X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

[Dandesun]

http://www.xplainthexmen.com/2016/05/the-heartily-enjoyable-train-wreck-of-x-men-apocalypse/

This is a review from Jay of Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men podcast and it's probably the review I'm likely to trust the most.

[Bruinsfan]

If what we're seeing of Lawrence in the previews is her best acting from this movie I'm fearful of what she'll be like in scenes where she wasn't as engaged. It sounds like she's reading off cue cards.
 

[Jeebus Cripes]

This is the first time a core X-Men film has come out, and I'm disgusted by the prospect of seeing it. Hell, I even had high hopes for that shit bomb The Last Stand and was excited by the previews -- I was profoundly wrong, but none the less, I wanted to see it. Mystique as team leader has crushed any enthusiasm I had for this movie. The pushing of Jennifer Lawrence as lead in these movies has not only destroyed any favor I had towards Mystique, it's killing my love for the franchise. I forward almost all her scenes in DoFP, and the movie is immensely more enjoyable for me. I just can't tolerate her anymore.. I have no animosity towards Lawrence away from the X-Men, but she is absolutely horrible in these movies. In her defense, even if she acted the hell out of the role, Mystique is written so out of character that I would still be put off.

I still plan on seeing it, with the hope that the rest of the cast will make the film palatable for me, but the thrill is gone. That makes me sad.

[Dandesun]

I just hope that we don't get anything remotely hinting at Jean/Logan because a) that 'ship doesn't actually exist in canon and b) I got pissed off that the original trilogy of X-movies was all about Logan wanting Jean and her being all 'Yeah, you're hot I guess but I love Scott' and yet it was all still about Logan's fucking man pain over it.

And unless Mystique runs off with an older, female opera singer and we get a stinger of them adopting a girl with a skunk stripe in her hair... I don't care. Mystique is not so interesting as to be a tent-pole character in the X-movies. She's just not and I'm fairly certain she's only 'popular' in the movie franchise because she's generally naked throughout.

[JessePinkman]

I think that's entirely why she was in First Class. She's hot and naked. 

Then Jennifer Lawrence's star rose and FOX executives went "Hey...we have her in a 3 picture deal" so they hand the franchise over to Mystique of all people.

One good thing going for this movie is that it doesn't feel like the end of a trilogy but just another X-Men movie. God knows why the next movie is set in the 90s (X-Men: Phalanx Covenant will be set in 2030 and Professor X will still be in his 30s) but good for them.

[Kromm]

Okay. this is just solid gold. Honestly, it's not only a great Jubilee (she looks recognizably Asian--something the comic art often failed at), the recognizably 1980-ish faux-mercial is hilarious. And the voiceover at the end by you know who?  Heh.

Edited May 19, 2016 by Kromm

[methodwriter85]

I love her 80's look, but it's more 1986-1987, not 1983. Oh, well.

[Kromm]

1 hour ago, methodwriter85 said:

I love her 80's look, but it's more 1986-1987, not 1983. Oh, well.

Her first appearance was 1989, so that's even a bit more off than 1987. 

That said, when they decided they wanted the movie set in the early 80s, I'm glad they still decided to include her, and gave her that dead-on version of her iconic look. It was too close in years for them to pass up, and she's basically the biggest character in the X-verse that they hadn't given proper attention to yet (I think she was in tiny bits of the early Singer films, mostly in scenes that got deleted from the finished films). 

Over the years I've seen so many people say she's their favorite X-character from the comics too. Remember, she was a main character of the X-Men TV show a lot of people grew up with. In the comics they eventually did some stupid shit with her as I recall (depowering her, then turning her into a Vampire), but that kind of thing around often happens with that second tier of comic characters (the ones who are too popular for them to kill, but not the very top tier where you know they'll never jerk them around THAT much).  

Edited May 19, 2016 by Kromm

[tanita]

I've just seen the movie and it's not even close to tragic as some critics are describing it. At least to me. Unlike most of the critics I felt that the first part of the movie, after the opening credits needed more work because it was cutting back and forth and that kind of editing irritates me. It had a lot emotional resonance, but I'm an x-men fan above all other superheros. MCU movies don't do anything emotionally for me, they are just mindless fun, which in itself is fine. And the ending really worked again for me. When a villain is obsessed with power and his illusion that he is a god, to end the movie the way it did and his last words, it really resonates.

Also, just like FC and DoFP had three leads this one has them only instead of JLaw it's actually Turner. Her, James and Micheal are the leads in this movie. Mystic is a supporting player all the way. Jean, Charles and Magneto and Quicksilver are the MVP's.

[JessePinkman]

The best Jubilee is the one from Generation X (mostly because after the cartoons Gen X was my introduction to the X-Universe and comics in general). That needs to be a TV series.

[Matt K]

11 minutes ago, JessePinkman said:

The best Jubilee is the one from Generation X (mostly because after the cartoons Gen X was my introduction to the X-Universe and comics in general). That needs to be a TV series.

They did make a TV movie but less said about that the better (that said, I do believe I have a recording on VHS somewhere, not that I have a VCR anymore).

[Demented Daisy]

Got my tickets!  Woo hoo!  Which probably means it's time for me to stop reading the thread.  At least until Friday morning.  (Seeing it Thursday night.)

[GHScorpiosRule]

I've stayed away from all promos/teasers and sneak peeks for this movie, because I didn't want to be spoiled to the point where I wouldn't be surprised or end up not enjoying the movie. BUT. When I saw Captain America last weekend, I got a trailer for this movie and the SHEER FUCKERY Of Mystique's role to the X-Men has me pissed beyond belief. Granted I haven't read any of the comics, but I did grow up watching the 90s cartoon, which depicted her as a villain, and a minion of Apocalypse. To the point where she had a hand in turning Angel, and the other three, who were seeking cures, into the four horsemen.  But again, I want to see the movie for JEAN. And for McAvoy and Fassbender, and yes, even though it's a cameo, for Hugh Jackman. I was trying to justify buying a ticket, and then I got a manna from heaven. Thanks to being a member of the Regal Crown club, after watching Captain America, one of my rewards was a FREE MOVIE  TICKET, so I'm totally using it for when I see this movie. This way, if I'm disappointed more than happy, at least I didn't waste money on buying a ticket.

[Ariah]

Well, I didn't think it was as bad as Last Stand, but still, there was much ado about nothing.

And I can't really understand one thing - a studio spends a lot of dollars on such a film and they can't hire ONE person who speaks Polish to write the Polish dialogue? It was so bad, the whole scene with Magneto and the police was turned into a comedy - an effect that undermined the rest of the film for me.

The phrases used were all too formal, as if taken from - I kid you not - the Bible. Or some old book. People don't talk that way.

[romantic idiot]

Eh, I've given up on it since Joss Whedon had them speaking the wrong language in Calcutta. Think they just don't care. But maybe the stilted language was meant to allude to the 'majesty' of it all?

[Watcher0363]

Bryan Singer can not direct X-Men movies very well. Disliked his original X-Men movies. It was if he did not know how to show or represent his characters powers. Rogue was so under utilized, that it boggles the mind as to why they even had her in the movies.

[Bruinsfan]

On 5/21/2016 at 8:42 PM, Matt K said:

They did make a TV movie but less said about that the better (that said, I do believe I have a recording on VHS somewhere, not that I have a VCR anymore).

I'm impressed. I've followed Kavan Smith down a lot of questionable movie rabbit holes, but that one was too much even for me.

[Joe]

I saw this today. If you liked the other ones, you'll like this. It's very much the formula. Not that that's a bad thing, really. But don't expect anything too wild. And yes, there's a stinger. Not what I was expecting.

Spoiler

Bryan Singer was talking about space recently, I was thinking maybe Starjammers, Shi'ar, Brood... But Sinister is an interesting substitute.

My personal thoughts, I liked it a lot more than Cap 3. Pretty much everyone had a good reason for their actions, their side. Nothing felt pointless. However, I didn't understand Magneto's motivation.

Spoiler

 

Rip all the metal out of the ground... for what purpose? Earth's core is believed to be magnetic nickel and iron. Is he going to rip that out and collapse the planet? How did that tie in with Apocalypse wanting to rule the world?

Also, there could have been more with the other horsemen. What did they actually want? Their powers were enhanced, what did they want to do with them? But this is your usual Singer X-movie. It's all about Erik, Charles, and Raven. But with a little more Jean this time.

 

Side note, I'm looking for pics of Alexandra Shipp from early in the movie, when she's all grungy. Anyone seen any?

[JessePinkman]

On 5/21/2016 at 9:42 PM, Matt K said:

They did make a TV movie but less said about that the better (that said, I do believe I have a recording on VHS somewhere, not that I have a VCR anymore).

Oh I remember. 13 year old me was very excited and then very very disappointed.

The movie is making a shit ton of money internationally. So we're definitely in for more of this TV movie budget looking series. It's all very exciting.

[Danny Franks]

17 hours ago, Watcher0363 said:

Bryan Singer can not direct X-Men movies very well. Disliked his original X-Men movies. It was if he did not know how to show or represent his characters powers. Rogue was so under utilized, that it boggles the mind as to why they even had her in the movies.

The first two were good, even if they were The Wonderful Logan Adventures, Co-starring Some Other Guys. Everything after that was pure garbage, whether Singer was involved or not.

[Bruinsfan]

I wouldn't go quite that far. I haven't been a fan of the writing on any movies after X2, but you'd be hard-pressed to get a bad performance out of either set of actors playing Professor X, Magneto, and Beast regardless of script quality. As long as at least three of them have substantial scenes I find my ticket money to have been spent in a worthwhile manner.

[KatWay]

I didn't think it was bad but I was really underwhelmed. My problem was mainly character motivations, none of it made any sense. There were elements I liked too, and I would say I enjoyed it, but it wasn't great. Not sure about spoilers, since the film's been out where I live for a week now, but just in case, and because I'm dying to discuss:

Spoiler

Apocalypse starts out looking for "the best and strongest" which kind of turns into "the first mutants I happen to stumble across", two of them just because Psylocke is like, hey, I know a guy. And Apocalypse just goes with it.

Magneto already has so much tragic backstory, they had to give him a window dressing family and kill them off? And we are supposed to be floored by his love for his nameless and personality-free wife, since he told her who he was the night he met her...how does that make sense? Hi, random Polish girl, I happen to be the mutant who was very publicly accused of killing the president and also I was just on TV trying to kill some more people! And she was like, that's hot? And how did he go from "I'll become a feared terroris leader" in DOFP to "meh, I'll retire to the Polish countryside and become a welder"? 

Also I love how Quicksilver has this big angsty secret about Magneto being his father, to tell or not to tell, and then at the end apparently Mystique has just been telling everybody about it. Speaking of which, Jennifer Lawrence was fine but did not try very hard. And girl, love yourself, Magneto clearly doesn't feel that way about you. Still. She's all "you have me! us!" and he has flashbacks of...Charles. 

Hank was great, Quicksilver was great, I still don't like movie Jean Grey, even though I like Sophie Turner. Her friendship/blossoming flirtation with Scott was cute. New Storm has a better look and accent than the Halle Berry version, but she's still an underused character. Maybe next time

Edited because I can't work spoiler tags apparently.

Edited May 25, 2016 by KatWay

[SeanC]

Overall verdict:  I liked it, though it has flaws.  I think some of the negative reviews are really over the top.  Anyway, on a point-by-point basis:

+ Magneto:  Has a really strong arc, and great acting by Michael Fassbender.  I really like the scene where his family is killed, because it shows the best sort of nuanced characterization that Singer has brought to these movies; the people that come to arrest him are not psychos or anything like that, and the deaths of his family happen by accident.  In a lot of stories they'd just be a bunch of goons who machine-gun the place.

+ Apocalypse:  A lot of the reviews really don't like Apocalypse, and describe Oscar Isaac as wasted.  Now, for fans of Isaac's ace dramatic work, I guess maybe you could think that, since Apocalypse isn't a complex character or anything; but I think Isaac does a really good job playing this guy who thinks he's a god.  He's got presence, and his recruitment drive, culminating in the first scene where he launches all the world's nuclear weapons, are great sequences.

+ Scott & Jean:  These two are done way better than they were in the original trilogy.  Strong casting in both cases, and Jean, especially, has a really good arc, though her introduction is perhaps a little abrupt.  But what an ending.

+ Nightcrawler:  A more minor character, but his intro is nice enough, and the actor handles both the comedy and more serious sides of the character well, what we see of them.

+ Professor X:  Doesn't have as big a role here as in the previous films, but he's definitely arrived more or less at his optimal form.  And unlike previous team movies that had to take him completely out of commission for the climax, here he's got a real role to play that doesn't impair other characters either.  Nicely done.

+ Mystique:  Ah, the ever-controversial character.  For those who really hate the trailer suggestion that she's team leader, etc., that isn't the case, for what it's worth.  She's an ensemble player here.  She also has a workable arc, one that actually incorporates the complaints people made about why she isn't in her blue form more.  This feels like a good resolution to the character's arc over the previous movies.  Though it will be kind of awkward if she's not in future installments.

- Moira:  I loved Rose Byrne in First Class, and she's fine here; I like that it resolves one of the more dubious aspects of FC's end.  If things were different, I'd be fine with her being in the movie in what is clearly intended as a side role.  But with some other aspects of the movie clearly needing more time, I think she should have been dropped and that time shuffled elsewhere.  She's ultimately not needed.

- Quicksilver:  His big mansion rescue sequence is fun, but it's not as good as the DOFP sequence, and I feel it's tonally out of place with what immediately preceded it.  Beyond that, the arc of him looking for his father just fizzles without any real payoff.  Now in a sense I actually like the script avoiding what many people predicted as a trite resolution where Magneto is swayed away from Apocalypse by learning he still has a son, but there really needed to be some payoff to this arc.

- Storm:  I'd call this the movie's single-biggest missed opportunity.  First, the positive:  Alexandra Shipp seems well-cast; the accent is good, and the character has a pretty solid introductory bit.  Moreover, in interviews Singer outlined a vision for Storm's role in this story that I think would have worked, if there'd been enough time, namely, showing a sort of troubled youth drawn to a cult leader.  One could infer from that that she'd see the error of her ways and switch sides.  And yeah, that happens, but it's barely dramatized.  The character virtually vanishes after her introduction in Egypt.  As the contours of the plot became clearer over the course of production/advertising, I figured we would see Storm interacting with the captured Professor X and being convinced that the path she was on wasn't right.  That's what they should have done.  When I say they should have dropped Moira, they should have used the saved time to give Storm a proper arc.  I guess they could also have dropped Quicksilver, if they weren't going to fine-tune his story more.

[Demented Daisy]

Saw it last night and, unsurprisingly, I loved it.  The battle at the end was what I want from comic book movies -- more super powers, less hand-to-hand combat.  The final assault on Apocalypse reminded me of the Thor/Iron Man/Vision attack on Ultron, but better.  So much better if for no other reason that it was a much wider variety of powers on display.  It was just so much fun!

I think that's my biggest take away from the movie.  It was fun!  Lots of laughs, Quicksilver is just as awesome as he was in the last movie (I would love to see him and Deadpool snark at each other), the effects were incredible.  Was it perfect?  No, no movie is.  I think it could have been split into two movies to better develop the characters, but the bad guys always get less character development than the heroes.  I love Storm and I expect we'll learn more about her in the next film.  (Besides, two part movies frequently feel more like a cash grab than a legit continuation.)

The audience I was with was really interesting to me.  It was a 7pm showing on a Thursday (the first showing at the theatre) and it was packed.  Not only that, but it was a very diverse crowd -- the most I've seen at any comic book movie this year.  (I've seen them all so far.)  Not just ethnicities, but ages, too.  The two ladies that walked out in front of us were easily in their 70's; they were quite knowledgeable about the series, as well, judging by their conversation.

The audience let out a huge cheer as soon as Wolverine showed up, by the way.  Based on audience reaction, the crowd I was with loved it.  I'll be surprised if word of mouth is fair to bad.  If you want to be entertained, I think you will be.  

[Joe]

Ah yes, Wolverine. I burst out laughing when he appeared. That headger reminded me of one of those beer hats. But Jean at the end, I do love a slow walk of badassery. And I'm sure we all saw the Phoenix appear. I hope they don't kill her, unless they bring in Madelyne Pryor and build to Inferno. With Magik in New Mutants, it's entirely possible.

[benteen]

I just got back to it and I really enjoyed it.  It was definitely flawed but I was relieved after hearing the negative reviews.

-Fassbender definitely turned in the best performance and he had a really strong arc.  I was glad they went back to his backstory as a family man, something that First Class chose not to do.  The backstory on Magneto's family was written as a back-up story by Chris Claremont in Classic X-Men (which reprinted old X-Men issues).  It's quite good and very sad.  Anyway, Fassbender is kind of reduced to staring sadly in the second half but still, he did a really good job.  I don't know what that one critic was talking about when he said that Fassbender mailed in his performance.

-Quicksilver was awesome and they wisely gave him much more to do in this film.  The Quicksilver character is one thing that Fox has done far better than Marvel, as the Avengers Quicksilver was quite unmemorable in Age of Ultron.

-I thought J-Law was good and her arc was a good one too.  She's not Mystique from the comics but seemed a little closer to her in this one.

-It's kind of hilarious how characters like Charles, Magneto and Moira should be in their 50s and Hank, Raven and Alex should be in their 40s but definitely don't look like it at all.  Also, I'm assuming Alex and Scott must be half-brothers as their would be about a 20-25 year age difference between the two.

-The guy playing Nightcrawler was very good.  Sophie Turner and Tye Sheridan (who will be playing the lead role in the Ready Player One adaptation) were fine as Jean and Scott though again in an X-Men movie, the one Jean/Logan scene overshadows the Jean and Scott relationship.

-Psylocke was utterly wasted and Storm was for the most part, though she got a good introduction and I like both actresses.

-Singer handled the final battle scene better, which is NOT a strong point for him as a filmmaker.

-Very glad to see Rose Byrne back as Moira.  She's an actress who has a great knack for comedy (she was about 1000% funnier than Seth Rogan in Neighbors) but is good as a dramactic actress too.

-Speaking of Moira, it's mentioned that she has a son.  I know Singer or Kinberg has talked about Prometheus being a potential future villain.  I'd love to see an adaptation of that storyline.

Quote

 Not only that, but it was a very diverse crowd -- the most I've seen at any comic book movie this year.

Yes, the audience I saw it with was very diverse too, DD.

Quote

Saw it last night and, unsurprisingly, I loved it.  The battle at the end was what I want from comic book movies -- more super powers, less hand-to-hand combat.  The final assault on Apocalypse reminded me of the Thor/Iron Man/Vision attack on Ultron, but better.  So much better if for no other reason that it was a much wider variety of powers on display.  It was just so much fun!

Agreed about the diversity of powers.  If I had one issue with Civil War, this might have been it.  A lot of the powers feel a little too similar (a lot of strength and blasty) and a lot of the heroes aren't technically superpowered.

[Shriekingeel]

The two big audience applause moments when I saw it were the Quicksilver scene and the Dark Phoenix appearance ("That's my girl" someone yelled). Sophie Turner was the big surprise for me in the film--she had a lot of responsibility and didn't embarrass herself. It felt like Singer didn't trust Munn so she barely had any lines but looked great. I liked Shipp much more than Halle Berry. 

Really disliked Nightcrawler-as-Michael Jackson--that particular get-up made my skin crawl. 

[Rick Kitchen]

I really didn't like Magneto being a sidekick.  That's not him.

Quicksilver stole every scene he was in, but I also really liked Tye Sheridan, and I'm looking forward to Ready Player One.

The scene between Logan and Jean creeped me out, because of their back story, he's a good thirty years older than her now.

Lots of good American accents among the British actors.

I wonder how it was for Nicholas Hoult and Jennifer Lawrence to work together.

So was the after credits scene a reference to the next Wolverine movie?

Edited May 28, 2016 by Rick Kitchen

[AimingforYoko]

46 minutes ago, Rick Kitchen said:

I really didn't like Magneto being a sidekick.  That's not him.

The scene between Logan and Jean creeped me out, because of their back story, he's a good thirty years older than her now.

Well, Apocalypse caught him at a vulnerable moment.

And thirty years older? Try one-hundred and thirty.

[Rick Kitchen]

Well, I meant the actors.  :)

[Sandman]

On 2016-05-26 at 9:56 PM, SeanC said:

Overall verdict:  I liked it, though it has flaws.  I think some of the negative reviews are really over the top.  Anyway, on a point-by-point basis:

+ Magneto:  Has a really strong arc, and great acting by Michael Fassbender.  I really like the scene where his family is killed, because it shows the best sort of nuanced characterization that Singer has brought to these movies; the people that come to arrest him are not psychos or anything like that, and the deaths of his family happen by accident.  In a lot of stories they'd just be a bunch of goons who machine-gun the place.

+ Apocalypse:  A lot of the reviews really don't like Apocalypse, and describe Oscar Isaac as wasted.  Now, for fans of Isaac's ace dramatic work, I guess maybe you could think that, since Apocalypse isn't a complex character or anything; but I think Isaac does a really good job playing this guy who thinks he's a god.  He's got presence, and his recruitment drive, culminating in the first scene where he launches all the world's nuclear weapons, are great sequences.

+ Scott & Jean:  These two are done way better than they were in the original trilogy.  Strong casting in both cases, and Jean, especially, has a really good arc, though her introduction is perhaps a little abrupt.  But what an ending.

+ Nightcrawler:  A more minor character, but his intro is nice enough, and the actor handles both the comedy and more serious sides of the character well, what we see of them.

+ Professor X:  Doesn't have as big a role here as in the previous films, but he's definitely arrived more or less at his optimal form.  And unlike previous team movies that had to take him completely out of commission for the climax, here he's got a real role to play that doesn't impair other characters either.  Nicely done.

+ Mystique:  Ah, the ever-controversial character.  For those who really hate the trailer suggestion that she's team leader, etc., that isn't the case, for what it's worth.  She's an ensemble player here.  She also has a workable arc, one that actually incorporates the complaints people made about why she isn't in her blue form more.  This feels like a good resolution to the character's arc over the previous movies.  Though it will be kind of awkward if she's not in future installments.

- Moira:  I loved Rose Byrne in First Class, and she's fine here; I like that it resolves one of the more dubious aspects of FC's end.  If things were different, I'd be fine with her being in the movie in what is clearly intended as a side role.  But with some other aspects of the movie clearly needing more time, I think she should have been dropped and that time shuffled elsewhere.  She's ultimately not needed.

- Quicksilver:  His big mansion rescue sequence is fun, but it's not as good as the DOFP sequence, and I feel it's tonally out of place with what immediately preceded it.  Beyond that, the arc of him looking for his father just fizzles without any real payoff.  Now in a sense I actually like the script avoiding what many people predicted as a trite resolution where Magneto is swayed away from Apocalypse by learning he still has a son, but there really needed to be some payoff to this arc.

- Storm:  I'd call this the movie's single-biggest missed opportunity.  First, the positive:  Alexandra Shipp seems well-cast; the accent is good, and the character has a pretty solid introductory bit.  Moreover, in interviews Singer outlined a vision for Storm's role in this story that I think would have worked, if there'd been enough time, namely, showing a sort of troubled youth drawn to a cult leader.  One could infer from that that she'd see the error of her ways and switch sides.  And yeah, that happens, but it's barely dramatized.  The character virtually vanishes after her introduction in Egypt.  As the contours of the plot became clearer over the course of production/advertising, I figured we would see Storm interacting with the captured Professor X and being convinced that the path she was on wasn't right.  That's what they should have done.  When I say they should have dropped Moira, they should have used the saved time to give Storm a proper arc.  I guess they could also have dropped Quicksilver, if they weren't going to fine-tune his story more.

I'll quote the whole of SeanC's post here, because I agree with almost all of it. I really liked the end; the final battle sequence was finally what an X-Men movie was supposed to be like. (Not incidental to this was the handling of the Phoenix potential and watching Jean crush Apocalypse like a bug. Wheee!) As much as I was mostly thrilled with X-Men (sixteen years ago?), I was disappointed at how easily the X-Men had their asses handed to them then. (But I was barking with laughter at the dialogue outside the movie theatre about how the third installment of a trilogy is always the worst! Haha, suck it, Last Stand. Yes, I know it's undercut by the fact that Simon Kinberg was involved in the writing of this one ...)

I think I preferred Quicksilver's high-speed rescue sequence here to his set piece in Days of Future Past; the first one had a certain cheeky freshness, and was unexpected, but there was more risk inherent in this one. I thought the tonal dissonance was actually greater in Days of Future Past, for what it's worth. I can't help wondering if the screenwriters deliberately avoided the "I am your son" reveal at the last minute because of the asinine "Martha is my mother's name!"/ "No, Martha was MY mother's name!1!" embarrassment of BvS.

I liked Alexandra Shipp; I think she could give Storm a welcome gravitas, and she has plenty of charisma, and already shows signs of being a better actress than Halle Berry. I do wish Storm had had more interaction with Xavier, as a contrast to Apocalypse's self-aggrandizing megalomania. I think there's also a bit of a missed opportunity with Psylocke. I haven't been impressed with Olivia Mun in anything, and I see nothing to change my mind here. Betsy's never been my favourite character, but I think I started actively hating her here. I just wanted her (and her stupid car-slicing psychic katana!) to DIE. Ucch. I too noticed that Munn had almost no lines to deliver. I agree that can't have been accidental.

I was expecting to dislike the central place given to Mystique, but I think her arc made sense for the character as presented in the trilogy. And I think she and Moira were used to a necessary extent, given the importance of the relationships among the X-Men family to this installment. Of course, it's McAvoy and Fassbender who make the movie truly emotionally involving. I was glad that this one ended with them in sort of a good place.

ETA: I managed not to yell it out THIS time, but, heh, it just so happens that "That's my girl!" was exactly what I said when Jean took out the two missiles in X-Men United. I'm kind of neutral on Tye Sheridan, but I liked Sophie Turner. (Am I the only one who actually liked Marsden and Janssen in those roles?)

Edited May 29, 2016 by Sandman

[Rina99]

Well, I went to see it this afternoon, and overall I enjoyed it.  The biggest problem that I had was that there was not one main character who was not saddled with some really trite dialogue that I felt embarrassed for them over.  All of the leads were great, and it was their portrayals that really lifted a rather basic plot line.  I didn't get the impression that anyone was "phoning it in", though they really didn't give Magneto much to do in the second half, and I agree that they've really piled on the tragedy for him.  

[kiddo82]

15 hours ago, Shriekingeel said:

Really disliked Nightcrawler-as-Michael Jackson--that particular get-up made my skin crawl. 

Would you say it made your skin night crawl(er)?

 

I was stoked for this one despite the so so reviews and I wasn't disappointed.  I'm not married to the comics so my only experience with the story is the previous films.  I thought it was fun and certainly not lacking when compared to the other movies of the reboot.  And while I really liked Captain America Civil War I failed to see why that one was seen so favorably while X-Men Apocalypse was not.  I don't mean this in a negative way but I find a lot of these movies very interchangeable.  My take is that if you liked First Class and Days of Furture Past I didn't see any real reason to dislike this one.  

[Sakura12]

On 5/20/2016 at 6:54 PM, tanita said:

I've just seen the movie and it's not even close to tragic as some critics are describing it. At least to me. Unlike most of the critics I felt that the first part of the movie, after the opening credits needed more work because it was cutting back and forth and that kind of editing irritates me. It had a lot emotional resonance, but I'm an x-men fan above all other superheros. MCU movies don't do anything emotionally for me, they are just mindless fun, which in itself is fine. And the ending really worked again for me. When a villain is obsessed with power and his illusion that he is a god, to end the movie the way it did and his last words, it really resonates.

Also, just like FC and DoFP had three leads this one has them only instead of JLaw it's actually Turner. Her, James and Micheal are the leads in this movie. Mystic is a supporting player all the way. Jean, Charles and Magneto and Quicksilver are the MVP's.

I just saw it and enjoyed it. It wasn't the best X-Men movie but it wasn't the worst or as bad as critics made it out to be. I'm also a big X-Men fan. 

I agree with everyone in saying Mystique really wasn't the lead, they wanted her to lead the new x-men but I would not have considered the movie about her. I liked her arc and her finally wearing a more similar costume to the comic character (still hate the hair). J-Law wasn't as bad as everyone was saying either, it wasn't her best work, she was passable to me. 

Jean Grey annoyed me by not acting right away while everyone else was risking their lives. She finally had her badass khaleesi like moment in the end though. 

Quicksilver definitely stole the movie again. His scenes were great. Along with Professor X and Magneto. 

As for the rest, Scott was just kind of there, Jubliee wasn't necessary if she wasn't going to do anything. Nightcrawler while really helpful with his power also didn't make much of an impression on me. I don't think they really fleshed out the kids. In First Class we saw the kids hang out and get to know each other, this one just rushed through it. 

Don't have much to say on Apocalypse he was just the generic I want to take over the world bad guy. Oscar Issac did good with what he was given. 

Edited May 29, 2016 by Sakura12

[Spartan Girl]

I liked it too. I'm in the minority that actually likes Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique. IMO I like that she's more complex and not a straight out villain.

And this was the first movie where I actually liked Scott and Jean Grey. Jean is WAY more awesome when she isn't dallying between Scott and Wolverine. I hope they don't bring back that love triangle.

God, poor Erik. I was a little stunned that he married and had a little girl considering how he feels about non mutants. Then again, his parents weren't mutants, so anyway...I knew they were as good as doomed, but the scene where they were killed was awful. It's almost a shame that Apocalypse beat Erik to the punch before he could go Carrie on the coworkers that sold him out. Geez, no good deed goes unpunished, huh?

And I fucking love Quicksilver. I'm okay with him getting killed off in Avengers because this version is way funnier. "Sweet Dreams" LMAO!

[ZoqFotPik]

On 5/24/2016 at 2:19 AM, Joe said:

Rip all the metal out of the ground... for what purpose? Earth's core is believed to be magnetic nickel and iron. Is he going to rip that out and collapse the planet? How did that tie in with Apocalypse wanting to rule the world?

I think it had something to do with tectonics. Causing massive earthquakes and tsunamis that would destroy most cities.

On 5/26/2016 at 6:56 PM, SeanC said:

 The character virtually vanishes after her introduction.

You could say that about all the horsemen save Magneto.

 

21 hours ago, benteen said:

-It's kind of hilarious how characters like Charles, Magneto and Moira should be in their 50s and Hank, Raven and Alex should be in their 40s but definitely don't look like it at all.

While you have a point about the others, Raven can make herself look whatever age she wants. I think Beast says something about how her cells are aging much slow than a normal human in First Class.

3 hours ago, Rick Kitchen said:

So was the after credits scene a reference to the next Wolverine movie?

Essex Corp is probably a reference to Nathaniel Essex aka Mr. Sinister.

1 hour ago, Sandman said:

I can't help wondering if the screenwriters deliberately avoided the "I am your son" reveal at the last minute because of the asinine "Martha is my mother's name!"/ "No, Martha was MY mother's name!1!" embarrassment of BvS.

Filming wrapped last September. I doubt BvS had anything to do it, I'm not even sure there would have been enough time to change it even if they wanted to.

Overall I thought the movie was Okay. I liked the action sequences and story, but felt that it did drag a points. Other than to give them a new jet and to have a Wolverine cameo, what was the point of the Stryker scenes? Also, as much as I like Rose Bryne, I felt she was pointless and could have been removed completely or killed when she was in Egypt in the beginning. As for the horsemen, other than Magneto, they were just kind of there. Honestly they could have been any character from the X-men universe, played by any actor and it wouldn't have made any difference.

[Rick Kitchen]

Oh, thanks for mentioning Stryker.  Did he just bug out and run away when the shit hit the fan?

[Sakura12]

8 minutes ago, Rick Kitchen said:

Oh, thanks for mentioning Stryker.  Did he just bug out and run away when the shit hit the fan?

Yep. He told his men that he'd be back, then just took the plane and left. 

While you have a point about the others, Raven can make herself look whatever age she wants. I think Beast says something about how her cells are aging much slow than a normal human in First Class.

Mystique ages slower and can look any age. That's why she looks like Rebecca Romijn while Professor X and Magneto were old men in the original movies. 

[Sandman]

1 hour ago, ZoqFotPik said:

Filming wrapped last September. I doubt BvS had anything to do it, I'm not even sure there would have been enough time to change it even if they wanted to.

So maybe Singer just had the sense to avoid something so simplistic. (Good God, Snyder's a moron.)

[thuganomics85]

Whelp, I was in the camp that was underwhelmed.  That said, I wouldn't say it was horrible as the critics were saying, so that's certainly a good thing. But it just felt very by-the-numbers and disposable to me, and I doubt I will remember a thing about it after a few months or even weeks.  Then again, I wasn't wild about Days of Future Past despite the hype, so I was kind of prepared for it.  Maybe I'm just not into the X-Men franchise anymore.  I still think X-Men 2: United was the peak of the series.

My biggest issue was easily Apocalypse.  Oscar Issac might be one of the most talent and charismatic actors on the planet, but Apocalypse was just... I don't know.  If felt like he was either talking in an overdramatic fashion or just bellowing and screaming like an one dimensional madman.  All of his dramatic lines (especially the overplayed in the trailers "Everything they built will fall!!!" one) just made me roll my eyes.  I wanted more of a powerhouse and menacing villain, but I just felt like he was so one dimensional, despite Oscar's talents.

Second issue was I just wasn't feeling Magneto's stuff.  First, I was already shaking my head when they introduced the obviously doomed wife and daughter, because that's still a thing?  And then I just couldn't fully buy him joining Team Apocalypse.  I could buy him going bad again, but the thing about Magneto for me is that he is the one that runs the show.  I just couldn't buy him willing to be a lackey that easily.  And then his turnaround was way too quick.  Only match over how quickly the world seemed to forgive him for playing a big part in the destruction of Cairo.  Michael Fassbender was great at least, even if he was saddle with some clunkers; especially the one moment where he actually screams "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME?!!!" to the heavens. which just had me laughing.  Not as bad as Wolverine's dramatic "NOOOOO!" from X-Men Origins, but it was so cheesy.

Really, the Horsemen were kind of busts.  I can barely remember Angel guy.  Storm was poorly used despite being one of the most iconic characters, and her suddenly joining Team X-Men almost felt less like she saw the errors of her ways, and just wanted to join the winning side.  As for Psylocke, it was clear they just wanted her to be a badass and have Olivia Munn pretty much wear a bathing suit for the entire thing.  I get that she isn't a master thespian, but she was actually really good in The Newsroom, so have a little more faith in her, Singer.

On the other hand, I surprisingly liked the new X-Men kiddos.  Nightcrawler was my favorite, but Scott/Cyclops had his moments, and I dug Sophie Turner as Jean, even if she seemed to be struggling with her accent at times, and I almost wish she just went British (after-all, apparently Xavier will loose his Scottish accent somewhere down the line and start sounding like Captain Picard.)  Hank/Beast is still great too.  And I liked how almost all played a part in taking out Apocalypse, although Jean did get the awesome finisher.

As for Jennifer Lawrence and Mystique, I can't say I agree that she was phoning it in exactly, but I did feel like she just basically did her Katniss for a lot of this stuff.  After her big inspirational speech, I was waiting for her to end it with "And now it's time to take back the Capital and defeat Snow!"

Quicksilver was awesome again and his big scene was easily my favorite thing about the entire film.

Felt like Xavier got wasted at the end, but James McAvoy did what he could.  He and Fassbender still have great chemistry.

I know Rose Byrne is popular now, but Moira's purpose seem to be to just hang around and inadvertently cause this entire thing by not covering the hole again, and letting the sunlight do its thing in bringing Apocalypse back to life.  Nice one, MacTaggert.

And I'm totally probably alone on an island, but I rolled my eyes over the Wolverine appearance.  I'm just over him now.  And while Hugh Jackman still looks good, I can really tell now that he is aging and it just kind of ruins the whole "He's immortal thing."

Edited May 29, 2016 by thuganomics85

[romantic idiot]

7 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

Jean Grey annoyed me by not acting right away while everyone else was risking their lives. She finally had her badass khaleesi like moment in the end though. 

This pretty much for me. I left the movie feeling like, yet again, the point of the movie is for "Jean Grey to finally stop being afraid of her powers and reaching her potential" with the story set up being "Magneto throws a tantrum". Colour me wanting a new plot. 

Quicksilver was definitely my favourite part of the movie. 

And i"m probably the other person in the world who liked Marsden in the role. 

[Spartan Girl]

Oh I liked Marsden as Cyclops/Scott too! I just hated that stupid love triangle.

[Wiendish Fitch]

Saw this last night, and it wasn't completely wretched (hey, it's still getting better reviews than that worthless Alice sequel), but compared to the last two... woof! Okay, to be fair, given the choice, I would gladly watch this again as opposed to The Last Stand (as long as plenty of booze is available), and at least I can laugh at the flaws, instead of grit my teeth, but still...

Enough yammering, a rundown of stuff...

I love Nightcrawler. Alan Cumming's Nightcrawler is still my favorite, but cute and talented Kodi Smit-McPhee did more than a serviceable job. I liked how his Kurt is sweet and innocent, but ultimately eager to tap into his inner badass.

What's this? I actually like Scott and Jean?! They actually have personalities and use their powers? They're not just bland wet noodles whose only purpose is to highlight how totally awesome Wolverine is? Tye Sheridan made a good Scott, and I'm not the least bit surprised I liked Sophie Turner as Jean. My husband pointed out that her line deliveries kind skewed toward Sansa Stark, but that's okay, because Jean and Sansa are both teenagers in abominable situations... only Jean actually has the power and support network to do something about (stopped watching GoT ages a season or two ago, so forgive me if I'm not updated).

I wish they hadn't brought back Wolverine. Oh well.

I love Fassbender, and I love his portrayal of Erik/Magneto... but isn't Erik just the biggest hypocrite?! Oh, you hate humans (despite your parents being human), humans are a bunch of prejudiced meanies (even though a mutant, not a human, killed your mom), until you need to stick your dick in something?! You were with Mystique for years, you don't need humans for that kind of relationship! There are plenty of mutants with whom you can... y'know! Also, I'm aware that Erik's family existed in the comics at some point, but here their deaths felt like a cheap, emotionally manipulative plot device to not only make us feel sorry for Erik, but to justify him yet again trying to destroy the world. And, oh, how I rolled my eyes when Mystique (who has conveniently forgotten that Erik tried to kill her numerous times in the last movie) and Quicksilver try to reach him emotionally, a la A Wrinkle in Time (I love that book, by the way, but not every story can get away with that kind of climax). Gag. And because he's following Apocalypse, this completely strips him of his usual agency, and renders him a drab background character (you don't do that to Fassy, you just don't). Speaking of which...

Oh, Oscar Isaac. You're one of the most gifted, daring actors working right now, you've got charisma and presence to spare, I love that Rolling Stone cover with you and the Boston Terrier, but all I can say is that you deserve a pity award of some kind for trying so, so, so hard to make Apocalypse interesting. He tries, folks, he really does, but who could make such a non-character who looks that ridiculous compelling? The Ivan Ooze comparisons are not undeserved, and beings who are all great (if slightly vague) power and just grandstand making big ol' proclamations bore me to distraction.

And aren't the 4 Horsemen completely worthless?! All four of my grandparents are dead, and they could soundly whoop them! I certainly understand selecting Magneto and Storm (who's barely in this, grumble grumble), but what's so special about Angel? He can fly? Big whoop! Lots of mutants can fly! And Psylocke? Hey, Olivia Munn, I hope all those months of toiling in the gym and undoubtedly living on hamster food for the three lines and that 30 second iconic scene of slicing the car was worth it! And the men get nice, sturdy armor, but the women get hyper-feminine, impractical, revealing and/or formfitting gear (especially Psylocke) to show off their smokin' hot bods! Smooth, Bryan Singer.

I'm all for forgiveness, I am, but Erik gets way too many free passes, and Storm shows no remorse for aiding in the potential destruction of the world. I agree with whoever said she just chose the winning team. 

I laughed when they pointed out that Moira hasn't aged in 20 years (should I have?), but she was ultimately superfluous. 

Spoiler

 

And when Charles gave her back her memories, I desperately wish this had happened:

Moira [slaps Charles]: You son of a bitch! How dare you violate my mind like that?! How dare you not trust me to keep your secrets? And if you absolutely had to erase my memories, which you didn't, you should have stayed out of my life! Now I have to live with wondering 'what if?' about the last two decades! Damn you and your dreamy blue eyes!

Sorry, don't know why I threw that last one in... :)

 

Yeah, it was cheap of them to try to recapture lightning in a bottle with Quicksilver, but it did give some much needed energy and humor to the proceedings, so I'll give it a pass. "Sweet Dreams (are Made of This)" is an odd song choice, but I guess "I Ran (So Far Away)" would have been too on the nose.

For good or ill... James McAvoy is a cutie-pie of the highest order. That's all. :)

Edited May 29, 2016 by Wiendish Fitch

[benteen]

Believe me, Wiendish Fitch, you wern'e the only one who was hoping that the first thing she did was slap him in the face.  It would have totally made the scene.

I kind of wish Moira had left the CIA after First Class and became Dr. MacTaggert as her comic counterpart always was.  Certainly she would have had every reason to leave the CIA considering they tried to kill her when they attempted to nuke the island full of mutants.  Of course, she doesn't remember that because of Charles.  BAH!

Quote

"Sweet Dreams (are Made of This)" is an odd song choice, but I guess "I Ran (So Far Away)" would have been too on the nose.

You know, I keep thinking we heard a foreign version of I Ran (So Far Away) during the movie.

Edited May 29, 2016 by benteen

[Sandman]

From now on I'm fanwanking that everything Wiendish Fitch wishes had happened did actually take place -- or at least that Charles understood everything Moira was feeling. After all, you don't need to yell at a telepath.

And if they absolutely had to bring back Wolverine, at least he's gone from the team/franchise now -- potentially never to be seen again?

[Joe]

4 hours ago, romantic idiot said:

This pretty much for me. I left the movie feeling like, yet again, the point of the movie is for "Jean Grey to finally stop being afraid of her powers and reaching her potential" with the story set up being "Magneto throws a tantrum". Colour me wanting a new plot.

It would be cool if they didn't go Dark Phoenix next time around, if only so we could get some good Jean Grey happening. But I think it was Jay Edidin who said that whole spinoffs have been created just so the writers could do Dark Phoenix. So no sooner does she learn to use and embrace her powers, but she goes off the rails (for whatever reason) and dies! I doubt that Singer has the patience to do another movie of buildup without actually going for it.

Another note on the subject of aging. It's comic book time reaching into the movies! Singer is being faithful to the source material in that sense, if none other.

[benteen]

Agreed about not going Dark Phoenix so soon.  I think they still need to build up the Jean character.

Of course, I wish she had become Dark Phoenix like she did in the comics.  I wish they would allow the X-Men to go into space, which has always been a major part of X-Men stories.

[Wiendish Fitch]

2 hours ago, benteen said:

Quote

"Sweet Dreams (are Made of This)" is an odd song choice, but I guess "I Ran (So Far Away)" would have been too on the nose.

You know, I keep thinking we heard a foreign version of I Ran (So Far Away) during the movie.

They did, it was playing in the Cairo scene when Apocalypse is wandering around, a lousy hooded cloak his only disguise. There are lots of great '80s songs about running, but I guess that's not what Singer and company wanted for Quicksilver (again, too on the nose).

 

Quote

From now on I'm fanwanking that everything Wiendish Fitch wishes had happened did actually take place -- or at least that Charles understood everything Moira was feeling. After all, you don't need to yell at a telepath.

Awww, I'm flattered, Sandman. Yeah, you don't need to yell at a telepath, but yelling is so much more rewarding, no?

Edited May 29, 2016 by Wiendish Fitch

[Jediknight]

10 hours ago, romantic idiot said:

This pretty much for me. I left the movie feeling like, yet again, the point of the movie is for "Jean Grey to finally stop being afraid of her powers and reaching her potential" with the story set up being "Magneto throws a tantrum". Colour me wanting a new plot.

I didn't mind that, because this time it makes a whole lot of sense.  Charles knew what happened in Last Stand, thanks to reading Logan's mind, so this time with Charles telling her to unleash the power, stops Last Stand from happening.  He's telling her to embrace that power, control it, and unleash it, instead of being afraid of it, and burying it.

I liked this movie, they better have Fassbender, McAvoy, Turner, McPhee, and Hoult locked up for as long as possible.

[Bruinsfan]

I'll give Oscar Isaac props, in Apocalypse's quieter moments he did manage to make the character interesting. And Anthony Hopkins couldn't have pulled off those melodramatic shouted speeches without being laughable, so I can't hold him responsible for their failure.

Really, all the actors did the best they could with what they were given except Lawrence, the kid playing Angel, and Olivia Munn (who better pray she's never trapped in a paper bag because she sure as hell won't be able to act her way out of it). At least Alexandra Shipp managed to make Storm more compelling over the course of about 10 lines than Hale Berry did in four whole movies.

Plot-wise I didn't like Apocalypse's vast poorly-defined powers or the way they had him so handily win a psychic battle with Professor X—that should have been a much more even fight, with him maybe winning by directing a physical attack at Xavier's body simultaneously. Also not fond of Magneto signing on as someone else's lackey and the leftover telekinetic/magnetic destruction SFX from Last Stand. But I did like all the bonding between Scott, Jean, and Kurt, the Hank and Raven scenes, and the healing of the rift between Charles and Erik.