As I wrote in an earlier blog post, I love hero movies. I grew up reading Marvel and DC comics. When the first X-Men movie came out in 2000, I was there to see it. Two of my favorite older actors were in it, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, so I knew I would enjoy it! Tonight, for my first, I saw the latest film in the X-Men saga, Days of Future Past. Linda went with me and this was a first for her as well….this was her first time to see an X-Men movie.
X-Men: Days of Future Past stars Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and Halle Berry and is directed by Bryan Singer. It is rated PG-13 and has a run time of 2 hours and 11 minutes. It is a sci-fi adventure.
I enjoy storylines that explore the possibility of traveling back in time, especially those that are attempting to right a wrong. Don’t we all wish we could go back, and change a choice we made or correct a wrong we did? I know I have thought about being able to do that very thing. In the opening scene of this movie, we see a very bleak world where mutants, and humans who help them, are being mercilessly hunted down and killed by robots known as Sentinels. Created in 1973, they have wreaked havoc on the world. The X-Men have decided someone needs to go back and stop Mystique, played by Jennifer Lawrence, whose actions in 1973 brought about the current situation. The only X-Man strong enough to endure having his consciousness sent back to his counterpart in the 70’s is Wolverine, wonderfully portrayed by Hugh Jackman .
His mission is to find the younger Prof. Charles Xavier, played by Patrick Stewart, and Eric/Magneto, played by Ian McKellen and convince them to find Mystique and prevent her from killing the creator of the Sentinels. She was captured in 1973 and her DNA used to enable the Sentinels to adapt to any mutant that they encountered, more effectively killing them off. I enjoyed the continuing story of the younger counterparts to Charles and Eric, portrayed by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, respectively. These two have long had a friendship/enemy relationship, or, as Linda described it, they are frenemies. And Wolverine is always a joy to watch!
These are movies fun, full of action, and include good dollops of humor. And yet I found nuggets to ponder. The whole movie is built upon the premise that the future isn’t really set. Charles says, at the end of the movie, “The past: a new and uncertain world. A world of endless possibilities and infinite outcomes. Countless choices define our fate: each choice, each moment – a moment in the ripple of time. Enough ripple, and you change the tide… for the future is never truly set.” The characters also discuss whether a person can be changed, or no matter what is done to affect change, does that person return to who they really are and continue on. Good questions to think about!
I have thought about my own past and what changes I would make if I could go back and redo or undo some choices I’ve made. I know that can’t be done and to dwell on what is past is a waste of my energy. What I can do, is be mindful of the choices I am making NOW, knowing that my future and ultimately my past, is going to be affected by those decisions. I still wish I had a super power though!
This is my favorite movie of the year so far; loved it!
I enjoyed it too!