X-Men: Apocalypse Movie Review by Tom West
June 5, 2016 9:33 am | Leave your thoughts
X Men: Apocalypse
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Studio: Fox
Run time 144 minutes
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Rose Byrne, Oscar Isaac, Sophie Turner, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan
(This review contains spoilers)
Pop Culture Leftovers Ratings System
Hated It = Toss It
Liked It = Taste It
Love It = Tupperware
Firstly, I’d like to say I’ve been awaiting the big screen appearance of the big ‘nur since X Men: Last Stand when I thought Magneto’s time as the main villain for the series had come to a natural end. It’s just too bad the series was re-invigorated by Matthew Vaughn with the excellent X Men: First Class which recasts Magneto and Xavier with two fantastic actors I the forms of Fassbender and McAvoy, and added Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw . The X Men franchise was back on its feet and I was happy to see the new incarnations in their younger days. After that strong entry, it was exciting to get a reconciliation of both the young and old timelines via Wolverine in Days of Future Past, avoiding a dark future where sentinels have evolved from the retro robo-enforcers to an unstoppable, super-adaptable army of AIs that have wiped out most of mutantkind. The timeline seems as if it’s been closed – at least the old one has, but the new one of McAvoy and Fassbender remained open and uncertain, and the Post-credit sequence for DOFP hinted at the threat they’d face next, one from the ancient past.
This end credit sequence is the setting for the immediate start of this film, with Oscar Isaac taking the role of the prodigiously gifted youth seen in that sequence, or one in a succession, as we see a dilapidated Apocalypse take his place alongside in a ritual that sees a transfer of consciousness from one body to the next. It’s possible that the grey skinned youth was the original En Sabar Nuh, building the pyramid where he eventually transfers his mind to a new body, with the help of technology. The suit itself is transferred to the younger model with the help of guardians, mutants assigned to protect the two bodies during transfer, and it seems even in 3600 BC, EnSabah Nur has enemies, who conspire and succeed to bring the pyramid down upon the ceremony. However, the guardians do their job and ensure Apocalypse/ En Sabah Nuris safe, if entombed.
Cut to 1983, and the introduction and re-introduction of several mutants in various stages of development and acceptance, from leafy collegiate grounds of the X Mansion to the dive bars of Berlin. Magneto/Erik Lensherr is now Henrik, and has started a new life in Poland with a wife and young daughter, who also has mutant powers. It is portrayed as a simple existence, with ‘Henrik’ working at a foundry. His cover is blown when Apocalypse is awoken by the actions of a cult under investigation by Moira McTaggart (Byrne), and causes the very earth to shake. Henrik is forced to use his powers to save a co-worker. This altruism is repaid by the local authorities abducting his daughter and using her as leverage so he might hand himself over, but the frightened daughter summons a flock of birds to attack, resulting in the accidental impaling of her and her mother from an errant arrow( the officers not using guns or carrying metal objects). This accident infuriates Henrik, who loses hope for and renounces his humanity, murdering the officers with his child’s necklace.
In Cairo, Apocalypse takes a decidedly low profile, walking the streets as a hooded figure, studying the new world around him – electronics, motor vehicles, adverts and other accoutrements of the 20th century – while also encountering a young Storm, whom recognises has potential, saving her from vengeful market vendors with his scalpel-sharp telekinetic abilities (an ability to alter the molecular consistency of sandstone and rock, as shown in DOFP). She is just one of the first mutants he recruits, all of whom have pain or frailties he exploits, including Erik’s pain over being persecuted for what he is. The reward for their loyalty is having their natural abilities enhanced. Even Magneto seems in awe of Apocalypse’s multitude of powers, which also include teleportation, and in a brilliant sequence where Charles attempts to communicate telepathically with Erik in Apocalypse’s presence, absolute control over pretty much anyone he can establish a mental link with, as Xavier finds out to his utter dismay, with the line, ‘I’ve never felt power like this’ , his eyes turning black as Apocalypse hijacks his mind and the minds of military personnel in charge of the world’s nuclear arsenals, which are activated and sent into orbit to the majesty of Beethoven’s seventh symphony, putting them out of reach for the time being. Apocalypse takes a dim view of humanity’s reliance on technology from the outset, calling them weak and preferring individuals of innate power. He is successful in recruiting Magneto, as well as Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Angel (Ben Hardy of EastEnders fame in the UK) and Psylocke (Olivia Munn, who was perhaps the most impressive of the 3 younger ‘horsemen’ for her limited screen time). It’s quite interesting to see that Psylocke takes the least persuasion to join, and seems loyal to her master’s ideal beyond the last confrontation.
One major weakness is the deviation the plot takes to Colonel Stryker’s ‘Weapon X’ facility after the destruction of the mansion and the loss of the world’s nuclear weapons, which the governments of the US takes as a sign Xavier’s mutants aren’t to be trusted, unaware of Apocalypse even existing, It felt like an excuse to shoehorn Wolverine into proceedings, and side-lined Apocalypse for far too much of the film. I feel a more appropriate development would’ve seen apocalypse teleport into the base and walk through their defences as if they weren’t even there, easily defeating a battalion with his powers then attempting to recruit Wolverine as a horseman (and he has plenty of pain to exploit) rather than a gratuitous cameo ending with him skipping into the forest like Mr Tumnus.
Another indulgent and difficult scene was the repeat of DOFP ‘time in a bottle sequence’ this time set to Eurhythmics’‘Sweet Dreams’. I don’t feel the tone was right – Apocalypse has just abducted Professor X, killed Havok and destroyed the mansion, and we have a French bulldog with a pizza slice in its mouth being sped to safety, it seemed as if the Blackbird was there simply to be catalyst for Quicksilver’s showpiece, which didn’t serve the story or the character.
The third act centres around Cairo, which is where Apocalypse chooses to set up base, a gigantic pyramid made of jutting, angled obelisks, cannibalised from the surrounding city, and profiled in a scene reminiscent of one from Time Bandits, with the looming Fortress of Ultimate Darkness. It is here that Apocalypse unveils his plan; to transfer his consciousness to Charles Xavier, so that he may reach every being on Earth, thereby preventing any attempts to disrupt the process in the future, and ensuring his Omnipotence and near-omnipresence. The process of conversion is physical damaging, as he loses his hair and suffers a burn before he is rescued and taken to a building in the surrounding city (after their aircraft is attacked by Angel and Psylocke).
Having learned of the Professor’s location through Jean, the young team take an experimental aircraft and dress in some conveniently located flight suits to confront Apocalypse. Raven and Quicksilver try to reach magneto through a storm of metal, and attempt to appeal to his humanity, but Quicksilver lacks the confidence to deliver his identity as Magneto’s son. The others lay siege to the pyramid, and come up against the other horsemen, as Nightcrawler enters the pyramid and is forced to fight Angel once more, but is only when apocalypse enters the arena personally.
Quicksilver attempts to beat him with lightning punches but Apocalypse uses his abilities to perceive the assailant at a slower pace, manipulating the ground into trapping one of Quicksilver’s legs. He then walks over to the trapped mutant and breaks his other leg. Psylocke appears to betray her master by slicing open his neck, but she is grabbed by Apocalypse, and strangled until his own neck heals before her eyes, as her windpipe is crushed, she reveals herself as Raven. Apocalypse lifts her off of her feet, and taunts Xavier for producing ‘weaklings’. The suffering of Quicksilver and Raven is not ignored by Magneto, in a possible homage to Return of the Jedi, (Apocalypses leitmotif has some resemblance to the Emperor’s theme) his loyalties turn and he blocks apocalypses path to Charles with structural steel beams, then unleashes a blizzard of shrapnel, which seems to incinerate on contact with Apocalypse’s forcefield. Cyclops sees his chance and adds his own beam, and Xavier uses his connection to the ancient mutant’s mind to do battle on the psychic plan, a sequence I had wanted to see throughout the film. It’s just a shame it appears to be so one sided, even if it shows just how powerful Apocalypse is, with him decimating Xavier on mental home turf, and easily resisting both Magneto and Cyclops on the field of battle.
It would’ve been more satisfying to see a fairer exchange on the psychic level, and when Charles calls for Jean to help, I feel it could’ve been more revelatory if the Phoenix force was revealed on that plane, with only Apocalypse and Charles knowing about it, and allowing the others to overcome him physically, with Storm following Magneto’s example and bringing lightning down upon the now de-armoured mutant. As it happens, Jean’s reveal in unleashing the phoenix is seen by all and she ends the battle very decisively, but with Apocalypse’s last line that had me thinking about who else he might be talking about, – ‘It is revealed’. His body incinerated, leaving Psylocke the last loyal member to his cause, and she slinks away, seemingly unnoticed but framed with fire and accompanied by ominous music.
The epilogue shows Magneto and Jean rebuilding the mansion, to which there have been some special improvements (including the ‘danger room’), the team of mutants lined up in more familiar garb – including Cyclops in his Chris Claremont-era uniform with the yellow holster. Xavier is now in his more familiar mode – the full look is there; bald head, suit and wheelchair. Magneto exits on good terms, but cannot be convinced to stay on as an instructor.
The post-credits sequence returns to the Weapon X facility, with clean-up in full swing after Wolverine’s rampage. A team of suits walk the corridors, arriving at the on-site lab, and take a phial labelled weapon X. this is put with other phials in an attaché marked ‘Essex Corp’, an allusion to Nathaniel Essex, AKA Mr Sinister. At this moment I gave an audible cheer and clap – Sinister is another X villain long overdue, and has links with apocalypse. It’s unknown if that will remain the case in this rejigged universe, but now that Jean has revealed her potential to the world, and Apocalypse has gone, the scene is set for Sinister to make his move, and start obsessing over the Summers/Grey lineage, as all good Victorian physicians are want to do. Whether he will be a Victorian doctor is questionable, given Apocalypse was cocooned when he was supposed to be altering Essex, but I’m looking forward to seeing how the next instalment presents him. It’s just a pity Apocalypse could only last the one movie. An alliance with his protégé could’ve made a nice counter to the troika of Xavier, Magneto and Jean, although I have a feeling Magneto may not return unless in a cameo.
I enjoyed this film overall. There were some awkward moments, and the writing was not quite up to the standard I’ve come to expect from this series. Some of Apocalypse’s moments weren’t particularly fitting . I know people had some problems with him ‘learning’ from the TV, and I found some of the dialogue between the younger cast members a little weak – when Quicksilver declares himself a ‘loser’ on-board the jet. It felt a bit silly.
The performances were mostly good, but for me the best was probably Sophie Turner as Jean. She erased all memory of Famke Janssen in the role, and the fact that she isn’t what I’d call ‘Hollywood attractive’ made her more appealing; she has a different kind of charm about her. McAvoy and Fassbender did well, particularly McAvoy, who does ‘distress’ in this extremely well. It’s the first time poor Charlie X has been so out-matched, and McAvoy really makes you feel that here. Tye Sheridan does well, as I thought he might. It’s very rewarding to see Scott and Jean at this age, and so well played. It gives me hope for the series. I was surprised at well Olivia Munn portrayed Psylocke and would like to see her return under Sinister as a marauder. Unfortunately, Ben Hardy was underwhelming as Angel, but had very little to do, which is surprising given his history with Apocalypse. A two-film arc could’ve worked here, with perhaps a more seasoned actor taking over for both iterations of the character. I’m not going to criticise Shipp too much as when she was featured, she did okay, but I don’t think she had much space for her character. I liked her interaction with the recently awoken Apocalypse, and it was a neat way to re-introduce her character.
Oscar Isaac did well with what he was given, but I don’t think he was the right choice for the role, just as Adam Driver wasn’t right for Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens. I feel for both actors, because they are clearly talented, but I never felt we were getting the real deal here, and would’ve preferred someone like Idris Elba. I wasn’t a massive fan of the body swapping idea either, and it left me with too many questions as to whether that was his original power or part of the technology he uses (which is from the Celestials in the comics).
Perhaps one of the weakest elements of this film was the CGI. Some scenes look poor and the animation is quite clunky, such as New York being torn up, and in particular the Quicksilver sequence. I understand that such a sequence is difficult to judge, but it all looked a bit childish. It’s nowhere near as well-crafted as the Time in a Bottle sequence from Days of Future Past.
Overall I did have fun watching the film, even if there are moments when the tone becomes too comedic, or has a B Movie feel to it (I like B-movies, so that doesn’t matter too much to me). In a way it’s like the Tim Story Fantastic 4; I’m just pleased to see one of my favourite characters in a big budget feature, but at least the villain here is more loyal to the source and not played like Lex Luthor, as Doom was.
It could’ve been great, but is hampered by some poor writing and creative decisions, so I give X-Men: Apocalypse a High ‘Taste It’.
by Tom West
Tags: Bryan Singer, Magneto, Michael Fassbender, Wolverine, X-Men: Apocalypse
Categorised in: Movie Reviews
This post was written by Leftover Brian
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