Often, what you see on a screen when it comes to Hollywood blockbusters is not at all what the initial footage looked like. Whether it’s CGI, practical effects, models, costumes, make-up or any of the other numerous tactics employed to create movie magic, the finished product is almost always enhanced in some manner, especially when it comes to big budget films.
Thankfully, nearly every major blockbuster has its production recorded and documented by photographers and over the years, some truly incredible, exciting and often hilarious behind the scenes photos have made their way online. And so, on that note, join us today as we settle into another edition of our weekly column, where we’ll be exploring X-Men: Days of Future Past, which was the second installment in a refreshed and rebooted trilogy featuring everyone’s favorite mutants.
Comic book adaptations are admittedly entertaining as hell to watch, for the most part, but if we’re being honest with ourselves, outside of a handful of films – Nolan’s Batman trilogy and Watchmen to name a few – they don’t exactly provide the most stimulating narrative available. Generally, you’re going to see one overtly good character that believes in a noble cause, against your typical comic book villain that’s stereotypically out to take control of the world. Movies, especially comic book adaptations, are escapism at their core though, so it’s completely acceptable.
It’s always wonderful when one that does want to challenge the mind comes along though, and X-Men: Days of Future Past definitely joins the aforementioned class of thought-provoking superhero films. It’s layered with concepts regarding fate, changing the past for a better future and, most intriguingly, a cast without a central villain. The film is entirely composed of characters with admirable intentions in mind, with their actions to achieve their goals all differing and falling into different areas of the moral spectrum.
The fantastic direction from Bryan Singer also capitalizes on the time travel element with some truly unique scenes, such as a young Xavier entering the mind of the past version of Wolverine, who then projects the conscience to the future Xavier. In other words, the film takes the elements of time travel and continuously puts an X-Men twist on things to keep audiences guessing and engaged.
Not only is Days of Future Past probably the best installment of the franchise, but it’s also dazzling, clever and features one of the best damn scenes in any comic book movie, ever. As such, we’re happy to now be able to take a closer look at it thanks to the behind the scenes photos in the gallery up above.
