Look how far we have come since the first X-Men film. We have gone from black spandex -- to yellow spandex. Believe it or not this is a big change. The X-Men franchise is credited as one of the instigators of this modern wave of comic book films, and it has turned out a number of great entries, with Days of Future Past easily being one of the greatest comic book movies ever made. I vividly remember re-watching all the trailers for that film on repeat because they were so well-made. How does this latest trailer compare with those of its predecessor?
The opening shots show us that Xavier has reopened his school and has a number of students. It will be great to see him teach mutants again, and perhaps comfort them. Xavier's school is among the defining features of this franchise that separates it from other comic book adaptations. After Xavier says that things are better now, Raven replies with "Just because there's not a war doesn't mean there's peace. He's coming." I like this exchange between the two and how they have changed the dynamic of the characters. The line gives us a hint of what is to come, even if it seems a bit forced.
The trailer proceeds to dump plenty of information about Apocalypse. We see a bit of his origin and learn that he has been amassing mutant powers (perhaps that is why he has so many). These scenes are visually striking and the Egyptian aesthetics look great. We learn about his four horsemen, how he was seen as a god, and there is a very cool scene where Apocalypse kills three men either with sand or by taking away their essence. It is not quite clear for me, but I will go with the sand. After being introduced to the horsemen, we are given a little insight as to why Magneto joined forces with Apocalypse; essentially, he has nothing left to lose. He feels he is irredeemable despite Charles' claims that he can help him.
This is followed by Apocalypse claiming to destroy everything the humans have built and in place of the rubble he will shape the world to his liking. We see plenty of things being destroyed, including the Sydney Opera House, which is good because it gives the Golden Gate bridge a much needed break. Once again, we see Charles feel Apocalypse's power, which is a great moment. Once again, we see Apocalypse grow and pin Xavier down, which is another great scene. But then we hear Hank tell Raven that Xavier has been taken. I think this is a great idea because Apocalypse can block mental powers, which would have made Xavier useless. This also gives Raven a solid reason to act as a leader.
Next, we see Raven assembling her new team of X-Men, which includes Jean Grey, Scott Summers (Cyclops), and Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler). Being able to explore these established characters in their younger days could be a major benefit for the franchise as it gives us the opportunity to understand how they become the adults we know. We also get a funny scene with Pietro (Quicksilver) telling Raven that Magneto is indeed his father. This was a nice reference in Days of Future Past, and while I am interested to see where this goes in the new film, I think I would have preferred it if it were left ambiguous. That being said, I am all for developing Quicksilver as a deeper character who may appear in future installments.
We are then treated to some pretty sweet action scenes. The music kicks up and is appropriate for the trailer. One of the more memorable shots is when Storm's lightning clashes with Cyclops' beam. It looks really cool, but it does concern me. Cyclops' beam is supposed to be concussive, not a laser beam. So I fail to see how lightning can clash with it. I know this is a comic book film and physics has to be thrown out the window on certain occasions, but I just hope the filmmakers remember that Cyclops does not have laser vision, but rather concussive beam vision. Then we get a fantastic line: "It's all of us against a god and the most powerful beings on Earth." It truly sets the stakes high and I hope these villains pose a legitimate threat and do actual damage to the team that will change them.
Cue the second wave of action, which begins with Beast fighting Psylocke. It looks pretty intense and seems to be an intriguing match-up. We see some more Quicksilver action as well. I have no idea how they are going to top the prison break scene from the previous film, but I am rather optimistic about it. What follows is a string of scenes with people shouting and/or unleashing their powers with rage. That seems like a lazy summary but that is what happens. All of it looks really good, but there is not much to read-into, aside from Magneto wanting to take everything from the team. Why? The trailer does not really imply why, so we will have to find out on release day. But the ending of this trailer is easily the big take-away. We see some enemies have been taken out and Cyclops says they had some help. The next thing we see are three familiar claws protruding from a fist. Not only does this imply that Wolverine will be more than just a cameo in the film, but that he did in fact eventually get metal claws. I am unapologetically impatient to see where this goes.
Those are my thoughts on the final Apocalypse trailer. I think this trailer might be my favorite of the bunch. It illustrates the drama, the characters, and the plot incredibly well and has many memorable moments. The Wolverine tease at the end was just a bonus. This is the comic book film I am looking forward to the most this year, hands down. It looks set to challenge Days of Future Past as the best film in the franchise and also appears set to end this odd trilogy with a bang. This film has everything going for it, and I cannot wait to see it.
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