False Gods

Rating: 7/10 (28 May 2016)

With it being the 9th film to date in the series, and the fourth superhero film to come out in 2016, X-Men: Apocalypse had a difficult task in keeping the genre and franchise fresh. While it struggles with some of the same problems as most of these superhero ensemble pieces do, Apocalypse serves as both a satisfying conclusion to the second X- Men trilogy and an exciting beginning to the next chapter.
Bryan Singer returns to the franchise once again to direct, as do James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Evan Peters, and Rose Byrne. Newcomers include Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, Tye Sheridan as Scott Summers, Kodi Smit-McPhee as Nightcrawler, and Alexandra Shipp as Storm. A strong point in all of the X-Men entries has been the acting, and Apocalypse is no different. McAvoy and Fassbender perfectly portray Professor X and Magneto as the two opposing viewpoints to the mutant situation. Unfortunately, they don't get as much screen time together as the two previous entries, but that makes their scenes together that much more special.
As far as the newbies go, while they weren't the central focus of the films, I really connected to Jean Grey and Scott Summers. Nightcrawler provides some comedic relief and Angel doesn't really serve any purpose in the film, but Scott and Jean were handled well, especially the ladder. Being that Sophie Turner didn't completely prove herself till the last few seasons of Game of Thrones, I was skeptical of her going in. But Turner did a nice job at balancing the immense power of her character while giving her a relatable appeal that made Famke Janssen's performance so great.
The introduction of Apocalypse was also a tough sell. Adapting the character from his comic-book counterpart is one thing, but I was pleased with how smoothly his origin fit into the film. It's hard finding a villain that can one up Magneto on a scene to scene basis, but Oscar Isaac's titular villain does just that. Perhaps seeing a bit more of him would have served the story more, but his short and significant scenes with each of his four horseman were enough to sell me on his ominous presence.
I think some of the faults of the film involve the overabundance of characters the film decides to focus on. Every X-Men film is an ensemble piece, but 'Apocalypse' tries its hardest to do service to so many characters, and sometimes it can be a little messy. I don't think there are even scenes I really disliked, but there are some that feel unnecessary.
Overall, the film succeeds at so many levels it's hard to be disappointed in the outcome. The X-Men films have always been one to pull and tug on emotions that other superhero films and blockbusters fail to do, and 'Apocalypse' definitely does that. For all of the explosions and disaster that Apocalypse causes, it still feels very personal to the X-Men, and I can certainly appreciate that type of storytelling. A little bit of extra care to the script and direction will lead to a much tighter film next time around.
+Sophie Turner's Jean Grey
+The newbies are handled well
+Introduction of Apocalypse
+Fassbender and McAvoy are once again powerhouses
-Overabundance of focus on too many characters
8.7/10