Apocalypse feels like an X-men comic, but it comes at a cost

Rating: 8/10 (30 May 2016)

"X-men: Apocalypse" is the first X-men film (aside from the "Deadpool" 2016 spin-off film) that feels like it almost completely embraced the comic book series. The new characters are mostly teenagers who are unsure/frightened of how to use their powers, and the villain, Apocalypse (played by Oscar Isaac), is the first straight-up comic book style X-men villain that isn't Magneto (Michael Fassbender), or another human villain such as William Stryker (Josh Helman).
This entry in the XCU has been met with mixed reviews from professional critics. Some are saying it "paves the way" for the franchise to grow in a new and fresh direction, while others are bashing it when comparing it to ground breaking films in the franchise (such as "X-men: Days of Future Past,"2014).
I happen to see a lot of strengths in this film, but also a few weaknesses as well. Let me start with the strengths.
"X-men: Apocalypse," first of all, does not feel like another typical "Bryan Singer X-men film" (which might be where some of the criticism comes from).
Singer does not repeat the slow build up that films, such as "X2" (2003) and "X-men: Days of Future Past," had before they build up to the final climax. The whole film (despite being one of the longest running films in the franchise at 2 hours and 24 minutes) flows by rather quickly. I never once got distracted or started wondering when this film would end, like I have with other comic book films.
Singer also manages to make the action flow throughout the whole film. Many complained about how little action there was in "X-men: Days of Future Past" when compared to the dialogue, but "Apocalypse" manages to make equal time for talk and action and often combines the two together.
The new cast members also impressed me, though some get more screen time than others. Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) finally is given his due justice, and has some of the best character development than he has ever had in the previous films. Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) also impressed me (I was very concerned about her casting after the first trailer), and Nightcrawler (Kodi-Smith McPhee) proves yet again that he is one of the most likable characters, next to Quicksilver (Evan Peters).
Other new characters get decent amounts of screen time, though maybe not as much as they deserved from a fans standpoint. Psylocke (Olivia Munn) was one who I really enjoyed on screen and hope to see more of in the future (possibly in an upcoming Deadpool sequel or X-Force movie).
Also, don't worry about the "First Class" cast, they get great and equal amounts of screen time as well. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) didn't take over the film like the trailers tried to make you believe, and she was written in a way that made her character's previous development useful for the plot, and not forced because of a contract.
Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy both impress yet again in their strong emotional performances as younger Magneto and Charles Xavier. I hope the X-franchise continues to use them in future films, because they are magic on screen.
Lastly, Evan Peters Quicksilver proves yet again that he has the most fun character in the film. If you liked his "Days of Future Past" scene, you will absolutely love his newest scenario. His role is much bigger in this film and a lot of the humor comes from his character alone.
Now that I've sung my praises, it is time for some negatives. The biggest flaw in "X-men: Apocalypse" is that the film doesn't quite reach the intellectual and emotional impact that we have come to expect from previous films in the franchise (especially the ones made by Bryan Singer). There isn't much to talk/think about with the "Civil Rights" metaphors (in fact this film barley acknowledges it), and even the religious metaphors and ideas such as Apocalypse being a "false god" fall short and aren't given enough time to sink in.
Apocalypse as a character also feels somewhat one-dimensional in how he wants to destroy/cleanse the world. He is never truly defined as a character, despite Oscar Isaac giving his all to the role. When he is convincing the horsemen to join him, it isn't given much thought or reason to why they join him (other than Magneto). Towards the end of the film the character improves as a villain, but by then we still don't really understand much about him. In a way this is refreshing though, because it gives the other X-men room to grow as characters and we get to watch them have fun fighting someone other than Magneto, again.
In the end, "X-men: Apocalypse" is a solid film in the franchise and is probably one of the most entertaining films they've made. Intellectuals and fans of Bryan Singer's older X-men films may be somewhat disappointed, but the film has proved that this franchise still has new life and stories to tell.
I look forward to seeing where things go from here.