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Consistency has never been a strong suit of the X-Men franchise. While installments like X-Men, X2, and First Class have been met fairly positively, Origins and Last Stand have been the subject of frequent mockery among comic book fans (2013's Wolverine has produced largely apathetic reactions). The newest installment, Days of Future Past, is closer in quality to the latter three films (especially First Class), and is therefore, a solidly good time.

Acting as a sequel to First Class, Days of Future Past reveals a future where mutants and humans alike are rapidly decreasing in population. Because of this, Wolverine is sent back in time (to 1973) to alter the events that would ultimately lead to this dark future. This means teaming up with the younger versions of Professor X, Magneto and Beast, while the war in the future continues to threaten the mutants left behind.

Similarly to First Class, the first hour of Days of Future Past is intelligent and fun, while the second hour lags a bit compared to the first, and is more partial to plot contrivances and power oversights. Ultimately, the film is entertaining the whole way through, but there are slow passages that disappoint a bit after the non-stop fun in the first hour.

The action sequences are intense but with a hint of playfulness, and the amount of comedy is just enough to elicit frequent chuckles without overwhelming the story. The visual effects far exceed those in the previous installments, though the scenes that take place in the "future" look incredibly cheap. During these scenes, the sets themselves appear to be made of cardboard, and even the CGI looks a bit cartoony here.

The performances are predictably solid. With a better script in play than we normally get from the X-Men films, Hugh Jackman really gets to shine here. James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and Nicholas Hoult are great as well. Evan Peters is a hilarious scene-stealer that is disappointingly abandoned early on. Peter Dinklage is a delightful addition to the cast as a military scientist in a supporting role. Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart, however, are surprisingly mediocre in very short appearances.

John Ottman's score submits itself to a surprising amount of action cliches. The horn of doom in particular was an unfortunate tool here, though Ottman's work here as a whole is largely perfunctory, if completely unmemorable.

Days of Future Past furiously attempts to rework the bugs of the lesser X-Men films so that those who have lost faith in the franchise may choose to return. The ending especially seems to be an outright apology for The Last Stand (and a most deserved apology at that). While its desperate attempts to win back fans may seem, well, desperate, Days of Future Past provides exactly what one would hope for: entertainment. It may very well be the best X-Men film so far, but the franchise has yet to achieve the greatness it so often hints at, but can't quite reach.

Score: 7/10