Director: Bryan Singer
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Jennifer Lawrence.
Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox
Runtime: 131 mins. Reviewed in May 2014

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Rating notes: Science fiction themes, violence and infrequent coarse language

Though perhaps not as action-packed as audiences expect a modern superhero blockbuster to be, director Bryan Singer has navigated pasted the difficulties of a large ensemble cast to craft a satisfying instalment for the mutants of the X-Men universe.

Opening in 2023, the future is a bleak place – mutant hunting robots called Sentinels have destroyed civilisation in their careless desire to terminate the mutant threat. The last survivors use their powers to send Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back in time to 1973, to stop the events which led to the creation of the Sentinel program. Wolverine must unite the diametrically opposed Professor X (James McAvoy) and his enemy Magneto (Michael Fassbender) to stop Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from assassinating the inventor of the Sentinels, and also convince the world that the mutants are not a threat in need of extermination.

The traditional blockbuster formula regularly requires three large action set pieces, spaced evenly through the film, and a number of smaller beats throughout. This can be seen in most James Bond outings and the recent run of films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Oddly, this X-Men forgoes this build-up approach in favour of a cataclysmic finale (albeit with the smaller beats right through intact), and it unfortunately didn’t satisfy my expectations for a mega-budget superhero film. Though there is nothing wrong with not pandering to expectations, it works when the chosen alternative is better, which is not the case here, where the result feels exposition heavy (not unsurprising given the complex story). Director Bryan Singer, returning to the franchise for the first time since the series’ zenith ‘X2: X-Men United’, clearly has a lot of love for this story arc, and translates it reasonably well to the screen. However, my criticism of its structural dearth of grand action can likely be attributed to the storyline, which required the structure to be bent to its needs, and not vice versa as is usually the case. The underlying messages about the ‘fear of the other’ for which the X-Men canon is known are still intact, and it offers lessons about acceptance and looking past problems or failings to the humanity within. This film is concerned also with pain and loss and forgiveness, with Professor X delivering this memorable line which wouldn’t be out of place in Scripture: ‘Just because someone stumbles and loses their way doesn’t mean they’re lost forever.’

Unusual for an ensemble piece, there is no real standout in the cast. Singer and his screenwriter/producer Simon Kinberg have miraculously managed to give each character a balanced treatment and a reason to be included. The impressive roster of A-list actors and actresses assembled here all deliver reliable, with Jackman, McAvoy and Fassbender reminding us why their stars are currently high and still on the rise. The newest mutant introduced to the fold is Quicksilver, Magneto’s son in the comics and here just a young guy who can move faster than fired bullets, and in one memorable prison break scene (and for this reviewer, the film’s standout sequence), he demonstrates this ability. Played comically (no pun intended) by Evan Peters with palpable glee, Quicksilver is a character who I sincerely hope will be back for the next film in 2016, titled ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’.

The special effects are naturally top notch. Production design from John Myhre and the costumes from Louise Mingenbach revel in the futuristic/retro dichotomy, and the psychedelic influences of the swinging ’70s are very much at play. John Ottman, both editor and composer for the film, does not add much to his decent score for the first two films, however he excels in the latter function, stringing together the cuts between two time periods explored in the film to manage some emotional and thematic consistency. The lensing from Newton Thomas Sigel is sadly flat, and the film is visually unremarkable, which is a far cry from the groovy cinematography in its predecessor ‘X-Men: First Class’.

The film is carried by its own confidence, and provides enough entertainment to keep fans and regular cinemagoers happy. It feels like a way for the franchise to explore new avenues (you’ll understand what I mean if you see the film), and I have to say that I look forward to Singer’s follow up.