250W: X-Men: Days of Future Past

Short reviews for clear and concise verdicts on a broad range of films...

X-Men: Days of Future Past (Dir. Bryan Singer/2014)

The announcement of X-Men: Days of Future Past after the success of First Class was inspired. Between a dismal solo-Wolverine movie and an appalling ‘final chapter’, the series that kicked off the superhero genre in 2000, had spectacularly imploded. This time-travelling adventure with old favourites (Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Halle Berry, Ellen Page and Hugh Jackman) and the new crew (Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and James McAvoy) would give the series a new lease of life. Involving sentinels and a morbid dystopia that has destroyed everything (except for pretty Chinese temples), Professor X sends Wolverine back in time to save the future by leading his younger rebellious self into battle. It isn’t perfect, and the enormous cast unfortunately seems to complicate matters rather than illuminate. Unnecessary conflict between Magneto and Xavier muddy the plot, confusing the core narrative whereby Mystique simply needs to be stopped from committing her first murder. But there are nods to almost every film in the series. Director Bryan Singer successfully makes X-Men relevant again in this Avengers-age of blockbusters. Evolution is central to all of the X-Men stories, and DOFP evolves into a beast that celebrates the history of the series (akin to the Fast and Furious franchise) while committing to a future that looks bright. For example, newcomer Quicksilver (Evan Peters) steals the screen within the few minutes he appears. A glorious reboot, X-Men: Days of Future Past is not to be missed and a worthy excuse to revisit every other metal-clawed, X-Men adventure.

Rating: 8/10

Nb - 150 word reviews of all the X-Men films are accessible by clicking here

250W: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Short reviews for clear and concise verdicts on a broad range of films...

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (Dir. Ben Stiller/2013)

Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) could be considered two types of character. Many compare Mitty to Forrest Gump. I believe this is unfair and inaccurate, and rather than a man with a low IQ, I’d compare him to Joel in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Creative, shy and socially awkward – but hardly Gump-like. Mitty aspires to be more than the office drone for LIFE magazine. He day-dreams of exploding buildings so that he can save the dog to woo his colleague Cheryl (Wiig). He looks up to photographer extraordinaire Sean O’Connell (Sean Penn). Mitty’s decision to board a plane to Greenland and find O’Connell himself is shot in the same manner as the explosive dream; therefore it’s unclear from this point what is and is not a dream. The wide-landscapes and stunning vistas are offset by bolshy in-product-advertising by E-Harmony and Papa Johns. Ben Stiller seems to have snagged himself an all-expense paid trip to the Himalayas and the crew to document it in the production crew. Does he want us all to pack in our jobs and become photographers? Or shall we pity his pessimistic attitude towards his own social standing? A job at LIFE magazine is brilliant. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is weak and unconvincing. Rather than Into the Wild, it’s ‘Into the Bland’ as Stiller manages to bore us with music-video montages and pseudo-inspirational points. Stiller wants us to punch the air but this all a dream and we are merely watching a filmmaker’s bucket-list. 

Rating: 3/10