Everything you expected is there, but...

Rating: 6/10 (19 May 2016)

...it doesn't add anything new to the franchise or the genre.
The more substantial change introduced to the franchise since it started back in 2000 was the refreshing of the cast in 2011, operated by Matthew Vaughn in a prequel filled with plot twists, multi-layered characters and style that set the origin of the current narrative web. The return of Bryan Singer after X-Men: First Class seemed to promise a continuation of this refreshing of an old franchise, as Days of Future Past gave us more innovation, plot twists and multi-layered characters, as well as one of the best scenes in the genre with Quicksilver and his speed. However, Apocalypse seems to have taken away the freshness the two previous films brought to the franchise. Where First Class and Days of Future Past innovated, Apocalypse merely recycled plot lines and scenes from previous installments (realy, how many more times do we have to see Magneto loose his family, go on a rampage to avenge them, only to have his mind changed at the very last minute by having either Professor Xavier or Mystique tell him he has good in him, that he's more than just his pain and rage? Hasn't he heard that enough times already? Haven't we? I mean, if he didn't get it the first two times he heard it, he never will). Where First Class and Days of Future Past had a multi-layered villain, Apocalypse has a one-dimensional, almost clownish bad guy - his motivation is basically "let's destroy this world and build a new one because I was assleep for 3000 years and woke up in a bad mood". Oh, and what was that with him destroying all the nuclear weapons of Earth? I was hopelessly reminded of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and the very similar plot line of Superman also destroying all the nuclear weapons of Earth, and that's not a good thing since that film was total rubbish. And didn't Apocalypse have the intention of destroying the world anyway? So why bother to destroy the nuclear weapons first? The fact is that this villain should be called Disaster, for that is what he is and no amount of amazing special effects can change that. Which is a shame, when you have someone like Oscar Isaac playing him.
The truth is that Apocalypse seems to confirm that superhero movies are increasingly becoming an "assembly line" at risk of a creative emptiness, one that not even an amazing cast like this one can save from mediocrity.
In short: even though it was put together with the best of Hollywood's technical expertise, and Quicksilver has another amazing scene in it that is worth a watch (although it does beg the question: why repeat something that had already been done in the previous film? Were the filmmakers that devoid of inspiration? You already now the answer...), this film is essentially more of the same, treading a path already (and more expertly) tread, without bringing any special grit or inspiration to the franchise. To be watched at home; save your money for something more worthy.