Movie Review: X-Men: Apocalypse

The sixth in all the X-Men movies, it's one of those you either love it or hate it kind of film. In my case I loved it (I hated X-3 and Wolverine Origins, and generally the first X-Men movies, so no, I don't like all of them). First of all, it must be said that it was refreshing that the film's major conflict was no longer Mutants VS Humans but Mutants VS Mutants. (Thank You!) that plot has been milked dry for the past five movies already! So it was nice to see a Mutant VS Mutant conflict for a change, one where the bigot humans are nothing but collateral damage and play things in the hands of gods.

We get to see the team come together (teachers and students) to save the day and it is glorious.

10 years after "Days of Future Past" Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) finally have his school for gifted youngsters up and running (with the help of Hank-Nicholas Hoult). Magneto (Micheal Fassbenber) has chosen the quiet family life. Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) is working solo, rescuing mutants.

After the awakening of an all powerful ancient being, events and motions are put in place, which will put mutant against mutant in an all out battle which will determine the fate of the world.

Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron from Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens) awakens from a deep slumber and sets of in search for his "Four Horseman of the Apocalypse" -ironically, spending more time in the recruitment process rather than actually getting to use them.  

Sophie Turner is a young Jean Grey. I loved her in the movie, wish they made her hair more red though. 

On the other side of the spectrum, Moira Mac Taggert (Rose Byrne) who we last saw in First Class joins in the fray, when her investigation leads to the awakening of Apocalypse, Charles is reunited with his old flame. (He erased her memories at the end of First Class) and it was fun to see him go '50 First Dates' on her. 

Meanwhile a young Scott Summers (Tye Sherridan) is just discovering his powers, upon his admission to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, he meets a young Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) and let's say that a generation of X-Men fans just got giddy. In a way, it was geeks who got giddy. 

Apocalypse awakens in an age of Superpowers and the threat of war and is disgusted by what the human race has become. He takes it upon himself to destroy everything in order to rebuild. He recruits a heartbroken Magneto, after showing him the full extent of his powers and has discovered the potential of Xavier's telepathic abilities.  It's a race against time for the team to stop Apocalypse but how can they defeat the all powerful being? 

Fan favorite Quicksilver (Evan Peters) with his good taste in music, joins the fray upon learning that Magneto is his father. He brings laughs whenever he appears. So does the culture hungry Kurt Wagner (Kodi Smit-Mc Phee) AKA Nightcrawler who looks awesome in his Micheal Jackson thriller jacket.  

Olivia Munn as a straight out of the comic books to the big screen Psyclocke, I would have loved to see more of her in the film but of course she only played a small part. 

    

Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) and Quicksilver (Evan Peters). 

While the climax, takes a long time coming, it seems getting the teams together is where the bulk of the film goes but once they all meet for the big fight in the end, it becomes a battle of the minds as well as a battle of fists and power. 

I think what people are missing from X-Men Apocalypse is that they're looking at the film on it's own, when it actually serves more as a piece of a puzzle in the whole X-Men Cinematic Universe (so to speak). More specifically the First Class trilogy. I loved how all the movies were tied in with Apocalypse (First Class and Days of Future Past). I think it was a good way to wrap up the films. 

It effectively highlights the different conflicts between characters and wraps up loose ends from the other films. People might have been looking for the big ass mutant finger scenes, but like it's other manifestations, X-Men has also always been a battle of the mind, as well as of fists and power and we see that it Apocalypse. 

The rise in action may have taken a bit too long but as a kid who grew up watching the 90's animation series, as well as being surrounded by family and friends who reads the comic books, it was a treat to see some of our favorite mutants in garb that is very reminiscent of the original characters'. 

8.5 out of 10.

X-Men Apocalypse is now showing in cinemas from 20th Century Fox.

Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse. 

More Psylocke please?