Yet another benefit of Comic-Con was the ability to purchase X-Men: Days of Future Past – The Rogue Cut early. Not only did buyers get the movie early, at a somewhat discounted price of $19.99, it came with a limited lithograph and the chance to see the film on the big screen. I am not going to review the movie because it is the same movie, it just had added bonus footage. If you enjoyed the movie, you will enjoy this version as much if not a bit more.
What am I going to do is try to help you decide if it is worth the money to buy the movie again, when you are not receiving any special knick-knacks or special treatment which obviously make it worth it. I am going to describe the special features on the disc without trying to spoil anything.
The earlier parts of the movie remain almost exactly the same, but with some added emotion and more on the various relationships between the characters. The emotional aspect is largely from additional shots, usually of lingering expressions, after scenes with little to no extra dialog.
Relationship wise, it shows more of Beast and Mystique, but mainly shows that Bobby is with Kitty. It isn’t until Professor X of the past chats with Professor X of the future that any truly substantial pieces of footage and changes to the movie are made. It does change quite a bit and adds a lot of extra characters using their mutant powers. It also fills in a few minor plot holes, like how were they found so quickly by the sentinels. Overall it gives everyone more screen time and time to shine, something the theatrical release seemed to cut a bit short.
Pros:
– The original cast gets considerably more screen time and it’s awesome.
– The added footage gives it a much more dramatic feel rather than just the high octane summer hit.
– The added footage is beautiful and edited in an extremely artistic way.
Cons:
– Essentially the same movie
– $20ish dollars
– Longer movie
– Not 3D
Final Verdict: Worth Watching, maybe not buying.
Personally I believe it is worth the price if you do not own a copy already. If you’re the type of fan who enjoyed the extended versions of the LOTR trilogy, this is pretty much the same scenario. The movie is in the form it was originally created, you get more from all of the actors, and extra bonus features that were not on the original release.
However if you’re not the type to check out the special features, or $20 is a steep price to pay for a movie you pretty much already own, I would suggest waiting for the price to drop, or just borrow it from someone who bought it. The line where Hank talks about time being a stream and that throwing rocks into it doesn’t change the direction is a perfect summary of The Rogue Cut. But how fun you find throwing rocks into a river is another story.
When it comes down to it if you liked the theatrical version, you will enjoy The Rogue Cut and should watch it.
X-Men: Days of Future Past – The Rogue Cut is available for purchase on Blu-Ray/DVD today as well as digital download.
