Escape to the Movies: X-Men: Days of Future Past

[Aaron Sylvester]

Lets at least agree that having plot holes is a NEGATIVE thing (regardless of their severity) - yes? Plot holes and continuity issues usually not something that movies should be encouraged to have, agreed?

With that out of the way - this movie had multiple plot holes that I noticed in my very first sitting. Now you can keep categorizing them as "minor" or "they didn't matter" all you want, but if they were that insignificant then very few people would've noticed them or cared to dwell on them. I personally noticed them the moment they happened and therefore I consider them as things the movie got wrong - if they were as minor as you claim, I shouldn't have noticed them.

I'm not alone:

http://whatculture.com/film/x-men-days-future-past-10-questions-singer-failed-answer.php
http://www.slashfilm.com/five-big-continuity-issues-x-men-days-future-past/

 

[Tiamattt]

Lets at least agree that having plot holes is a NEGATIVE thing (regardless of their severity) - yes? Plot holes and continuity issues usually not something that movies should be encouraged to have, agreed?

With that out of the way - this movie had multiple plot holes that I noticed in my very first sitting. Now you can keep categorizing them as "minor" or "they didn't matter" all you want, but if they were that insignificant then very few people would've noticed them or cared to dwell on them. I personally noticed them the moment they happened and therefore I consider them as things the movie got wrong - if they were as minor as you claim, I shouldn't have noticed them.

I'm not alone:

http://whatculture.com/film/x-men-days-future-past-10-questions-singer-failed-answer.php
http://www.slashfilm.com/five-big-continuity-issues-x-men-days-future-past/

Noticing is one thing, making a bigger deal out of something than it really is, is another. I too noticed everything you complained about and on those sites just as easily as you did, they were just so unimportant that they didn't matter to me. And I never doubted that you weren't alone, I'm sure there's plenty of people that share your opinion. Which is fine of course but keep in mind there's a ton of people, both critics and millions of regular people who walked out of theaters happy that don't share that same opinion, who most likely also considered the things listed on those sites yet didn't find them important enough to ruin the movie for them. Or perhaps those things were really so minor that they just didn't notice them.

Thanks for the links though, nothing I really consider to be big or important in them but at least they were fun reads.

 

[shintakie10]

Honestly after watching it today I'm going to say an unpopular opinion. I enjoyed Days of Future Past far more than I ever did the Avengers. While the Kitty Pride time travel thing was a little whacked out, the rest of the story was far better than the Avengers "Hey there's evil goes over there, we should beat them up" routine. The fight scenes were gorgeous, and that final fight scene where you're going between past and present was just extraordinarily well done.

As for Quicksilver, seriously? I can't imagine how someone could have a problem with his fight scene. It was humorous, logical, and extraordinarily well done. Really, Quicksilver was amazing overall. Every scene was at least chuckle worthy.

And Mystique. Oh man, she was amazing in this. I have absolutely no idea how Bob could think original Mystique could hold a candle to the new one.

Yeah there were some weird plot holes, but very few that I'd ever consider gigantic gaping plot holes. The most obvious being Xavier coming back, but considering we see his past self on multiple occasions make someone see Xavier instead of whoever they originally were looking at originally, you can easily just say that he's doing that to everyone around him for blah reason.

Seriously though. Really great movie and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone.

 

[Ihateregistering1]

OMG, Bob used the term "mansplaining".

So edgy, I just cut myself.

 

[Callate]

This is quite possibly the most sullen, gratuitous snark-laden, only-applies-to-this-critic "positive" review I've ever seen from MB.

In fairness, I may be irked because I just came from the movie (which I enjoyed well enough, even though it definitely had some "fridge logic" moments) and am generally feeling positive about it, and in high form Bob can't even seem to get through this review- which again, is allegedly positive- without spitting invective not only at those creatively associated with it but those who might have the gall to enjoy it.

If someone sat next to me in a restaurant and started giving this review, I would walk away. It's obnoxious, there's no other word for it. I couldn't even get all the way through it, it was such an irritating backwash of condescending sneering.

Fuck, Bob, you can do better than this.

Oh, and one other thing. Given that Amazing Spider Man 2 is currently on the road to 700 million world-wide box office (and, no, I haven't seen it), you might want to stop merging your wishful thinking with your considered projection, MB.

 

[balfore]

While I found this movie to be entertaining I have to agree that the plot holes just ruined it for me. Very early on I had a problem with the story and just couldn't get the inconsistencies out of my head.

 

[theApoc]

These movies always look fun in trailers. But then I watch them and feel insulted. I gave the last Wolverine movie a chance and it was painfully stupid. Some fun action beats sure, but still painfully stupid.

If I went to see this, I'd just be supporting something I wish would go away. So maybe I'll watch it on Netflix in a year or something. But for now, I just can't.

Still, thanks for the review Bob. As always it was an enjoyable assessment to watch.

I would put it like this. Both Fox Marvel and WB DC, simply do not get their characters. They don't. Every time someone comes along and pitches a "new take" on one of the licenses they hold, they jump at it, thinking they will strike gold. They have one guy(Jackman) that actually fits the character, yet they have somehow managed to neuter him in pretty much every movie he has been in. Wolverines only interesting aspect is his savagery, which they refuse to explore.

Now consider the Marvel universe. Rather than complicate things with someone else "take" on a character, they cast people who are willing to play that character, cheese it up, take it over the top, whatever. All because that is what the character demands. They only make small adjustments from the comics(for the most part), an in general treat the movies as another extension of the comics universe. No one feels that they are rewriting history just to make some movies.

This movie was fun, that is the best thing I can say about it. When I was done watching Winter Soldier I was seriously interested in what was coming next. With this, yeah, not so much. And the whole teaser thing was poorly done, granted they have potential because of how cool the story could be, but it will make zero sense to anyone unfamiliar with the comics. At least in Avengers, they established the teasers connection to the story(whether they use him or not), during the course of the movie.

I give this movie an A rating for the fun factor, but don't expect to care about where the story goes from here.

 

[Lightknight]

I saw the movie. I'd actually say that Quicksilver stole the show. Magneto was particularly good. Jennifer Lawrence wasn't an active weakspot, she just wasn't good. I also don't see her as particularly attractive and Mystique is a role that demands attractive. But hey, maybe she's what those kids like nowadays?

The main protagonists were a bit iffy though. I still like Hugh as Wolverine but it just doesn't feel like the writing was all there.

I think the problem is that a lot of people confuse the roles she's asked to play and gets paid big bucks for, with her actual acting ability. She keeps getting asked to do similar kinds of things because she sells them so well, and people begin to project that onto her (and think she's not acting) where we don't actually know her, nor have we seen her range in auditions and such.

Interesting premise. This could be it. She keeps getting cast in movies that are big budget enough to distract from her "acting". Though, it probably doesn't hurt that she also has a younger audience for her movies too who I'm sure are just as oblivious to acting qualities as I was at their age if you just threw enough action my way.

I should say that she also isn't terrible. She's just not a good actress. I think my biggest problem is that I can't feel sorry for her and she's constantly cast in roles where she has to act like there's a storm inside and she's so conflicted... I've got a co-worker who might as well be her doppelganger and she acted that way about EVERYTHING so it could just be personal.

She's also a young actress that has so far managed not to be a train wreck (at least publically) like Lindsay Lohan or whomever and can play to a young audience without the same kind of garbage coming up.

There are a lot of actresses in this not-a-train-wreck boat. Many who have talent. Did you particularly like Lindsay Lohan in anything since parent trap? But I suppose your point is that she's currently an a-lister who isn't a screw up and that is a decidedly smaller boat.

As far Daniel Radcliff goes, I think half his problem is that the same qualities that allowed him to sell "Harry Potter" make him seem really strange, and his choice of roles post-Harry hasn't really done a whole lot to get him much cred. I mean nowadays when I think of him, I remember this is a dude who was doing stage shows where he got naked on stage with a horse (no it was not a sex show, but still think about it) as part of his role. When that's what sticks in my mind other than his role in "Harry Potter" it shouldn't be shocking.

Actually, I'd say he was a terrible actor in Harry Potter too. I think Harry Potter the story sold Harry Potter, not him. He was an active detractor for me. The kids were all a bit too young to start. Emma has turned out to be a darn good actress and Rupert was always more than competent. But Radcliff still seems off. Personally and professionally.

 

[nightangelvengance]

I have been to watch this movie and while it was a very good film it did suffer from a few plot holes. However were they big enough to detract from my enjoyment while watching the film.......Hell no! This was probably my second favorite X-men film next to the brilliant first class!. For me the highlight was Quicksilver, I was worried about his part before but his scenes were funny and awesome. Don't see Bobs problem with them, though I can guess why. I will probably get a lot of stick for saying this but from the beginning I have thought Marvel studios were stupid for using Quicksilver and Scarlet witch as a big part of their history was locked off and there were a lot of other characters they could have been using (Antman being one). So I am looking forward to seeing how Apocalypse will be after how good this installment was.

 

[red255]

watching this review I have to agree Movie Bob was right when he said spiderman 2 broke superhero movies for him.

and I want to say reviews this bad would make me need to seek another reviewer, but I still have to say theres some value in his sacrifice, because without his reviews I might have seen spiderman 2.

that said, I still might need a new reviewer if he is no longer functioning for making reviews. get well soon bob, they aren't all sony. you shouldn't be racist against superheroes just because Sony.

 

[KazeAizen]

And on the continuity side, it's pretty clear that First Class is actually a complete reboot, and this movie simply solidifies and transitions that. Otherwise the timeline doesn't make sense. If First Class were a traditional prequel (and actually fit in the original timeline), it should have come up during the original movies (and the whole "mutants becoming widely known about and a big deal" should have happened sooner).

What makes it funny is that those kinds of "wow, our previous attempt kind of imploded, let's reboot it" is something Bob has praised in the past. And it means they can do interesting new things with the characters without being tied to what happened in the other movies.

I get the distinct feeling that this movie exists largely to reboot the series while doing so in a way that has an in-universe justification as to why everything starts all over again, sort of an attempt to ease fans into the new continuity. I'd be very surprised if they continue with the old characters from this point on.

Given the time period it takes place in it really does eliminate every single X film except for First Class. Heck the only real down side I see right now is that Wolverine will be stuck with his bone claws.

 

[Ieyke]

this is far better than most marvel movies and comparable to the Avengers

Not even kinda true.
This movie was no better than X-Men 2.
It was the quality they achieved 11 years ago, nothing more.

It was roughly as good as Thor 1, which is one of the 3 weakest Marvel movies.

MovieBob is pretty dead on about everything except Quicksilver.
Quicksilver and Blink were the only parts of this movie that were notably good.
The rest was just....okay.

 

[twosage]

(which despite its name doesn't focus on Wolverine as much as you might think)

I know it's been years since I've watched that, but I remember a LOT of Wolverine in that show.

Sure, I'm just saying that for a show called "Wolverine and the X-Men", I was pleasantly surprised to have multiple episodes where Wolverine doesn't even appear. And even though he was the central leader of the team, I seem to remember they wrote him as a reluctant and boarderline-incompetent one. The point is, the series worked in a way that the original Fox trilogy didn't (especially X-3), where Wolverine was always the center of attention, even though he's rarely the most interesting or important character.

Snip.

At the end of this TV series Magneto does exactly what he does in the film though. Rewires the Sentinels to destroy humanity.

The "too much Magneto doing the same stuff in the films" and "this was a good series" are pretty much unconnected points, but fair play.

 

[Gerardo Vazquez]

He's been whinging about how bad this series is since X:3, and now the director of the one good movie since that time has retconned everything he's been shitting on, and for some reason HE HATES HIM FOR IT.

Not to mention, wanting the only comic relief in this film replaced, while consistently griping about how pointlessly dark superhero movies have gotten over the years.

Fuck you, Moviebob. Quit being a brat.

Director of the one good movie? The only good X-men movie was First Class, and Singer had relativity little to do with it. Also there's a difference between being a light-hearted film, and having grating token comic relief.

 

[ace_of_something]

heeeyyy... I liked the Flashpoint comics. They weren't just 'moving the set pieces for later' ... cuz they moved set the pieces right back. Okay, maybe it was pointless.

 

[lastjustice]

Here's a theory I want to put out there. I think it could happen....

Spoiler

Warren is too young to make an appearance since this story is going be in the 80s, and having 4 existing characters that were "killed" or depowered is entirely too convenient to not be some foresight.I wouldn't be surprised if Apocalypse makes Azazel, Angel Salvatore (Tempest), Riptide and Banshee as his horsemen. They were all killed off screen...who says they were actually killed. Apocalypse's MO is to restore mutants who are broken to their former glory and make them his horsemen. I hope we see this, as we saw Angel's wings in the trophy room, her getting new metal wings could make her this universe's Arch Angel.


Having them fight Banshee and Tempest as pawns of Apocalypse would have the emotional gravity this story needs.They need be someone the audience knows.(Havoc and Darwin could possibly be picked as well.) Who says this going be the only run the Xmen have against the big A anyways? May be they have Warren may an arch angel appearance later. This definitely a series that wants to keep going for a long time. I see no options are off the table. They killed and revived multiple characters already. Anything can happen...which is cool if they keep it right and in the spirit of the comics.

 

[Gerardo Vazquez]

Sorry but the number of plot holes in this movie almost destroyed whatever aspects I liked about it.

1) This movie DOES NOT EXPLAIN how Charles Xavier is alive in the Sentinel-infested future. In XMen: Last Stand he was disintegrated by Jean - I'm aware that there was an after-credits scene which showed some guy in a hospital who was apparently Charles's concious, but that scene was ~20 seconds long and was not explained at all. THEY ASSUME THAT PEOPLE WATCHED A SPECIFIC 20 SECOND AFTER-CREDIT SCENE IN A PREVIOUS INSTALMENT MULTIPLE SEQUELS AGO AND UNDERSTAND WTF EVEN HAPPENED THERE.
Absolutely zero attempts were made in this movie to explain how Charles was alive...I had to google it and then learned that it was apparently Charle's braindead twin brother (???) whom he transferred his concious to just before he died.
How the hell are people supposed to know that? I'm fairly certain that the majority of the audience in the cinema was thinking "ummm didn't the professor die?" (for the ones that do think about plot and consider previous movies).

2) Shadowcat having the power to transfer someone's concious back through time...WHAT??? So how many extra powers are people going to pull out of their asses now? Will we learn that Colossus can fart soap bubbles?

3) The entire future revolving entirely around Mystique killing Dr Trask and nothing else. MAGNETO DROPPED AN ENTIRE F**KING STADIUM AROUND THE WHITE HOUSE AND KILLED TONS OF PEOPLE IN FRONT OF TV CAMERAS. Even before that, all the world had seen so far about mutants was that they were dangerous....and Mystique not killing Dr Trask suddenly changed all that? So much emphasis was put on it it made no sense.
Also Magneto's actions near the end made absolutely no sense whatsoever and zero attempts were made to explain why he acted like such a colossal idiot. "Lets save mutants by teaching humans how just 1 of us can cause this much damage". Brilliant.
And yeah, despite all that it's implied that the future STILL hangs in the balance of Mystique shooting that 1 guy...and nothing else. I have seen a lot of time travel (or history alteration, same thing) movies and this one ranked pretty high on the bullshit-o-meter.

4) Xavier gaining the ability to walk while losing his mental powers, and vice versa. The man was SHOT IN THE SPINE and that can somehow be...turned on or off using Beast's mutant suppression serum? What do his mental powers have to do with physical spinal damage? Even using "XMen logic" that made no sense.

5) Charles refusing to simply shut-down Mystique. It was not explained at all why he didn't do this right off the bat or how Mystique was capable of blocking him. I think Charles only said "she's blocking me" (or "she's not letting me in") - sorry what? The only thing that can stop Charles getting into someone's mind is Magneto's helmet OR another telepath. Mystique had neither and the entire movie REVOLVED around stopping her, yet Charles didn't do it. Bullshit.

6) NOT ENOUGH QUICKSILVER. He was easily the most fun character to watch (besides Blink and her portals) and after the 5 minute Pentagon mission he was never heard from again. I was waiting for him to show up during the climax to do his part...how disappointing, considering how insanely good his powers are. What he can do almost equates to stopping time.

I have no clue how critics are rating this movie 91% on Rottentomatoes. Yes the movie had decent action but I didn't know such enormous plot holes could be shrugged-off so easily by critics. At least MovieBob caught on.

Please, someone explain to me if I am missing something big here. There is too much nonsense for me to accept. Or was I supposed to turn off my brain and just enjoy the action? Because this movie was constantly making attempts to come off as intellectual (especially with something like history-alteration).

WOW. I agree with everything you just said. All this was biting at my skull DURING the actual movie in question. Good to see I'm not the only one.
PS: This movie seems to completely ignores The Wolverine despite the fact that it came out relatively recently, and the post credits scene even foreshadows DoFP. Why ignore the events of a film that directly references the events of your film?

 

[katsabas]

Glad I did not see his review beforehand like I did with Godzilla. Saw it and liked it, inconsistencies and all. I wanna see Aaron Johnson try to beat this Quicksilver.

 

[softclocks]

What an incredible movie.

And this joker's trying to claim it's a joke compared to The Avengers? Christ...

At least the X-Men movie managed to establish a credible threat.