Cool movie but too much cheese and not enough fun

Rating: 7/10 (10 September 2016)

I started enjoying superhero movies a lot more when I learned to accept that they don't make any sense, they never will make any sense, and that's okay. I go into a movie like this planning to turn my brain off and just have fun watching some cool stuff.
This movie definitely has plenty of cool scenes in it. I liked the opening scene in ancient Egypt and the Quicksilver scene was fun. While I think it's ridiculous how some reviewers give it 1 star and hate it with a passion, I can actually see where they are coming from. They are angry and frustrated because this movie really should have been so much better.
It seems like Bryan Singer is just out of touch with knowing how to really direct the actors into giving realistic performances, and he just fills the movie with stupid clichés and cheesy moments. It really does kind of insult the viewers intelligence. With better direction, this movie actually could have been really great.
For a movie that actually has some interesting characters and what could be an interesting plot, there is absolutely no subtlety in this movie. Every plot point and every emotion is narrated and shoved in your face, so that the dumbest 3 year old will know exactly what is going on at all times.
This is one of those movies where all the biggest laughs at are moments that are supposed to be serious. It really does feel like a parody some of the time. For example when Apocalypse starts to suck information out of Storms TV and we see flashes of different major historic events. It is completely obvious that he is absorbing information about what he missed while sleeping, but since Singer is convinced we are all morons, he has to throw in a cheesy line where Apocalypse says he is "Learning" How can you not laugh at lines like that!
For a movie that is this cheesy and ridiculous, it really is very long and serious and dark. A director like Nolan can pull that off with "The Dark Knight" because he actually knows how to direct the actors and make things feel sincere. "The Dark Knight" has a depth and realism, and Nolan knows how to craft a character that actually acts and talks like a real human. It seems like Singer is trying to make a long, dark movie like The Dark Knight, but it just doesn't work because he's not a good enough director and all the dialog is cheesy and unrealistic. It results in a movie that just feels over long and over dull.
I do enjoy this movie, but part of the fun is laughing at how bad some of the cheesy parts are. Basically it's a movie that's good, but should have been a lot better and had a different director.