X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

Though I enjoy reading comic books now and again, I have never been what you would call a hardcore comic book geek. Yet, since I was young, I have always been fascinated by superheroes. They are as integral a part of our collective cultural mythologies as Zeus and the Gods on Olympus must have been to the ancient Greeks. After all, there is something very appealing (and maybe even slightly erotic) about assuming a spandex-clad secret identity, saving the world, and being involved in a love triangle with yourself. But, the X-Men are a different breed of superhero. They cannot blend into the normal world; by their very conception, they stick out, and cannot do anything about it. And therein lies their appeal. Unlike Superman who can switch at will between his superpowered self and mild-mannered Clark Kent, the X-Men find themselves thrust head-first into a world that is usually quite hostile to their very existence. In Days of Future Past, the director of the original two X-Men films, and notorious serial rapist, Bryan Singer, returns to helm what is probably the most successful of the X-Men films so far. While the original trilogy seemed bogged-down in its neverending myopic angst, Days of Future Past takes the more comic-book, full-throttle adventurous feel that made First Class so successful, and blends it with a more serious outlook and tone, but not at the expense of a rip-roaring adventure. What is best about this new outing is that it actually looks and feels like a comic book brought to life. After the arduous Nolanization of the superhero movie, this is the cliche breath of fresh air. And even more refreshing is the complete lack of any kind of fascist, uber-militant message (no comparisons of Hugo Chavez to a Nazi here, although the depiction of Richard Nixon as courageous is questionable, unless by courageous, you mean sleazy). The X-Men never kill anyone, and in the end, right beats might. In an age of lost idealism, a movie that is not afraid to wear its ideals on its sleeve is actually quite refreshing. And, of course, Patrick Stewart is in it. That enough makes it worth seeing.