X-Men: Apocalypse
Directed by Bryan Singer
Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Issac, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn, and Lucas Till
Backstory
And here we are again, with the granddaddy of superhero franchises. Most film historians will tell you that our current run of superhero films all began with the original X-Men way back in the year 2000. 16 years later, the franchise has spawned 6 films in the main timeline, and three spinoffs (the two Wolverine films and Deadpool). After all this time, the question really is starting to become if they can keep it fresh. Well…can they?
Plot
It’s 1983…10 years after the (past) events of Days of Future Past. Magneto has gone into hiding, and is living a quiet life with a wife and daughter. Mystique is also in hiding, frightened at how saving the President in the last film has made her a cultural icon in the mutant community. And Professor Charles Xavier’s dream of mutants and humans living in harmony is making great strides, as his school for the gifted is thriving. But then, in Egypt, an ancient evil awakens…Apocalypse, whom many regard as the first mutant, born thousands of years ago. Distressed at the state of the world, Apocalypse sets out to rule once again. With his four horsemen in tow – Archangel, Storm, Psyloche, and Magneto – Apocalypse begins laying waste to the land. Before long, the Professor, Mystique and Beast — and some new recruits in the form of Cyclops, Jean Grey, Nightcrawler, and Quicksilver — are headed for a deadly showdown with Apocalypse. Will these newly-formed X-Men be able to stop the apocalypse…both the man and the end of the world?
What I Liked
This film reminded me of Skyfall in a few ways. When the film ends, you get the feeling that the rebooting and retelling of the origins is complete, and we can get on to some classic X-Men adventures. That being said, it also reminds me a bit of the third film, X-Men: The Last Stand, in that there’s this attitude of “Let’s throw in all the cool stuff we’ve always wanted to see in an X-Men movie!” It’s great finally seeing the origins of Cyclops and Jean. Quicksilver steals the show once again, as we are treated to yet another spectacular showcase of his powers. Fassbender continue to bring it as Magneto, showing him as a tortured soul and reluctant villain. And yes, there’s a Wolverine cameo as you’ve seen in the trailers, and it is great.
What I Didn’t Like
The plot is fairly run-of-the-mill at this point. It doesn’t totally re-invent the X-Men or introduce anything dramatically new. I think franchise fatigue is starting to set it.
Final Verdict
A very solid entry in the franchise. It’s not the best, but it’s satisfying.