Title: X-Men: Apocalypse
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Screenplay by: Simon Kinberg, Michael Doughtery, Dan Harris, and Bryan Singer
Year: 2016
It feels like not too long ago, I was writing my review for X-Men: Days of Future Past, a film I would place in the top three best comic book films ever made. Because of my love for that film, I had high expectations for X-Men: Apocalypse, the least talked about comic book film of the year. Many were wondering which of the two, Batman v Superman or Captain America: Civil War, would be better. Many were wondering whether Deadpool, Suicide Squad, and Doctor Strange would be successful. But almost no one was mentioning this picture. Now that it has been released, does it deserve to be talked about, or is it better left overlooked?
After having slept for centuries, Apocalypse, the very first mutant, has awoken. Seeking to rebuild the world to his liking, Apocalypse recruits a group mutants to his side to help him cleanse the world. It is up to Professor Xavier and his students to save to the world from the greatest threat it has ever encountered.
X-Men: Apocalypse is very similar to Days of Future Past in how ambitious it is. It is introducing a new, all-powerful villain; re-introducing mutants we are familiar with; introducing us to new mutants; juggling dozens of characters; setting the groundwork for future installments; and trying to be an epic story within itself. And I feel that Apocalypse mostly succeeds in all its endeavors.
Undoubtedly, one of the highlights from this new trilogy of X-Men films is James McAvoy as Charles Xavier/Professor X and Michael Fassbender as Erik Lensherr/Magneto. These two actors are perfectly cast as their respective characters. McAvoy continues to be a revelation as the young Professor. He has created a connection to Patrick Stewart's performance, while also making the character his own. He plays on the kind, genuine, and friendly nature of the character to extraordinary degrees. Fassbender remains impressively incredible as the metal-bending mutant. He has brought so much depth to such a rich character. Fassbender successfully evokes the pain and loss that were behind the eyes of Ian McKellen's Magneto. This is especially clear during a scene early in the film that is devastating and gives Magneto all the motivation he needs to follow Apocalypse. And the interactions between these two actors in this film, though there are very few, are magnetic.
Nicholas Hoult is as lovable as ever, returning as Hank McCoy/Beast. Hoult is very endearing in the role and I believe he has given an outstanding performance throughout this new trilogy. Oscar Isaac had a difficult task ahead of him, having to portray the most powerful mutant in the X-Men universe. However, Isaac absolutely delivers, showcasing the strength, intellect, and danger that makes up the Apocalypse character. I love the voice-work done on Apocalypse and Isaac has a truly commanding presence as the ancient mutant.
Evan Peters returns as Peter/Quicksilver, who arguably had the greatest scene in Days of Future Past. The same can be said here as he is given another standout sequence, but more on that later. Peters is absolutely terrific as the silver speedster. He nails the impatient, eccentric, and quirky personality of this magnificent character. Lucas Till reprises his role as Alex Summers/Havok and though he is not in the film much, his scenes with Sheridan are very nice and his reunion with the cast of the first trilogy is welcome. Also returning is Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert. Byrne also has a smaller role this time around, but she does a fine job and her relationship with Charles is thankfully explored a bit deeper.
Some of the X-Men we have come to know and love are played by new actors in this prequel. Tye Sheridan plays young Scott Summers/Cyclops and he is excellent. I am surprised at how much character development they gave Scott in this film. Sheridan essentially portrays three versions of the character and he excels at each. Sophie Turner as Jean Grey is thoroughly impressive and often a scene stealer. Her chemistry with Sheridan is solid and I really want to see more of her in future installments.
Kodi Smit-McPhee dons blue makeup to portray Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler. While the look of the character is a bit questionable, McPhee's portrayal is not. He captures the honest and wonderful personality of this strange mutant. Alexandra Shipp plays a young Ororo Munroe/Storm and once she gets her full costume, she looks amazing as Storm. Shipp plays a very different Storm from what we have seen before. This version of the character is not at all the kind and selfless one we are used to seeing. Instead, she has her own self-interests, which makes Storm a stronger character because we already know who she becomes.
As I mentioned earlier, X-Men: Apocalypse is a very busy film, setting out to do many, many things. As a result, the plot could have seemed overstuffed and the film overcrowded. But this movie does such a good job at balancing most of its moving parts that it finds success in telling this thick story. The film opens in spectacular fashion with a scene in ancient Egypt, introducing us to Apocalypse. This opening grabs the audience immediately and drags them into the world of mutants with style. Scene after scene, the film progressively becomes more investing.
One thing this film handles exceptionally well is character introductions. I already mentioned how Apocalypse's entrance into the film was spectacular, but his re-introduction is also very good. Nightcrawler and Angel are introduced in a dark and grounded way that instantly has us sympathizing with them. Storm's intro was also well-done, as we see whom she looks up to and what she has to do to get by. Cyclops is established in a great sequence where he first discovers his powers, which also explains why he cannot control them.
The story is a grand one, with an epic scale and plenty of setup. Much of the beginning of the film is used to show us where the old characters are now and to bring in some new faces. We get to see Apocalypse recruiting his four horsemen, how Charles runs his school, and what Mystique has been up to for the past decade. X-Men: Apocalypse is a blockbuster film that is not afraid to be patient, and that is a rare find. It takes it time building the characters and setting up the villain, and by the end it all pays off. It slowly builds it scope; it slowly introduces us to mutants new and old; Apocalypse's plan slowly unfolds. Not only that, but this movie also manages to fit in plenty of humor to shine some light on this dark entry. The film trusts the audience to stay along for the ride long enough to witness the pay off, and that is admirable.
As a villain, Apocalypse is fantastic. His motives are understandable, he poses more than just a threat, and his very presence begs this question: how can he be defeated? I enjoy stories where the villain is superior to the hero, and that idea is clearly present in this film. Isaac's menacing performance makes Apocalypse such an engrossing character, even though there is not a single glimmer of hope for his redemption or turning. He is powerful, intelligent, and frightening.
I hinted earlier that Quicksilver has another great scene in this latest installment. The prison break scene from Days of Future Past is masterful filmmaking, mainly because of the creativity on display with Quicksilver's speed powers. It became hard to believe that it could ever be topped, but I am here to tell you that it has been done. Quicksilver's scene in this film, called "The Extraction," is phenomenal. The music, the acting, the cinematography, the humor, the dramatic tension; all of it blends together beautifully to create a masterpiece of a scene. I would actually put it on par with the 17 minute fight sequence from Captain America: Civil War in regards to what we received in so little time. Everything about the scene is perfect and you will never listen to Eurythmics the same way again.
*SPOILERS AHEAD* If you watched the final trailer for this film, then you are aware that a certain Canadian mutant makes an appearance in this film. Yes, Hugh Jackman has an extended cameo as Logan/Wolverine. His single scene is pretty darn sweet and gives us a taste of what the upcoming "Old Man Logan" will have in store for us. It is pretty violent, with Wolverine mowing down dozens of guards in a blind rage. Not only is it a crowd pleaser, but it also furthers the plot, which is always nice.
*SPOILERS AHEAD* Much like X-Men: The Last Stand, this movie has some guts. And when I say that, I am referring to character deaths. We have two this time; Havok and Archangel. Havok's death is very quick and it is sad to see him go, but it does provide Cyclops with some much needed development and helps shape the character. Archangel's death on the other hand, does not hold much weight. The only sympathy I felt for the character is that he has been shafted in both of his appearances. I certainly would have preferred it if he had lived because Angel/Archangel has potential in this film franchise.
*SPOILER FREE* X-Men: Apocalypse is not without its flaws however. There a number of small things that bog this film down. The first two acts of this movie are excellent. Most of the issues come about during the third act. The final battle is quite underwhelming, mainly because of how segmented it is. Nightcrawler and Archangel do next to nothing; the Beast and Psylocke fight is disappointing; and Magneto spends the majority of the fight hovering and collecting metal. The standout of the fight is Quicksilver, once again. The rest of fights involving the four horsemen do not live up to their potential. But some of this is made up for with the final confrontation with Apocalypse. In addition, some of the visual effects in the final fight look unfinished and it can be a bit distracting.
Another issue is the characters of Jubilee, Angel, and Psylocke. Angel is given a bit of backstory but not nearly enough to justify exactly why Apocalypse chose him as a follower. Psylocke is completely wasted in this picture, receiving the worst treatment. Apocalypse picks her as one of his horsemen for no apparent reason other than she had the guts to threaten him (I am making that sound better than what happened in the film). And Jubilee is vastly underused. She was hanging out with Cyclops, Jean, and Nightcrawler for most of the film and then suddenly drops out of the group. All of these characters desperately needed depth. What makes this even more unfortunate is that each of these actors look the part, so this all feels like a wasted opportunity.
On a side note, there is a continuity flaw with X-Men: Apocalypse. In First Class, Charles only erased Moira's memory of what happened on the beach. At the end of that film, she said she remembered meeting him. So why does she not remember Xavier in this film? The most disappointing thing about this error is that it is such a simple fix and it shows that no one went back to double check the continuity.
There is also a noticeable lack of Mystique in her natural blue form. The blue look is used sparingly and is not seen until about halfway through the film. The plot does give an explanation as to why this is, but it is nonetheless out of character for Mystique. The same goes for Beast, except he is given no excuse. Why is he hiding his natural form despite having learned to be proud of it?
*SPOILERS AHEAD* One more issue I had with the film is the Phoenix. At the end of the film, Jean Grey unleashes the Phoenix to help defeat Apocalypse. Initially, this really bugged me, but upon reflection, the Phoenix reveal is not that bad. In fact, it helps solidify the idea that Apocalypse is extremely powerful. It takes Magneto, Storm, Cyclops, Charles, and Jean Grey as the Phoenix to defeat him, which goes to show how powerful he is. I just feel that the Phoenix card was played too soon. I liked the hints that we received earlier in the film but this is more of a small personal gripe than a genuine problem.
X-Men Apocalypse is a great film and a satisfying send-off for this new trilogy of X-Men. The cast is tremendous all around, with McAvoy and Fassbender stealing every scene they are in; the direction by Bryan Singer remains confident and passionate; the story is appropriately epic; and the villain is amazing. Once again, the Quicksilver scene is the highlight of the film and really has me wanting Singer to direct the upcoming The Flash movie. The patience and confidence that this film showcases is commendable and rewards viewers who stick with the film. The final act has a few disappointing aspects, but the rest of the film is so magnificent that the problems this picture has seem almost insignificant. Though this is the weakest entry of the prequel X-Men trilogy, this is still a really good film and a fitting end to this marvelous set of movies.
Grade: A-
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