X-Men: Apocalypse Review - An Upsetting Failure That Sets The Franchise Back Ten Years
The biggest waste, though, is of the actors. Not a single character has an arc. Not one. Instead, heroes are given a Point A in Act 1 and snapped to Point B in Act 3 with no development in-between; there isn't even really an Act 2 because the villain's plot is singular and we spend so long establishing all the characters in overborne detail that by the time you can recognise them (don't hope for names though that infos comics or naught) they're suiting up for the final showdown.
I like this cast, but theyre just wasted here. Despite being the hero the movie deserves and needs, Mystique isnt in the film enough to command leading status, not helped by Jennifer Lawrences obvious insistence to not wear the make-up (or engage much at all). Professor X is reduced to a doe-eyed comic relief, which James McAvoy does with charm until Charles is also meant to be super serious. Rose Byrnes Moira McTaggart is pointless, reprising her role from First Class to hide that no innate emotion is built up in this film.
The one who has the biggest illusion of development is Magneto, but thats really only testament to Michael Fassbenders skill in the part; his arc hilariously zigzags as the plot requires him to, with some changes to his inherent character that are so misjudged that, when the dust has settled, X-Men: Apocalypse will go down as the movie that broke Magneto. Broke. I can't elaborate more because this is a spoiler-free review, but what they do with Erik Lehnsherr will offend any fan of the character, whether it's the McKellen, Fassbender or comic vintage.
Across the board, this is a set of characters youre expected to get invested in solely because you feel you should based on previous films, yet there's nothing here to make you actually care.
The same is true of the new additions, which only provide more cases of wasted talent. Oscar Isaacs En Sabah Nur is just depressing to watch, one of the finest modern actors caked in make-up that looks good in only one third-act sequence spouting gumbo about destroying the world to build a better one (a franchise-ironic sentiment he repeats three times for maximum trailer potential) while his horsemen (Ben Hardy as Angel, Olivia Munn as Psylocke, Alexandra Shipp as Storm) stand around posing. Tye Sheridans Cyclops has no time to be more than the boring guy Logan thought he was in the original films. Kodi Smitt-McPhee's Nightcrawler is probably the standout, with balance between plot importance, character beats and humour, but even then I still kinda longed for Alan Cumming to come back.
The one who I would say is actively miscast though, rather than simply not getting the opportunity to shine, is Sophie Turner as Jean Grey. Ive long wondered if her breathless Sansa Stark was smartly measured or a limited actress pushing it, and based on this we have a definitive answer; Jean speaks with a generic American accent in the same worried tone throughout, whether its flirting with Scott (obvious foreshadowing) or dreaming of impending destruction. The Dark Phoenix Saga is not in good hands.
Click next for part three of this review.