8 Reasons X-Men: Apocalypse Doesn't Deserve The Hate

8. The Direction Is Beautiful

Even when Bryan Singer doesn’t make a particularly good film (think Superman Returns or Valkyrie) he always demonstrates himself to be a gifted craftsman. X-Men Apocalypse is no different in this regard. The camera direction is utterly gorgeous, and Singer’s direction of the camera is so clear, that you could probably watch the movie on mute, and explicitly understand the themes and emotions he is trying to portray.

There is always a lot of focus on how the X-Men films present socio-political themes through characterisation and narrative – like in First Class how prejudice against mutants is analogous for prejudice against homosexuals. However, because of this, we are sometimes guilty of overlooking just how much we can actually learn about the art of filmmaking from directors like Singer.

In the case of Apocalypse, the camera moves a lot, but Singer eschews the Bourne style handicam shots that have become increasingly popular in large action set pieces.

Instead, he tries to use angles, actor positioning, camera trickery, and movement to help emphasise the inner motivations and emotions of characters he is focusing on. The film is transparent with its continual emphasis on camera work, which makes it both engaging, and somewhat challenging.

This kind of camera direction is adaptation at its best. Rather than simply regurgitating comic book panels onto the screen, Singer focuses on using his chosen medium to completely reshape and refashion a story, while staying true to its roots.

It is a gorgeous watch I would happily sit through again.