The X Men Rises From Superhero Mediocrity

Rating: 4/10 (20 May 2016)

I have had the pleasure to watch several superhero films despite not having read a single comic published and while i admit to enjoying a few i never understood the popularity of the genre. These movies while at times fun never seem to carry much depth even compared to blockbusters such as star wars, jaws and dark knight.I thought the previous x men films were mediocre and forgettable with days of future past being the strongest entry into the franchise.I had only low expectations going in to this after having to sit through the awfulness of batman v superman and the mediocrities such as civil war and dead-pool, hoping to find the gem in this average genre.
Needles to say i thought x-men: Apocalypse was the best x men movie produced as well as the one of the better superhero films of the last century.This movie showed me a glimpse of that gem i was searching for in this genre and have somehow restored faith in the comic book movies or at least for the next x-men installment.
The first half of this movie is just brilliant and probably demonstrates the best of the superhero films.Most of it is done visually without relying on dialogue(which is great considering the fact that the screenplay is the weakest part of every superhero films). The opening sequence was fantastic as it laid a foundation of the story without giving any expositions like civil war did.There is a quiet feeling in the first half giving calmness and needed emotion in the movie and moments such as magneto's daughter's death, quicksilver's dash in flames as well as the bursting of rockets works perfectly giving the film an aura of calmness and energy as well as tension.
Now this film is far from perfect as shown in the second half where the brilliance of the first half falls, becoming more Hollywood with the cliché redemption, weak villains and end of the world fights excess of CGI.Despite these problems the final fight is enjoyable due to the craziness of the situation and in my opinion the battle was much more memorable that the airport fight in civil war due to the primal existence of stakes and emotion in the fight between the characters.
Also on a positive note the film is never once dull.The cinematography is great when comparing to other superhero films and the music was exceptional and really helped to bring this movie alive and grant.The performances were fine, though nothing really stood out.James Mcavoy and Michael Fassbender steal the show with their respectful performances with the supporting roles doing just an okay job.Even Jennifer Lawrence is tolerable with her character.There is a wolverine cameo late in the film which was effective in establishing the character and even managed to provide a screen presence of a larger degree than both superman and captain America did in their respectful movies in the year's superhero installments.
So overall x men: Apocalypse stands out as the superhero film of the year 2016.It somehow manages to find a balance between the dark and gritty nature of batman v superman without becoming somber or dull as well as the lighter tone of civil war and dead-pool without becoming jokey and thereby losing the tension.It's not a great film but a highly enjoyable and memorable blockbuster as well as one of the best superhero films ever made.