The X-Men universe is about to be torn apart after En Sabah Nur (Oscar Isaac), a powerful ancient entity, returns. Not only does he want to regain what he thinks is rightly his – the world -- he also wants to rebuild the world after destroying it.
Meanwhile, another mutant Erik Lehnsherr aka Magneto (Michael Fassbender) has retreated to a quiet life with his wife and kid somewhere in Poland. When Nur makes his plans clear, the X-Men have to stop him. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
X-Men: Apocalypse is a disappointment. It is a classic example of too many cooks spoiling the broth. The film’s biggest flaw is a lazy script that fails to build up a single character. Even the moot point of Nur wanting to end the world and begin a new one is casually spat out by a man in a military uniform.
In fact, that is the precise moment you realise how underwhelming this film is.
The idea of one super-villain wanting to rule the world – or destroy it, as the case may be – and people coming together to save it has been done to death.
What’s surprising is that X-Men: Apocalypse fails to draw from the tracks that are well-rooted in the earlier instalments.
The verbal skirmishes between Magneto and Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), the awkward love-story between Raven Darkhölme aka Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) and Hank McCoy aka beast (Nicholas Hoult), the relationship-that-won’t-be-
Special points to Quicksilver (Evan Peters) for the comic relief and Kodi Smit-McPhee for his Nightcrawler act. There is also a cameo by one of the most popular characters in the X-Men franchise..
These are the only shining points in the entire cast.
Jennifer Lawrence fails to deliver or shine in the crowded cast. While Sophie Turner’s portrayal of Jean Grey doesn’t pique our interest, Fassbender’s Magneto remains a crucial point of the film and the franchise.
Director Bryan Singer succeeds in creating a world for the X-Men and the costumes have them embrace their comic origins. But sadly, the urgency of the situation of the world ending is not created properly.
X-Men: Apocalypse is not a complete failure, though. It is a visual delight and the film might have few of the most detailed looks for superhero films.
The actions sequences are a treat to watch, even though they are a bit long-winding. In a nutshell, the film is a mixed bag and strictly a one-time watch.
Image Source: facebook/X.Men.Apocalypse.The.Film