Check out our review of this all new extended version of X-Men Days of Future Past, that takes you deeper into the X-Men universe than ever before. Rogue makes her return as the all-star characters from the originalX-Men film trilogy join forces with their younger selves and unite to battle armies of murderous Sentinel robots who are hunting down mutants and humans alike!

The Review at a Glance:
(max score: 5 )

Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )

95
Details:

Studio and Year: 20th Century Fox - 2014
MPAA Rating: PG-13/Unrated
Feature running time: 131/148 minutes
Genre: Action/Fantasy

Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC
Video Aspect: 2.40:1
Resolution: 1080p/24

Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio, Spanish/French Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Starring: James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender, Halle Berry, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage, Ian McKellan, Patrick Stewart, Nicholas Hoult, Anna Paquin
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Music by: John Ottman
Written by: Simon Kinberg
Region Code: A,B,C

Blu-ray Disc release Date: July 14, 2015
"Prepare to go Rogue!…Not really."
My Take:

This all new version of X-Men Days of Future Past adds approximately 17 minutes to the theatrical cuts runtime. The Rogue Cut primarily adds two distinct sequences to the film but incorporates a series of smaller and inherently less obvious alternate scenes (that may or may not necessarily coincide with the aforementioned added sequences). Since this has been deemed the “Rogue” cut I expected the additional material to add some sort of definitive element to the story’s arc. In reality it comes down to a fairly small narrative insert that added little (other than a way to bring the character into the story) but in no way detracted from the proceedings. I truly had no issue with that aspect of this version but truth be told it didn’t impact the essence of the film.

The other sequence had nothing whatsoever to do with Rogue and involved Beast and Mystique. Once again I didn’t find it added nor detracted from the narrative but enjoyed it all the same. The remaining additional scenes are littered throughout with some that might catch your eye and others so subtle you would miss them entirely. At the end of the day I think that either the theatrical version or The Rogue Cut works equally well.

The Rogue Cut includes both versions of the film as well as incorporating previously unreleased bonus material which his highlighted by a pair of audio commentaries that are well worth your time. As for which version is best to own I would say that depends. The Rogue Cut doesn’t include a 3D Blu-ray or the supplements found on the original release so if any of that is important to you (and you don’t already own the original release) than that is food for thought. The Rogue Cut will serve diehard more than casual fans and serves as more of an addition than standalone offering in my opinion. My overall thoughts on X-Men Days of Future Past remains the same. This includes the quality of the audio/video on Blu-ray. Here are my comments from the original review which still apply:

I saw X-Men Days of Future Past in the theater with my family and we all love it. The primary plot begins In the future, when an army of Sentinels are exterminating all mutants, as well as any humankind that either help or are sympathetic to them. The mutants known as the X-Men are essentially no longer a “group” but have banded together with other mutants in an effort to survive/evade the Sentinels using Guerrilla tactics coupled with the help of Kitty Pryde, who has developed the ability to project a person's consciousness into the past (allowing them to forewarn the group of pending Sentinel strikes). Pryde's group, Storm, Wolverine, Professor Xavier, Magneto, Iceman, Warpath, Sunspot, Blink, Colossus, and Bishop gather at a monastery in China where they develop a plan to send Wolverine's consciousness to 1973 to prevent Mystique from assassinating Dr. Bolivar Trask, the creator of the Sentinels. Current history holds that following the assassination, Mystique was captured, and her DNA was used by Trask's company to create the Sentinels, whose ability to adapt to any mutant power makes them almost invincible. Xavier and Magneto instruct Logan to find both of their younger selves and convince them to join forces to locate and stop Mystique.

This is the foundation of the storyline which predominantly takes place in 1973 but in sending back only Logan’s consciousness (his physical body remains in the future), which inhabits his body in 1973, the two time periods run parallel/co-exist as he struggle to achieve his goal and the group in the future struggle to stave off the encroaching Sentinel army. There is lots going on in the film as we get to see lots supporting plot devices that embolden the characters and thematic depth of the narrative. What I have always appreciated about the X-Men both in the comics as well as their big screen adaptations is their flaws, complexity and struggle to cope with their own humanity. That comes through so well in this film. Bryan Singer understands these characters and has a passion for the subject matter/material that allows him to convey this in an engaging, fun and dramatic way that isn’t overplayed but doesn’t feel glossed over.

The concept is perfectly executed and using Logan as the vessel was absolutely the right call. The script draws you in right at the beginning and doesn’t let go. The inclusion of characters/actors from the original film series works like a charm but it’s the characters and story arc from X-Men First Class that carries the day, providing the substance that pulls the film’s various elements together. In addition to that I found the new faces in Blink, Sunspot, Warpath and Bishop to be nicely done as well. I do have to say that the new character that I enjoyed most was Quicksilver. He owned each scene he was in with the springing of Magneto being one of the, if not THE, highlight of X-Men Days of Future Past. I really liked this version of Quicksilver, much of which is owed to Evan Peter’s portrayal, and hope that however he emerges going forward that it’s just as good. Across the board the performances were simply great but Jackman, McAvoy, Fassbender, and Lawrence stood out. The film runs for well over two hours and is paced briskly but covers the bases. The special effects/action is entertaining and underscored by the strong performances and excellent
direction. As a fan of the X-Men film franchise I would have to say that X-Men: Days of Future Past has risen to become my personal favorite. ‘Nuff said…

Parental Guide:

The rating is for intense sequences of action and violence, some suggestive material including brief nudity and language.

AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:REFERENCE= 92-100/EXCELLENT= 83-91/GOOD= 74-82/AVERAGE= 65-73/BELOW AVERAGE= under 65

**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**

Audio: 94
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
  • Dynamics:
  • Low frequency effects:
  • Surround Sound presentation:
  • Clarity/Detail:
  • Dialogue Reproduction:
  • Low frequency extension * (non-rated element):
  • DSU Rating * (non-rated element):
Video: 96
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
  • Resolution/Clarity:
  • Black Level/Shadow Detail:
  • Color Reproduction:
  • Fleshtones:
  • Compression:
X-Men : Days of Future Past: The Rogue Cutcomes to Blu-ray Disc from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 21Mbps and lossless DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio sound that has an average bitrate of 5 Mbps.

X-Men: Days of Future Past looks great on Blu-ray and features excellent high definition video quality that exhibits high level detail, defining sharpness and exquisite definition that brings out lifelike textures captured by the camera’s lens. Dimensional perspective has a near infinite appeal that can be visually stimulating. Close ups are noticeably refined and revealing of the subtlest details within facial features and objects within the frame. Mid-level camera pans are equally enriching and offer excellent depth and dimension. Colors are appreciably delineated with natural rendering and punchy primaries that stand out among the remaining spectrum of secondary hues. Fleshtones are rendered with vivid tonality and discerning complexional description. Contrast is boldly applied without overstatement as it enlivens colors and empowers whites without washing away detail. Blacks are rich, gradationally strong and dynamic which makes them pop nicely during sequences containing a mix of light and dark elements. Detail in uneven light and darkened environments reveal visible shapes and structure in backgrounds. This is a pristine and faithful encoding that looks terrific on my big screen.

The DTS-HD Master Audio surround mix is equally impressive and sounds superb. This soundtrack runs the gamut between subtle passages of spoken dialogue and soft music to dynamically charged sequences that deliver opulent surround sound. Dialogue rendering is terrific as it holds sway over the front soundstage. Detail is first rate which brings out the finely articulated nuance of background elements within the mix. Things start off a bit on the reserved side however it ramps up as the storyline progresses and culminates beginning with the stadium raising through to the final Sentinel attack. Surround use is prevalent and achieves a high level of envelopment that is appreciably involving. Dynamics can be demonstrative at times as the active elements within the surround mix play with superior authority and fleeting deep bass transients (I would preferred deeper emphasis/resonation) that thumped nicely. John Ottman’s music score is carefully integrated into the sound design and is wonderfully detailed, acoustically transparent and three dimensional. This is an impressive audio/video presentation that essentially mirrored its theatrical one and will make for great demonstration material.

Bonus Features:
  • Theatrical and Rogue Cuts of the film
  • Audio Commentary by Bryan Singer and John Ottman (Rogue Cut)
  • Audio Commentary by Bryan Singer and Simon Kinberg (Theatrical Cut)
  • (HD) Mutant vs. Machine
    – 52 minute featurette
  • (HD) X-Men : Unguarded – 30 minute featurette
  • (HD) Storyboard/Costume/Concept Art Galleries
  • Second Screen App
  • (HD) Fantastic Four Sneak Peek
  • Digital HD Copy
Final Thoughts:

Like its theatrical version X-Men: Days of Future Past – The Rogue Cut is a rewarding and well executed installment that presents fans with an entertaining action/drama that compliments the X-Men film franchise. It makes its way onto Blu-ray in superb fashion and features top notch audio/video quality along with a decent assortment of bonus material that presents an inside look at the making of the film. If you don’t already own X-Men Days of Future Past on home video and are considering it, the choice as to which version to get will depend on how important the elements contained in each release are to you. As a diehard fan I am very pleased with this offering from 20th Century Fox and have added it to my collection alongside the Deluxe Blu-ray Edition. In either case I highly recommend that you add X-Men: Days of Future Past on Blu-ray to your video library.

Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS4910 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Calman 5 & C6 Meter from Spectracal )
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Carada Masquerade Horizontal Masking System
Marantz AV8802 13.2 Channel Audio/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
B&K Reference 200.7 Series 2 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-103D Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (With Darbee video processing)
Panasonic DMP-BDT310 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule Pro HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" and In-Ceiling series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SVS PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
SVS PC12-NSD
Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Wireworld, Better Cables (Silver Serpent) - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package