As X-Men: Apocalypse arrives in cinemas, we reach the end of our series of retrospectives with Days of Future Past…
The One Where: In a dystopian future, mankind and humanity alike are nearing extinction. To change the fate of the world, Wolverine travels back in time – where he must convince a dejected Charles Xavier to help him stop Mystique from making a terrible mistake…
Star Turns: For a franchise that often struggles with its big cast, Days of Future Past expertly handles its double-sized ensemble. Many are there to just show their faces, while others get some proper material to work with. Hugh Jackman works very well with the younger (or should that be older?) generation, and the interaction between Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy is a great moment. Speaking of which…
Best Moments: We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the awesome ‘Time in a Bottle’ scene where Quicksilver frees Magneto from jail. It was such a great example of the character’s abilities that Age of Ultron had no choice but to kill off its version of the character at the nearest opportunity. Another fan-pleasing moment is the coda, where Logan finds himself in a happy future with everyone alive again – including Jean and Scott. The Last Stand be damned!
Verdict: Surely the second best X-Men film ever, Days of Future Past remains a greatly entertaining film and a real treat for dedicated viewers of the franchise. In one way, it wraps up hanging plot threads so that it could be a blazing finale to the series. In another, it reboots the continuity in a genius and seamless way to ensure more installments are possible. Apocalypse has a hard time following this…
X-Tra Fact: Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry came up with the backstory that Wolverine and Storm had become lovers in the future. They even improvised a scene where the pair kiss before Logan goes back in time, but it was cut from the film.
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