X­-Men: Days of Future Past has it all: mutant superheroes, time travel, retro ’70s cool and of course, Wolverine. Hugh Jackman has been the X-­Men mascot for some time now, sans yellow spandex, so naturally he was the first choice to make the journey back in time to save their future from an event that could endanger humans and mutants.

The first thing you’ll notice about X-­Men: Days of Future Past is the stellar cast. The ripped Hugh Jackman is the frontrunner to a fleet including: Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Halle Berry, Nicholas Hoult, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage, with Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart.

Jackman is his usual snarling self with the most experience as the invincible, tough and ferocious Wolverine. Jennifer Lawrence slips into the role of Mystique, delivering a chameleon-like performance requiring her to maintain her composure whilst dishing out accents and fly-kicks in a skin tight body suit.

James McAvoy plays a naive Charles Xavier much like a younger Doc Brown in Back to the Future. He’s got the potential for true greatness, yet has to come to terms with the fact that his older self sent someone back to find him and change history. Michael Fassbender’s role is just as complex as a fugitive with the power to take revenge or seek redemption. As a younger Magneto, he’s a megalomaniac using his superpower to accumulate more control of the future that could be.

Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan take backseat roles in X­-Men: Days of Future Past. They’ve aged, taking a younger team of X­-Men under their wings. They hold fort as they try to stay one step ahead of the reflective and seemingly invincible Sentinels, who are eradicating the world of mutants echoing Matrix Revolutions. Ellen Page (Juno) and Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) are the new additions, playing key roles and adding weight to the already impressive cast.

Beyond the Hollywood, is a return for X-­Men and X2 director Bryan Singer. He balances the cast of X-Men: First Class with the old guard, giving each character enough screen time to leave a lasting impression. Their worlds are linked by Wolverine (who doesn’t really age) and they’ve retained a number of actors from the previous films to keep character continuity.

Singer makes a welcome return, after washing his hands of X-­Men: The Last Stand and X-Men: First Class. Besides wielding the collective talents and egos of a stellar cast and blending the old with the new, he rejuvenates the franchise, taking familiar characters and generating spark from a myriad of imaginative action scenarios.

“Charles… I’ve got bad news. Your hair doesn’t make it.”

The treatment of Quicksilver opens up endless possibilities for a superhero like Flash. Mystique’s range of skills are exploited to the point that it’s easy to see Jennifer Lawrence heading the second X-Men Origins spin­-off after Wolverine. Magneto’s powers are also used in ways that keep things fresh and exciting.

The real superpower of X­-Men Days of Future Past is that it’s fresh, rich, layered and varied. As a sequel dealing with two worlds and time travel, the story could have veered off into a mine field of time travel anomalies. Instead, the filmmakers have essentially used the time travel concept to frame an X­-Men: First Class prequel. They leverage the time travel window to inject Wolverine as ringmaster and create tension as two climaxes reach their mutually assured culmination.

The production values are strong, transporting us to the ’70s in a whirlwind of cars, places, products, suits and hairstyles. The environment is immersive and while they could have squeezed more humour out of the past, there’s enough detail and historical significance to make the transplant really effective.

The visual effects are epic, creating science magic in a world on the cusp of discovering the X-­Men. World News agencies generate hype around shocking, unfocused footage and eye witness reports, instead of relying on social media and camera phones. While the retro ’70s time warp suits Wolverine perfectly as he goes old school on a mission to round up the usual suspects.

X-­Men: Days of Future Past is a well­-balanced, smart and imaginative sequel that builds on the franchise’s already solid foundations. Bryan Singer harnesses a stellar cast, refreshes our views on the most fascinating X­-Men and transplants us in an unplugged time in history. The character-driven time warp features solid performances, dazzling special effects, quick pacing and taut direction on the back of a wild and entertaining thrill ride.

The bottom line: Riveting