PixlBit

I saw it yesterday afternoon and I really enjoyed it. I think it was a solid X-Men film: visually inventive, emotionally powerful and downright magical/impressive in how it bridged the trilogy and First Class without being incoherent or losing focus. The way it ended was just crazy (for how it wraps up and then immediately sets the stage for future films) and smile-inducing. 

In a way, it was refreshing that the film didn't explain certain things: how the future Xavier still exists after what happened to him in The Last Stand, how Wolverine still has his admantium claws after what happened in The Wolverine. In fact, I'd say this film almost acts like The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Wolverine didn't happen - aside from the last film, which I liked, I'm okay with that. It just makes the time travel stuff a little messy in a Back To The Future way (it doesn't make sense but how its resolved emotionally is so good you don't care).

Great acting by everyone around but clearly James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence benefit the most. The best of these films aren't just about the spectacle but the human/mutant element, about how where one sits in the human/mutant debate can define you or just how neutral or extreme one can take their beliefs. Keeping both arguments in the gray (there's validity to both Xavier and Magneto's stances) influences how events transpired in the best of the series. Everything is character-motivated, not a empty place holder for an action scene (no matter how well its done). Bryan Singer understood this in the first 2 films. It's why those are held in such high regard and why it was important to get him back for this one.

Lawrence was amazing as Raven/Mystique, especially on a physical level. First Class gave her little to do in that regard; here, she's just wiping the floor with everyone and looking fantastic as she does it. Character-wise, it's rich, too; her time with Magneto has rubbed off on her despite the fact that she doesn't kill (like she's holding on to some values Xavier gave her) like he's willing to.

Everyone is going to love Quicksilver. The whole Pentagon sequence was one of the highlights and there's a moment involving slo-mo and Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle" that had the whole audience laughing and cheering (myself included). He's not in the film for very long but he definitely made an impression.

I could go on and on so I'll wrap it up here. I didn't stay for the end credits ending so I have no idea what happened but the implications in the final shot left me with some questions...

I've been reading Xmen comics forever. I really love the current All New X-Men. They brought back the original X-team to join up with the current team in an effort to get them to regroup. Time travel isn't new in the series, so I was skeptical about how messy it would appear on screen, but I was surprised at how straight forward the story  came through. I look at the comics and films differently, but I like how they used some of the themes from the books and interpreted them in the film. 

The thing with Xavier in X3 ending was that he had a twin in a coma, so he swapped minds before he died. I think it was explained in a DVD extra from X3. And I read this online somewhere, but I like the idea that X3 never happened.

As for Wolverines metal, he could still have gone through the weapon X program after the events of DoFP.

If they are doing a spin-off of Raven/Mystique I would be interested in seeing it. I was skeptical at first, but I think she is such an interesting character to watch-- the spy stuff is cool. 

I agree with your comments about the film. I also like Peter Dinklage as Trask and Quick Silver was just too cool. I liked when he said his mom new a dude that was into metal-- *wink.

After the credits spoiler

- We see egyptian pyramids being built. But there are enourmous blocks floating and spinning in the air forming the pyramid like a giant rubix cube. The camera pans down and we see a young man in a robe with grey skin, who is moving the blocks with telekenisis. Over his shoulder are four horsemen--and then the teaser ends.

SPOILER WARNING!!!!!!!! (I haven't figured out spoiler text)

"As for Wolverine's metal, he could still have gone through the weapon X program after the events of DoFP."

Feel free to correct me here but at the end when Logan wakes back up at Xavier's mansion, it isn't confirmed whether he still has adamantium in his body (his claws never come out).
That's the thing about the final shot that puzzles me: if Mystique is acting as Stryker does she put Logan through the Weapons X program (or at least hands him off to the real Stryker) or does she just rescue him? 

For spoiler text you just need to use the highlighter tool and select the black color. 

As for Wolverine,

At the end of the filme Mystique is disguised as Stryker and recovers Logans body from the river. What will happen next is still speculative and uncertain. Its expected to be addressed in the next film Apocolypse in 2016. Some speculate that Mystique tells Logan that he needs to put himself through the Weapon-X program to get his adamantium skeleton and helps him do that. But again, this is just speculation. Wolverine just isnt Wolverine without his metal or his claws so he will have to go through something like this. Also, Magneto escapes, as well as Mystique, so another speculation is that Magneto can help him with metal. Again, speculation. 

Kinda on the fense about seeing this one. I don't like the ultra serious tone of the trailers. I'm kinda sick of the melodrama. I don't take comic book characters THAT seriously. The humorous tone of the Guardians of the Galaxy trailer however, is right up my alley. Can't wait for that one.

I would agree with you about most comic book movies needing lighter tones, like Spider Man or Avengers, but XMEN have always been dark in tone IMO. Humans are always trying to find ways to kill them, and mutants have to fight to survive without looking like the bad guys--hiding/controlling their abilities. This struggle is really well represented by the disagreement between Xavier and Magneto. Magnetos motivation comes from his experience with concentration camps in Germany, so thats pretty dark already.  Quicksilver and Logan have some funny moments in the film to lighten things up a bt. 

I'm going to see it right now. So I'll let you know how I liked it.

I haven't seen it yet, so I can't comment but I did like First Class a lot. Also, the iOS game looks surprisingly good. Thinking about picking that up.

Please offer a review of the iPad game.

I saw it yesterday afternoon and really liked it.  It is easily my favorite X-Men movie so far.  Although I've been an X-Men fan for years (I think the first issue I picked up was around 1988 and I've read everything since), I've never really cared for the past movies very much.  I was excited about this one though, and it didn't dissapoint.

I think it's my favorite of all the films. Blink and Quicksilver are so cool!

I'll see it this week, because I didn't have any time to in L.A. 

I actually liked both Wolverine movies. Origins was incredibly stupid, but fun for me, and the newer one I actually thought was very well-made and had gorgeous shots of Japan. 

Just saw it today. Definitely my favorite X-Men film, a few plotholes, but what's good in it is so good I don't care. Quicksilver I loved even though I wish they kept him, or at least gave a reason why he left. I'd even take he just didn't feel like it, that fit his character perfectly. Overall, just a great, fun movie with plenty of creativity and a good enough pace to keep everything fun.

Yup. Thought it was super great! I think if Quicksilver had stayed, the ending would have been too easy, or little conflict. I kind of liked Beast and Wolverine being powerless against the sentinels, and the drama between Mystique/Magneto/Xavier. 

I'll probably watch this when it hits DVD or once it starts playing endlessly on FX or something.