Since The Wolverine premiered in theaters last summer with a teasing post-credits scene, fans have been eager for the latest addition to the X-Men franchise.

I’m happy to say, it definitely delivers.  Bryan Singer’s X-Men: Days of Future Past is reminiscent of X-Men and X2, combining humor, plot, and special effects, along with an ensemble cast, to create an exciting story that will entertain all audiences.

Days of Future Past begins in a horrifying, dystopian future, where most mutants have been wiped out and humanity oppressed by the Sentinels, robots created by Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage).

A small group of mutants act as the resistance to the Sentinels, and, in a desperate last bid, send the Wolverine’s (Hugh Jackman) consciousness back to the 1970s in order to prevent Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from killing Trask, therefore creating a martyr and generating support for the Sentinel program.

In the past, Wolverine searches out Charles Xavier, aka Professor X (James McAvoy), and Beast, aka Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult), in order to find Mystique and change the future.

Going into the film, I was a bit uncertain about the size of the ensemble cast, which includes Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Peter Dinklage, Halle Berry, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Evan Peters, to name a few.  I feared that it would overcomplicate the plot. However, I thought Singer did an excellent job using his cast, giving each character moments where they were able to shine.

We’re truly able to grasp the motivations of each main character, and why they take certain courses of action, which can partially be attributed to the excellent acting by the cast. Furthermore, Singer was able to introduce minor characters in this film that will be featured even more in the next X-Men film, X-Men: Apocalypse. For instance, although he had only a minor role in the film, Peter Maximoff proves to be one of the most memorable characters due to a short sequence during a prison breakout.

Another element that was of some concern was the plot. The film takes place in two time periods, but since the main focus is on the events in the past, I don’t think this will trouble most people.

Furthermore, the film isn’t just for fans. While it’s certainly nice to have some background information (the film references events that happened in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, X2, and X-Men: First Class), it is not necessary for viewers to under stand these references to enjoy the film.

The storyline incorporates elements of alternate history for the Vietnam War and the Kennedy Assassination. It is certainly darker than the majority of superhero films out there today, and yet, like most X-Men films, it combines this with humor, such as Wolverine’s one liners or the campy 70s décor.

The effects in this film are stunning, and it leads to some amazing fight scenes.

Singer utilizes each mutant’s talents, creating awesome visual effects that allow for intense action sequences. Admittedly, some of these scenes can be a bit hard to follow, especially when the film intersperses the fight scenes in the past with those in the future, but, overall, the film creates action that you won’t be able to see in any other movie, and will remind your inner child why it likes superheroes in the first place.

If you haven’t seen it already, I would highly recommend going to see X-Men: Days of Future Past while it’s in theaters. While there have certainly been several superhero films released recently, Days of Future stands out.