on X-MEN: APOCALYPSE (2016, 144 minutes,
PG-13)
The Quick of It -
In full disclosure, I am not the biggest fan of
the X-MEN franchise. I have enjoyed
parts of particular films and then some, specially LAST STAND, totally fell
flat. Not everyone agrees since each
movie seems to polarize the crowds, and not always in the same way.
To start off, I am glad they started this reboot
project. But FIRST CLASS, to me, was
more like "First Ass". The
acting was horrible outside the two leads, McAvoy and Fassbender. DAYS OF FUTURE PAST was a descent way to
wash away the sins of the 'past' but still seemed lacking when it comes to the
new standards of the successful superhero films.
Now we have X-MEN: APCOCALYPSE as the follow-up
to launch into this new era. I will say
that my hopes and expectations were quite low.
And I was rewarded with a decent experience. The story and acting were not half-bad. The settings in Egypt were exciting to see. The cage match was a typical play, but
worthy for an adrenaline push.
I remember as a kid when everyone would make
lists of who should play the X-Men parts if they were to ever make films. Some seemed like they would be dead on,
other in total dispute among the purists.
I, for one, thought Rutger Hauer would have been the best Magneto. Still feel the same to this day.
But we have a new generation of actors, a very
different pool to pull from. Michael
Fassbender proves he can have an acting presence in a muddled plot, and is
probably the top choice for Magneto in today's world. There are so many pieces moving to make this film work smoothly,
and yet he still shines. James McAvoy
(Professor Charles Xavier), although an integral part, doesn't command the your
attention as he should. This is thanks
in part to the writing, in my opinion.
Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique) does nothing for me. I feel like I'm watching the HUNGER GAMES
again. Oscar Isaac (Apocalypse) was
okay but I stand by what I initially felt about his costume design - not even
close to how Apocalypse should look. So
watching him work was very distracting as I snarled every time he popped up. The one standout was Evan Peters as Quicksilver. Even though he was a small cog in the
machine, his contribution was something to remember.
This one will sit as one of the top X-MEN
movies. The action sequences were
average at best until the final battle.
Everything finally comes together and mutants clash into a furious
crescendo. There are no major surprises
and everything fits the Hollywood model, which maybe why the critics are not
giving the love. Either director Bryan
Singer or the studio wanted to play it safe.
To prove this, you only need to see the destruction wrought by
Wolverine. Seemed so plain and generic
without the blood and full violence. We
need that R rating, boys!
No comments:
Post a Comment