The movie opens in a dystopian world of 2023 where the Sentinels are hunting the remaining mutants.  Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellan) are working together as they hatch one last plan to send the mind of an older Wolverine/ Logan (Hugh Jackman) back into the past of 1973 with the help of Kitty Pryde/ Shadowcat (Ellen Page) to stop Raven/ Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from killing Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage), the creator of the Sentinels.    Logan wakes up in the past and he must convince a disillusioned Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) to break out a young Magneto/ Erik (Michael Fassbender) out of the Pentagon with the help of Quicksilver (who is one of the scene stealing characters in the film) to help stop Mystique from killing Trask in Paris.  Their plan goes wrong when Magneto decides Mystique must be killed, but she escapes and Hank McCoy/ Beast tries to stop Magneto from killing her.   Their actions seem to keep the future of 2023 on course instead of helping to stop it.

 

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST acts as a sequel to X-MEN: FIRST CLASS and the other X-MEN films resulting in an ambitious narrative and one of the best X-MEN films ever.   Michael Fassbender continues to be great while Bryan Signer directs his best X-MEN film to date.   It manages to blend history with the mutant storyline like the last X-MEN movie did.   It sets the stage for another X-MEN film (which is briefly teased at the end of the end credits) while creating a story that is good as or better than X-MEN: FIRST CLASS.  The team dynamic is even stronger in this film than it was in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS and I hope they continue to build on that for X-MEN: APOCALYPSE.  Other than that, the production design, characters, writing, and direction is perfect.  It is the best movie based on a Marvel comic this year so far (pulling ahead of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER).   They manage to bring together both casts while playing fan service to the various characters you never seen before like Bishop and Blink (who does some incredible things with her teleportation skills).    This X-MEN sequel is firing on all cylinders to deliver one of the best X-MEN films yet.   I’m excited to see what they do for the next one.

 

The Rogue Cut of the movie is 17 minutes longer and includes scenes that Bryan Singer cut for the theatrical version including a subplot where Rogue (Anna Paquin) is rescued).  The Rogue Cut is as valid a version of the movie that the theatrical cut is.   This new edition of the movie on the blu-ray contains both cuts of the movie.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

None of the extras from the first release have carried over including the old featurettes (which dig very deep into the making of the movie), the theatrical trailers, and the deleted scenes- so keep the first release if you want to hang onto those extras.

 

DISC 1-

Two audio commentaries-

One for the theatrical version by Director Bryan Singer and Producer/ Writer Simon Kinberg

The other audio commentary for the Rogue cut by Director Bryan Singer and Compser/ Editor John Ottman where Bryan even talks about a couple of deleted scenes not included in either version of the movie (and they are included among the extras on the first blu-ray release of the movie).

 

Second Screen App

 

DISC 2-

MUTANT V.S MACHINE (52:41)- a nine part making-of documentary that really looks at the making of the movie:

TIME SWITCH- cracking the story and crafting a time travel story

PANELS TO FRAMES- all about the comic story it is based on and the changes they did for the movie like sending Wolverine back (instead of Kitty Pride)

CORE CADRE OF THE X-MEN- bringing back some of the core crew and cast (scheduling the cast was something to figure out)

TWO WORLDS, TWO BATTLES- costume design and production design

THROUGH THE LENS: REVISING HISTORY- cinematography and challenges of filming in 3D and the look of the movie (different color for time periods and using mylar and epoxy for one scene)

SYNCHRONIZING THE VISION- editing and music of X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

MUTANT MEANCE: MANKIND’S DEFENSE- digital effects of the movie

A ROGUE MOVE- the decision to take Rogue out of the theatrical cut and making an alternate cut for blu-ray with Rogue back in

WHAT’S NEXT- a look ahead to the next film- X-MEN- APOCALYPSE

 

X-MEN: UNGUARDED- cast and crew look back at the making of X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST and even the other movies in this half hour chat between Bryan Singer, Simon Kinberg, the original cast and the new cast

Galleries for Storyboards, Costumes, and Concept Art

Fantastic Four Sneak Peek (1:51)

 

FINAL ANALYSIS:   The new extras are great to watch as they give a more in-depth look at the making of the movie, but sadly Fox decided not to include any of the extras from the first release of X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST in the Rogue Cut blu-ray (so you may want to keep the first release if you still want to watch those extras).   The new alternate version for the movie does hold up against the theatrical version, but I will pick the Rogue Cut over the theatrical version if I had to pick what version in my favorite.   The alternate version gives a little added depth to what is one of the best X-MEN movies of the series.

 

This review is ©7-22-2015 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

 

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