X-Men: Apocalypse

Year: 2016
Genre: Superhero Film
Directed: Bryan Singer
Stars: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, Evan Peters, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Lucas Till, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alexandra Shipp, Ben Hardy, Olivia Munn, Josh Helman, Hugh Jackman
Production: 20th Century Fox

What can I say, I like to root for the underdog. And since DC and Warner Bros. have metaphorically s*** the bed with Batman Vs. Superman (2016), 20th Century Fox's X-Men series (2000-Present) is the biggest superhero game in town other than Marvel. Being a fan of the comic books, growing up with the animated TV series (1992-1997), and enjoying the ever expanding bevy of merchandising material, I admit I am bias when it comes to this particular IP. Of course I enjoyed the high-water mark that is X-Men: First Class (2011). Yes, I unabashedly love the original movie trilogy. Yes I even like X-Men: Last Stand (2006). These guys have been doing the superhero team-up shtick on the big screen much longer than some. At their best, their aesthetic gives those lapsing into superhero fatigue but still looking for that explosive kick a much needed respite. At their worst their soulless, characterless and confusing cash-grabs that cheapen the civil rights subtext that gives the X-Men their unique flavor.

Uh, this freakin' movie!

X-Men: Apocalypse begins in ancient Egypt where a gaggle of mutants are adored by throngs of people witnessing a processional. Apocalypse (Isaac) heads the pack and is about to transfer his consciousness into a self-healing mutant when something goes wrong. Fast-forward to 1983 where Charles Xavier's (McAvoy) school has just enrolled series regulars Scott Summers (Sheridan) and Jean Grey (Turner). Meanwhile Erik Lehnsherr aka Magneto (Fassbender) attempts to live a normal life in Poland after the events of Days of Future Past (2014) have made him the world's most wanted man. Thanks to the sleuthing of CIA agent Moira Mactaggert (Byrne), Apocalypse is unleashed and sees humanity's dominance over mutants as reason to pretty much end the world.

X-Men: Apocalypse lies somewhere in the middle of the pack as far as quality. The action, while occasionally repetitive never ceases to amaze and newcomers Sheridan, Turner and Alexandra Shipp as Storm manage to find deeper dimensions to their characters despite finding precious little time to do so. Additionally, the emotional epicenter at the core of this film (and indeed every X-Men film), the relationship between Charles and Magneto remains as complex as ever.

Yet with so many mutants crowding the halls of Xavier's School for Gifted Youth, not to mention the streets of central Europe, it's truly impossible to really let a lot resonate. X-Men: Apocalypse has enough story to fill three films yet with a huge amount of characters to appreciate and the same dour cinematic choices of its predecessors, the film feels simultaneously rushed and turgid. The inclusion of fan favorites Nightcrawler (Smit-McPhee) and Quicksilver (Peters) manage to serve as convenient plot devices or worse, contrived fan-service that detracts completely from the plot.

Oh come on!

It's really hard to get excited one way or the other about X-Men: Apocalypse especially in a year that simultaneously gave us a truly great superhero film in the form of Captain America: Civil War (2016) and one of the worst in the aforementioned Batman Vs. Superman. X-Men: Apocalypse isn't even the best X-Men movie this year; that distinction is deservedly bestowed upon Deadpool (2016) which called out the aging series for being too far up it's own a**.

All said and done however, the newest X-Men movie still has a couple of showstopping performances. The talents of James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Sophie Turner and Tye Sheridan, if utilized correctly next time, will assure that the franchises' best days aren't behind it. For now, those very performances saved this film from completely cratering to the ground.

Final Grade: C+