SILVER TONGUED SILVER SCREEN: X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

First there was the movie BLADE starring Wesley Snipes and Stephen Dorff. It was the first Marvel comic book movie that was a legitimate good film, solid all around, opening the door a crack. Then came Bryan Singer's X-MEN and the door opened once more. Then Sam Raimi's SPIDER-MAN kicked the door wide open and it has stayed open ever since.

I saw X-Men twice in the same day at the Rivoli Theater in Seward, NE. I was sold. The movie wasn't perfect. It didn't synch up terribly well with the comics either... but wow did I like that movie! Then I saw X2: X-Men United a few years later and it blew my mind! Still today Blade and X2 remain my top favorite (none Marvel Studios) Marvel films.

Then Bryan Singer jumped ship on X3 to do Superman Returns. Brett Ratner took over X3 and drove it straight into the ground. Subsequently both movies failed, Superman at the box office and X3 with the fans. I really dislike X3. Haven't seen it since the theater. Then X-Men Origins: Wolverine came out and royally messed up one of the best origin stories in all comicdom. My enthusiasm for the X-Men franchise had dwindled greatly by this point. When I heard about X-Men: First Class I actually said aloud, "Just let it die for God's sake!" I had no desire to see another X-Men movie nor did I care that they were making more of them.

Then my friend Chad Fickes told me how good First Class was. I went to it. Discovered it deviated from the comics even further... and it worked. The movie was good. There were continuity errors between it and the first film but overall it wasn't bad. Then THE WOLVERINE came out last year. I enjoyed it as well and found my enthusiasm for the franchise returning.

On the special features disc for the X2: X-Men United dvd a few images were revealed for Singer's plans for X3. Images of Archangel and the Sentinels. Clearly he did not plan on going directly into the Phoenix.

Now, 11 years later... we finally get to see Bryan Singer's final X chapter...

Warning Spoilers Ahead.

There are more continuity errors with the story in this one i.e. how did Wolverine's adamantium get back on his claws? And professor X's resurrection still is yet to be fully explained. A lot of the flaws in the series weren't addressed, moreover they were simply ignored. And Nightcrawler is still missing.

Other than that I liked it! If you know anything about the Days of Future Past story then you know it's a time traveling story. I thought they handled it very well. I really like seeing Michael Fassbender as Magneto. To me he nails the part. Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique certainly is captivating... yet annoying at times too. Hugh Jackman as always is great.

The film ends on a note that gets me really excited. Everything that's incontinuitous about the previous films and everything I hated about the previous films is fixed. This movie is essentially a giant band-aid healing all the franchises problems and setting up for the film Bryan Singer intended to make after X2. I am stoked to see the next film! Stay to the end of the credits to see a scene of 2016's X-MEN: APOCALYPSE!

Overall ranking: 7/10