Fits Perfectly in with X-Men Canon

Rating: 6/10 (9 June 2016)

It is easy to agree with all the mediocre reviews of this latest outing of the X Men franchise. It is a lot of 'been there, done that'. But, while I sat and found myself being entertained and enjoying the two and half hour experience, it won't matter over time. Those looking for something new and unattached to any franchise aren't looking for a film like this. Those who find the X Men franchise to be on stable footing, and don't feel that it has worn out it's welcome yet, will feel satisfied with this last X Men ensemble film for a while.
Bryan Singer has an adroit approach to this X Men comic book movie genre. He can create very human perspectives to fantasy stories. If there is one great flaw to this film, is that he created a moment that was too human, too raw in emotion to overcome. And that is early in the film when we find that Magneto had settled down with a wife and daughter,
Minor Spoiler
Only to see them murdered in front of his eyes, destroying his life,
End Minor Spoiler
And finds that destiny cannot escape him. For the audience, that moment where Magneto decides mankind is out to destroy him, is such a human moment, it is hard to transition to the comic book tone from that point on. Tonal shifts in a movie should not be taken lightly. Again, this is a part of the reason the film feels lackluster after the first act. Oddly, no one is to blame for this reaction. It is the same reaction I had to the Hobbit films coming out after Lord of the Rings. And the same reaction to seeing Terminator 5. The same tropes that are canon with these franchises have little new to offer, and is harder to excite the audience.
I have always liked the slick production design, and have embraced the younger cast with the X Men films recently. The scripts are smart, the human conflicts are well executed, and the action scenes are well paced. So there is nothing to fault this outing, and I predict over time (assuming they will give the franchise a needed rest) that this installment will feel right in place with the others. As for the longer running time, again the pacing kept the story rolling with enough momentum to forgive going over the two hour mark.