DJJD Movie Review: X-Men: Days of Future Past
A NEW HOPE: X-MEN AND STAR WARS
I have been quite cynical and bitter about movies for some time - constantly being disappointment by the hype in one level to another. The major one was J.J. Abrams STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, which had taken a fairly sophisticated sci-fi adventure universe and lowered it down to mindless 3-D action, 2-D characters, and an unrecognizable plot. Except for The Avengers, Iron Man, and Captain America - all of the other Marvel movies starting with X-Men: 3 were average, mediocre, or downright horrible [aka The Amazing Spider-Man franchise]. This also applies to the DC universe as well with a horrible Green Lantern and an lower-average film of Man of Steel. Plus there is the fearful aspect of Ben Affleck as Batman.
So coming into 2014, my optimism of a descent Marvel film were slim to none.
And then that changed...
The first movie I saw in 2014 was Captain America: Winter Soldier. That was a pleasant surprise. This movie was more of a political thriller that dealt with real and contemporary issues. It was not a mindless action flick with Disney-like saccharine themes. Many other reviews I agree saying that this movie would not conducive to a kids audience, since it deals with more adult themes.
And then recently I saw Godzilla. The movie was good but not great. It did not have enough Godzilla nor Bryan Cranston in it.
Finally tonight I saw X-Men: Days of Future Past. I already knew most of the story, since it is a regurgitation of an old comic story arch made some time ago. My concern was if director Bryan Singer could resurrect a virtually dead franchise. The answer to that was that he succeeded, and he succeeded beyond expectations.
This is a great movie - a really great movie. Like Christopher Nolan's A Dark Knight, Joss Whedon's The Avengers and Donner's Superman 2, there is a great balance of action, a solid story, and developed characters. Bryan Singer does an excellent job of giving most of the ensemble characters their due performance. [Minor spoiler note: There was little of Halle Berry in the movie. YEAH!!!] You see most of the X-Men [old and new] finally show off their mutant powers in an intelligent way - not like X-Men 3] , especially Quick-Silver in a Pink Floyd T-Shirt.
However, the actors that performed excellent and stand out were Hugh Jackman [Wolverine], James McAvory [young Charles Xavier], Michael Fassender [young Magneto], Jennifer Lawrence [young Mystique] and Nicholas Hoult [young Beast]. Jennifer Lawrence, unlike Halle Berry, deserves her Oscar earlier and places Mystique classy. Other considerables would be Ellen Page [Kitty Pryde] and Peter Dinklage [Dr. Bolivar Trask] who is known universally in "The Game of Thrones".
Like the three movies mentioned above, the X-Men movie has a major theme [which is Hope]. I know, I'm shocked - a movie with a moral theme. It's refreshing. I have not felt like this about a movie for some time.
Plus the story does something incredible. It fixed the horrible poo poo that was X-Men 3 as well as X-Men: Origins: Wolverine. There were some minor exceptions, like "how is the Patrick Stewart Professor X still alive?" or that this story is not original. But that is nitpicking on perhaps one of the best Marvel films to date.
Congratulations Bryan Singer for doing a great effort. You deserve it. One reviewer mentioned that he had one major problem with the film, that Bryan Singer left the X-Men franchise to make that bad Superman film and left X-Men 3 to a MTV-like hack to direct it. An interest twist.
There is some good news in the future X-Men franchise. The end credits sequence was exciting. Clue: It has a Biblical reference.
A New Hope for Star Wars
If you recall, I had a fear of J.J. Abrams making the new Star Wars: Episode 7, basically due to the poo poo film Star Trek Into Darkness. After watching Half in the Bag movie review of Amazing Spider-Man 2 [see link below] (which is one film I will not watch), there is some hope of Star Wars not being another Phantom Menace.
The movie reviewers pointed out that the story and plot poo poo of Amazing Spider-Man 2 is similar that to the horrible plot story to Star Trek Into Darkness. Why? They were done by the same screen writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Here is there resume of movies they won't screenplays.
Amazing Spider-Man 2
Star Trek Into Darkness
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Cowboys & Aliens
Star Trek (2009)
Transformers
Mission: Impossible 3
The Island
The story lines of these movies are either mediocre or horrible. The possible exception would be Mission: Impossible 3. Use this reference in IMDB as a litmus test to indicate if the story is going to be good or not. If you want to turn off your brain and watch mindless action films, these screenwriters are your sure chance to get that. In fact, both of them are going to be writing the screen play for Amazing Spider-Man 3, Star Trek 3, Van Helsing, and Venom.
Star Wars: Episode 7 will be written by J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan. If you don't recall Lawrence Kasdan, he is the screen writer for these films:
Star Wars: Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Body Heat
Star Wars: Episode 6: Return of the Jedi
The Big Chill
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Lawrence was the main screenplay writer for The Empire Strikes Back, considered universally as the best Star Wars movie of the saga.
Plus, George Lucas is not writing the screenplay. He is only used for explanation of character and their history. YEAH!!!
The original cast will be back [Harrison Ford (Han), Carrie Fisher (Leia), Mark Hamill (Luke), Peter Mayhew (Chewbecca), Anthony Daniels (C3PO), and Kenny Baker (R2-D2).]
New characters will be added, but the major surprises are the following:
Andy Serkis [Gollum: Lord of the Rings]
Max von Sydow [The Exorcist, Shutter Island, Minority Report]: This is a veteran actor whose resume is huge. He is probably going to be the Alex Guinness of the current actors.
John Boyega [I do not know him, but a lot of people of giving me high praise as a new actor.]
Daisy Ridley: She is a young unknown actress. You can see her in between Ford and Fisher. Many are rumoring that she could be the Solo's daughter.
Also...
Just like with Marvel movies, Disney is pushing a lot of Star Wars in movies and TV shows.
This fall will be the new animated TV show "Star Wars: Rebels", made by the same crew who did "Star Wars: The Clone Wars". This might be successful, but still concerned a bit of it being made for younger audiences [a young teenage female Mandalorian?] It has been said that Obi-Wan will be in the show.
However, I would rather have a live action TV show of the same time frame and have it with more mature themes and characters, similar that to "Marvel Agents of Shield". It appeals to both teenagers and adults, but not much to kids. Have that show placed before The Walking Dead in AMC, and AMC would rule the ratings world. Wishful thinking!!!
Besides the new trilogy of Episodes 7, 8, and 9, Disney also wants to make spin-offs movies of the Star Wars Universe. They will release the spin-off movie in 2016. What that spin-off is, no one knows.
[See link]
The biggest rumors of a Star Wars spin-off are the three: (1) Boba Fett (2) A Star Wars version of Kurosawa's masterpiece film "Seven Samurai", which was made as an American Western known as "The Magnificent Seven". (3) Star Wars: The Old Republic.
So there is "A New Hope" in Star Wars.
If Disney just treats Star Wars like they are doing with The Avengers and make sure that the Directors and Screen writers don't make schlock movies, there is hope for the franchise.
Episode 7 is going to be a huge task for J.J. Abrams - to restore the franchise back from the Jar-Jar era to its rightful place. Like a battered wife, I am still hesitate because of the soul searching and breaking my denial of the Star Wars prequels. I don't want to be fooled again.
But if director Bryan Singer can restore X-Men back from death, it is possible for J.J. Abrams to do so as well.
I just hope...
Oooh, forgot..
Episode 7 will be released on December 18, 2015.
This will be a winter release. It would be great to take Madison and Ava to the film premiere, and seeing many people dress up in Star Wars characters in line. Barring the actual watching of "The Phantom Menace", being in line for two hours to watch the movie was a great experience - something that I will never forget.
Madison and Ava, I believe, should enjoy that experience as well. They will never forget it. The issue is that the release is in the winter. I can just imagine Madison dressed up like Princess Leia and Ava in a Jedi costume.
I still have my Darth Vader light saber. I did not sell all my Star Wars toys.
{Warning: Adult language}
The only movies that I am looking forward to is Marvel's Guardians of the Universe and Christopher Nolan's Interstellar. The trailer for Interstellar is great. It has a 2001: A Space Odyssey feel to it, hopefully getting back to more intellectual sci-fi again.
Interstellar Trailer
Mad Max has been moved to 2015. So, next year will be big. The Avengers 2, Star Wars 7, Mad Max
