X-Men: Apocalypse

Another of the superhero movies I didn’t manage to see on the big screen and never got to see on a plane, I’ve now managed to catch up on X-Men: Apocalypse. 

Days of Future Past was a very tough movie to follow up. I really enjoyed that movie, which I thought clever, affecting, well-paced and of course very fan-friendly. So I had high hopes for Apocalypse, with one of my favourite villains.

Ultimately, I’d say this is a decent addition to the franchise, but certainly not the high point of it. I had my doubts about Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse, mostly because instead of a huge menacing half-cyborg, he looked like a frail older man – though in the film he actually looks more formidable than he did in early stills.

He brings with him a credible threat, in the classic vein of washing the whole world clean – though probably spends a little too much time gathering his acolytes so that the film sags somewhat in the middle. Unfortunately he doesn’t really get enough of his own character on top of this, and his powers are very ill-defined within the context of the film.

On the other hand, the film’s re-introduction of many of the key players of the franchise is very satisfying. While it takes a while, the gathering of the Horsemen allows for some nice scenes of Ororo and Betsy to get them into this new continuity, plus a slightly shoehorned-in Warren, while on the good side we get the new, more vulnerable and likeable Scott, cute emo-kid Nightcrawler, Sophie Turner’s hard-to-define gravitas for Jean and even a small appearance for Jubilee. The professor gets his iconic appearance by the end, Magneto rather takes a few steps back in development but gets some great emotional scenes, Raven is the true protagonist and there’s even a nice moment with Weapon X and a tiny cameo for The Blob.

One thing I disliked here was the casual attitude to death, especially amongst the younger crew – who seem amused at the wholesale slaughter of the bad guy henchmen and make wisecracks. I’d think they’d be horrified. The death toll for the damage Apocalypse manages to wreak on the whole world must have been extremely high, too, but there’s no mention of that. The final showdown is a bit of a random series of powers but the final force that’s able to reign supreme makes sense.

Overall, this film was not what I hoped. There were some amazing scenes, and once again Quicksilver’s part in it all steals the show, but I was left unsatisfied by the whole piece and especially with En Sabah Nur himself. But this leaves me optimistic for the future. I’m keen to see how Mister Sinister is treated, always a much cooler bad guy than his name suggests, and while I’m not that interested in Dark Phoenix Adaptation #10,000,000, at least there’s a more likeable and compelling cast in place now.

What I really want to see, though, is rights issues resolved, special contracts written and X-Men being incorporated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. May be a bit late now, though. 

Captain America: Civil War

I still maintain that this would have been a far better choice for Avengers 2. The Civil War storyline was a very good one in the comics, with the two factions really feeling like they belonged in their respective camps, plus the whole thing was built up on top of the House of M and then Decimation. 

The movie adaptation wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but once it got rolling it was a strong addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the pacing was a bit off, taking far too much time to get rolling, the eventual pay-off was enjoyable. If anything, we could have had less set-up of the Winter Soldier storyline and more focus on the divide caused by the 'accords' and a lot more discussion of what they actually were and how much they would control the team members. 

Another major problem was the lack of a serious antagonist. Bucky of course has two sides and is being controlled, so what's left is a rather uninteresting puppetmaster and a wild goose chase about other Winter Soldiers that ends up the film's biggest anticlimax and disappointment. 

Still, the film brings in some new Avengers members, chiefly Ant-Man (who gets a bit more of the decent powers of the Pym Particles this time) and Spider-Man, whose introduction is brief but workable, and whose motormouth is perhaps better-rendered here than in other recent representations. 

There are a few laughs and a few neat references, and probably the best Stan Lee cameo yet, but overall the film felt less impressive than I expected. It was great to see a split between heroes and the expected climactic duel, but overall, after so many adventures that seem likely to destroy cities, worlds or universes, catching Bucky or not doesn't fuel the story all that well. Indeed, in the middle, the film commits the cardinal offence of a comic book story and gets boring. 

But it doesn't stop me being engaged with these characters or wanting more. I'm very keen to continue with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, and also want to watch the Apocalypse movie, so my enthusiasm hasn't waned overall!