Alex Vs Simon: 12 Steps To Decide If X-Men Apocalypse Actually Sucks

8. The Villain

Alex: Poor Oscar Isaac. Hes made his name with some of the best indie films of recent years and made the leap to the big leagues, but hes set himself back massively as Apocalypse.

There was a lot of pre-release criticism, but its the stuff we didnt see coming that hurts him more. You can have a silly looking costume is you do something good with it, and Singer doesnt. Apocalypses plan is, naturally, to pull a Bender and kill all humans, but thats all he does in the film; wake-up, enact plan. Its not built up (and neither is his vague power set) hes just going through the motions.

If Singer had steered more into the camp the villain could have been really strong, but it just doesnt work here.

Simon: I loved Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse, and I can't see the major issues other critics are claiming are fatal. Yes, the make-up hides his handsome face and his hands are like giant foam fingers at a baseball game, but he is a very compelling villain.

What he isn't is Magneto. X-Men fans have been spoiled by the complexities of the flip-flopping mutant over 6 films now, as he's forced through the wringer for his decisions and bombarded with moralising from his floppy-haired friend. He literally can't get on with his grand plan - of convincing everyone of mutants' superiority, and it doesn't really matter.

The reason for that is that Magneto arrives in the first X-Men fully formed: he arrives, he attempts to get things done. To want more than that is asking too much.