X-Men: Apocalypse
X-Men: Apocalypse
I will try to keep this simple and spoiler free…However I can’t promise soooo
SPOILER ALERT!
So being the comic fanboy I am, I was a little excited about watching this one. I had
heard through the grapevine that wolverine would appear on this one and that put
my expectations through the roof. Once the film started I began to have my
doubts…not only is this not what I was expecting, but in fact I really didn’t know
what to expect.
One thing that this film does very well is to immerse you in every way possible. The
visual effects are good but do tend to be a little overwhelming at times.
Screenwriter Simon Kinberg has woven together ideas credited to the four writers
including director Bryan Singer, but it also seems a little tough at times and the weak
links of the story show. Days of Future Past (2014) which used time travel as the tool
which introduced a younger Professor X(James McAvoy) and Magneto(Michael
Fassbender) is a little more muddy ,for lack of a better word, in this one. There are a
ton of new characters in this film, and with that a whole new headache. The vision is
there and director Brian Singer does a good job to keep you very interested but
coherence in some aspects is the film’s main problem. Nonetheless Apocalypse will
definitely be a fan favorite as it offers plenty of action and multiple plot lines, setting
up this universe for success.
The main theme of the film is set in 3600 BC where the awakening of the ancient
Egyptian mutant god Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) is stopped…well lets call it postponed
by a few rebels in an intense opening scene in the Nile Valley. Fast forward to 1983
and the decade the rest of the film will take place; this is something that I really liked
because this is also the time that the X-men comics really took off. But it’s the back
story of Magneto and his ever battle between trying to live an normal life and the
hate for humans that really shine here. Erik/Magneto is trying to live a normal life
working as a metal worker in a small town in Poland until he is ousted by accident
while he saved a man’s life. He then loses his family while terrified cops try to arrest
him.
Jennifer Lawrence once more in the role of Mystique is front and center as a mutant
savior. As I had mentioned before, this film is overloaded with characters and we
are introduced (without giving spoilers) to a young Scott/Cyclops, Jean Grey, and
Kurt/Nightcrawler to name a few. But one that really shines is Evan Peters as
Quicksilver.
X-Men doesn’t try to be something it’s not; It is a live action comic book film. Yes it
has its plot holes, and its small imperfections, but what makes this film great is that
it reminds us what it felt like that first time you opened that story line. I am not
going to lie, and I would not dare spoil it for you but yes Wolverine is in but in my
favorite form yet and perhaps the last time we will see Jackman in this role.
Nonetheless whether you’re an X-Men fan or not this is a great film to introduce
you to the group of teenagers that started the new generation of super heroes.
7/10
Rated PG-13
Running time 144min
20th Century Fox
By Hiram Trillo
