The first two X-Men movies were directed by Bryan Singer, who then wandered off for other projects and left the subsequent sequels and spin-offs to others. Now Singer’s back in X-mode, which could explain why X-Men: Days of Future Past marks a return to form for the Marvel Comics series.
Or maybe that’s just the time-travel talking. I am a sucker for a good old-fashioned warp in the time-space continuum, and Days of Future Past gives us a spirited one.