Posted in: Movies | Tagged: apocalypse, entertainment, film, fox, marvel, x-men

X-Men Apocalypse, "At Least We Can All Agree The Third One Is Always The Worst" – Well, I Beg To Differ (SPOILERS)

The quote in the headline is the moment movie lampshades the threequel issue as the young X-Men walk out of the cinema after seeing Return Of The Jedi in X-Men Apocalypse. It instantly dates the period and indulges in a little self mockery, getting it in before the critics, as X-Men Apocalypse is a follow up to First Class and Days Of Future Past. It's also the first one that hasn't had Jane Goldman as a writer and, combined with negative reviews on-line, I wasn't expecting much from this movie.

How wrong I was.

After getting home from seeing it, I'm bemused. Because X-Men Apocalypse is a very decent superhero movie. It's certainly a good X-Men movie. In fact, if not for Deadpool, I'd be saying it's the best comic book movie of the year so far. Yes, better than Captain America: Civil War. I'm prepared to defend my opinion with fists if necessary.

So let's talk Apocalypse. There will be spoilers, probably the unavoidable kind when talking about what makes this film appealing – and where its flaws may be. So if you don't want spoilers, stop reading here. Here is a review without spoilers

We get a mixture of The Fifth Element and Stargate to begin, ancient Egypt dealing with a mutant god who has ruled over them for millennia, with super powered Kirby circuitry, and against who a resistance gets to make a last stand, fighting against four horsemen, one who can control fire, one who can create telekinetic forcefields, one who is very strong and one who can stretch… no sadly not, one who can disintegrate. We nearly had Simon Kinberg's second Fantastic Four movie in Ancient Egypt….

We then enter a tunnel credits sequence that takes us from the ancient past to the present, montaging modern history as we go. And the great god Apocalypse is awakening…

The film does differ from the first two moivies in tone, in that it doesn't directly involve the politics of the day. First Class was set in the Cuban Missile Crisis, Days Of Future Past was set in the diplomatic meetings that followed the Vietnam War. Apocalypse War is just… the eighties. There's a photo of Ronald Reagan in the war room, but it's mostly Pac Man, shiny suits, Bruce Lee, Coca-Colonisation, Knight Rider, The Eurythmics and the Six Million Dollar Man that sets the scene. The eighties is a character in a generic, stand up comedian's sense, rather than based on actual events. Which does deny the movie gravitas, but it makes up for it by being genuinely funny.

But the film is very concerned with what has gone before. We get reprises and repeats of scenes from the first two movies, and a repeat of what happened to Magneto in Auschwitz revisited here but with a different and tragic outcome that puts Magneto back in the mass murder stakes. There is a disconnect – it's a scene that motivates much of what Magneto does next but by the end of the film, is all but forgotten with wry sideways smiles and glances. As opposed to dealing the fact they have a repeat mass murderer in their midst. We see what motivates him to make the choices he does during the film – as we did the last. But that still doesn't justify the decisions he makes and that, again, is never addressed.

Many moments are taken directly from the comic books. Angel – note this is not Warren Worthington III – being transformed into Archangel. Though even before that he can still take down The Blob. Olivia Munn donning the Jim Lee-ish Psylocke outfit that makes you wonder what's going on in Apocalypse's mind that he would design such a thing when her previous outfit is relatively demure, and he doesn't have any desire to show off Magneto's legs.

We mentioned the Kirby circuitry from Apocalypse, well Cerebro here is definitely the Alan Davis designed version – again as Cerebro is manipulated and invaded by a foreign force again using it to destroy humanity as it was in X2, the question must be asked again, why the hell do they keep Cerebro around when it's basically used either as a pre-internet Facebook for Xavier to check what Moira MacTaggart is up to, or a machine to kill every human on the planet. Frankly, they should just wait for Facebook.

There's even a line in Deadpool that will gain extra resonance after seeing this film. You'll know the one.

But the big one is Wolverine. And he's Weapon X. Down to the Barry Windsor Smith virtual reality headset and sticking-out spikes. A pivotal scene and cameo for Hugh Jackman that should satisfy anyone. Indeed, some might even prefer it to the Quicksilver scene. But not me.

So we get a fine action adventure of a film, with many elements, lifted sifted and sorted together with the skill that Apocalypse and Magneto display creating their own monuments. But how do the individual characters fare?

Professor Xavier, whether quoting Mary Poppins "spit spot" or screaming in agony, he goes from the highs to the lows in this film, more than anyone else – save for Magneto. Who loses everything in life, again, and in trying to build it back up threatens to destroy everything.

Cyclops as a young man coming to terms with… changes going on in his body. And a older brother, Havok a role model. Storm as a thief on the streets of Cairo, right out of the Classic X-Men back-up tales, given a chance to escape her fate but then challenging whether it was the right choice or not. Jean Grey feeling the pressure as more and more power – and responsibility – is placed upon her. The movie pivots on that struggle.

A Beast struggling with his insecurities – he's nearly there but just not quite. A Nightcrawler, nervous. silly, funny and in awe, despite the terrible things that have happened to him. And the closest of all characters to the version played by an older actor in previous films He is a delight. And Psylocke… well… um, she's Psylocke I guess. Not exactly deep, that one. Unlike Moira MacTaggart, a woman missing something of only she could work out what that thing is…

But who does stand out is Mystique as a hero – to young mutants generally and Storm in particular. She is a figure who is adored by many, attention she rejects vehemently, she has had her share of being close to hero worship. Yet it's a rule to which she particularly suits. Her journey may be the longest of all.

But the scene-stealer is going to be Quicksilver. Yes, again. We get a scene which beats that of Days Of Future Past but then reprisese that moment with a climactic scene that genuinely had me grinning, as the film made a lot of logical leaps with the character's super powers that often get ignored.

Naturally it all comes to a crescendo. Aspects from the comics such as Apocalype's size changing abilities also find a way to be expressed as the X-Men team work together in inventive and damn awe-inspiring fashion. If you don't like this, then frankly you don't like X-Men. Which isn't a crime. But it might be worth looking elsewhere.

Oh yes, there are deaths. Two major ones by my count. And plenty of other folk along the way. But there is definite humour throughout which has the benefit of actually being funny and lifting the spirit and mood for both the characters and the audiences. Oh and of course, Stan Lee…

I'd also like to celebrate the film's use of 3D. It is one of the few times I have watched a 3D film without problems – indeed only finding enhancement. There were no fast moving artefacts in the foreground that my stigmatised eyes reject, I didn't get a headache, it was all rather comfortable, something I really appreciate. But for all that, some aspects specifically stand out, the constant use of construction filling the screen is incredibly effective in 3D, working as a precursor to 2017's Minecraft Movie, as is one scene early on where you get to see Cyclops' optic blasts from his own first person perspective and the 3D enhances that experience immeasurably. And the scenes where the giant Apocalypse head – then echoed by Xavier doing the same thing, look down at the audience, out of the screen is actually chilling.

This is a film to enjoy. And X-Men fans, new and old, really should find plenty. There are flaws – and I noted some of them in this article. But in the end not enough to spoil what is a rather wonderful X-Men movie. You want an order? Fine, here's an order of Fox X-Men films…. Deadpool, First Class, Apocalypse, Days Of Future Past, X2, X-Men, X-Men Last Stand, The Wolverine, Wolverine: Origins.

And yes, better than Civil War.

Snikt!

X-Men Apocalypse is released on the 27th May.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!