Apocalypse rises

Rating: 7/10 (23 July 2016)

Marvel continues its relentless production of superhero movies with Apocalypse, the latest episode in the X-Men saga. The eponymous villain, Apocalypse, the world's first mutant, rises from centuries of slumber and to say he's unhappy with the state of the world is an understatement. As you would with a name of Apocalypse, he decides the only way forward is to wipe out humanity and start again.
This is the third in the X-Men prequel series and reunites the excellent McAvoy, Fassbender and clan. There are a number of additions to the roster this time, most noticeably Game of Thrones' Sophie Turner cast as a young Jean Grey. This is a great piece of casting with her resemblance to Famke Janssen (she's tall and has red hair) and she manages to deliver a decent performance as the mighty telekinetic.
The story is about what you'd expect from a superhero movie: it has a lot of fighting. This isn't on a par with Avengers but it is consistent. There is some character development, particularly with Jean Grey and Magneto, but Apocalypse could have benefited from taking a lesson from First Class and show us a bit more of their personalities and conflicts.
If you're suffering from superhero movie fatigue, there isn't a great deal here to change that except that X-Men has always been an ensemble performance and isn't focused on one character. Yes, Magento and Xavier dominate but most of the other characters have a decent amount of screen-time to add some variety and mix things up. The Horseman of the Apocalypse aren't particularly well-used though, and with Apocalypse as powerful as he is, you'd have to wonder why he even needs them. Perhaps all self-respecting megalomaniacs need flunkies to do their bidding and fetch coffee.
X-Men: Apocalypse is a fun ride. There's a lot to enjoy and the action doesn't let up but it does follow the formulaic superhero movie format. If you like X-Men, this is a must see but don't expect anything too deep and meaningful. Oh, and yes, there is a post- credit scene too if you can face sitting through the credits (or buy it on DVD and forward past them).