Page 32 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • June 4, 2014 Latest X-Men chapter includes time travel twist by Dennis Seuling “X-Men: Days of Future Past” opens in the distant future. Giant robot creatures called Sentinels have been designed to seek out and destroy all Mutants. Several X- Men put their heads together to send Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back to the 1970s -- not physically, but through his consciousness. His goal is to stop the events that led to the creation of the Sentinels by scientist Boli- var Trask (Peter Dinklage). Though the plot borrows heavily from “The Termi- nator,” the screenplay offers plenty of its own surprises and never appears a tired attempt to milk additional box office dollars from an aging franchise. Rather, the cur- rent film revitalizes the X-Men saga focusing on younger versions of Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Mag- neto (Michael Fassbender) and displaying the powers of Hank/Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Peter/Quicksilver (Evan Peters), and Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence). The movie also owes a nod to the “Transformers” pictures for the design of the shape-shifting Sentinels. The plot is laced with the melodrama of a decades-old love triangle involving the young Charles, Erik Lehn- sherr (Magneto), and Raven. Rather than stop the action Beast (Nicholas Hoult) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) clash in ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past.’ dead, these scenes are captivating, primarily because of the first-rate performances. The older versions of Charles/Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Erik/Mag- neto (Ian McKellen) are also on board. Dinklage’s Trask is the villain, since it is his inven- tion of the Sentinels that threatens the existence of the Mutants. With long ‘70s hair and a tailored suit, he is not the mad scientist of cinema lore, but an entrepreneur inventor pursuing profits at the expense of morality. His performance is excellent, and it is refreshing to have a human villain for a change instead of a deranged, cos- tumed crackpot running amok. In his calmness, Din- klage’s Trask is the epitome of sinister. Wolverine, meanwhile, has not only to convince folks in the past that he really is from the future, but also to persuade the young Charles to cooperate with Erik/Magneto at a point when their relationship is not at its best. Further complicating the mission, Magneto is imprisoned several stories beneath the Pentagon and must be sprung from one of the most secure, protected buildings in the United States. No easy task. For sheer exhilaration, there is an amazing set piece, the best in the film, in which a small group of Mutants is in the process of freeing Magneto. In a sequence that combines wit, special effects, extreme slow motion, and exciting action, Quicksilver, by means of his incredible speed, turns what would otherwise have been a lethal situation into a playful romp while saving lives and lib- erating Magneto. This sequence represents the apex of contemporary movie making. Though only a minute or so in length, it is extraordinary in both its cleverness and execution. Since a large part of the film is set in the ‘70s, the pro- duction design devotes a lot of attention to period details such as hairstyles, clothing, cars, popular TV shows, and news events, particularly the Paris peace talks that ended the Vietnam War. The filmmakers have done their homework in recreating the period. Several bits have fun with the era without burlesquing it. Decades before pay TV and a limitless proliferation of channels, Wolverine, for example, smiles at the claim that a message will be broadcast on “all three networks plus PBS.” What is most impressive about this movie is its bal- ance. A good story is partnered with special effects and the occasional funny, naturally occurring moment. Rated PG-13 for stylized violence and brief glimpse of nudity, “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” despite a cum- bersome title, is a spectacle grounded by a gripping sto- ryline. Director Bryan Singer (who has directed most of the X-Men features) keeps the franchise going at full throttle. The performances are uniformly solid, the dia- logue is wince-free, and the action neatly complements the plot.