X-MEN: APOCALYPSE

“Everything they’ve built will fall! And from the ashes of their World, we’ll build a better one!”

The problem with making a good X-Men movie is that the past two have been really good. For the most part, Apocalypse pulls it off. And with style, too.

Taking place ten years after the past sections of Days of Future Past, but with everyone somehow still looking the same, X-Men: Apocalypse sees the re-awakening of En-Sabah-Nur, more commonly known as Apocalypse, as he assembles his Four Horsemen to declare all-out war on humanity. To stop him, a new generation of X-Men must assemble.

While the story isn’t a strong or as fast moving as Days of Future Past’s, it works well. It does take time to get moving, but it’s by no means boring during that process. Slow, perhaps, but that’s the curse of storytelling. It gives the right amount of time for introducing each of the new characters, even if they’re new versions of characters we’ve seen on the screen before. Which reminds me, the new faces behind old character do a great job of bringing their characters to the screen, and channel the old actors’ versions really well. The returning cast is great too, and you can see the progression each has made from the last film.

One thing that surprised me most was Apocalypse himself. For the most part, Marvel hasn’t been great at making villains for the bug screen. Perhaps then it’s having Bryan Singer at the helm which gives them the advantage. Apocalypse’s story is the first thing the movie sets out, and continues to build through the rest of the film. Yes, his appearance does differ massively from his comic counter-part, but when you watch the film you can see why they’ve done this. My main concern that whilst watching it, I’d just be imagining Poe Dameron doing an impression of Apocalypse. I was wrong. Oscar Isaac does a great job of ditching his flight suit for his mutant powers.

The spectacle, like any X-Men film, is great. The combination of each mutant’s powers, both X-Men and Horsemen, leads to a final battle that has both scale and style. And don’t worry, Quicksilver get his own scene to shine in, too.

Anyone who watched the final trailer will know that a certain metal-clawed mutant makes an appearance in the film too. Whilst the immediate effect feels like that sequence is only in it for the sake of having him in it, when you think about it, it works with the story too. Plus, it’s Wolverine, so he’s always awesome.

All in all, both new cast and old make X-Men: Apocalypse another great entry into the series. It might not be as great as Days of Future Past, from my point of view at least, Apocalypse not only advances the series further, but isn’t afraid to look good doing it. Also, it proves that X-Men films can be made and not centre around Wolverine, which is good news for future movies.

Oh, and you know the final shot from Avengers: Age of Ultron, well, let’s just say this film one-ups it...