geek'd
With the Tulsa Comic Expo kicking off this weekend, we made sure to watch the latest mutant x-traveganza before con-life drained our last few dollars with all of it’s magical goodness.
Before you write off ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ due to poor ‘Rotten Tomato’ reviews, we’d like to offer up the fan perspective. Bryan Singer and company have been cleaning up the movie canon, and thanks to days of future past have given themselves the opportunity to change some mistakes, such as X3 and the first Wolverine.
So, everything beyond this point has possible spoilers so please beware!
The opening action scene establishing Apocalypse’s character is fantastic. Epic in nature, it sets the pace for the whole movie. Fast forward to 1984, and we’re quickly re-introduced to mutants we already know plus some familiar characters wearing new faces. Casting is solid, our favorite being Nightcrawler. Absolutely perfect, a teen with image issues a little more significant than acne, he is both fierce and awkward as he is thrown into the mix. His comic relief is welcome, as is his abilities as he quickly meshes with the new team of mutant teens. BONUS: As the team meets up with some old enemies, we’re finally given the ‘Weapon X’ we’ve always wanted. Wolverine has been rebooted, so to speak. And we totally geek’d out. This was worth the price of admission alone. With his brief cameo over and as mind-wiped Logan exits the screen, it saddens us to see Hugh Jackman leaving the franchise. He really looked like Barry Windsor-Smith’s 1993 version of Weapon X, just primal and brutal.
As the story progresses, the newly formed X-men face off against Apocalypse and his new Horseman, four in total. Chaos and destruction ensues, on a global scale.
Singer and the writers have done an amazing job of bringing all the storylines together, correcting past mistakes and dropping hints of a much larger events to come. And we are so happy to see this franchise gain new life with so many talented actors.
Things we didn’t like as much? Apocalypse’s design is a little…. weird. I never really saw him as a threat. I think the character would have been much better realized as a CGI version, much like Colossus in ‘Deadpool’. He just lacked menace, which the comic version never failed to bring in large doses.
Angel was a little weak as a character as well, even though his ‘upgraded’ wings were pretty sick. should make for an interesting cosplay!
And the finale, when all is revealed, seems over a bit too soon. Especially after having seen ‘Civil War’s epic battle, this one just wasn’t as satisfying overall.
So, is the movie worth watching? Absolutely. In fact, we’re looking forward to seeing it again at the matinee. I’d avoid the naysayers and ignore the over analytical critics who try to make these movies more than what they’re designed to be. Instead, X-men: Apocalypse delivers a welcome foray back into the mutant world, full of fun and fights where the world is on the line. We can’t wait for the next one.
