X-MEN: APOCALYPSE
Film Review by Fiore
X-MEN: APOCALYPSE, under the guidance and tutelage of
Bryan Singer, is a fine endeavor for the
conclusion of the series. It is filled
with all the spectacle, fantasy and action one would expect from a franchise
wrap. It does, however, have a
been-there-seen-that mien which detracts from the manifestation.
Part of the
problem is the same phenomenon that plagued the second STAR WARS trilogy – it’s all basically a story that doesn’t
need to be told, or in the vernacular, movies that do not need to be seen. I always stated my fondness for the original
X-Men trilogy. Never a fan of the
comics, I thought the first three stories were bold and unpredictable as key
characters were often killed or altered.
The original trilogy established storylines between various X-Men
members and more importantly, the relationship between Stryker and the mutants
and Magneto’s complicated connection with Professor X. This latest tale in the prequel trilogy
simply augments those storylines.
Just like
the original STAR WARS
trilogy, the background story presented is sufficient, with no further
explanation necessary. In THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, when
Vadar reveals he is Luke’s father, it is one of cinema’s most acute
moments. There is really no need to see
how it happened; in fact, filling in the story detracts from one of film’s
famed frames.
The same
singularity occurs with X-MEN:
APOCALYPSE. Viewers are treated
to another interpretation of Wolverine’s escape from Colonel Stryker’s military
experimentation; the origins of Cyclops; the shifting alliances of Storm and
Mystique; how Professor X loses his hair; and the continuing philosophical differences
between old friends Erik and Charles.
While these elements will cause shivers to fanboy geeks, they are
totally unnecessary in plot or character development in the X-Men franchise.
X-MEN: APOCALYPSE begins with the awakening of
Apocalypse who is supposedly the first of Earth’s mutants. He gains powers by absorbing other mutants’ abilities
until he reaches a god-like status. Seen
as a danger, and too powerful for the benefit of all, he is betrayed and placed
in stasis until he is reawakened in time to meet the X-Men before the start of
the timeline of the original film trilogy.
Reprising
their roles are: James McAvoy as Charles Xavier; Michael Fassbender as Erik
Lehnsherr; Jennifer Lawrence as Raven; Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy; and Hugh
Jackman as Logan. New to this episode
are: Oscar Isaac as En Sabah Nur; Rose Byrne as Moira Mactaggert; Evan Peters
as Peter Maximoff; Sophie Turner as Jean
Grey; Tye Sheridan as Scott Summers; Lucas Till as Alex Summers; and Kodi
Smit-McPhee as Kurt Wagner.
KEY SCENES TO LOOK FOR:
1.
The rising of
the Phoenix
2.
The Wolverine
cameo
3.
Magneto’s
magnetic destruction
Jennifer Lawrence returns as Mystique, my personal favorite
of the X-Men. She is not as effective in
the role as her predecessor, Rebecca Rojmin.
Largely due to her contract, Lawrence plays Mystique more as a reluctant
hero than a mutant supremist, and spends more time out of
character than as the blue scaly chameleon.
Fassbender’s Magneto is solid, as always, until the script by Simon
Kinberg requires a sudden, but all too expected, change of
heart in the climatic reel. The switch
is presented as a given, and no rational or logical reason is given for the
shift.
The battle with god-like entities is also wearing thin. Damien Darhk became one on this season of ARROW;
Vandal Savage was similar in LEGENDS OF TOMORROW; Ichabod Crane battled
one on SLEEPY HOLLOW; and THE AVENGERS had to deal with
Loki. Makes one wonder what producers in
Hollywood fear when the reoccurring theme is one of a returning, vengeful god.
The X-Men franchise is always better with Singer in charge,
but the entire prequel trilogy was unnecessary,
except for box office bleeding. It only provides
manifestation for an already known story.
THE GRADE FOR X-MEN: APOCALYPSE = C
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