X-Men: Days of Future Past opens in theaters Friday, May 23, and, despite director Bryan Singer’s current legal troubles, the huge ensemble superhero movie was well received by critics.

X-Men: Days of Future Past brings together the casts of Singer’s original two films (X-Men and X2) and the cast from the hit reboot X-Men: First Class, which is, to put it lightly, littered with superstars and beloved actors – Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen reprise their roles of Professor X and Magneto, respectively, opposite their ‘younger selves’ actors James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. Thanks to the extraordinary cast, which also includes Jennifer Lawrence, Hugh Jackman and Ellen Page, and the return of Singer, critics agree that X-Men: Days of Future Past is, if nothing else, a lot of well-acted summer fun.

X-Men: Days of Future Past Review Roundup

“Singer’s return in the pretzel-logic pop fantasia X-Men: Days of Future Past is so triumphant because of how effortless he makes connecting the dots seem. It’s an epic that couldn’t be more Byzantine on paper but scans with ease on screen.” – Chris Nashawaty, EW

“X-Men’s multigenerational cast is slyly funny and thoroughly compelling. The intricately plotted Marvel Comics-based tale of spectacle, but also playful and powerfully emotional.” – Claudia Puig, USA Today

“McAvoy’s Xavier has gone adorably to seed, and it’s fun to watch him find his inner Patrick Stewart. Fassbender cunningly holds back, putting all his anger in his eyes and wolfish teeth. Jackman is the one who holds the whole ramshackle construction together: His Wolverine now has gravitas. But the jewel of the movie is Jennifer Lawrence.” – David Edelstein, Vulture

“It’s hard to imagine fanboys having too much to grumble about here, as Singer has pulled together an ambitious, suspenseful screen chapter that secures a future for the franchise while facilitating continued reinvention,” – David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

Critics Embrace Quicksilver

Quicksilver, a crucial addition to the X-Men franchise, finally makes his debut on the big screen – though, to be fair, Quicksilver as played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson did appear in the post-credits sequence of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In X-Men: Days of Future Past, Quicksilver is played by Evan Peters, and his character has been deemed a worthy and welcome addition by critics.

“Crucial assistance is provided by the Beast (Nicholas Hoult) and a speedy teenager (Evan Peters) who will eventually become Quicksilver and who anchors a showstopping action sequence in the kitchen of the Pentagon.” – A.O. Scott, The New York Times

“While Aaron Taylor-Johnson is playing the character in Disney’s concurrent Marvel franchise…the bar has been set remarkably high here: Peters’ Quicksilver steals every scene he’s in, especially one brilliant, deliriously fun action sequence that reveals how everything seems to advance in slow-motion from his perspective.” – Justin Chang, Variety

X-Men: Days of Future Past grossed $8.1 million Thursday night alone, with first screenings beginning at 10 p.m., and is expected to equal, if not best, the $95 million three-day opening of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

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