X-Men: Apocalypse Review

X-Men: Apocalypse, the latest superhero adventure in a summer full of superhero flicks, and a sort of trilogy conclusion to the X-Men: First Class trilogy of films. Can this next X-Men film stand against the various other superhero films this summer? Well, let's find out!

Directed by: Bryan Singer

Genre: Action, Comic Book, Sci-Fi,

Release Date: May 27, 2016

Running Time: 144 minutes

MMPA rating: PG-13

The Good: Quicksilver's scene is one of the best movie scenes all year, Magneto continues to be the emotional core. Superb performances across the board, Epic cameo, Apocalypse is a unique type of evil, Often quite funny, Impressive kills, Excellent new cast, Great soundtrack, 80s setting and references, Star Wars meta-humor, Revising history, Oscar Isaac nails it, Quicksilver is the best thing ever, Impressive special effects, Interesting world building,

The Bad: Less accessible to those not invested in the franchise, One missed opportunity, Somewhat generic finale,

Plot: 7.2/10- Opening with a scene in ancient Egypt, the film shows how Apocalypse was buried for thousands of years before being resurrected in 1982, the setting of the film. After the events of Days of Future Past, mutants are known by, and in some places, accepted among the general public. The world building is the first thing that stands out. X-Men revisionist history of the 1980s contains many of the familiar pop culture references, which makes the alternate world feel real.

One common criticism is that the first hour of the film is slow, and in some respects, that is valid. Personally, the first hour of collecting Apocalypse's Four Horsemen and the introduction of the new X-Men was entertaining throughout. However, my enjoyment of the buildup might be more so due to my love of the characters and franchise.

Apocalypse's weakest aspect is probably the finale. It's not especially unique compared to other superhero movies, at least narratively speaking. The events that take place are quite different and fun, but the central conflict is ultimately: "Bad guy wants to destroy the world. Good guys try to stop him." For me, it wasn't much of an issue.

X-Men's other weak point is that if you are not invested in the X-Men franchise and remember the previous films, much of the depth is lost. X-Men has been around for 16 years, so the lack of accessibility is certainly an issue. Actually, I have noticed that among younger and new superhero movie fans introduced to the genre during the new MCU era, those fans just do not care about the X-Men. They might go see them in theaters, but the fandom is lacking even half the enthusiasm and voice of the MCU, which is a shame. 

Characterization: 8.2/10- Magneto is a highlight in the film. His scenes have so much weight and pathos thanks to Fassbender and the previous development of the character. There is so much emotion to his scenes during the early parts of the film. Unfortunately, he does not play a major role in the middle portion of the film, and the engaging interaction between him and Professor X is minimal. However, everything about his character works so well, despite limited screen time.

Professor X does not have the powerful character arc of Days of Future Past because, at this point, his character is established and stable as he aids the younger generation. Mystique is.... fine the film. Her role serves its purpose in an interesting way for the plot. Hank McCoy, aka Beast, plays a relatively small part as the teacher guiding his students, much like the comics.

Apocalypse, the film's titular antagonist, portrays an interesting type of villainy. Some complain that he lacks menace, partially due to Oscar Isaac's relatively small stature. However, to me, this take on Apocalypse is more of a cult leader giving off an air of benevolence and almost kindness to his followers. Compared to the typical maniacal villain that's trying to takeover the world, Apocalypse's refreshingly calm presence makes for a strong villain. Unfortunately, the finale with Apocalypse is a bit of a letdown after him being such a powerful figure in the comics.

While the other characters all serve their part well, the true standouts are Quicksilver and the new cast members for Scott, Jean, and Nightcrawler. Quicksilver's role and characterization are greatly expanded upon compared to Days of Future Past. And his main scene is absolutely spectacular, easily the best part of the movie; true show stealing stuff. While you might not be able to tell from his part in the original X-Men trilogy, Scott Summers, aka Cyclops, is actually a cool character, almost like the Captain America of the X-Men, so it was great to see a young version of the character being portrayed so well. Jean Grey is equally as stellar in the film, and the subtle romance between the characters is excellently executed. Nightcrawler has been sorely missed from the X-Men films, so it is also great to see his character reestablished. As an X-Men fan, seeing characters other than Wolverine being the focal point is a true pleasure. Storm is also introduced, although her role is smaller, albeit still well executed. With that said, what the heck happened to Jubilee's screen time!?

Direction: 8.5/10- Bryan Singer really knows how to make an X-Men film, despite his reluctance to commit to the classic costumes. His visual style really works, as the film looks and sounds like the 80s. The action sequences, while expectedly inferior to Captain America: Civil War, are rather impressive. The mutant powers on display are fun to watch as no other superheroes have quite the wide range of power sets that the X-Men possess.

Acting: 9.2/10- X-Men's cast is always a highlight and Apocalypse is no exception. Michael Fassbender shines bright with a performance full of gravitas and weight, even more like Sir Ian McKellen's take on the character. Despite having less to do this time around, James McAvoy continues to give a top notch performance. While "phoning-it-in" is an exaggeration, Jennifer Lawrence does not have the type of screen presence compared to her other recent roles, and Nicholas Hoult is always a joy to watch. Oscar Isaac plays the mix of evil and calm excellently as Apocalypse, even if that is not the type of villain viewers expected. Evan Peters’ charisma and charm continues to be a blast to watch as Quicksilver as he steals every scene. Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Alexandra Shipp all play the younger versions of classic characters superbly with Turner being the standout as Jean Grey. Everyone else in the cast are good as well.

Special effects: 8.8/10- Aside from the occasional bit of noticeable CGI, X-Men: Apocalypse actually manages a lot of CGI heavy scenes incredibly well with the powers providing very colorful and exciting visuals. Of course, Quicksilver's sequence is the highlight as it almost makes you wonder how the heck did they pull it off!? 

Soundtrack: 8.5/10- John Ottman returns to score X-Men: Apocalypse, and his work continues to be high quality and fitting for the film. The use of licensed songs from the 80s added a great sense of fun and familiarity to the period setting.

Humor: 8.7/10- Surprisingly, this is a very funny movie at times. Whether it's Professor X stumbling over his words with MacTaggert or Nightcrawler's clumsiness, the humor is really spot. And again, Quicksilver's scene is brilliant and absolutely hysterical!

Entertainment Value: 9.7/10- As an X-Men fan, X-Men: Apocalypse is a pleasure from beginning to end. The bits of fanservice sprinkled throughout certainly made the film even more fun, especially a certain cameo that was apparently spoiled in a trailer, which I did not see. 

Overall: 8.0/10- Making way for the new generation of characters, X-Men: Apocalypse might suffer from a few nagging narrative issues that bring it down from the instant classic territory of the previous two X-Men films, but its exciting new cast, Magneto's riveting scenes, and stunning display of mutant powers makes it a treat for X-Men fans and a fun superhero flick for everyone else. With that said, if you are not invested in, or familiar with the X-Men franchise, the film's score would probably be more of a mid-sevens, rather than a flat eight.

Closing comments: While definitely weaker than either First Class or Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse is a lot better than the Rotten Tomatoes score gives it credit. Sure, it has flaws, but not every superhero flick can be the masterpiece that is Captain America: Civil War. Below is a review by one of my favorite movie critics and top reviewers on YouTube, Chris Stuckmann, that highlights many of the film's strong points.

Recommended for: X-Men fans, Superhero fans, Action fans,

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X-Men: Apocalypse First Impression

Update: My full review of the film is up. Please click here to see it, and if you reviewed the film, let me know in the comments.

Finally, I got to see Bryan Singer's X-Men: Apocalypse! Unlike my usual experience, I actually saw the review scores. For some ridiculous reason, the Rotten Tomatoes score is a mere 48%. Sure, it might not be the masterpiece that Days of Future Past, but it much better than that rating would suggest. My reasons will be explained in the review on either tomorrow or Saturday. Also, definitely avoid any trailers if you have not seen it. Apparently, one of the later trailers spoils one of the best surprises of the movie. If possible, I recommend re-watching some of the other X-Men films to refresh your memory because much of the character building ties into what happened in the precious films. Please check back soon for my full review tomorrow!

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X-Men: Apocalypse Trailer

The X-Men franchise returns next year with X-Men: Apocalypse, one of my most anticipated films of the year! Thus far, we know that the film will be set in the 80s and that it will follow the Apocalypse storyline. Is it just me or does it look like they are using makeup to make James McAvoy look older? He looks a bit strange, and the clip of him bald at the end is rather funny, but he will make it work. With that aside, Apocalypse looks so much better in motion than any of the production stills that were released, and Oscar Isaac is sure to deliver in the role. Much like Days of Future Past, Apocalypse seems to be following the storyline with relative accuracy, or at least for a comic book film. It is definitely different, but many of the key aspects are still there, and if Bryan Singer can deliver another film on par with Days of Future Past, we are in for a real treat this summer. My only real issue is that, personally, the talk about Apocalypse and his relation to the Bible is not the direction I wanted them to go, but it's just a movie, so no deal hopefully. Other than that, X-Men: Apocalypse is right behind Captain America: Civil War and Rogue One as my most anticipated films of the year! Are you excited? Please comment below and let me know!

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Marvel and Fox Developing “Hellfire” and “Legion” TV Series

You may remember last week that rumors suggested that Fox, who owns the X-Men and Fantastic Four film rights, would make a deal with Marvel / Disney to create a new TV series for Fox's television channels. While the details of the deal are incredibly vague, Marvel and Fox are developing a TV series about the Hellfire Club from X-Men: First Class film titled, "Hellfire." Variety's report states, "Fox’s 'Hellfire' is set in the late 1960s and follows a young special agent who learns that a power-hungry woman with extraordinary abilities is working with a clandestine society of millionaires, known as 'The Hellfire Club,' to take over the world."

The following are set to star and produce Hellfire: "Singer, Lauren Shuler Donner, Simon Kinberg, Evan Katz, Manny Coto, Jim Chory and Marvel’s Head of TV Marvel’s Jeph Loeb will serve as exec producers with Patrick McKay and JD Payne co-writing the script. '24' alums Katz and Coto will serve as showrunners. 'Hellfire' hails from Marvel TV and 20th Century Fox with 20th handling the physical production of the series in development."

The second TV series will be "Legion" on the FX channel. "FX’s 'Legion,' which is also based on an X-Men character, will tell the story of a troubled young man, David Haller, who may be more than human. Since he was a teenager, David has struggled with mental illness, and diagnosed as schizophrenic — he has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. But after a strange encounter with a fellow patient, he’s confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real. In Marvel Comics canon, the character is Professor Charles Xavier’s mutant son."

Well, this is certainly interesting news. Hopefully, more details on how, if at all, these TV shows will affect the MCU and which companies own the rights to which properties will be revealed in the near future. What do you think? Please comment below and let me know!

Source: Variety.com

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Assassin's Creed 2016 First Look at Michael Fassbender

Assassin's Creed 2016 starring Michael Fassbender finally releases a First Look at Fassbender in the costume. Fassbender will be playing Callum Lynch, an original character never before featured in the AC video games. My first impression of this picture is that it looks fine, but it looks almost too much like a video game and Fassbender is too hard to see behind the hood. The film will be following a new story and characters unrelated to the games' main story, or at least that is what is revealed thus far. While seeing a few of the franchise's great characters would have been fun, the series' structure allows for stories branch off of the main narrative, and if executed correctly, this film could be great. However, just like any adaptation, it could be complete garbage, but let's hope that is not the case. What do you think of this first promotional image? Please comment below and let me know!

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12 Marvelous Things That You Should Know About X-Men: Apocalypse

 X-Men: Apocalypse is the next X-Men film, and unlike the previous antagonists in the franchise, Apocalypse is one with a complex and interesting history. Today the people over at Lights on Location, a website where filmmakers can find a filming location, have written some fascinating facts about the upcoming  X-Men: Apocalypse film along with an infographic! Check it out below and comment!

  With less than a year until X-Men Apocalypse, fans are getting excited about the upcoming film. Bryan Singer is also bringing the hype by posting daily photos from the filming location and introducing us to the new mutant characters. To give you a bit of background in what you should expect for the film, here are 12 things that you should know about X-Men: Apocalypse.

1. Apocalypse is the oldest mutant alive.

He was born in Aqaba, a city in the coast of Jordan, almost 5000 years ago. This makes him the first and the oldest known mutant to live on earth. Because of his mutant gene that gave him freakish grey skin, he was shunned by his own people.

2. The First One

His real name 'En Sabah Nur' means 'The First One' in Arabic, possibly referring to him being the first mutant to be born. He was gifted with immortality and a handful of terrifyingly powerful abilities such as regeneration, superhuman strength, telepathy, and the ability to alter his molecules to whatever form suits him. 

3. The movie's filming locations 

Bryan Singer has been busy in various filming locations shooting the movie. The cast is currently in Montreal, Quebec which serves as the primary filming location. They also built giant sets of Egyptian tombs and Storm's hometown Cairo, Egypt.

4. They have a new Cyclops

We briefly saw James Marsden return as Cyclops in Bryan Singer's previous X-Men film 'Days Of Future Past'. Now in X-Men Apocalypse, a new actor will portray a younger Cyclops. Tye Sheridan - known for his roles in Tree of Life, Mud, and Joe - will play the role of the teenage Scott Summers in the 2016 film.

5. Riders of the Dark

Aside from his Four Horsemen, Apocalypse also founded a group of fanatics devoted to the Darwinian ideals that "the strong shall inherit the earth and the weak should be culled". He calls this group the Riders of the Dark.

6. Apocalypse's first appearance

Apocalypse was created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Walter Simonson for the Marvel comics 'X-Factor #5', released in June 1968. The 2016 film will mark his first actual appearance in the big screen after a younger apocalypse was show in the post-credit scene of X-Men: Days of Future Past.

7. It's coming real soon

2016 is going to be a big year for 20th Century Fox. Next year will mark Deadpool's introduction in the X-Men universe as well as the release of Gambit's solo film. X-Men: Apocalypse is also set to open to theaters worldwide on May 27th, 2016.

8. The CIA agent is back

The CIA agent from X-men First Class will be back for this film. Rose Byrne will reprise her role as Moira MacTaggert, the CIA agent that helped the x-men and became a love interest for the young Professor Xavier.

9. X-Men: Apocalypse's main villain

Oscar Isaac will play the main villain of the film, En Sabah Nur aka Apocalypse. But before we see him wreak havoc for the new x-men, we will see him first as Poe Dameron in this year's Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

10. Shooting schedule

X-Men Apocalypse began principal shooting in April 2015 at Montreal and is currrently in production as of this writing. Recent photos released from the shoot reveal Ben Hardy as Angel in what looks like a fight club. Rumors tell us that Apocalypse will recruit the winged mutant in a German Fight Club. From the set photo we've seen, this might just be the club they were talking about.

11. Apocalypse's power levels

According to Marvel's official power ratings, Apocalypse is considered one of the strongest mutants ever. He is rated as having immense strength, considerable speed, high durability and extreme intelligence. He is also skilled in fighting and energy projection.

12. The Four Horsemen

Apocalypse employs a group of mutants called The Four Horsemen for his evil plans, taking the titles of Death, Famine, War and Pestilence. He persuades them using his power or with other means, during which he converts them and augments their mutant abilities. He also gives them outfits with specially designed weapons and equipment using his advanced technology. The Four Horsemen in the movie will be Angel (Ben Hardy), Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Psylocke (Olivia Munn) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender).

Fantastic Four (2015) Review

Fantastic Four is the latest Marvel superhero reboot by Fox, the studio that brought us X-Men and those two corny Fantastic Four films starring Captain America, which no one cares to remember.

If you have read some of the reviews, you may know that almost everyone hates on Fantastic Four, aka "Fant4stic" if you read the poster. However, going in without any knowledge of what everyone else was saying, Fantastic Four proved to be a film with fantastic potential with a unique take on the superhero genre, even if fails in certain places.

As you may know from my post last week, the Fantastic Four are Marvel's first superhero team, which was created in response to DC's Justice League. Stan Lee considered leaving Marvel, so he created the type of team that he wanted to make, and the result was the Fantastic Four, a superhero team that was more family than team. F4's success lead Stan to continue writing comics that we all know and love today like X-Men, The Avengers, and so much more. In many ways, the comic is one of the most important to Marvel as a whole. Unfortunately, the corny 2005 film and its sequel did not do the team any favors, and neither is the response to the reboot.

Directed by: Josh Trank
Genre: Sci-Fi, Comic Book,
Release Date: August 7, 2015
Running Time: 100 minutes
MMPA rating: PG-13

The Good: Fresh take on the origin story, Realistic science setup, Horrifying transformations, Solid performances, More science than superhero, Fantastic first hour, Slow burn pace, Doom is cool for five seconds, Several cool FX scenes, Military involvement

The Bad: Anticlimactic and disappointing finale, Missing 20 minutes, Falls apart at the end, Doom is massively misused (again), Rushed finale, Dodgy FXs, Not enough Ben Grimm, A few strange lines, Missed opportunities

Plot: 5.0/10- Josh Trank and company take a more grounded approach to the classic origin by making the film more of a science gone wrong story than a superhero origin. Taking a slow burn pacing approach, the characters are gradually established and the relationships between the characters are built. For the first hour of the film, I was completely engrossed in the science fiction tale. Sure, many viewers apparently found all the science talk and constructing the teleportation device dull, but it established the characters as college students that bond over this shared goal. Granted, it is not the typical popcorn adventure that people expect from a superhero movie, but it got me hooked. Honestly, I could watch these characters interact for much longer.

Unfortunately, the film falls flat not long after the characters receive their powers. After the initial reveal, which is superbly executed and horrifying, the plot just falls apart. Being only 100 minutes long, Act 3 felt more like Act 2.5 because the villain is introduced and in about 15 minutes, the film just rushes towards the conclusion. It has one of the worst endings I have seen in a comic book film in a very long time. Plus, as the trailers show, there is more footage that could have been used to further flesh out the characters and add more action. At one point in the movie, you see several cool action sequences on a TV screen. Why not introduce the characters' powers that way!? It could have improved the pacing drastically. Up until that point, it would have been among the better half of superhero movies for sure.

Characterization: 7.9/10- The core members of the Fantastic Four, plus Doom, are well established, except for Ben Grimm. While building the device, you can see how three of the characters in particular bond. When they make the decision that leads that ultimately leads to receiving their powers, they act like college students, so their actions make sense.

Reed Richard is the most well developed character of the cast, and Victor von Doom was well established for the first part of the movie, although his motivations are well written, yet not well executed. Everything leading up to the characters receiving their powers excellently portrays the characters as well. Having read the comics, I felt bad knowing what would ultimately happen.

Unfortunately, the rushed Third Act mostly tramples all of the strong groundwork laid out. Doom is ruined yet again! For some reason, the writers have never read a F4 comic! Actually, his powers remind me of that one move in the Marvel vs. Capcom video game called "Molecular Shield," which is where Doom throws rocks as an attack. The creators obviously saw that and decided to make the entire character like that, although he was cool for about 60 seconds.

Direction: 6.7/10- Tonally, Josh Trank certainly departs from the more lighthearted roots of the comics with a tone more in line with the X-Men films and Ultimate comics. One aspect that really worked well is how F4 demonstrates the major difference between Fox's X-Men universe and Disney's Marvel universe.

In X-Men, powers are perceived as a threat to mankind; almost a curse in some respects, while Marvel is more optimistic, which creates an interesting dichotomy. DC tried this in Man of Steel and failed. The best example of this is when the team first receives and uses their powers. The scene is filmed in a way to make it horrifying; it almost made my skin crawl! Of course, F4 fails in that awful Third Act that contains one of the worst superhero action sequences of the last few years.

Acting: 7.9/10- Miles Teller is an undeniably great actor, and while some of the material towards the end is weak, he pulls of the college genius element well. When Michael B. Jordan was cast as the Human Touch, a traditionally white character, there was a huge uproar, and while it is unnecessary to the story, he actually did a good job in the role. Kate Mara as Sue is a bland, as she is the weakest of the cast. Fan favorite, Jamie Bell, is not given nearly enough screen time, although he is good with what he is given. Lastly, Toby Kebbell as Doom is actually very good in the early parts of the film, until he receives his powers.

Special effects: 6.8/10- The special effects are hit and miss. Sometimes it looks legitimately cool, and other times it looks somewhat cheap. Overall, it is not half bad.

Soundtrack: 7.0/10- Marco Beltrami and Philip Glass' score is solid, albeit somewhat unnoticeable during the film.

Humor: N/A- Aside from a few quick gags, there is not much humor present.

Entertainment Value: 7.8/10- Until the Third Act, the movie was engrossing and entertaining for a sci-fi fan like myself. Apparently, I am just about the only person that enjoyed though.

Overall: 6.3/10- More science than superhero, Josh Trank's reboot establishes grounded characters in this drastically different take on the Fantastic Four that succeeds at making the origin fresh and new. Unfortunately, the decent groundwork in the first hour is undermined by an anticlimactic finale that is among the worst superhero conclusions of the last decade.

Closing comments: Despite my seemingly positive review of Fantastic Four, many of the criticisms about the film are entirely valid. I just value the first hour more than others, although that last part is a complete atrocity!

Recommended for: Sci-Fi fans, Fantastic Four fans, Marvel fans,

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New Deadpool Images

New images for Deadpool continue to be released! As far as being faithful to the comics, this Deadpool movie is nailing it! However, in my honest opinion, the film is going a little too vulgar. I watched a bootleg version of the Comic-Con trailer, and while it was funny and full of meta-humor, it seemed unnecessarily vulgar, even for Deadpool. Of course, that is just me. Otherwise, Ryan Reynolds is fantastic, and the costume is perfect. What do you think? Please comment below and check back tomorrow for my 5 Unconventional Westerns list, where I wrap up my Western Week.

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X-Men: Apocalypse New Pictures

New pictures from X-Men: Apocalypse have been release, and they give us our first good look at the characters. If you do not already know, the film is set in the 80s and will feature Apocalypse as the main antagonist. Below are the pictures with my commentary.

Oscar Isaac will no doubt be a fantastic Apocalypse, and the use of practical makeup is an excellent idea. However, he looks a little strange, but then again, this is a production picture, if I am not mistaken, so the final product will be different. The use of the classic Mohawk look for Storm is a fun idea considering that this is the 80s. Psylocke, one of my favorite, yet underused, characters, and she looks great in the almost 100% comic book accurate attire. The heavy use of purple for all of the characters fits the 80s and Apocalypse theme well.

Cyclops’ appearance is exactly what I would expect, which is great! Hopefully, this time around, he will actually have some personality.

 Eh, I am on the fence about Jean Grey visually, but I am hopeful.

 Now this is perfect! Jubilee looks exactly like the 80s comic and the 90s cartoon version of the character!

 Not much to say other than Fassbender returns! 

For a young Nightcrawler, this is a good look for the character. I hope he is just as entertaining to watch use his powers in this film as he was in X2.

 Is it just me, or does Professor X look a little strange? Otherwise, this is what the Cerebro will look like, and I like it.

At first, the goggles on Quicksilver's head looked like a dumb headband, but now knowing that those are goggles, I can't wait to see more of the character!

What do you think? Please comment below and let me know! And are you excited for this new X-Men film?

Source: IGN.com

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X-Men Angel Costume and Actor Revealed

Information on the new Angel in the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse has been released. Ben Hardy is set to play the characters, and apparently, his only notable acting credit for a long running BBC soap opera, EastEnders. Other than that, this is his first starring role. As expected with an Apocalypse story, Angel is going to be turned into Arcangel, one of Apocalypse's Horsemen, and the concept art below shows us what he is going to look like. On a side note, I suppose the series is disregarding the previous X-Men films' timeline entirely since the character was featured in X-Men 3: The Last Stand and he would be far too young for a mid-80s set film. It really does not matter since that movie was mediocre anyway. What do you think of Arcangel's look? Please comment below and let me know.

Archangel from the comics

Source: IGN.com

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Deadpool Movie is Official for 2016

After the awesome Deadpool test footage was leaked a couple of months ago, an official Deadpool film is coming 2016! YES! It is finally happening! The movie has escape development limbo, and it is set to release on February 12, 2016. Ryan Reynolds is set to return to play the the Merc with a Mouth, and now they can finally right the wrongs of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Another strange development is that Kevin Feige is set to produce the film. However, Feige is the head of Disney/Marvel, while Deadpool is from the competing Fox, who owns X-Men and Fantastic Four. What are your thoughts? I am know that I am excited! Please comment and let me know!

 

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Deadpool Test Footage Leaked

Test footage from the Deadpool film starring Ryan Reynolds has been leaked to the internet! And I have posted the video above. Since this is leaked footage, be sure to watch it quick before it is gone and please let me know if the video does not work for some reason. For those not in the know, Deadpool is a Marvel character, who is known for constantly breaking the fourth wall. Often times, Deadpool talks to the reader/viewer, he is fully aware that he is a comic book character, and he even addresses the writers in hilarious ways. Essentially, he is positively hilarious! And Deadpool is a fan favorite, and one of my personal favorites. Ryan Reynolds played Deadpool, aka Wade Wilson, in X-Men: Origins: Wolverine, where the character was horribly mistreated and ruined. However, Reynolds was one of the few highlights of said film. Unfortunately, the Deadpool film, which is written by the writers of Zombieland, is still in development limbo, so we may never see it. At least we have this great proof of concept that a Deadpool movie would actually work, plus the Deadpool video game. What do you think of the footage? Please comment below and let me know.

Warning: Due to the audio quality and fast talking, I am not sure what is said during certain parts of the video, so there may be profanity. Also below is another version of the footage in case the first one messes up.

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X-Men: Days of Future Past Second Viewing

I watched X-Men: Days of Future Past, again! Believe it or not, I have never seen a movie twice in theaters, until now. One of my objectives while watching Days of Future Past again was to determine if my opinion has changed whatsoever from my perfect 10/10 original score from my original review. After my second viewing analysis, my original opinion is most definitely reaffirmed. I could not find a single aspect of the film that did not work or was flawed. The characters received ample development, the plot is incredibly tight, with the time-travel logic being near perfect, and the performances are superb, particularly James McAvoy, who should be nominated for an Oscar. It is still one of my all-time favorite films, with a time-travel element that is one of the best explained and portrayed in a movie. 

Long story short, Jacob and I promised our friend Jackson that we would go see the movie with him if it would ever come to the local theater. Since it took so long to come, Jacob and I ended up seeing it out of town, but it finally came to the local theater, so we saw it again. With the exception of two kids, who were actually quiet, we indirectly knew the people in theater, so that was interesting. Have you seen X-Men twice in theaters? Have you seen it at all? If not, what are you waiting for!? Please comment below and let me know. Also, sorry for not replying to every comment, as you might know, my arm is bothering me badly, so I can't type with it.

This is my desktop background!

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X-Men: Days of Future Past Review

X-Men: Days of Future Past takes several years after the previous X-Men films in a world where mutants and those that have the potential to produce mutant offspring are either subjugated into concentration camps or are on the run from powerful robotic Sentinels that rule the new world. To prevent this terrible future from happening, Wolverine is sent back to the 70s to stop an event that sparked the war.

With 14 years and six films, the X-Men franchise has had a somewhat confusing continuity, and Days of Future Past bridges the gap between the two timelines setup in the original X-Men trilogy and the First Class film. Even though there are still a few minor continuity errors that are not entirely explained, considering what has happened to the franchise since Bryan Singer left, he was able to fix just about everything in Days of Future Past to near perfection, while simultaneously crafting an exceptional film that is one of the best comic book films to date.

Directed by: Bryan Singer

Genre: Comic Book, Action, Sci-Fi, Time-travel,

Release Date: May 23, 2014

Running Time: 131 minutes

MMPA rating: PG-13

The Good: Compelling character development and drama, Logical time-travel elements, Several shocking plot twists, Quicksilver is jaw-droppingly awesome, Rights the wrongs of the previous films, Hugh Jackman is still the man, Blink is freaking cool, All-star cast, Impressive mutant action throughout, John Ottman's classic score, Many geeky references and geek-out moments, Ties-into the other films well, Strong performances across the board, Emotional impact, Perfect adaptation of source material, Thematically strong, Genuinely suspense, Great humor, Provides an excellent new starting point, Balances enormous cast expertly, Morally ambiguous, 

The Bad:

Plot: 10/10- Time-travel stories are difficult to write even when the entire film is focused on that one element, and as a massive fan of time-travel stories, spotting dodgy and inconsistent time-travel logic is not hard, yet Days of Future Past manages to craft a time-travel story that actually makes logical sense (or at least as logical as time-travel can be)! 

In other areas of the plot, Days of Future Past excels with brisk pacing that is never too fast or slow, reinforcement of the themes the X-Men franchise is founded on, and enough geeky references to make a fan giddy with delight. However, the movie does rely on the viewer's knowledge of the previous X-Men movies to obtain the full effect, and since I have seen all of the X-Men films multiple times, I was able to catch just about everything, but the casual viewer might become lost. The movie continues to throw in several very shocking plot twists, many of which made me audibly gasp. Additionally, Bryan Singer's pitch perfect tone captures the feel of the comics much more so than his previous work on the franchise.

Characterization: 10/10- Despite the enormous cast, the film is able to manage them skillfully. As with most X-Men films, Wolverine is the central character at first; however, Xavier, Erik (Magneto), Beast, and Mystique (mostly the younger versions) all receive ample development. In fact, the broken friendship between Xavier and Erik is possibly the strongest and most compelling aspect of the entire film. After seeing what has happened to the characters in both the future and the past, the conflict between the two characters is extremely effective. Mystique's character arc often surprised me with the direction it took and the amount of depth given to it considering the screen time available. Despite everyone's initial skepticism about the character Quicksilver (myself included), let me say, without a doubt, that his scenes are worth price of admission alone. Seriously, you have to see them to believe it.

Many of the characters from the original X-Men trilogy return and with the exception of Storm, I am fairly attached to these characters from previous films, particularly my one of personal favorite characters from the comics, Iceman. *Possible Spoilers* So, if you are also a fan of the movies and are still attached to some of these characters, prepare for a few heart wrenching moments of shock. *End Spoilers* In addition to all of these characters, there are other new mutants that are introduced like Blink, whose powers are amazing, and Bishop. While the new characters are more like extras in the battle scenes, there have never been cooler extras in a film. One aspect of the film that is often criticized is the motivations of the antagonist Bolivar Trask. While his character is not given a lot of depth, why does a military contractor need more motivations than money, the pursuit of science, and possible fame? That is often what motivates real life military contractors.

Action/Direction: 9.9/10- X-Men has always been unique in the fact that there are always such a large variety of mutant powers on display in film, and with ten years since Bryan Singer's last X-Men movie, he capitalizes on the opportunity for some awesome and inventive action set pieces. While the action is not on par with that of this year's The Winter Soldier, it is certainly an impressive effort, particularly anything that involves Quicksilver. In general, Bryan Singer's direction is spot on with some unique techniques and absolutely zero shaky-cam!

Blink's powers are freaking awesome!

Acting: 10/10- Days of Future Past's cast is huge! From Jackman's iconic portrayal of Wolverine to Michael Fassbender's brilliant rage to Patrick Stewart's gravitas, everyone is flawless. 

James McAvoy's performance is even more compelling than his last outing, and Jennifer Lawrence is well, the same J-Law that we all know and love, but darker and more conflicted this time around. Evan Peters as Quicksilver is another standout among the exceptional cast. Fortunately, even the horribly miscast Halle Berry is barely given any speaking lines to distract from the film.

Special effects: 9.8/10- Days of Future Past's special effects are its only weaker element since some of the mutant powers are not on par with the Marvel Cinematic universe in the larger action scenes. However, the special effects for Quicksilver boost the score substantially thanks to the best portrayal of superspeed in any film. Also, the practical makeup effects for Mystique and especially Beast were superb and very believable.

Soundtrack: 9.5/10- John Ottman returns to score the film, and his return is more than welcome. He combines elements of the brilliant First Class score with the original theme, which reminded me how good it was in the first place.

Humor: 8.0/10- While not always humorous, Days of Future Past has the perfect amount of humor to add to the enjoyment, yet still remaining serious. *Possible Spoiler* All of Quicksilver's scenes are positively hysterical! *End Spoilers*

Entertainment Value: 10/10- When I was not on the edge-of-seat in suspense or having my jaw drop to the floor, I probably had the dumbest looking grim on my face because I was in pure nerdy bliss. The X-Men are back and better than ever, and my favorite Silver-Age comic story is perfectly adapted. I have not been happier watching a movie since Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Overall: 10/10- Overall, X-Men: Days of Future Past is an exceptional experience that has the heart, themes, action, and characters that made the franchise and comic so great in the first place. And yes, I have done it again, another 10 out of 10, and on my scale less than 13 films have received such a rating, so know that I do not throw the rating around lightly.

Closing comments: X-Men: Days of Future Past has finally given us the an X-Men film that is on-par with Marvel's Cinematic Universe, as well as providing an excellent foundation on which to build the rest of the franchise on in the future. Note however, if you are not a fan of the X-Men films in some capacity, you will likely not find the movie as enjoyable and satisfying as I have.

Recommended for: X-Men fans, Comic Book fans, Action fans, Sci-Fi fans, Time-travel fans,

Please check back tomorrow for my review of Snowpiercer.

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