Hollywood’s latest kick is making movies that are both sequels and prequels (midquels?), and that’s what we get with X-Men: Apocalypse. Note, while the original X-Men movies (and their Wolverine spin-offs) are clearly tied to the latest film, it isn’t absolutely necessary to have seen them to follow X-Men: Apocalypse. However, having seen X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past, respectively, could be helpful.
The movie is about Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) the “first mutant” and his quest to find his way in the ’80s, which, as someone that lived through the ’80s, is fairly relatable, except his path is quite a bit more evil than anything my friends and I ever came up with.
Along his way Apocalypse either befriends or battles (or both) the usual cast of characters: Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) before she turned into a criminal, Beast (Nicholas Hoult) in varying shades of blue, and Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne), the forgotten love of Charles Xavier (James McAvoy). We are also introduced to Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), Psylocke (Olivia Munn), Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and Storm (Alexandra Shipp). However, the movie, in my humble opinion, belongs to Magneto (Michael Fassbender), who gives an ironically human spin to a character that one day because synonymous with the hating of them (humans that is), and Quicksilver (Evan Peters) who’s comedic timing and action sequences are scene-stealing—even when the scene is his to begin with.
The film is violent and sometimes gory, with suspense that can feel more horror-flick than action, but it is quick to balance such scenes with humor and sometimes heart (see Magneto). That said, fight scenes are why they make superhero movies, and X-Men Apocalypse is no exception. The special effects and stunts are worth the price of admission.
Spoiler alert: I don’t usually like to provide spoilers, alert or not, and while there are others in the film that I am not going to mention, I think parents may appreciate knowing that there is one scene in which Magneto loses his family, and then retaliates against those responsible. The family in question is his wife and young daughter, and it’s tragic and tender, the type of thing that might cause a bit of anxiety in some children. Or adults.
The talking points from the film are what you would expect—fitting in, finding friends and oneself, overcoming differences, making the distinction between strength and fight (and when to use each), and the aforementioned dealing with loss. It is a story of stands taken and cooperation needed. There is plenty to talk about and lots of lessons learned—most of which have nothing to do with superpowers. That’s relatable, too.
X-Men: Apocalypse is now playing everywhere and is rated PG-13.
Were the kids okay with the content in regard to the rating? The violence is pretty thick, and there are a few choice curse words (including the F-word), but my kids are pretty well-versed in comic book movies and swearing. However, there are some scenes that are fairly intense (see spoiler), and those always make them uncomfortable. I’m pretty sure that’s the point.
Is the movie good? It’s a lot of fun. The action, the discussion points, the action, and, of course, the action, all make for a good time.
Is there anything after the credits? There is one final scene at the very end of the credits that only those well-versed in the various comic book storylines will deem worthy of the wait.
