On the verge of watching X-Men Days of Future Past, I had some thoughts on the first three major scifi releases of 2014; Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier, Godzilla, and The Amazing Spider Man 2.

Starting with Godzilla, while a decent effects outing, this most recent release was a more an exercise in emulating the slow tempo and exposition of films of Saturday afternoon reruns of my youth. The grandeur and spectacle of this film had wore off quickly on a second viewing. If looking for an exercise in auditory effects I had suggested checking it out in a good theatre. To see far better updated rendition of mega monster film, I had recommended checking out last summer’s macho charged Pacific Rim.

With The Amazing Spider Man 2, this entry into this superhero franchise had communicated the complexity of human relationships against the backdrop of being a savior to the common man. With excellent choreographed action sequences, it had missed one big note. It had lacked a fully fleshed out performance by Jamie Foxx as Electro. His performance was muted and flat. Considering his comedic ability, thoughts of Jim Carrey’s improvisation as the Riddler had floated through my mind.

That had brought me to Captain America 2: The Winter Solder, which so far after two separate viewings had provided the best story and mix of action. Captain America 2 had continued effectively the theme of the first film of “just a boy from Brooklyn.” Chris Evans as Cap had continued emoting a vulnerable charm worthy of seduction of Black Widow incognito. The bigger surprise here was the pointed contemporary political commentary on public safety, freedom, and fear. If all that wasn’t enough, toss in Robert Redford’s stage presence to seal the deal. On a second pass, this movie had continued to entertain with great dialogue and cast chemistry.

So the question now is,”Can X-Men Days of Future Past out perform Captain America 2?” Guess I am about to find out!