X-Men: Apocalypse review ★★★★★
The world is once again under threat by the world's first ancient Egyptian mutant. The X-Men reunite in the 80s for this visually spectacular new X-Men film
X-Men: Apocalypse
REVIEW: X-MEN: APOCALYPSE REVIEW: CULTURE WHISPER SAYS: ★★★★★
The world's first mutant, Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) is an egotistical, strangely coloured lunatic determined to become all powerful, with the ability to absorb and amplify other mutant's powers. He sounds like Donald Trump, without the superpowers.
He awakens in 1980s Ciro from the centre of a pyramid that fell on him in 3600BC and is disgusted by all he sees on the TV, from Casinos to Richard Nixon. The world, he decides, is ready to be cleansed with only the strongest mutants surviving his... apocalypse. His mother had some pretty impressive foresight.
This film picks up around a decade on from the last movie, which gave us the first mutant appearance in the age of Nixon and his attempted assassination by Magneto (Michael Fassbender). We find Magneto now living a quiet life with his wife and daughter, in harmony with the non-mutant population, just as Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) advised. Magneto's peaceful resolve is broken when his family is killed by an idiot with a bow and arrow by authorities who have realised who he is.
Filled with rage and hatred, Magneto is recruited by Apocalypse to be one of his four lethal followers. Lying defeated and crippled on a dusty battlefield overlooking Cairo, Xavier begs Magneto to recognise that Apocalypse offers nothing but destruction and is 'tapping into their [mutant's] hate and fear' and sense that their ilk is under threat from the wider world. Why Magneto would be seduced by this seemed a mystery. But then we remembered Donald Trump. So maybe it's an American thing.
Those up-to-date with all the various X-men films will most enjoy this incarnation, which is littered with in-jokes and even jibes at its own flunks. When three teenage mutants leave a screening of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) turns knowingly to her friends and says: 'At least we can agree, the third one’s always the worst,' which is only funny to those who know that the third X-Men film wasn't directed by founding director Bryan Singer.
The visual effects are, as ever, spectacular, the script filled with laugh-out-loud moments and of course, Jennifer Lawrence is in it being marvellous. The plot of the film is pretty pedestrian and predictable, but then what do you expect from a comic book film? This isn't great, but it isn't terrible either. And when compared to the horribly messy X-Men: Days of Future Past, we recommend any lovers of the comic books to head over to a cinema near you.
PG 13
The world's first mutant, Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) is an egotistical, strangely coloured lunatic determined to become all powerful, with the ability to absorb and amplify other mutant's powers. He sounds like Donald Trump, without the superpowers.
He awakens in 1980s Ciro from the centre of a pyramid that fell on him in 3600BC and is disgusted by all he sees on the TV, from Casinos to Richard Nixon. The world, he decides, is ready to be cleansed with only the strongest mutants surviving his... apocalypse. His mother had some pretty impressive foresight.
This film picks up around a decade on from the last movie, which gave us the first mutant appearance in the age of Nixon and his attempted assassination by Magneto (Michael Fassbender). We find Magneto now living a quiet life with his wife and daughter, in harmony with the non-mutant population, just as Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) advised. Magneto's peaceful resolve is broken when his family is killed by an idiot with a bow and arrow by authorities who have realised who he is.
Filled with rage and hatred, Magneto is recruited by Apocalypse to be one of his four lethal followers. Lying defeated and crippled on a dusty battlefield overlooking Cairo, Xavier begs Magneto to recognise that Apocalypse offers nothing but destruction and is 'tapping into their [mutant's] hate and fear' and sense that their ilk is under threat from the wider world. Why Magneto would be seduced by this seemed a mystery. But then we remembered Donald Trump. So maybe it's an American thing.
Those up-to-date with all the various X-men films will most enjoy this incarnation, which is littered with in-jokes and even jibes at its own flunks. When three teenage mutants leave a screening of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) turns knowingly to her friends and says: 'At least we can agree, the third one’s always the worst,' which is only funny to those who know that the third X-Men film wasn't directed by founding director Bryan Singer.
The visual effects are, as ever, spectacular, the script filled with laugh-out-loud moments and of course, Jennifer Lawrence is in it being marvellous. The plot of the film is pretty pedestrian and predictable, but then what do you expect from a comic book film? This isn't great, but it isn't terrible either. And when compared to the horribly messy X-Men: Days of Future Past, we recommend any lovers of the comic books to head over to a cinema near you.
PG 13
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| What | X-Men: Apocalypse review |
| Where | Various Locations | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Leicester Square (underground) |
| When |
17 May 16 – 30 Sep 16, 9:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Price | £Varies |
| Website | Click here to read more on IMBD |