In the X-Men universe, it can be difficult keeping up with the various storylines. It doesn’t help that the movie’s endings don’t always fit with the sequels beginnings. For instance, in last year’s The Wolverine after the end credits, Logan (Wolverine) is approached at the airport by Magneto and Xavier warning him of a grave new threat to the mutant race. Xavier died at the end of the third X-Men movie, The Last Stand, so to see him alive and well would suggest that Marvel would explain how he came back to life in this movie. They don’t. Instead, in X-Men: Days of Future Past, Director Bryan Singer chose to ignore it altogether. Neither is there an explanation for why Xavier and Magneto are hanging out together or why the storyline was jumped to the year 2023.

The best comment I overheard from those attending the screening was:

“So, what did you think?”

“I was prepared to be disappointed, but it turned out okay.”

In what seems like a great idea, meshing the characters from the first set of films with the characters in the revised franchise (The First Class) doesn’t completely work. It was great to see some of the old gang again, but they are given little to do. Storm (Halle Berry) speaks about three lines of dialogue, makes her eyes go white and floats a little – but that’s about it. Still, if you can overlook these things, the film is still enjoyable.

According to this movie, things are not looking good for mutants of any kind in the future. By 2023, Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) are on the same side again but robots, known as Sentinels, are exterminating mutants left and right. Their only hope is to send one of their own back in time to correct a wrong that set off this chain of events. Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page) has the ability to project a person’s consciousness back in time and it is quickly decided that Logan (Hugh Jackman) would be the best to go since he doesn’t age anyway. Professor X tells him to look for his younger self (James McAvoy) as he would be most willing to believe him, but keep a lookout for the younger Magneto Michael Fassbender ).  In no time, Logan is sent back to 1973.

The majority of the story is centered in 1973 with only short flashes back in the future. That is the story Marvel should have just stayed with as it is the best part of the movie. There is a conspiracy theory on who really killed President John F. Kennedy and President Richard Nixon (Mark Camacho) has a fairly big role. It is during this time that the younger mutants try to stop Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) on his crusade to round up all of the mutants and/or Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from killing him…again.

The very best part of the movie features a mutant that we haven’t met before -Quicksilver (Evan Peters), who can move faster than one can blink. One scene shows time from his point of view and it is awesome.

A disappointing feature of this particular movie is that is rated PG-13 with the requiste F-bomb, a few s-words, a smattering of other curses and a needless scene of some nudity. The violence is also turned up a notch. It is as if Marvel Studios have forgotten their core audience – kids. I say, don’t worry about catering to the adult geeks – they will come to it anyway. They always have and always will. Don’t make the stories off limits to the kids. On the plus side, there are a few cameos that are fun to watch and there is a message that is almost biblical where Professor X states that where some have gone bad, they might turn around for good and that the others shouldn’t give up on them. Patrick Stewart says it so much better than I can.

Overall, this is more of another Wolverine movie rather than a true X-Man flick. He is in almost every scene. We literally get to see more of him than we should.