X-Men: Apocalypse Reviews- 12 Early Reactions You Need To Know
10. "A Notable Lack Of Experimentation"
Apocalypse is billed as a film to change everything: the stakes are incredibly high, because there's a villain capable of ending worlds, and there's a distinct possibility that lots of characters will die, as we stand on the precipice of a new era of X-Men movies.
Unfortunately, it sounds a lot like that promise of bravery wasn't exactly delivered upon as Coming Soon say the film-makers "deliver well-crafted thrills and a notable lack of experimentation". If that doesn't sound like a critique of Singer's formulaic approach, I don't know what it is.
Variety share a similar sentiment saying Apocalypse "disappointingly succumb to an exhausting case of been-there-done-that-itis."
So despite the promise of something fresh and bold, it seems familiarity is very much alive and kicking in Apocalypse, and it's not entirely a welcome thing. As Helen O'Hara at Empire says, proximity isn't useful when there's nothing new: she says the more it references previous films i the series, "...the more youll wish you were watching those instead."