Review of X-Men: Apocalypse

When it comes to the ensemble superhero movie, much has changed in 16 years. The first X-Men got the ball rolling in 2000, and for years, this series had an iron grip on the multi-hero movie market. Fast forward to today, and the extraordinary success of Disney/Marvel's Avengers series has kicked the merry band of mutants from the top of the "A-list" to roughly the "A-minus list" at best. Still, in spite of lagging well behind the Avengers in box office muscle, I would argue the X-Men series has become better since the start of this decade. First Class and especially Days of Future Past weave superhero action, appealing characters, and social commentary into an exciting whole, and the latter film scored extra points by clearing away the bitter aftertaste left by 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand. But in the third movie lies several traps. How do you build on the promising "new look" of this series and at the same time avoid the dreaded superhero fatigue (this is the fourth superhero movie of the year thus far)?

As the title Apocalypse applies, the stakes are greater than ever before, and director Brian Singer's cast of mutants is larger than ever before, outnumbering even the group featured in Captain America: Civil War. The film begins a decade after the events of Days of Future Past, where Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) has turned his School for Gifted Children into a thriving environment. Quick and effective backstories are given for young versions of Scott Summers (Tye Sheridan) and Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), who will go on to become Cyclops and Phoenix, respectively. Meanwhile in Poland, we catch up with Magneto (Michael Fassbender), who has assumed a new identity and enjoys a quiet life with his wife and daughter. Unfortunately, a careless act gives away his true identity and forces him to go on the run. And finally, CIA agent Moira McTaggart (Rose Byrne) investigates a cult in Egypt whose activities awaken a long dormant, God-like mutant named Apocalypse (Oscar Issac). After spending a little time catching up on history, Apocalypse deduces that humanity has wrecked the Earth, and he and his followers must purge it of humanity to "start over."

Apocalypse has a central narrative thrust, but it also spends ample time introducing new characters and fleshing out their personalities. With only 2 1/2 hours to work with, however, some of these are explored with more depth than others. Unsurprisingly, the strongest subplot is Magneto's, which is laced with tragedy and nuance that actor Michael Fassbender flawlessly brings to life. The new versions of Cyclops and Jean Grey also score high marks, as both actors offer more sympathetic portrayals than those of James Marsden and Famke Jansen in the original films. And Quicksilver (Evan Peters) is back as well with another showstopping slow-motion sequence (this time saving people from a burning mansion). Finally, while Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) indeed appears in what amounts to an extended cameo, his presence is much more effectively integrated into the story than Spiderman in Civil War or Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman.

Unfortunately, not every mutant shines. Surprisingly, the movie's most glaring flaw is the main villain. Apocalypse is certainly all-powerful, and there's certainly suspense as to exactly how the X-Men can defeat him, but the character himself is flat, uncharismatic, and poorly motivated. A physically overpowering villain of this stature deserves some pizazz along the lines of a Darth Vader or a Bane. But as played here, Apocalypse utters not a single line you can quote with any pleasure. Why bother hiring a man of Oscar Issac's considerable talent if you're not going to let him loose like in Ex Machina (or hell, even his small role in The Force Awakens)? Plus, his reasons for wanting to destroy the world aren't nearly as well-developed as they could be (it's confined to one scene of him "reading" human history through a television). This is where a miniseries could've fleshed out both him and his underused minions including Psylocke (Olivia Munn), Angel (Ben Hardy), and a young Storm (Alexandra Shipp). As is, of his Four Horsemen, only Magneto has a compelling reason to turn to evil.

In past X-Men films, the Civil Rights allegory played as much a role as the action. Of all superhero series, this one has done the best job with addressing the tension between a superpowered class of people and the rest of human society. The last two films in particular integrated mutants within historical events in very clever ways. Sadly, this aspect is on the back-burner in Apocalypse, and that's unfortunate given that this series' competitors are finally introducing political material. Here, the movie mentions that tensions have cooled but doesn't pursue this idea in any detail. This doesn't wreck Apocalypse by any means but it keeps the movie on a lower plane than most of its predecessors.

The problems with Apocalypse are larger than what we've seen before (excepting The Last Stand, the unquestionable runt of the litter), but the movie nevertheless soars in plenty of places. The action sequences, including the aforementioned Quicksilver sequence and a mutant-on-mutant skirmish late in the film, deliver the punch fans come to expect. Singer also delivers a strong sense of spectacle, especially in one scene involving a huge-scale nuclear launch. And the final confrontation with Apocalypse, though slightly contrived, cleverly involves Professor X in the action. Unlike Batman v Superman, these characters (excepting the main villain) are easy to connect with and enjoyable to spend time around. The momentum never flags, resulting in a faster-paced 2 1/2 hours than you might expect.

For anyone who enjoys the X-Men series, Apocalypse delivers the goods. It won't convert a non-believer and it doesn't do anything to transcend the superhero genre, but it fills a niche and gives us an appealing new cast to move forward with. But as the fourth superhero movie in four months, fatigue may become inevitable with some viewers. This outing needs a tighter focus and a better villain to rise above the pack. As it stands, however, Apocalypse still delivers an energetic, well-paced spectacle for its entire running length. For many who enjoy this type of movie, that's about what you can reasonably ask for.

Rating: *** (out of ****) 

Review of Captain America: Civil War

Though the title says this is the third Captain America movie, this is more along the lines of Avengers 3, with a little Iron Man 4 thrown in for good measure. That's not the only thing thrown in of course, as this latest offering in the Marvel Cinematic Universe boasts the largest cast as well as the longest running time to date. The movie's chief selling point, that of a superhero smackdown, is nothing new for comic book stories. Hell, this is the second movie in 2016 driven by this concept (following Batman v Superman). But Civil War is thankfully a much more compelling, not to mention more entertaining, version of this premise than Zach Snyder's unholy mess. The reasons behind why Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) come to blows are clear and well-developed, and while the movie suffers from a few supporting players and subplots too many, that's a small price to pay. After last summer's mediocre Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel has latched this series back on the tracks.

Civil War gives political weight to superhero action by finally addressing the concept of collateral damage. The Avengers have saved the world numerous times, but what about innocent people who perish during all the fighting? That happens once again during the opening action sequence in Lagos, where Cap, Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) thwart a bombing but leave many civillians dead in the process. Fed up with the Avengers' recklessness, 117 countries band together to create an accord by which the superhero squad will be regulated by the United Nations. It's here that political tension simmers between Iron Man, who is all for regulation, and Cap, who distrusts government interference. Meanwhile, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), a Manchurian Candidate of sorts for Hydra, is on the loose once again with Cap desperately wanting to prove his longtime friend's innocence. And a nefarious foe named Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) lurks behind the scenes with a vengeful endgame of his own.

Obviously, matters escalate into physical conflict between our 12 (yes, 12) heroes. And that much-talked about battle royale at an airport you've seen in the trailers delivers the goods. In the blue corner is Captain America, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, Barnes, the newly-unretired Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd). Opposing them on the red side is Iron Man, Black Widow, War Machine (Don Cheadle), Vision (Paul Bettany), and newcomers Spiderman (Tom Holland) and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). Directors Anthony and Joe Russo expertly cut between the various skirmishes with a fluidity that always reminds us where each hero stands (or punches, kicks, flies, etc). in relation to the others. Everyone receives multiple opportunities to shine, and the Russos keep the tone relatively light throughout this sequence and others. Even with serious issues at stake, the goal is to entertain viewers, not pummel them with relentless darkness.

When the movie sticks to its primary relationships, that of Cap/Barnes and the conflict between Cap/Iron Man, Civil War rivets viewers. The movie contains a multitude of fascinating points and counterpoints around the issue of superhero regulation. It's not as poignant as what we've seen in the X-Men films, but it nonetheless engages the mind and provides substance to go along with the action. It's also refreshing to see that in this universe, killings in an African country (as opposed to a predominately white one) are what finally prompt huge-scale reform. I certainly can't imagine that in today's world. Finally, though the airport sequence is the movie's big "money" action sequence, it's not the best. That honor goes to the two-on-one fracas between Captain America/Barnes and Iron Man. It's smaller in scale but contains much greater emotional weight. The earlier battle royale, as fun as it is for everyone from the casual fan to the die-hard, is little more than an exhibition.

Some of Civil War's supporting characters shine brightly while others miss the mark. The biggest mistake is arguably Spiderman, who is shoehorned into a story he doesn't belong in (much like Wonder Woman in BvS). Introduced in a quick, albeit funny five minute conversation between him, Iron Man, and Aunt May (Marisa Tomei, glammed up to such a degree that the script pokes fun at her for it), the character has little to do besides this scene and the airport battle. Fans will be happy to see him depicted as a realistically high-school aged kid for once, but his presence in the movie still feels rushed. This is especially odd for Marvel, which has exercised meticulous patience in developing each of their main heroes for the screen. As for Scarlet Witch and Vision, two of Age of Ultron's head-scratchers, they're okay but equally unnecessary, and I'm still not sure I understand the latter character's limitations. Is he essentially a mortal version of Superman?

Counter-balancing those missteps is Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther, an outstanding addition to the ensemble. His character, a warrior from the fictional country of Wakanda, is given a clear background and motivation (an attack by Barnes killed his father), and that's precisely where he needs to be for this team-up before his solo outing lets us spend more time with him. Acting-wise, every major player is in top form, especially Chris Evans, whose Steve Rogers represents all-around heroism and virtue while never becoming boring. And Downey Jr. shows no signs of tiring of playing Iron Man here, as his quips and acerbic wit are back at lively levels.

For serious movie buffs, the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies may never escape the criticism that they're more like blown-up, extra-long TV episodes than cinema. For me, that's okay as long as the result engages and entertains. Taking this wide variety of heroes and developing their movies in a plain-looking, homogenized way is simply the studio's strategy, like it or not. I've made peace with it. In this case, despite the movie feeling overcrowded at times, it also works on a more personal, intellectual, and emotional level. As team-up movies go, Civil War doesn't reach the sheer exhilaration of the first Avengers, but it's a distinct improvement over Age of Ultron and miles ahead of Batman v Superman. In a year stuffed with comic book movies, it earns its place and justifies taking a trip to theaters to see.


Rating: *** (out of ****)