'Welcome to the 80s', announces a young, Mohawk-wearing Storm, as she takes a gulp from a can of Coca Cola. There, we have it on our faces- both the winning streak and the fatal error of Bryan Singer's latest 'X-Men' outing- it is too true to the spirit of the 80s.
The X-Men films can be considered as the gold standard in the Marvel franchise, (except for maybe Brett Ratner's overblown threequel), simply because they were the first films to introduce the concept of identity into men-in-tights films and then the likes of Christopher Nolan and Joss Whedon took a cue from them. So, as if taking a break from all the narrative weight that the previous movies presented in spades, 'Apocalypse' is as bombastic as its name suggests- a plain, old-school superhero template which sees our heroes pitted against a supervillain all set to annhiliate the world in style.
While Matthew Vaughn's 'X-Men: First Class' was fashioned like a 60s James Bond caper with its Cold War allusions, and 'Days Of Future Past' had shades of a 70s Nixon-era thriller even with its 'Back To The Future'-style tricks, this one, which is unsurprisingly set in the 80s, is also very much an Eighties spectacular in tone- think the colliding styles of Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis and John McTiernan put together to create a heady blend of all the excesses of the action genre, curried together for maximum impact. (Even the big surprise cameo of the film appears like John Rambo with claws. Literally.)
What makes the difference is the often artful approach that 'Apocalypse' takes. It is often marvelously shot- with Singer regular Newton Thomas Sigel expertly cutting across the film's sprawling narrative with both pace and poetry- from lingering over the shaved pates of the multitudes of Egyptians worshipping the eponymous villain to often zooming out magnificently to capture much of the film's moments of monumental destruction in fascinating slow-motion. The globe-trotting nature of 'Apocalypse' often helps the film to pick up both style and snap- and Singer stylishly shuffles from ancient Egyptian ziggurats to the pock-marked and bustling souks of modern-day Cairo to the dank cage fights in Communist Berlin to cold, claustrophobic Poland. The destruction that unfolds with a sublimely unsettling beauty is also often mesmerizing, as it results in a nuclear disarmament that is tense and pulse-pounding. It is, in many ways, truly epic in scale and size.
It is also, however, a tad too ridiculous, at times. For one thing, the central villain- the hulking and bulking Apocalypse- is a bit of a waste, his 'survival of the strongest' agenda merely a flimsy version of Nietzsche's philosophy done in a highly predictable, self-aggrandizing and foolhardy style. His methods are also too obvious- why should he choose to announce to the world of his intentions, that too through none other than Charles Xavier, who can clearly use it to his advantage? Other than introducing the entire eventual cast of the original X-Men ensemble rather ingeniously, the plot could have spent a bit of time in developing its primary antagonist but nah, he remains the archetype 80s kingpin character and as for the four 'Horsemen' that he recruits to be his allies, almost all (save for one, but we will get to that) are just intriguingly delectable creations needing more meat and conflict. A couple of promising ideas are wasted here- including one that could have been a reveal as big as the one in 'The Empire Strikes Back'- but the biggest problem in this X-Men film seems to be its treatment of its women.
All the ladies in the film are pretty troubling in the way they are wasted- with the notable exception of Alexandra Shipp as a spunky young Storm. Jennifer Lawrence, who shone throughout 'Days Of Future Past', is here mostly looking lost, robbed of being centre-stage in the action and given not much to do. Rose Byrne makes a lovely comeback as Moira MacTaggert and seems all poised for action but ends up being again on the periphery of the big things, except for Xavier's mind, maybe. Olivia Munn is extremely irresistible as a sexy Psylocke and there are moments when she blazes the screen but is eventually wasted. Sophie Turner is a strangely odd choice to play the witty and self-assured Jean Grey; she spends most of her time looking dour and uncomfortable but her increasing involvement in the film's plot does lend her character some gravitas that are well-worth watching out for.
The men, however, often rock the show. James McAvoy, perennially wry and armed with a silver-coated tongue, brings a winning warmth and vulnerability of his Professor Xavier, his charisma most infectious when wistfully sighing at the memories of Moira or when instructing his students to leave the classroom so that he can talk to a new mutant alone. Nicholas Hoult is reliably great as Beast and Tye Sheridian as a troubled but ultimately cocky Cyclops is a treat as well. Kodi Smit-McPhee brings comic relief as a slinky Nightcrawler and as for Evan Peters…well, well, well. As long as the series retains Quicksilver as a pivotal character in the proceedings, his Peter Maximoff will always have his trademark moment in the sun- freezing time, tweaking things here and there and making sure that heroes survive and the best laid evil plans fail. This film even has him thwarting a secret college rooftop kiss in style.
As Apocalypse, Oscar Isaac brings occasional menace but is often trapped by the severe limitations to the character's development. This is also because how the film devotes its attention to the man with magnetic charm.
Much of Singer's film is all about Erik Lehnsherr, here first trying to live a normal life with a family, without his violent streak. Things, however, take a tragic turn for him and I would hate to reveal more of how this parallel track unfolds, adding an unexpected poignancy to the proceedings. All of it is driven solidly by Michael Fassbender, an actor who can do no wrong now and as Magneto, he has found himself a signature role as arguably the greatest comic book villain of all time. Bringing both empathy and a vengeful streak of malevolence to his character, this is the performer in peak form, handing us a tragic villain whom we end up rooting for, as he sways like a moral compass.
A film with Magneto as an intriguing arch-nemesis rather than a bulk of self-centered indulgence would have been a real masterstroke then. Still, even with flaws, there is confidence here, a really slick coherence of things happening. Singer does not blow things out of proportion and keeps enough style to make things consistently compelling. The scenes in Egypt feel like those from an 'Indiana Jones' classic while there is also a fabulous nod at 'The Birds' which adds a lot of sophistication to the style all around. Also, for a film that often has things exploding magnificently, it pays equal attention to the smaller details. The 80s zing is done well enough- from Ms. Pacman to nuclear submarines to 'Star Wars' sequels playing in theaters- and there are the possible sparks between Cyclops and Jean Grey, which can be thwarted possibly by that famous hero making his grand cameo here.
For the hard-core comic fans, there are also a few little quirks worth mentioning- most notably as Psylocke turns her sword into a whip and uses it mid-battle to stunning effect. The end result is not flawless and often a mess- much like the burgers I and my friend had- but yeah, there are also many meaty nuggets and much delicious sauce to enjoy in between as well. Dig in.
My Rating- 3 and a half stars out of 5
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