As a superhero event, its hard to beat.
But as the second consecutive X-Men film in a row (i.e.
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The smartest thing aboutDays of Future Pastssetting is its specificity.
A few years later and the Me Generation would have settled in for bellbottoms and disco dance floors.
Vietnam changed all that.
Instead, McAvoys Xavier has given into a funk as grim and hairy as anyone who appeared inEasy Rider.
Indeed, several are mentioned in passing dialogue to have died off-screen.
They give peace a chance.
Unfortunately, Lee and Jack Kirbys original X-Men vision never quite took off in the 60s like Spider-Man did.
However, when the characters were semi-rebooted in 1975 by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum, things changed dramatically.
If you trust those hypocritical squares, you might end up like Gwen Stacy.
Indeed, they still hold the record for the most purchased comic book in history withX-Men #1from 1991.
But the Baby Boomer appeal is not necessarily lost.
When glimpsed in that context,X-Men: Apocalypsecould very well be Xavier and Magnetos big chill moment.
Thats a movie I would pay money to see.
And the Vietnam War.
That would make this retro superhero franchise the most honest genre experience currently in production.
This article was originally published on May 27, 2014.
