X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST - a sequel not only to FIRST CLASS, but for THE LAST STAND as well due to a time travel narrative. The comic book arc of the same title is one of the most famous stories in not only X-Men history, but comic book history as well. While the robotic Sentinels had appeared in earlier comics, and the mood of the comics were getting darker due to the Dark Phoenix stuff, it wasn't until "Days of Future Past" where the X-Men really became the X-Men. The idea of the Sentinels eradicating the mutant race in the future, even keeping some of them as slaves, is one of those plot lines that still resonate within the comics today. It's also one of those plot lines I was hoping the film franchise would eventually take.

Bringing Bryan Singer back on board after X-2 to tie together the two X-MEN movie timelines was a stroke of genius, regardless of what you think of the man personally. And trying to connect the two timelines was a much needed fix to lessen the amount of plot holes this franchise suffered from. And while the film doesn't exactly portray the "Days of Future Past" done in the comics, Simon Kinberg redeems himself for THE LAST STAND by contributing to the best X-MEN film in the franchise so far.

Time travel is usually a tough subject to write in terms of a screenplay. It usually leads to confusion due to all the timelines in the hands of a less capable screenwriter, never making it clear what year you're watching. X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST never has that issue, taking its time to show you how different the past and the future are. The past is a more colorful, groovy tone. The future is a dark, bleak, desolate place no one wants to live in. The story goes back and forth between the two timelines every now and then, but never becomes convoluted or confusing. In a lot of ways, the two times parallel each other in a nice touch. While certain plot issues still need to be resolved due to the past changing the future [and how was Charles Xavier still alive after THE LAST STAND?], it never ruins the film as you're entertained constantly and glued to what you're seeing onscreen.

The use of the characters is done well. Obviously Wolverine is the anchor of the film, as he's seen as the main protagonist of this franchise. But for the first time, I didn't feel that Wolverine overshadowed anyone in the film because he really wasn't the focus. Sure, he appears in both timelines as the same character [one older, one younger, sharing the same memories], but the film never feels like Wolverine and the X-Men. He's used at all the right places and actually helps advance the story, giving the franchise a full circle turn as he helps young Xavier find himself again, just like old Xavier had done for him in the first X-MEN film. It also looked like Hugh Jackman was having fun as well, which we haven't really seen in an X-MEN film since probably X-2. He also doesn't have the adamantium in 1973, making him more vulnerable in battle, which was refreshing. And for those who fancy Jackman in that way, he does have a nude scene in it if you're into that sort of thing. I know Jackman realizes his time is running out with the character due to age, but he's still fantastic as Wolverine after 14 years.

The real focus of the film belong to Charles Xavier, Magneto, and Mystique. Young Xavier's struggle to find hope again after he lost everything at the end of X-MEN: FIRST CLASS is a great arc, with James McAvoy kicking ass in the role. He may not look like Patrick Stewart, but McAvoy's serious acting in the role makes you forget that fact. Speaking of Stewart, he brings a ton of class as the future Xavier. Even while facing death at the hands of the future Sentinels, Stewart convinces us that Xavier still maintains hope that Wolverine will change things in the past. I wish they had explained how Xavier survived THE LAST STAND and got his body back, but it was something that didn't register until after the film ended. Hopefully they'll explain that someday.

Young Magneto, facing imprisonment due to murdering John F. Kennedy supposedly, still struggles with his humanity and his urge to maintain that mutants are the superior race. Michael Fassbender doesn't get much to do in this film like he did in FIRST CLASS [where he was clearly the focus], but his Magneto is still that cool anti-hero that convinces you that his way may be the right way. His scenes with Beast, Mystique, and during the final act are great. Ian McKellen doesn't get a whole lot to do as older Magneto either, but again he brings some needed class to the role. McKellen shows that Magneto is still someone you can put faith in, due to his actions in the future, regardless of what he does in the past. Both versions of Magneto are so different, yet so similar. You believe Magneto will eventually find his way, although you know it'll take decades to reach that point.

As for Mystique, Jennifer Lawrence is fantastic as a cold-hearted villain who is struggling with her humanity. She's the catalyst that leads to the events of the future, wanting revenge on Bolivar Trask for murdering her friends. Xavier is the angel on her shoulder, telling her that she needs to let go and come home. Magneto is the devil, teaching her that she needs to do whatever's necessary to get what she wants. Lawrence is great in showing how Mystique straddles the line, focused on her mission while hurting to remember the goodness that Xavier had given to her as they grew up. If you're not a Mystique fan, you'll probably not be a fan of DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. But I thought she was used really well and look forward to see what is done next with the character.

As for the others, they don't get much screen time unfortunately. Halle Berry is back as Storm, pretty much just standing around and using her powers in cool ways. Shawn Ashmore returns as Iceman, finally powered up like in the comics. Ellen Page returns as Kitty Pryde, being Wolverine's anchor as she uses her phasing powers to send him back in time [I wish that was kinda explained too --- secondary mutation?]. Daniel Cudmore armors up again as Colossus, but doesn't get much to do. Newcomers Fan Bingbing, Omar Sy, Adam Canto, and Booboo Stewart do pretty cool stuff as Blink, Bishop, Sunspot, and Warpath respectively. While the last three don't get much to do [yet enough to showcase their powers], Blink is one of my favorite characters in the film. Nice to know that Bingbing signed a five-film deal, meaning we'll probably see her time travel to the X-MEN: APOCALYPSE timeline. Nicholas Hoult has some cool scenes as Beast, but he was given more to do in FIRST CLASS. Peter Dinklage is good as Bolivar Trask, but he's not really treated as the main villain of the piece. And the highlight is definitely Evan Peters as Quicksilver. I love that he was implied to be Magneto's son in a funny moment. I loved how his powers were used, especially during the "Time In A Bottle" sequence. I thought Peters did a wonderful job playing Pietro Maximoff, wanting him in the film more. Good luck to Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who has his work cut out for him in THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, in which he plays the same character. Peters was lashed out for his look in the film prior to its release, but he was really the best thing about DAYS OF FUTURE PAST.

Speaking of the special effects, I thought they were all done fantastically. The 70s Sentinels looked pretty awesome in terms of design. The future Sentinels were even cooler, being more evolved and sentient, doing cool things with their bodies. The mutant powers looked great for everyone - and it was nice that the characters actually had the RIGHT powers for a change [sorry Calisto and Viper]. Quicksilver's powers were used the best, but I loved Blink's teleportation portals and Iceman's ice slide [yay!]. The budget was $200 million and it was used in all the right places.

Bryan Singer stumbled since leaving the X-MEN franchise with SUPERMAN RETURNS and JACK THE GIANT SLAYER. But he's back in fine form with DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. The sound of that original X-MEN score tickled me silly and Singer's interpretation of both the Seventies and the future were a nice contrast from the other. The film was very well paced, the shift in timelines were handled perfectly, the use of the special effects were excellent, and the visualization of the narrative was great under his eye. While Matthew Vaughn directed FIRST CLASS as a 60s spy thriller with mutants, Singer brings back the tone from the original X-MEN films. Scenes aren't just there to showcase cool effects and action-oriented moments. Singer allows character and plot to move the story forward, grounding all these characters within different timelines with ease. It sort of makes me bitter than Singer couldn't have stayed to direct THE LAST STAND, knowing the plans he had for the Phoenix character. But I'm glad he's returned to reinvigorate the franchise and tie up some loose ends. Some plot holes may remain, but future films can fix those if the thought is there. So I think Singer did an amazing job keeping DAYS OF FUTURE PAST together, despite its complicated narrative. Regardless of his controversial personal life that's been playing in the media, the man knows how to direct an X-MEN film.

THE FINAL HOWL
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST is a film I've always wanted onscreen, and I was more than satisfied by the results. It may not be as fresh as X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, and it may have characters who get the short straw in terms of screentime. But I never had more fun watching an X-MEN film like I did watching X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. It was nice to see Wolverine used the right way, other characters getting more of a focus [Quicksilver is the highlight], and a narrative that seemed to have a massive stake going for it - as well as fixing some big mistakes the franchise had made prior. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER may still be my favorite film of the year, but DAYS OF FUTURE PAST is definitely a close second. Bring on X-MEN: APOCALYPSE!



SCORE

4 Howls Outta 4

The Watchtower of Justice: The Wolverine (2013)

By Mike Huntley

If you were to ask me who my top favorite superheroes are in comics, I have a long list but four who have been with me since I was a child. Those four costumed heroes are: Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, and Wolverine. Now if you asked me who I thought was the most badass DC and Marvel character, my answer would be Batman and Wolverine. While Batman is a billaionaire disguised as a vicious beast, Logan/Wolverine IS a vicious beast in and out of costume. He doesn't need gadgets. He is the weapon with his claws that can cut through anything and everything. But, he also has his "I'm going to fucking kill you bub" attitude that adds to his badassery. While I was introduced to Batman due to the blockbuster movie starring Michael Keaton as The Dark Knight and Jack Nicholson as The Joker, I was introduced to Wolverine and the X-Men thanks to Saturday mornings on Fox Kids with the X-Men: The Animated Series that came on right after Spider-Man. Marvel was my Saturday mornings while DC was my summer cinematic fun (Batman), week day afternoons with Batman (The Animated Series), and weekend nights with Superman (Lois & Clark).

That all changed in the summer of 2000 when director Bryan Singer unleashed the X-Men movie that made a star out of Hugh Jackman and sparked a wave of superhero cinema that is still going on to this day. After the success of X-Men, Singer returned with the even better sequel, X2: X-Men United. Singer dropped X-Men 3, which later became titled X-Men: The Last Stand where Brett Ratner replaced Bryan Singer in the director's chair who wanted to fulfill his long term dream by trying to resurrect the Superman movie franchise with Superman Returns. The X-Men franchise found itself in a slump with poor fan reaction to The Last Stand, which was trying to adapt the Dark Phoenix Saga storyline yet failed badly. So, Fox decided to give the most iconic X-Men mutant his own movie that told the origin for how Logan became Wolverine thus releasing X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009. Again, fans cried foul especially due to screwing up a fan favorite character named Deadpool in the final act of the film. So then Fox tried to relaunch the franchise again with 2011's prequel/reboot X-Men: First Class that told the origin of Professor Charles Xavier and X-Men villain Magneto. First Class was much better received than The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. While developing a sequel to First Class which is now both a sequel to that film and to the original X-Men movie trilogy titled X-Men: Days of Future Past which will be directed by Bryan Singer, actor Hugh Jackman who has now been playing Wolverine for 13 years wanted to make another solo Wolverine film. But, this time it was to take place after the events of The Last Stand and take place in Japan since Jackman was a huge fan of the Japan Wolverine comics. Thus, gives us this summer's The Wolverine. 

After X-Men: The Last Stand, Logan/Wolverine has become a recluse. He's left what is left of his fellow X-Men behind and has become a drifter. He's also been having nightmares about his love Jean Grey who he had to kill in order to save the world.  After getting into a bar fight, Logan is greeted by a Japanese woman named Yukio. It turns out that Logan saved a man from being killed by the Atomic Bomb when it was dropped on Hiroshima and the now old man named Yashida wants to thank him and give him a reward. That reward is to take away his mutant power to heal and his immortality. To make him Human. Logan is hesitant, but then Yashida dies. Before he can leave Japan, Yashida's granddaughter Mariko is being tracked down by ninja assassins as well as a mutant named Viper so Logan makes himself her bodyguard sorta speak. But, there's just one problem, Viper has taken away his mutant abilities, leaving Logan mortal. Can Logan still be The Wolverine without his immortality or will the ninja assassins, Mariko's fiance', Viper, and Silver Samurai finish him once and for all?

I'll cut right to it. I think Wolverine works better with the X-Men than he does on his own.  That is not a knock on the character. I love Wolverine. He's the kinda dude you just want to go out drinking with and then sit and watch him beat some asshole to a bloody pulp before raising his claws to their throat and saying, "Had enough, bub?"  I love this character! I was this character for Halloween one year. I used to have a poster printed out of this character on my bedroom wall. I have a few action figures of Wolverine. But, Wolverine to me works best when he can play off Professor X, Cyclops, Rogue, Storm, and the whole team. That's not to say that The Wolverine is a bad film because it's not. It's not a great film, but it is a good entertaining one.  Yet at the same time it kinda underwhelms me. It didn't have me excited like I was watching X-Men and X2: X-Men United or thrilled watching X-Men: First Class. Plus, another thing that goes against it is that I highly enjoyed both Man of Steel and Iron Man 3 way more. They brought the big action and excitement that I look for when watching a superhero film. They gave me plenty to talk about. But, sadly The Wolverine gives me little to talk about.

The biggest thing I can say is that this is probably Hugh Jackman's best performance as Wolverine. The man is a legit badass. He IS Wolverine. At the end of the day, he is the only character you will remember. He's the star of the show. Not the story. Not the villain. Not the supporting characters. It's Wolverine/Hugh Jackman that delivers and keeps this film afloat.  While this film is better than X-Men Origins: Wolverine, I personally thought that that film was much more entertaining than this was. That had plenty of mutants to keep the show interesting. Not just some snake lady and Wolverine of course. I don't hate X-Men Origins: Wolverine at all like most of you surely do. I thought it was a fun yet pretty average superhero film. But, where this film really fell apart was in the last act. Talk about a twist that had me rolling my eyes. Say what you want about the Mandarin twist in Iron Man 3, but at least that got me and I thought it was genius. This, I just couldn't get into this one. Plus, there's so many scenes that could have been much better, but didn't go far enough. Like the ninjas in the streets scene. But, the mid-credits scene was worth sitting through this whole film, which obviously sets up for next summer's X-Men: Days of Future Past. The acting was decent with Hugh Jackman standing out over all the rest. The direction by James Mangold was okay. That train top scene really stands out. 

Overall, The Wolverine was a good but not great movie. Better than The Last Stand and Origins? Absolutely. But, better than X-Men, X2: X-Men United, or X-Men: First Class? Hell no. I think X-Men: Days of Future Past will claw this film to pieces, bub. 

GRADE

C+