*Disclaimer: One more Bryan Singer X-Men movie. Even though the overall MCU
and the DC TV shows have definitely upped the ante for me when it comes to superhero
media, I enjoyed this franchise for a good many years, but I have a hard time
watching any of Singer’s films now. At least we still have First Class and Logan.*
I’m still trying to decide about this movie. I don’t think it was as good as Days of Future Past, and I think First Class was better-made, even though I think Apocalypse equals that one for entertainment value, or is at least close to it. There’s some definite clunkiness amid a number of strong performances and a handful of stellar sequences.
In
keeping with the franchise’s new tradition of jumping 10 years with every film,
we’ve hit the ‘80s now (not that anyone looks any older, and no one but
Mystique and Wolverine has explicitly-stated reasons for their
perma-youth. Also, at this rate, they
have one film to go before Xavier and Magneto need to look like Patrick Stewart
and Sir Ian McKellen again – is it just a switch that gets flipped one day?) The Professor’s school is well-established
and, after the events of Days of Future
Past, mutants and humans are enjoying a time of relative peace. However, a blast from the past – namely, an
immortal, all-powerful mutant from ancient Egypt who positioned himself as a
god – has just resurfaced to wreak major, world-ending havoc, and it’s up to
heroes new and old to stop him.
Some of
the action here is really impressive. I
love the big final battle, which finds a great balance between the various
characters and their unique powers, and Quicksilver has another terrific speedster
scene – I honestly can’t say which I like more, this one or the one from Days of Future Past (unfortunately, this
is the only sequence in which the character really feels like the same
Quicksilver. I know it’s been 10 years,
but it’s weird that he’d change that
much. It feels wrong not to have him
bouncing off the walls in most of his scenes.)
I love most of the casting for the new characters. Sophie Turner (Sansa from Game of Thrones) makes an excellent Jean
Grey, and the end of the film has me excited to see where things are going with
her character. Tye Sheridan does a nice
job with Cyclops and, although Kodi Smit-McPhee is no Alan Cumming, he’s very
good as young Nightcrawler, and he looks great.
Alexandra Shipp has all the makings of a wonderful Storm, but I don’t
think she’s used very well here – I know I definitely wanted more from the
story than I got for her. All the old
guard turn in good work, especially (no surprise) James McAvoy and Michael
Fassbender.
The
story, for me, is just all right.
Apocalypse is a little too “non-specified all-powerful megalomaniac” for
me, and while Oscar Isaac (Poe from the new Star
Wars) gives it his all, the script doesn’t give him much to work with. Most of the newcomers’ storylines feel at
least a bit shortchanged, and Magneto’s arc somehow feels both repetitive and
unbelievable at the same time, which really shouldn’t happen. Also, this is maybe a little thing, and I
know there are lines in the movie to explain it, but it bugs me that Mystique
and Beast spend so much of the movie looking like Jennifer Lawrence and
Nicholas Hoult. It feels disingenuous to
the characters, like the film wants them more recognizable (especially J-Law)
for monetary reasons; just didn’t work for me.
Warnings
Comic-book
violence, swearing, drinking, naked Mystique, and thematic elements.
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