X-Men: Days of Future Past

In the year 2023, mutants and humans alike are being hunted by machines called Sentinels. These relentless predators are designed to destroy all mutants and have evolved to hunt humans that have mutant potential or who are mutant sympathizers. They can adapt their appearance and weapons to any attack they come up against. In a last ditch effort to defeat them, Professor Xavier and Magneto come up with a plan to stop their creation in 1973 by sending Wolverine into the past to change history. Wolverine must convince the younger versions of Charles and Erik to help him in his mission. This is no easy task considering that they are not only at odds with each other, but themselves as well.

Cast

 Hugh Jackman as Logan / Wolverine
James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier / Professor X
Michael Fassbender and Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto
Jennifer Lawrence as Raven Darkhölme / Mystique
Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy / Beast
Peter Dinklage as Bolivar Trask
Ellen Page as Kitty Pryde
Halle Berry as Ororo Munroe / Storm
Shawn Ashmore as Bobby Drake / Iceman

Who will like this

The obvious audience for this movie are fans of the previous X-Men movies. With a balance of action and storyline, this should appeal to a wider range of moviegoers. There is a time-travel element as well that is similar to the principles found in "Looper", "The Butterfly Effect" and "Terminator" movies. The film is rated PG-13 and is intended for older teens and above.

Phantom Thoughts

I have been looking forward to this sequel for quite some time. The question I have been asking myself is "How do you make a movie that includes the original X-men characters and the younger versions introduced in X-Men: First Class?" It took me a while to see it, but I finally found out the answer to that question. And the answer is: very well done!

Of course in order to do this, there would have to be time-travel involved. And the method they used was scientifically sound and actually made sense, unlike some other movies that used time-travel as a plot of the story. "Back to the Future 2" comes to mind as an example of this. In that one, Biff goes back in time and changes the future, but is then able to return to the original timeline. However, when Doc Brown and Marty do the same thing, they are unable to return to the original timeline, because events have changed that timeline and formed a new one. Oh...and they also have to avoid running into themselves in the past or they could cause a paradox that rips the universe to pieces. Confused yet? Yeah well...that WAS just a comedy/adventure movie and really can't be held too much accountable for it's gaping plot holes. X-Men: Days of Future Past (DoFP) does not fall into that mistake. In sending back Wolverine, they only send is conscious back into his younger self. Also, events do not change until he "wakes up" back in his original body. At that time, any changes that are made in the past take effect and only he would have knowledge of each history.

The story was really good too. There have been a few changes to the script in it's development that is usually not a good thing for a movie. Couple that with Halle Berry's unexpected pregnancy that limited and ultimately shortened Storm's role in this, the end result was flawless and not seemingly pieced together as it could have been. It flowed well and was not confusing considering it takes place between 1973 and the future 2023.

I liked the look of the 1973 Sentinels in DoFP. They were similar enough to the original comic book version with just enough modifications to make them seem feasible and real. Conversely, I did NOT like the look of the 2023 Sentinels, which looked like knock offs from 2011's "Thor" baddie The Destroyer. They also had a look of the villains in the Doctor Who episode: Journey to the Center of the TARDIS.

The only other problem I had was the same issue I had with 2009 re-boot of "Star Trek", in which they essentially wiped out the entire original series. SPOILER: the result of this movie basically wipes out the existence and events of all the X-Men movies that take place after X-Men: First Class.

The clothes, look and feel of 1973 was pulled off beautifully, with some VERY minor mistakes that only a few observant, older moviegoers may notice. But overall, I really liked this one. Watch for some great cameos and a set up for the next movie; X-Men: Apocalypse. It was well worth the wait and I would go see it again.....if I didn't have so many other movies I need to catch up on already!

Until next time, see you in the center seat.

Godzilla

The iconic Japanese movie monster returns to America to celebrate it's 60th anniversary. We follow two generations of the Brody family who have been devastated by seemingly natural disasters. However, as the plot unfolds, we find out that these disasters are a result of a new species of monster that have emerged as a result of scientific mistakes. As this species emerges and wreck havoc across different countries, another monster makes it's first appearance in decades to try to restore balance to nature. Godzilla will try to retain its title of King of the Monsters!

Cast

Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Lieutenant Ford Brody, USN

CJ Adams as young Ford

Ken Watanabe as Dr. Ishiro Serizawa

Bryan Cranston as Joe Brody, Ford's father

Elizabeth Olsen as Elle Brody, Ford's wife

Who will like this

Director Gareth Edwards said that among other films, the original "Jaws" was an inspiration to him in making the new Godzilla. I can also see a bit of 2005's "War of the Worlds" and a LOT of "Cloverfield" in this new adaptation of the classic. Speaking of the classic, fans of the "Godzilla vs. _____" type movies can appreciate this. Although this would seem like it's geared toward a male audience, I believe it can be enjoyed by both genders. Teens and Twenty-Somethings will gravitate to it as well as older true Godzilla fans.


Phantom Thoughts

I feel this movie shouldn't have been called "Godzilla", but rather "The story of a family who's life was ruined by huge monsters".  I understand Gareth Edwards taking a page from Jaws in the respect of not showing the monster....the star of the film, until the very last moment. But in Jaws it worked...this did not. Instead of building up the suspense, it was just frustrating.  There was just way too much time spent telling the story of the plot, and too much focus on this Brody Family (another nod to "Jaws") and the effects the monsters have on their lives.

I mentioned that it had a similarity to the Tom Cruise film "War of the Worlds". In that, we find out about the aliens through following Tom Cruise's character. But the highlight was always the aliens and the invasion. In Godzilla, the Brodys at times overshadowed what the movie was supposed to be about.

I also mentioned "Cloverfield". There were 2 main reasons for this: 1) Again, that movie tells the story of the monster through the eyes of the main characters, but in a much more intimate way. "Cloverfield" gave a "Blair Witch Project" type of movie experience, telling the story with a video camera tape that was "found" after the fact. 2) Much more to the point, the species of the MUTO (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms)  had a VERY similar look to the Clover monster.

All that being said, when we finally do get to see Godzilla and watch him do battle with the MUTO, it is spectacular! As these mammoth creatures made their way through different cities and started to do battle among the buildings, it looked like they had taken the classic Godzilla vs ______ movie and had actually done it in real life. It didn't look like actors in rubber suits, but still had that same nostalgia of those movies. It was topped off with a fantastic shot of our "hero" walking off with (Ummm....sort of spoiler alert) the head of his slain enemy. (Really? Is it THAT much of spoiler that Godzilla wins? Especially after the announcement that they have already green lit the sequel and have actually planned a trilogy.)

But now we go back to the original problem. After the fight scenes actually start, they CUT AWAY from the action to go back to that damn Brody Family again! There was a scene where they literally shut the door on the audience as we watched what I can only assume would be a great fight sequence through the eyes of Elle Brody.

I don't know if the awesomeness of the final fight or the magnificent "reveal" of finally seeing a full Godzilla 3/4 of the way through the movie is enough to make up sitting through all the bullshit beforehand for most movie goers. It wasn't for me.

Until next time, see you in the center seat.