Cavalcade of Mutants: X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

If you could go back in time and have a rational, pep talk with yourself at a certain age, what age would it be? And what would you say?

Mine would be talking myself out of the mini breakdown I had in my late 20’s which resulted in leaving the entertainment industry. When I think where I could be by now, if I had kept going, it makes me wonder why life is so crystal clear in hindsight.

In X-Men Days of Future Past, Charles Xavier/Professor X (Patrick Stewart) gets an opportunity to talk to the he that was him in 1974, (played by James McAvoy), and sets his own incredibly powerful mind back on track.

I was already super happy with the casting of McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as the younger versions of Professor X and Magneto (Ian McKellen) in X-Men First Class, but when you see the 4 of them on screen together, it’s uncanny how believable it is that these are the younger and older versions of the same persons.

Top: James McaVoy & Patrick Stewart Prof X Btm: Michael Fassbender & Ian McKellen Magneto

In fact, one of the most exciting things about X-Men Days of Future Past is the fact that so many Mutants make an appearance, even if it’s just a quick cameo. It must have been a nightmare for the production staff on the movie to have to coordinate so many schedules, not to mention the $$$ for the cast budget, but no matter the trouble or expense it was well worth it!

Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique

The only Mutant I was sorry not to see was Nightcrawler (I have a weird crush on Alan Cummings) However, I was reading this blog post on TOR.com by Shoshana Kessock “Why Mystique Should Have Her Own Movie” in which she talks about the fact that Nightcrawler is Mystique’s off spring with Azazel. Of course comic book readers are very much aware of this fact; but as much as I love and look forward to each and every X-Men installment, I’m no authority, it’s a lot to keep straight, certainly can’t claim to know every Mutant’s back story. But after learning this information, since X-Men DOFP revolves heavily around Mystique/Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) her DNA, and life choices, and we’re traveling back and forth in time – adding in a blue child, older than its mother, may have gotten really convoluted, therefore, Nightcrawler’s absence was probably for the best.

Evan Peters as Quicksilver

My new favorite Mutant is Quicksilver (Evan Peters). He’s super, crazy fast, so much so he has time to not only stop a bullet, but play with it during its trajectory. The rescue of Eric/Magneto from the Pentagon features the crackerjack, swiftness of Quicksilver, at the end of the scene the audience at my screening exploded into loud clapping appreciation. More audience appreciation came surprisingly from the men at this screening, when a naked, cut and so sexy Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) checks himself out in a mirror.

Young Beast (Nicholas Hoult) Older Beast (Kelsey Grammer)

Has X-Men & X-men 2 director Bryan Singer has given us a reboot in this movie? X-Men: The Last Stand left us with a lot of death and destruction. Then the franchise went back to tell the origins story of mutants which preceded Storm, Rogue, Jean Grey, Cyclops etc.. in X-Men:First Class. With X-Men Days of Future Past, because Wolverine is sent back to the past to change the future, much of what took place in Last Stand, may no longer stand. Or it may all take place again. There’s a line in this movie said by Hank/Beast (Nicholas Hoult) about a current in a river always correcting itself and getting back to its path, no matter how one may try to redirect it. Which brings up a much conjectured philosophical question: If you were able to go back in life and make different choices, would you somehow end up in the same place, just a different path to get there?