X-Men: Zukunft ist Vergangenheit (X-Men: Days of Future Past) 
U.S.A./U.K.
2014
Opening 22 May 2014
Directed by:
Bryan Singer
Writing credits:
Simon Kinberg, Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn
Principal actors:
Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry
Set in a distinctly distant future, Mutants valiantly struggle to dodge, repulse fleets of Centurions in Moscow, then China. Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) set a daring plan in motion: in order to survive, the past must be revisited. “Countless choices define our fate.” The dangers involved dictate only someone who possesses a mind that has the ability to snap back go; the logical candidate steps forward. One slight alteration can change the course of history; Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) must live. The mission: return to 1973; locate their future leaders, and naturally the principal player. Time is of the extreme essence. “Sometimes we just need a little help.” Switching from present-future to past-present, exploits drive the story at breakneck speed to an attention-grabbing present-day inference.
Bryan Singer, on the strength of a cleverly thought-out storyline and screenplay, directs this continuing sage of the ultimate X-Men (and women) based on the original trilogy X-Men: First Class, albeit from the characters’ altered perspectives. Dialogue leads – with puns, retorts, and naturally oodles of action; special effects work overtime negating the obligatory 3-D. The cohesive cast deliver stellar performances: Hugh Jackman (Logan/Wolverine), James McAvoy (Charles), Nicholas Hoult (Hank/Beast), Michael Fassbender (Erik), Jennifer Lawrence (Raven/Mystique), Halle Berry (Storm), Anna Paquin (Rogue), Ellen Page (Kitty Pryde), Omar Sy (Bishop), et al. Newton Thomas Sigel’s cinematography and John Ottman’s editing – accentuated by his music score – stave off audiences sliding into any futuristic abyss. Watch with a loose mind since we shift between time periods with exhilarating speed. Sit through the end credits and be rewarded with a glimpse of the next level of sci-fi intrigue. (Marinell Haegelin)
