Trials and tribulations: A CritHit update

Things have gotten slow for a reason.

Back to the Future Past: Analyzing the X-Men: Days of Future Past "Rogue Cut"

Does Rogue’s return to the X-Men affect the film’s greatness or drag it down?

Last year, the summer movie season got its first true jolt of quality adrenaline in the form of “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”

The film featured director Brian Singer’s return to the franchise that he kicked off the ground, one that we have to thank for the formulation of the modern age of superhero films, in order to wrap up its dangling plot threads with a storyline that has resulted in what is essentially an in-universe reboot designed to provide the franchise with more longevity for the future while fixing its past mistakes in a presently shifting field for superhero movies demanding more expansive and in depth experiences brought about by Marvel’s and DC’s shared continuities.

“Days of Future Past” was a breath of fresh air back when it was first released for being a superhero film in which the storytelling actually felt like it took priority over cramming a hodgepodge of visual effects onto the screen. It was an excellent film then and remains so now, besting even some of the greater entries of the much lauded Marvel Cinematic Universe.

So how exactly does Singer’s newly christened “Rogue Cut” impact the film? Not as powerfully as one would hope but significantly for the better nonetheless.

The downside of featuring so many characters in a film split across two contrasting settings is that there will sadly always be a few characters that fall to the wayside and in a film as focused on humanity and emotion as “Days of Future Past,” this flaw is noticeable in the worst way possible. Although the “Rogue Cut” fails to fully address this problem, it goes a long way in mitigating it substantially.

Additional dialogue amongst the future cast allows for slightly meatier characterizations amongst the newcomers (Blink, Bishop, Sunspot, Warpath) and veterans (Shadowcat and Iceman).

The newcomers unfortunately remain victims of having little to work with but their additional investment in the events of the film to the point of outright debating whether permanently altering the future is the right course of action does wonders for the films atmosphere in addition to reinforcing its themes.

Meanwhile, Iceman is granted a subplot and a rewrite to his final sacrifice that is executed by a more mature Shawn Ashmore so wonderfully that he feels like a more fully realized character in this single film than he ever did across all three of the original “X-Men” films and the small additional interactions he gets with Shadowcat and Rogue not only add to their believability but grant a third dimension to their relationship that could have easily carried the story of its own film.

Speaking of the titular addition to the film in this reedit, Anna Paquin is unfortunately granted little to do beyond be a plot device. Although her connection with Wolverine adds a touching warmth to her role in assisting his mission, it would have been nice to get something of a goodbye scene to the father figure that helped her find meaning to her life in ways she couldn’t have possibly imagined.

The true enhancements to the story occur with the 70s portion of the story, in which a few small scene additions and editing choices add twice the flavor to a story that was already delectable to begin with.

Nicholas Hoult and Jennifer Lawrence’s reprisals as Beast and Mystique respectively are utilized far better, proving just how far small changes can reach. Their relationship from “X-Men: First Class” is revisited, humanizing Mystique by highlighting her slippery slope to crossing the moral line by focusing on how she holds her old emotional attachments while Beast finds himself in the position of a relatable middle man who’s attachment to the story’s major players contrasts with his own feelings of helplessness in the face of the threat that they stare down, with the knowledge of his future death revealed much earlier, allowing him to dwell on the very real possibility that his demise may be the inevitable conclusion to whatever this adventure may lead to.

“The Rogue Cut’s” enhancements to the film are very noticeable and the added special features, including a nifty commentary of the entire film featuring Singer and his editor/musical composer John Ottman, make for a far better rounded package than the original release of the film. The only major mark that I have against it is that it sadly may not be enough to justify a full purchase if you already sprung for a blu-ray copy of the film when it was originally released.

There’s sadly not enough new features to justify a repurchase of the film unless you’re a diehard collector but if you don’t already have it, it comes with the theatrical cut so you can buy it without missing either experience.

It’s more of a moderate touch up than a completely different product but for whatever it’s worth, “The Rogue Cut” is the definitive way to watch “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” If you haven’t seen the film already, it may be hard to go to the theatrical cut after experiencing it and if you’ve already seen the film, the added polish is definitely worth revisiting what will probably be the last traditional ride for the “X-Men” film franchise.

9 Statements of this is still a better Terminator film than "Genisys" out of 10

"Ant-Man" Review

Sleeper hit of Phase 2 or anti-climax following a lofty predecessor?

Fromage Fridays #32: Maggie

Drama and Schwarzenegger going together like peanut butter and jelly?

Recent history has made Arnold Schwarzenegger into something of an easy target for the media savvy; one that I have admittedly taken shots at unabashedly for years.

Letting go of the hypocrisy behind his political career or the drama of his marital relations, the level of arrogance he has regularly displayed in his efforts to take back his movie star status without ever coming to terms with the fact that he wasn’t a particularly good actor to begin with has never ceased to rub me the wrong way.

I would never deny adoring a plethora of his films both good and bad but the man is a relic of a bygone era of Hollywood and the more he tries to desperately relive that era, the more embarrassed I begin to feel for him. Therefore imagine my exasperation to discover his attempts to be taken seriously as an actor in a dramatic role featured in a zombie film. Then imagine my surprise to discover the film was actually mildly entertaining. Finally, imagine the feeling of shock mustered within the pit of my stomach upon realizing that his acting ability actually plays a hand in making it work.

"Maggie" tells the heavyhanded story of Schwarzenegger's efforts to protect and comfort his titular daughter (played by Abigail Breslin) after her infection with a zombie-esque plague greatly impacting humanity and drawing the attention of local and national authorities.

Similarly to the increasingly popular modern takes on the zombie mythos, "Maggie" is a drama placing emphasis on its human element above all else. The central characters all struggle to come to terms with Maggie's impending submission to zombification similarly to how family and friends struggle with acceptance of a loved one's approaching demise via long term illness.

Unlike better pieces of modern day zombie fiction however, the film is unfortunately a tad slow to deliver on the emotional payoff.

The first half of this movie is painfully slow. Things more or less pick up right in the middle of her "medical treatment," providing no context for who the characters are and less reason to get attached, leaving the performances to feel adequate but weightless. Schwarzenegger suffers worst in these early scenes, coming off as stiff and confused when stripped of his ability to utilize his physicality and no direction to aim his charisma.

Upon the end of the film's first 45 minutes or so, things seemed to more or less arrive at the natural conclusion of allowing a man famous purely for his physicality perform in a role requiring dramatic acting. That's when things take a sharp turn for the better.

As if the director himself were trying to pull the rug out from under the audience, the slow burn of the film instantly begins to pay off as Schwarzenegger and Breslin are finally allowed a few moments of tenderness as opposed to the dour looks they’d give off in the distance during the film’s first half. While Breslin proves to be as good as she always has been, Schwarzenegger finally gets to truly strut his stuff and I couldn’t be more pleasantly surprised. His heavy accent and phonetic pronunciations aside, the conviction he showed in his willingness to defy both authorities and even his own loved ones in a vain effort to preserve his daughter’s life is legitimately moving.

The surprising strength behind his performance and the bond between him and Breslin culminate in a surprisingly effective conclusion that tugged at my heartstrings a bit harder than I would have ever expected.

For all of “Maggie’s” pacing issues, the heart that reveals itself beneath its rocky exterior carries it a long way.

3 Shatners

Bottom Line: Alright Governator, political issues aside, you've earned a clean slate with me.  Don't blow it on "The Last Stand 2."

"Terminator: Genisys" review

He’s back, whether he’s wanted or not.