Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 92% (Critics) / 95% (Audience)
Directed By: Bryan Singer
Written By: Simon Kinberg, Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman
Starring: Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and Hugh Jackman
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Synopsis:The X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants. – (Source)

The Good:
Getting all of these actors from the various X-men films was a major achievement that Bryan Singer handles very well Singer’s direction also seemed re-energized with this film. Every scene seemed to be full of energy from the most action-packed to the most quiet and introspective. Singer also deserves credit for jumping head first into the deep end of the X-Men’s comic book continuity to make a film that is inspired by one of the most famous and incredibly convoluted stories in the comic’s history. All of the time travel stuff could have scared off a less daring director and I appreciate Singer not shying away from it.
A lot of characters get screen time (some large amounts, some just quick flashes) but there is never a sense that anyone is being given short shrift. The only character that I found myself lamenting not getting more of was Evan Peters’ Quicksilver. Leading up to the film Peters look for the film was dumped on heavily by the collected Internet but his Quicksilver was the breakout character of this film. He was fun, fully formed and had some of the most well shot scenes in the film as far as special effects go.
The old stalwarts of the film were all in good form too. Stewart and McKellan still have that great easy chemistry; Jackman could probably do Wolverine in his sleep and James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender stack up very nicely against their older counterparts. Fassbender especially brings a very nice bit of charmingly malevolent intensity to the role of Magneto that makes him both scary as hell and totally worth rooting for at the same time.
I also enjoyed what was done with Mystique as a character. With how the character was left at the end of the movie I could see Jennifer Lawrence spinning off into a solo movie for the shape-changing mutant.

The Bad:
I really would have liked to have seen at least one scene between Fassbender and McKellan. Getting Stewart and McAvoy in a scene together was nice but it just left me wanting the two magnetos to have a chance to play off one another too.
The amount of overwrought melodrama that the audience has to go through before professor Xavier finally stops being a pill grew to be a bit too much for my tastes. Getting him to see the light about 20 minutes earlier would have been perfect as far as I am concerned.

The Ugly
Halle Berry is still horrible as Storm.

Final Verdict: Possibly the most “comic booky” comic book movie ever made and it works surprisingly well. Full of action, suspense, humor and drama with solid performances from all of the extremely large cast that, despite it’s size, never feels unwieldy. Some of the angsty bits drag on too long but overall this is a very welcome addition that reinvigorates the X-Men franchise.

Grade: B+