X-Men: Apocalypse - Movie Review

The 'X-Men' franchise has made a mark on orchestrating a slew of characters on a right note from its past films. Days of Future Past completely validates this as it introduces the same characters, but from different timelines. It's miraculous how the filmmakers balances off old and new faces together without jarring the audience. 'X-Men: Apocalypse' has the task to follow that film as well as to continue the mark the saga has been known for. But the result is reverse, this franchise's biggest strengths turned out to be its biggest flaw.

The film brings back the First Class ensemble, which is led by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender's Professor X and Magneto as well as introduces familiar heroes in Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), Nightcrawler (Kodi Smith-McPhee) and Cyclops (Tye Sheridan). Their first moments were promising, given the range of the actors portraying them. However, it shifted on another character's story arc, and then on another, and another. The writers, with the amount of characters they are obliged to handle, has a hard time positioning them in corresponding scenes. The biggest scene-stealer, Quicksilver (Evan Peters), has another Time In A Bottle-slow motion-like set piece this time, but the film feels forced on including this scene given the success of the first one.

It's all fanservice. Of course, it's a comic-book movie, but pleasing the fans must also mean pleasing the story you're handling. A long scene featuring Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), despite being one of the best bits of the movie, was unnecessary. What is his purpose being there? Right, it's a set-up for the upcoming Wolverine Movie but not for any moments in this film. The villain Apocalypse giving his four horsemen a costume upgrade makes up to give references to the characters' comic-book costumes.

'X-Men: Apocalypse' culminates the First Class team consisting of McAvoy and Fassbender's version of Professor X and Magneto. Instead of advancing their storyline, their conflict, regardless of how much they avoid it, keeps coming back at them. This leaves their arcs to a tiring one, a thread that could've been exciting and engaging two movies ago. There's not much conflict and reason surrounding with the titular villain to make him threatening either. Everything about this feels disjointed, and it appears the X-Men saga might have lose its charm to its audience.

The geek rates it 5/10!

X-Men: Apocalypse is now showing in cinemas (2D, 3D, 4DX, IMAX 3D) nationwide from 20th Century Fox Philippines! Rated PG by the MTRCB.