However, after re-watching the majority of the X-Men films leading up to this summer's Days of Future Past, one thing that really stuck out to me was the amazing allegories the film's make to oppression and accepting who you are- no matter how different from society you remain. Whether you read them as a gay parable, or simply a commentary on racism, the mutants offer something fresh and thought-provoking to the superhero genre. X-Men (2000) and X2: X-Men United (2003) were each staggeringly well made superhero movies, and much of that can be attributed to both the stellar ensemble cast and sharp direction by Bryan Singer. Nevertheless, as the franchise continued and Singer distanced himself further and further from the franchise, much of that commentary was left to the wayside in favor of bigger spectacle and more unnecessary cameos. With Days of Future Past, however, Singer returns the franchise to invigorating form- all while adding a level of menace the likes of which superhero films have never seen. 
Bryan Singer, with X-Men: Days of Future Past, combines the best elements of the 2000's X-Men Trilogy with 2011's X-Men: First Class to create a smart epic based on a popular X-Men storyline. Using the amazing cast of both portions of the franchise, the director crafts an intricate tale that's probably the darkest superhero film since 2008's The Dark Knight. Days of Future Past is more than just a superhero movie- it's a dire warning to all who hate and fear those who aren't like them.
It's impossible to give a plot synopsis of the film without clarifying something first: the movie jumps right into the middle of the action, and throughout the 131 minutes of screen time, never more than hints at the road to ruin. I strongly recommend reading through 20th Century Fox's 25 Moments That Shaped Mutant History before seeing the film, as it will allow the future portions to make more sense. It doesn't spoil anything about the movie, and will only heighten the experience.
X-Men: Days of Future Past is split into two settings: a dystopian future with the cast of the original X-Men movies, and a series of events in the past starring the cast of X-Men: First Class. The film begins in the future, where humanity is on the verge of extinction thanks to the arrival of the Sentinels- adaptive machines that originally hunted mutants. Now, all of mankind is in danger, as the Sentinels now attack those associated with the mutants in any fashion. Realizing the high probability of failure, once-enemies Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) are working together to save as many mutants as they can. With extinction awaiting them around every corner, the two come up with a plan to send the rapid-healing Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back in time to prevent an event that leads to the devastating war. Using Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page)'s phasing ability, Wolverine has only a short window to change the timeline before the Sentinels find where the remaining X-Men are hiding. 
Most of the movie takes place during the 1970's, where Wolverine's consciousness is projected into his younger body. He has to convince the depressed Professor X (James McAvoy) and the protective Beast (Nicholas Hoult) to work with their enemy, Magneto (Michael Fassbender), to find Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) before she causes the events that lead to global war. Meanwhile, technological innovator and mutant-hater Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) tries to convince the US government to sponsor his Sentinel program, warning them of the potential danger of mutants. It's a race against time itself in the effort to save all of humanity- the biggest challenge the X-Men have ever faced.
Now, a lot of the complaints about X-Men: The Last Stand were the overabundance of mutant characters. There was way too many to keep track of, so audiences had little emotional connection to any of them (while we're on the subject, Brett Ratner, why would you give Psylocke a total of two lines and none of her powers?!?). X-Men: Days of Future Past, on the other hand, despite having no less than 24 important characters in the movie, manages to balance their developments well, and works in correlation with the other X-Men movies to create a great ensemble gallery of characters.
Jackman, Stewart, McKellen, McAvoy, Fassbender, Hoult, Dinklage, Page, and of course Lawrence are all fantastic in the final film, with some Oscar-caliber acting coming from these leading characters. In supporting roles, Shawn Ashmore, Daniel Cudmore, and Halle Berry reprise their roles as Iceman, Colossus, and Storm, respectively, and each seems like they never skipped a beat, despite last doing these roles over seven years ago. There's some great cameos from the previous movies, including Toad and Havok, and some fun new characters like teleport-creating Blink (Bingbing Fan) and energy-absorbing Bishop (Omar Sy).
However, the biggest new character shout-out has to be Evan Peter's Quicksilver, the lightning-fast mutant from the '70's who helps to break Magneto out of his prison. He hams up the dialogue and action with pitch-perfect comedic effect; with so little screen time, we barely get to know him, but what a rush his character is in the picture. One scene in particular has had critics raving- probably because it is a gut-wrenchingly hilarious sequence that breaks the incredibly dark story up a bit.
The visual effects alone make Days of Future Past worth seeing. Yes, we get some typically cool effects when the mutants use their power, and both actors playing Magneto do a great job at using the scenery around them. Mystique's makeup looks as real as ever, and there's some neat costuming and production design for the 1970's set pieces (though I thought First Class did a better job at capturing the 1960's). Plus, the Blink teleports look pretty sweet. But the biggest selling point for me were the Sentinels- they look astonishing, and interact with the actors in realistic and fascinating ways. We know they're CGI, but they're also so life-like that we forget they're not actually there. They're horrifying and highly-effective antagonists.
Some of the time-travel stuff was far-fetched, and I take a bit of a problem with the fact that the future fight scenes, as cool as they are, would not happen once Wolverine goes into the past and changes things in even the slightest ways; him simply being in the past is enough to change history forever, no matter how successful he is in his mission. That being said, the editing and camerawork are done very carefully, so that there is a clear correlation between what is going on in either timeline. This was aided greatly by John Ottman's beautiful score, which also hints at X2's powerful title song.
In addition, there is some glaring continuity errors in the future segments. How did Wolverine get his adamantium claws back after losing them in The Wolverine? How did Professor X come back to life? And what about the "cure" they used on Magneto? Did it just not work on him, or was it ineffective in everyone? The First Class continuity is spot-on, but why couldn't Bryan Singer get his own work in the continuity correct? In the end, it really doesn't make that big of a difference in the grand scheme of things- Days of Future Past is still a pretty slick work of cinema, but as a die-hard X-Men fan, I would have appreciated some more answers than what the writers were giving me.
If you go in expecting a sequel to First Class rather than an X-Men Trilogy follow-up, you won't be disappointed- the future segments are only used as a grim aid to the direness of the past's story. It's a ton of fun to see actors like Stewart, Berry, Ashmore, and McKellen in their original roles, but ultimately this is a story about the past. There's nothing wrong with that- the movie is still incredible- but don't go in expecting to see a whole of lot of the original cast.
X-Men: Days of Future Past is a haunting superhero spectacle, one with several incredible action sequences and lots of well-developed characters. This is storytelling at its highest form, and Singer creates a parable for all who hate themselves because of what society says is "normal". He warns all who speak against those who are different that if we continue to fear one another, humanity will crumble under its own prejudices. It's a dark fantasy, filled with great filmmaking, but also with equally great metaphors and social lessons. The film asks if you want to be like one of the X-Men, and fight to defend all people, whether they are mutant or not; or, do you want to be like Bolivar Trask, and hate those who are different so much that you seek only to eradicate them from existence?
Personally, I'd like to side with the X-Men, and hope all who see this wonderful film agree.
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