Movie Review!!!
X-Men Apocalypse is the ninth film of the X-Men movie series. Its opening weekend worldwide brought in $265.8 million dollars. This is a low, first weekend count compared to 2016’s comic films Batman V Superman, Deadpool and Captain America: Civil War. The director of the X-Men film Bryan Singer, is back again to display his vision of the famous super team. Lots of comic fans have mixed opinions on Singer’s work. He can make superpowers look amazing on screen but his cinematic story timelines for the characters don’t match the origins of the comic books or previous films he has created in the series. Star Wars for instance, is a film series that is connected together in a big story that flows. The X-Men films series had that same potential because of its comic book popularity, but because of its notably changes, X-Men films are the least favorite in Marvel’s cinematic universe. Let’s find out what threw fans off with this film.
Apocalypse
According to the comics, Apocalypse is a known warrior that outranked all humans because of his incredible strength and size. What defined him as mutant was being born with grey skin, blue lips and nails. No one knew what Apocalypse mutant powers were exactly until he merged himself with Celestial technology. In the post credit of X-Men: Days of Future Past, young Apocalypse is shown building the pyramids with telekinesis, with his four horsemen observing in the background. At this point in time, it was obvious that Apocalypse has yet to merge with the technology of the gods. In this film, Apocalypse was explained as a mutant who amassed his great powers by transferring his conscious mind in different mutants over time, especially superpowers that suits his needs. He later discovered that it’s Jean’s power is what he needed instead of Xavier because she holds the Phoenix Force. If Apocalypse was the first mutant, how did he collect powers over his early reign on Earth? This is very different from the comic origins. Days of Future Past and Apocalypse didn’t match up with each other on how the character was brought to the big screen. Some would agree that Apocalypse natural size could have been similar to Xerxes in the film 300. Apocalypse was portrayed by actor Oscar Issac. What was your take of Apocalypse on the movie screen?
Angel/ ArchAngel
This film will be the second appearance for the hero Angel. The vision for this character was lackluster and outside his natural cinematic timeline. Angel’s first appearance was with X-Men: The Last Stand. His story was shown as a young boy trying to hide his mutation from his father by attempting to cut his wings off. When Angel got older and couldn’t hide his wings much longer, his father encouraged the removal but Angel developed a change of heart. At the end of the film, Angel is enrolling himself in Xavier’s school. In X-Men Apocalypse, Angel is also in his teen years as a caged fighter. His left wing was damaged during his fight, then later upgraded by the power of Apocalypse. What’s off about this is in the comics, Apocalypse tricked Angel in believing he could turn him human but instead enslaved him as a horsemen. The process for his enhancements was a very painful, torturous procedure. Angel developed a blue hue to his skin which resembles his master Apocalypse. Why is Angel in his teen years in both films? If the cinematic timeline of X-Men Apocalypse is set before The Last Stand, why is Angel still a teenager? And why wasn’t he introduced in X-Men: First Class as an original X-Men along with Ice Man?
Nightcrawler/ Mystique
This will be the second time comic fans have enjoyed Nightcrawler on screen. Nightcrawler was introduced in X-Men 2 as a tool for William Stryker before his was rescued by the X-Men. Also in this film, he has no knowledge of the X-Men , especially with Storm, Jean Grey or even Mystique. In X-Men Apocalypse, it’s a younger Nightcrawler who is saved from cage fighting by Mystique then later becoming one of the X-Men. What throws the cinematic timeline off is since Nightcrawler is meeting his new friends for the first time in Apocalypse, why does he have no knowledge of them in X-Men 2? In the comics, Mystique is Nightcrawler’s mother. This is a result of Mystique’s affair with Azazel, who was introduced in X-Men First Class. Is it possible Nightcrawler was conceived between the First Class and Apocalypse timelines since it was 21 year difference? In Days of Future Past, Mystique came across Trask’s files of mutants that were killed and experimented on. Azazel was among the list. How was this immortal teleporting demon captured and even killed by humans??
Havoc/ Cyclops
There were obvious changes when bringing these two brothers to the big screen. According to the comics, Scott Summers is the older brother between himself and Havoc. In this film, Scott was introduced as the younger brother, and was brought to Xavier for treatment by Havoc. In the comics, these brothers lost their parents in a plane crash and from that crash, Scott lost the ability to control his optic beams from an injury to his head. In this film, Scott Summer began to develop his powers while in regular public school. Also their parents were alive and well, then even allowed Havoc to bring Scott with him to Xavier. What was confusing about the cinematic timeline in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Scott Summers was captured by Sabretooth along with mutants for William Stryker. During his capture, Scott was shown already equipped with ruby quartz lenses. How could he have gotten them if he has yet to meet the Professor? Scott was also later found and led to freedom from Stryker’s base by an older Xavier. This made no sense in the cinematic timeline because Xavier was a older, bald and walking when he rescued Scott. With Havoc, why did Bryan Singer fail to show fans that Havoc could absorb cosmic energy as well as fire optic beams and even fly?? Is Havoc really dead or will his character miraculously reappear in future X-Men films?
Jean Grey/ Wolverine
Jean Grey is among the X-Men once again, with a younger version portrayed by Sophie Turner. Hugh Jackman also made his return as Wolverine for this movie. What was confusing in this movie with Jean Grey was her previous younger form in X-Men: The Last Stand. In the beginning, Xavier and Magneto is visiting her as a child, trying to figure out the extent of her powers. Also, Xavier and Magneto could have been in their mid 40’s in that film, but in X-Men Apocalypse, Xavier and Magneto was not together as friends and they were in their early years while Jean was an older teenager. Jean Grey in this film displayed her inner power as the Phoenix, while in The Last Stand, Jean Grey experienced the Phoenix Force for the first time as an adult. Also what threw comic and cinema fans way off was Jean releasing Wolverine from the Weapon X Program. In any flashbacks shown during the X-Men series or even X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Logan is shown escaping experimentation on his own. Why was this changed? Was Bryan Singer trying to create a way on how Logan built his attraction for Jean Grey??
Jubilee
Last but not least the cameo for Jubliee. Throughout the X-Men films, Jubliee has made small appearances notably in the first X-Men film and X-Men Apocalypse. If you pay close attention, Jubliee is a student in both films. If she was a student in the prequel films, why is she still a student and not an X-Man? Will she ever graduate or stay a student cameo?
[…] portrayed Storm in the majority of the films series, then Alexandra Shipp played a younger Storm in X-Men: Apocalypse. Is this the last we will see of this character or will there be a new Storm if X-Men was ever […]