X-Men: Apocalypse

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Bryan Singer/Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Oscar Isaac, Rose Byrne, Olivia Munn, Tye Sheridan, Nicholas Hoult, Evan Peters, Sophie Turner, Kodi-Smit McPhee and Ally Sheedy

Professor X's gang is back for another CGI carnival; X-Men: Apocalypse; director Bryan Singer's latest franchise installment. The cast for this franchise seems to be growing at an exponential rate. This time we have the ferociously talented Oscar Isaac joining the magnificently-talented Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy for a movie that is fairly entertaining but hardly distinguished. The film's propulsion operates on casting and acting power rather than solid storytelling and a riveting plot. For me, any movie starring Jennifer Lawrence, Fassbender, McAvoy and Isaac is reason enough to pay the admission price. The four actors are solid anchors for a comic book movie that resembles not only the series predecessors but The Avengers. I'm starting to confuse the respective franchises.

In the latest story, we see ancient Egypt, or an idealized, comic book version thereof. Under an enormous pyramid, a ritual is in process which will transfer the soul and power from a god-like being known as En Sabah Nur to another, thus ensuring life everlasting. But saboteurs ensure the transference fails, which destroys the pyramid; leaving Nur buried under rubble; dormant for centuries thereafter.

In present day Egypt, CIA operative Moira Mactaggert (Rose Byrne) trails a group of men who unearth an underground passage to En Sabah Nur's burial site. Mactaggert watches in dismay as the all-powerful entity is resurrected.

In another part of the world, we see Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), otherwise known as Magneto, working anonymously in a Polish foundry; his identity concealed from his co-workers. In hiding from the world, Magneto has managed to start a family and maintain a low profile. But when he uses his powers to save a fellow co-worker, the authorities become aware of his true identity. Not long after, Lehnsherr, his wife and child are confronted in the woods by a posse of law enforcement officers with non-metallic bows and arrows. One projectile is accidentally discharged, killing Magneto's daughter and wife. Though powerless to manipulate any weapon lacking metallic properties, a chain with a medallion is used to dispatch all the officers in an efficient, lethal manner.

Meanwhile, in Westchester County, NY; Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) seeks out Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) to alert him to Magneto's whereabouts. Though a mutant, Mystique's reluctance to connected to the organization or to even be referred to as her crime-fighting appellation is acute, which contrasts sharply with Xavier's commitment to helping and guiding all mutants.

While Mystique and Xavier concern themselves with Magneto, Nur wanders Egyptian streets, observing all that has become of the world he once knew. Feeling nothing but contempt for what he sees, he initiates an agenda to cleanse the world. He enlists others with mutant powers: Storm (Ororo Munroe); a waif who sees Nur use his powers to dispatch a group of men who accost him on the city streets; Angel (Ben Hardy); another mutant whose powerful wings serve as offensive and defensive weapons and Psylocke (Olivia Munn), whose weapons of choice are dual lethal swords. Utilizing his god-like powers, Nur augments his follower's abilities; rendering them more dangerous. But the most dangerous recruit is Magneto himself, who sees Nur's plan for global destruction a goal worthy of his own.

Xavier and the X-Men become aware of Nur when he and his newly formed group infiltrate their headquarters for the express purpose of kidnapping Professor X, whose ability to detect and communicate with mutants worldwide becomes highly coveted. When Nur and his team succeed in kidnapping Xaver, Mystique becomes the reluctant leader of a rescue team which consists of Quicksilver (Evan Peters), Beast/Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult; sporting cool-looking blue hair and beard), Jane Grey (Sophie Turner), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), and Nightcrawler (Kodi-Smit McPhee), whose ability to transport himself instantaneously through space becomes highly useful. But their efforts go awry when a mutant-hating Colonel named Stryker captures the team and imprisons them in a cell in a secret facility. This subplot is kind of fun. The group discovers another famous mutant being held in the facility. Nightcrawler and Jane Grey manage to help the group escape, which leads them on a collision course with Nur and his followers, who have already begun the process of transferring Xavier's mighty powers of mind to the Egyptian God. But the group must also stop Magneto, whose augmented powers have been harnessed to destroy cities and bridges worldwide.
The latter half of the film is the inevitable battle between the X-Men and Nur's super-mutant team.

Director Bryan Singer is an old hat with Marvel movies, having directed several through his career. He coaxes a reasonably interesting story from his co-written script and gives the X-Men a formidable foe to test their powers against. Nur is an interesting villain with unbelievable power but somehow he becomes a bit bumbling during the climactic fight. What looked like an unbeatable villain early on proves to be less dangerous later in the film. What little suspense the story held was established early on but it spilled away in the second half.

It's tough blogging about superhero films because the normal critical foci; direction, cinematography, acting, etc., play second fiddle to the almighty visuals. With superhero flicks, it's CGI-uber-alles.

But in spite of the towering visual effects, some humanity manages to sprout. It seems Professor X and Mystique will forever try to convince Magneto that a spark of goodness still exists in him. The indication is that they may have succeeded, which is too bad, considering the X-Men movies are always more fun when Magneto is disgruntled and on a rampage. The series has certainly undergone a youthful makeover; younger actors have now assumed the roles of principal characters.

I think I've come to expect a McDonald's experience with the Marvel movies. One knows a Big Mac's taste will never vary, nor will anything else on a Golden Arches menu. In spite of that fact, we still return; satisfied that some things remain the same, year in, year out. To me, the analogy seems very apt. I get what I expect with superhero movies, so I'm never dissatisfied. But there is hope. Deadpool and Antman offer the genre more humorous possibilities.

Please forgive my afore-expressed editorial but I have little more to say about X-Men: Apocalypse other than it wasn't dull. If you'd rather not cough up a dozen dollars to reach the same conclusion, then might I suggest you see...uh...Captain America: Civil War?

Joy

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: David O. Russell/Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Virginia Madsen, Edgar Ramirez, Isabella Rossellini, Diane Ladd and Elizabeth Rohm

Jennifer Lawrence gave us not one but two strong characters in 2015; one of course was Katniss Everdeen, while the other is from David O. Russell's late year release, Joy. Katniss was always the reluctant leader and hero of her story while Lawrence's new character; Joy Mangano, is hardly shy about asserting her authority. Both women epitomize female empowerment but though Katniss is a terrific fictional character, Joy is based on the real life inventor/entrepreneur who overcame considerable resistance to realize her dreams and ambitions.

But don't mistake Russell's film for an uplifting, sentimental, Horatio Alger story. Joy is a beautifully-acted, powerful drama with its share of triumphant moments. The film's brilliant focal point is Jennifer Lawrence's marvelous performance. Lawrence is quickly laying claim to the title of America's best actress.

Based on the real life experiences of Joy Mangano, Russell's film opens in late 70s' New York. We see Joy struggle to support her mother Terry (Virginia Madsen), her ex-husband Tony (Edgar Ramirez) and two children. While Terry does little all day but watch soap operas, Tony clings to a fading dream of becoming a singer. In spite of their divorce, Joy tolerates Tony's presence in her house; an issue that irks her father Rudy (Robert De Niro). While Terry and Tony do little to help financially, Joy finds it necessary to take on all tasks and chores related to her house; including home repairs and maintenance.

Long divorced from Joy's mother, Rudy meets Trudy (Isabella Rossellini); an Italian woman who has just inherited her late husband's fortune.

Demonstrating an innate flair for invention, Joy designs a self-wringing mop which she draws up--utilizing her daughter's crayon--in a primitive sketch. Having parts crafted from her design by some of her father's shop workers, Joy is able to create a working prototype but lacks the capital to proceed with production. Tapping into Trudy's inheritance, she is able to hire workers to assemble the various parts in mass quantity.

Before she can patent her invention, Trudy recommends Joy consult a lawyer of her acquaintance to investigate the possible existence of a similar invention elsewhere--which elicits a warning from Tony, who thinks it a mistake to involve someone who doesn't specialize in patent law. The lawyer informs Joy that a similar patent does indeed exist, which makes royalty payments necessary. Joy then hires a company used by her co-patent holder to manufacture the parts she needs for her mops.

Joy's workers create a stock of mops but she discovers that generating interest in her invention is exceedingly difficult. An impromptu demonstration in a K-Mart parking lot draws few buyers and worse still, the store management has the police force her from the premises but not before confiscating her mops.

Having taken out a mortgage to pay her workforce, Joy's debts begin to accumulate but an opportunity to bring her mops to the public's attention is made possible by Tony, who for once manages to be useful to his ex-wife. Tony arranges a meeting for Joy with Neil Walker (Bradley Cooper); an executive for QVC; the home-shopping network, at their company headquarters and studios in Pennsylvania. The meeting goes swimmingly; as Walker is impressed not only with Joy's invention, but her gumption. After Joy's awkward demonstration before QVC personnel, Walker agrees to have her mop on a QVC broadcast. But when the product goes live, she discovers to her horror that the man chosen to present the mop on air bungles the demonstration, which results in zero sales. Furious, Joy drives to Pennsylvania, where she barges into a QVC executive meeting to confront Walker. She demands that her mop be given a second demonstration, performed by herself. Walker reluctantly agrees.

After some cosmetic and sartorial preparation--Joy rejects the latter for her own choice of on-screen attire, she goes live on QVC. She stammers at first but then eases into the demonstration. Moments later, the sales display lights up, causing Joy's family and friends watching at home to rejoice. The joyous, heady moment is a wonderful moment in the film.

But still more setbacks await when Joy discovers her half-sister Peggy (Elizabeth Rohm) has conducted business with the company manufacturing the mop parts, making payments to offset rising interest costs. Joy angrily tells her sister to never conduct business on her behalf again.

The various relationships in Joy's life have some effect, negative or positive on Joy's ambitions. While Peggy proves to be a sibling competitor with ambitions of her own, Terry is a constant burden and Tony a vexing impediment to her success until he proves otherwise. The one anchor in her life is her grandmother Mimi (Diane Ladd--where has she been?); a motivating influence whose unshakable faith in Joy remains a constant to her grave. And though Rudy is initially encouraging, he shows his true colors after Joy is forced into bankruptcy when she discovers the mop part manufacturer refuses to pay for its shoddy work; a problem exacerbated by their unlawful appropriation of her molds. In a moment that calls for fatherly support, Rudy instead expresses his regrets about ever encouraging Joy.

Faced with almost certain defeat, Joy summons her natural smarts and tenacity to look further into the patent claims by the rival company. To her dismay and delight, Joy discovers that no competing patent was ever filed which prompts a meeting with the man who made a competing claim on the patent. The scene where Joy confronts the man responsible for said fraudulent patent claim is riveting. Attending the meeting with confidence and resolve--and a dramatic hair self-styling, Joy secures from the man a sizable payment for the crime committed on herself and company.

The story ends happily for Joy, though subtitles tell us members of her family saw fit to sue her for various reasons. The final scene where Joy sits at desk, listening to a prospective female inventor pitch a product brings the story full circle and is a touching end to a powerful film.

David O. Russell is an actor's director. Though plot is never an afterthought in his films; people are always Russell's main concern. Supporting Lawrence's superb performance is Robert De Niro, who has done his best work in recent years under Russell. The same can almost be said for Bradley Cooper, who never hits a false note. It was great to see Rossellini, Madsen and Diane Ladd, who all made their presence felt. Edgar Ramirez probably redeems himself for the unfortunate Point Break remake.

Russell's film could serve as a metaphor for the plight of actresses in Hollywood; who, in their struggles to be cast in choice roles, always run into a near impenetrable wall of male power that seeks to diminish them rather than allow their talent to flourish.
What the movie ultimately celebrates is female empowerment; Joy's persistence in the face of resistance. The shot of Joy walking toward the camera; looking bad-ass in sunglasses and leather jacket, tells us everything about her refusal to be anyone's fool or doormat.

Russell's film is well on its way to the award empyrean but awards really mean little in the broader scheme of things. What really counts most is a film's endurance. I hope the film resonates with movie audiences.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Francis Lawrence/Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Julianne Moore, Donald Sutherland, Liam Hemsworth, Jena Malone, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Natalie Dormer, Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson

Did this series really begin in 2012? Have we really seen four films in a mere three years? And where has the time gone? Seems like yesterday since I first heard about Katniss Everdeen; a name that is now as familiar to movie audiences as Harry Potter. Well, almost. But it seems like she's always been with us.

The series comes to a definitive end with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2 and though I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected, it's still a relief to see the saga finally coming to rest. I found the ending to be satisfying (I don't know how those who read the series feel) and because I can be as sentimental as the next sentimental person, I'm kind of sorry to see Katniss go. It isn't often a major action franchise features a woman in a lead role. With Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, the character became someone could we could care about.

The last film in the series poses many questions, which we know will be addressed before the final credits. Will Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) overcome the brainwashing to which President Snow (Donald Sutherland) has subjected him, rendering him dangerously hostile to Katniss? Will the rebellion topple the government and if so, who will be the leader in a new world order? What will become of the Katniss/Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth)/Peeta triangle? Is President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) all that she seems? Will she be the best choice for president if the rebellion succeeds? Because this is the final film in the installment, all questions are answered forthwith. And as the story dispatches them, it manages to move along at an exciting clip, with brief stops for exposition and plot development.

If you were expecting a series of pitched battles between the rebels and Snow's army, you will be pleasantly surprised to find the movie avoids that obvious plot-line. Instead, Katniss' obsessive quest for revenge and Snow's assassination supersedes Coin's directives, which demand the face of the rebellion become a PR tool in uniting the districts against the Capitol. Of course we know Katniss will never sit passively as the war is about to rage. Escaping from the rebel base, she commandeers a combat unit; effectively lying to them about a Coin-mandated operation to kill Snow. The unit, ostensibly led by Boggs (Mahershala Ali), become unwitting accomplices in Katniss' personal operation, which becomes increasingly dangerous the closer they come to their objective.

Utilizing a holographic map of the Capitol, the unit plots a course through the vast array of deadly traps-known as pods-that lay hidden in every street. Using a pod-locating device in Bogg's possession, the unit, which includes Boggs, Katniss, Gale and Peeta, make their way through the city streets, hoping to avoid sudden death and the the Capitol's military forces. The group encounters frightening obstacles, like a searing wall of flame and later a terrifying deluge of what resembles crude oil. Adding a wrinkle to their mission is Peeta, who has yet to shake off the conditioning that makes him liable to kill Katniss at any given moment. Finding the pod-deployed streets too much to overcome, the group enters the city sewers to bypass the horrors above, only to encounter other nightmarish foes below.

As they come within sight of the palace gates, Katniss and Gale don cloaks to disguise themselves but find Capitol security checking refugees entering the compound. The rebellion arrives in time to divert attention away from Katniss and Gale, which makes it possible for her to enter the palace. After Snow is apprehended, he divulges secrets about Alma Coin's pursuit of power, which are confirmed during a round-table meeting between Coin and the principle players of the rebellion. Any hopes Katniss embraced for a just, free society ruled by Coin become instantly dashed.

In the execution scene that follows, the story takes a twist not entirely unanticipated. As Katniss stands ready to be Snow's executioner, she fires and arrow that irrevocably alters Panem's future and gives the plot yet another twist. In the aftermath, we see Panem's future clearly laid out. And in the epilogue that follows, we see what becomes of Katniss Everdeen; a conclusion that seems almost inevitable.

It is astonishing to consider the ensemble cast; the many actors and actresses whose talents have been enlisted for the series. To see Phillip Seymour Hoffman is both eerie and a pleasant illusion. The end of the series means we have unfortunately seen the last of him onscreen.

I like that the story carries a bit of realpolitik. Novelist Suzanne Collins and film-makers are wise and maybe cynical enough to understand that revolutions and revolutionaries are often as reactionary as the regimes they hope to supplant. Katniss and her soldier colleagues discover this hard fact in post-uprising Panem. And in earning this wisdom, the ending becomes downbeat, rather than a buoyant, ecstatic celebration.

The film's opening weekend receipts exceeded $102 million; a staggering amount for a film featuring a female lead. It is worth mentioning that the film's opening weekend figures dwarf both Spectre and Mad Max: Fury Road; two other action franchises with male leads (though one could argue MM:FR featured a female co-lead). If Hollywood gleans nothing from this factoid, then we can safely say progress is still a work in progress. Maybe the new Star Wars series should take heed. From what I've seen of the trailers for that film, the story features a female co-lead. Future film-goers may look back to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 2 as the film that first ushered in a trend for strong female leads in cinema. I guess Katniss Everdeen is a revolutionary outside the story too.

So we say goodbye to Katniss Everdeen; the Mockingjay and her heroic exploits. It has mostly been a pleasure. May her bow ever be supple and her arrows ever aim true.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay--Part 1

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Francis Lawrence/Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci and Liam Hemsworth

The penultimate Hunger Games installment arrives and with it come some new though hardly surprising developments. Director Francis Lawrence, who is now an HG veteran; brings us a story that is well-paced, with plenty of action action scenes to mingle with a few interesting character developments.

Jennifer Lawrence has now lived in Katniss Everdeen's skin for a few films and wears her character well. Eschewing an auto-pilot performance, she makes us care about Katniss with her compassion and her Greek-goddess-of-the-hunt heroism.

It's safe to say the HG films have eclipsed and buried the Twilight series in terms of adolescent popularity. Thank goodness; who could stand one more movie about narcissistic bloodsuckers who stood around looking like they were waiting for a Vanity Fair photo shoot.

The film wastes little time starting where the last story left off. Katniss has been rescued by the rebel government, who occupy a well concealed and well-fortified base underground in District 13. While she laments the loss of her best chum, Peeta Mellark, the rebel leader, President Coin (Julianne Moore), and her adviser/assistant Plutarch Heavensbee (Phillip Seymour Hoffman, in his last role) attempt to wheedle a reluctant Katniss into becoming the face of the rebellion. Katniss balks but when she sees a broadcast of Peeta--alive and well--being interviewed by Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci), she changes her mind. She recognizes that Peeta has become a government pawn and propaganda tool. Her agreement comes with conditions, the most salient being Peeta's rescue from the government.

Katniss learns that being the face of the rebellion means being exploited and having her image manipulated by digital media to make her appear more heroic and leader-like. It is interesting that both Peeta and Katniss become pawns of opposing political bodies. One of the major themes in the series has been media and governmental manipulation.

Helping Katniss along with her image is stylist Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks), who has been exiled from the capitol. And equipping Katniss and her ad-hoc rebel unit is Beetee (Jeffrey Wright); who performs a service for the rebellion the way Q does for MI6 and James Bond.
Though Coin initially refuses to allow Katniss to fight for fear of losing the rebellion's most potent symbol, she also finds she has little choice when Katniss places herself in harm's way. As Katniss witnesses the devastation the Capitol has wreaked on the districts, she becomes more amenable to rebellion imperatives. And as both sides exchange hostilities, Peeta's rescue becomes the narrative focus.

Though it isn't hard to tell where the story will lead, Director Lawrence shows he has a nice touch at keeping the tension tightly wound and demonstrates sound story-telling instincts when he prevents Katniss' budding romance with Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) from crowding out the story.

The film could have made President Coin and the rebel leaders appear saintly but the story is nuanced enough to show the rebellion's propaganda techniques to be much like the government's.

While watching the film, we know the last installment is yet to come, which means the audience will be left with an Empire Strikes Back-like cliffhanger. We discover something about Peeta I won't mention here; something to be addressed in the next and last installment.

Though I've enjoyed the series, I feel I'm ready to see it wrapped up and brought to a definitive conclusion. It hasn't worn out its welcome--yet--but it might have if the producers had decided to drag it out to 5 or 6 iterations. And do we really need the last installment to know how it will all end? The only surprises will come from the characters--mainly Katniss and Peeta.

And do I really need to say more about a series that has been cloned by its lesser successor, Divergent? No, nothing more need be said.

I may miss Katniss Everdeen when it's all said and done...or I may be eager to move on.

Yeah, that's more likely.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

**Some Spoilers, but not many**

Director: Bryan Singer/Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Ellen Page and Peter Dinklage

Days of Future Past...hmmm, isn't that the title of a Moody Blues album? Uh, never mind. The latest X-men iteration is upon us; this time combining the "old" and "new" casts though what those designations mean character-wise is subject to the audience's point-of-view.

I was able to breathe a sigh of relief upon exiting the theater; Marvel Entertainment finally came through with a terrific super-hero film, which builds upon the equally terrific X-Men: First Class. Though the new cast; James McAvoy, Michael Fassbinder, Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult occupy most of screentime in X-Men: Days of Future Past, the old cast returns, sharing the latest adventure. Wolverine acts as sort of a liason between the old and new and by now Hugh Jackman can play this role in a coma. But he hasn't taken his character for granted; offering a marvelous performance and his signature rippling torso, bursting with vascularity.

I won't offer a complete synopsis because I would rather spend more time mentioning what I liked about the film, which was nearly everything.

Mankind is threatened and mostly conquered by what are called Sentinels; robots with mutant DNA, specifically Raven/Mystique's (Jennifer Lawrence). How did such a thing happen? Back in the early 70s', a mutant-hating scientist named Dr. Bolivar Trask (an excellent Peter Dinklage) designs robots to combat what he believes is a mutant menace. Raven/Mystique, wise to Trasks's research and agenda, tracks him down and kills him but in doing so, is captured. Her DNA, bone marrow, and other bodily contents are utilized in his robot-design, which make them nearly invincible. The Sentinels can not only identify mutants, but can effectively neutralize them with near impunity.

The film begins with scenes of urban darkness; the aftermath of Sentinel domination. Only a small unit of mutants hold out in remote China. Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellan) both hatch a plan that will send Wolverine's consciousness back in time via Kitty Pride's (Ellen Page) time-bending powers. His mission is to find both the younger versions of the Professor and Magneto and convince them that Raven's assassination attempt on Trask must be stopped, thereby denying him access to mutant DNA. Plenty of obstacles present themselves, and an effective ticking clock is employed to ratchet up the tension. In the the future, the Sentinels have discovered the mutant hide-out and threaten both the future and past Wolverine's mission. Very exciting stuff.

The screenplay by Simon Kinberg and story by Jane Goldman are inventive, intricate, intense, rich in character development and spare no opportunities for humor.

For once, CGI doesn't play an exclusive role in the visuals but are used sparingly and effectively; serving the story rather than smothering it. The actors are allowed to act, to explore their characters, rather than just react to a green-screen.

The acting, as one would expect, is top-notch, which is what one would expect from such an exceptional cast. McAvoy and Fassbender scintillate as Professor X and Magneto, particularly in an airplane scene where X accuses Magneto of ruining his life while Magneto accuses X of abandoning the mutants. Fassbender allows his character to be angry without spilling all his rage; he holds some in reserve behind his taut jaw and saber-gaze. McAvoy's X is a blend of wavering confidence and fear of his own powers, which gives his hero more depth. Jennifer Lawrence is an actress that seems to fail at nothing. She gives Raven/Mystique an edgy determination and it is always thrilling to see her character onscreen. But it is the small role of Evan Peters' Quicksilver that presents the film its memorable, mutant jester. Quicksilver seems more trickster than hero and the scene where he directs the bullets and aggression of a security force away from the other mutants is deliriously entertaining and funny. That it all plays out to Jim Croce's Time in a Bottle makes it all the more inspired.

By now Bryan Singer has earned his super-hero movie bona-fides but he doesn't Tweet his effort in. He demonstrates the new X-Men franchise is one Marvel series that deserves some longevity. It is inspired from opening to closing credits and it is one of the very few super-hero movies I can honestly say I would pay to see again. I hope Hollywood is taking note; (though it doesn't really care if their product has charm; the bottom-line is king) X-Men: Days of Future Past provides instruction on superhero-movie-making how-to. We'll see if they can recreate the magic in the next installment, which was hinted at the end of the closing credits. We'll see, indeed.