A promising film marred by over-ambition and self-indulgence
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| X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) - By Bryan Singer |
X-Men: Apocalypse, directed by Bryan Singer, is the ninth and the latest
film in the X-Men movie franchise. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack
Kirby, the X-Men are an eponymous group of mutant superheroes that got inducted
into the Marvel Universe back in the early ‘60s with the launch of the comic
book series, "The X-Men” aka “Uncanny X-Men”. The X-Men are seen as a
major threat to humanity at large. But, under the able tutelage and protection
of Professor Charles Xavier, a powerful telepath and a fellow mutant, they
learn to hone their special powers with the purpose of serving mankind and to
prove that mutants can be heroes as oppose to freaks of nature, as their
detractors like to call them. Xavier calls them "X-Men" because their
special abilities are a result of the "X-gene"—a gene that’s absent
in normal humans. It is believed that the African-American civil rights
movement of the ‘60s partially inspired the comic book series. X-Men:
Apocalypse’s stellar ensemble cast includes the likes of Michael Fassbender,
Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Oscar Isaac, Sophie Turner, Nicholas Hoult,
and Rose Byrne. The movie features cameo appearances from Hugh
Jackman and Josh Helman.
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| Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse aka En Sabah Nur in X-Men: Apocalypse |
Our Rating: 5.5
IMDb Ratings: 7.8
Genre: Action | Adventure | Fantasy
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy
Country: USA
Language: English
Runtime: 154 min
Color: Color
In X-Men: Apocalypse, an ancient mutant named Apocalypse aka En Sabah
Nur awakens after thousands of years, and, believing that in his absence
humanity has lost its way, plans to take over the world with the help of a team of powerful mutants disillusioned with mankind and its
selfish ways. The X-Men must overcome all kinds of odds to
stop Apocalypse and his team, the Four Horsemen, from unleashing hell on
humanity. Unfortunately, Bryan Singer and team seem to
have bitten more than they could chew. After all, how many times can you go on
tweaking the narrative arcs established in X-Men: First Class? Among all
the superhero franchises, X-Men stands out in terms of its wide array of
colorful characters. The late American film critic, Roger Ebert, wrote in his
review of Star Trek II, more than three decades back: “Star Trek stories have always been best when they centered around their
characters.” One can say the same of X-Men stories. If they are good, they
are so because of the characters. On those occasions they are not, the
characterization as well as the interplay between the characters is to be
blamed, as is the case with Apocalypse. While certain characters come across as
redundant, it wouldn't be farfetched to describe the plot as self-indulgent and
weak.
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| Michael Fassbender as Erik aka Magneto in X-Men: Apocalypse |
The viewers of superhero film franchises are obviously excited by special
effects but what they are really interested in seeing is their beloved
characters go about their business. For example, consider the rivalry that between
Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto. They may oppose each other on the basis
of principles but there is a deep sense of mutual respect that lies underneath.
They detest each other’s ways but deep down they know that each of them is
doing the best he could for the survival of their kind. In Apocalypse, even this
attribute is not properly handled. The makers seem undecided whether to imitate
Avengers or make a worthy X-Men film? The result is chaos.
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| James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men: Apocalypse |
Overall, X-Men: Apocalypse proves to be a fairly entertaining summer
blockbuster that unfortunately fails to create the magic of the earlier X-Men
films. The caricature
of En Sabah Nur fails to pack
a punch despite Oscar Isaac’s best efforts to bring the iconic X-Men character
to life. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender despite playing their respective
parts to a tee fail to reignite the magic of First Class. Jennifer Lawrence
looks rather off-color essaying the part of the shape-shifting mutant Mystique.
But the acting overall is quite solid. Also, the cinematography and editing are
superb. Despite the aforementioned
flaws and inconsistencies, X-Men: Apocalypse makes for a decent one-time watch,
especially for those who love superhero movies.
Readers, please feel free to share your views/opinions in the comment box below. As always your insightful comments are highly appreciated!
References:
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) Trailer (YouTube)
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Hmm, I have heard of this X-Men film via the advertising banners I've seen, well somewhere. Decent or not, I don't bother. If I have the time, I'll give it a go. But in the meantime I'll go see Captain America: Civil War (2016) first.
ReplyDeleteCaptain America: Civil War is certainly a much superior film.
ReplyDelete