Nerds That Geek Movie Review - 'X-Men: Days of Future Past'

Written by Shae Rufe

​As you all know by now, X-Men will always have a special place in my heart. It's a large part of my childhood, and something I still cherish more than anything. I should share that I've not read this comic, yet, but that's okay. The best thing about Marvel movies is you don't have to have read the comics, or even really see the previous movies, to appreciate what happens. This movie does just that. If you've seen all the previous movies, that's wonderful, and if you haven't, that's okay too! The way this film was set up, it managed to tie everything they've done up to this point into a nice little neat package.

Days of Future Past is set in a stark, dismal, time. Sentinels have taken over, and they're not just killing mutants anymore, but humans. Those in charge are the kind of men that should never know power, and our heroes are on the verge of being wiped out. In one of the first scenes, we see all but two die horribly. Only to have everyone show up, alive, and well, not too soon after. As it turns out, ShadowCat, or Kitty Pryde, has the ability to not only walk through walls, but to send the consciousness of a person back in time. This ability is limited to a short time because of how hard it is on their mind. Kitty and their group meet with Wolverine, the Professor, Magneto, and Storm. Once Kitty explains what she can do, the Professor decides that it's time one of them goes back and stops all of this from ever happening. Wolverine volunteers; his healing factor allows his mind to stay intact so he's a great candidate to send back. He's faced with finding a younger Charles and Eric, to stop Raven from ever killing the creator of the Sentinels. 

A seemingly easy task. However, the younger Charles is in no mood to hear this. He's also up and walking about, thanks to a serum Hank made. It gives him back his legs but takes away his powers. Something Charles is alright with. Eric, is in a prison cell under the Pentagon, and Mystique, is saving as many mutants as she can from being killed and/or experimented on. It looks like Wolverine is going to have his hands full trying to convince everyone to go along with this plan. Once Hank and Charles are finally onboard, they go and visit an eventual old friend of Logan's. Peter decides to help them, and it's a good thing he does too. Being the fastest being alive, Peter, a.k.a. Quicksilver turns out to be a very useful friend to have. Still, he's just a kid, but he does help them free Eric, and then save them from a painful death. Finally, united, things should go smoothly from here. Stopping Mystique from killing is the first thing to do. In Wolverine's future, after she kills, she's captured, tortured, and killed. But, it is her very DNA that makes the Sentinels unstoppable. They adapt to whatever mutant powers they're exposed to. Knowing this, Eric decides that killing Mystique would be the best option. He fails of course.
 
The group is separated, but Charles finally comes to his senses and choses to help with his powers rather than have the ability to walk. He tries talking to Mystique, appealing to the Raven he knows. Eric, in the meantime, thinks it's a good idea to put metal into the Sentinels. They all meet in Washington D.C. as President Nixon prepares to introduce the Sentinels. Raven is going to take the opportunity to murder the man she's been after this entire time, but of course, Magneto has to steal the show. With a show of his power, he takes over the Sentinels, nearly kills Charles, again, and sends Wolverine into the nearest body of water. Things in the future are looking bleaker as Sentinels close in on the remaining mutants. One by one they're plucked off, until all that remains are a dying Magneto, the Professor, Kitty and Logan.

In the past, Logan is busy drowning and not dying, while Charles finally convinces Raven to do the right thing and not kill. She does stop Eric, though, and spares lives before leaving. The Sentinel program is canceled. Logan wakes to a different future. One where he's a teacher at the school. Jean and Scott are both alive…and it seems that for once, all has worked out well. This movie undid everything the previous movies have done, essentially, and gave it a sort of reboot. I have to say, I was utterly impressed with this film. If you get a chance, you should check it out, because it is one of my favorites for this franchise and it does not disappoint. With an amazing cast, great humor, and amazing tension, this movie is easily the best in the series.

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