X-Men: Days of Future Past (Rated B)
Cast: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence
Genre: Action Adventure Fantasy
Dwight's Rating: 3 out of 4

Be thankful you're not part of the production team of "X-Men: Days of Future Past".
Yes, they just made a boat-load of money (more than $90 million in the United States alone in just the opening weekend, and over $340 million worldwide, on a movie with a $200 million budget.)
But being in their shoes must still be stress-inducing -- that's because a movie like this, no matter how well-executed and enjoyable -- and this film is immensely well-executed and enjoyable - is bound to tick a lot of people off.
This latest installment finds X-Men friends and foes united to fight a war for the survival of the mutant species across two time periods. Ultimate X-men badass Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is sent back in time to 1973 (It's complicated!) to change history and prevent an event that could result in doom for both mutants and humans. So, with the goal of changing the past to save the future, the characters from the original X-Men film trilogy join forces with their younger selves, as seen in "X-Men: First Class".
That may or may not sound interesting to you, but if you're one of the rabid fans of the enormously popular "X-Men" comic book series on which this movie is based, you will definitely have strong opinions on that plot. Additionally, as this is now the seventh installment in this movie franchise, and even though these flicks vary widely in quality, there are the movie fanatics that have their strong views as well. And trust me, those two groups don't always see eye-to-eye.
You can probably imagine that what comic book fans love and expect to see in a movie isn't necessarily going to be what everyone else wants to see ("300", for example), and vice versa. But when the comic book fans don't like you, this very vocal group will let the world know, loudly and often.
Despite that, it appears that since it began in 2000, the "X-Men" movie series has focused a bit more on making the comic series as appealing and palpable as possible for the mass audience, and not necessarily the fan boys. As such, it's the casual observers who will probably enjoy "X-Men: Days of Future Past" the most.
It's a mature piece, with none of the goofy criminal-psychopath-plots-to-take-over-the-world nonsense, that's typical of the genre. It sticks largely with the franchise's trend of being among the noblest of comic book action movies, serving as an analogy for the discrimination and closed-minded intolerance facing minority groups. The message is even more timely and relatable today, as there are still so many examples in today's world of people being oppressed, enslaved and killed for their beliefs, or for just being different.
The cast is overflowing with talent. It's an embarrassment of riches, with a dizzying number of Oscar winners and nominees, and award-winning television stars. Originals Jackman, Patrick Stewart as Professor Xavier, and Ian McKellen as Magneto, are joined by "First Class" stars James McAvoy (young Professor), Michael Fassbender (young Magneto), and Jennifer Lawrence (young Mystique), and so many others, including almost everybody's favorite's "Game of Thrones" star Peter Dinklage, as villain, Bolivar Trask.
While the time travel is fun, and the action is measured and purposeful, there's more emphasis on character exploration and development. With this long-running series, we've had countless opportunities to get to know these characters, and there are emotional investments -- between the characters themselves, and between them and us. A good of time is spent revealing their motivations. And unlike in so many action movies, there's purpose behind almost every character's decisions -- with the possible exception of Trask, although assumptions can be made. Almost everyone thinks they're doing the right thing, and almost everyone has a point.
It's not necessary to have watched all or any of the previous "X-Men" movies. There are plenty of reminders or flashback or dialogue to get you caught up. But there are treats for those who've stuck with the series over all these years.
While I won't be so bold as to proclaim this the best in the long-running series, it certainly ranks up there, blending some of the best elements of the best of the films.
No surprise, we'll be back here again, as sequels (yes, plural) are in the works. In 2016, there's "X-Men: Apocalypse" (interesting!), and possibly yet another Wolverine movie (yikes!) a year or two after that. And so for the producers of this series, the pressure is on!

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