Bryan Singers return to the franchise that first launched him into the top tier of big budget auteurs is a perfectly decent summer blockbuster in every single regard: the action is good. The story is solid. The acting is enjoyable. The music is pleasant. The effects are well done. Good. Solid. Enjoyable. Pleasant. Well-done. These arent exactly gushing descriptors and theyre certainly not indicative of X-Men: Days Of Future Pasts insanely high 92% on RottenTomatoes. 92%. Thats higher than Spider-Man, X2: X-Men United, The Dark Knight Rises, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Days Of Future Past is a totally fine film, but is it really better than those movies? No. The answer is no. There are a lot of things to like, certainly, the most notable of which is the fact that Days Of Future Past happens to be a lynchpin of sorts for the franchise, tying up many of the series longstanding threads and wrapping up various character arcs, all while boldly setting the table for the series future. But as a movie unto itself, judged purely in terms of what it delivers as an overall experience, Days Of Future Past rarely if ever exceeds expectations. Theres little here that you havent seen done better in other films - heck, done better in other X-Men films - and for a movie thats supposed to be a culmination of sorts for the franchise, thats disappointing. This is textbook formula franchise filmmaking, strictly by-the-books and never aiming for anything higher.
