#REVIEW: “X-MEN: APOCALYPSE”

Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong

Bryan Singer is back with his fourth X-Men Film as he attempts to continue the franchise he built back in 2000 and then returned to in 2014. X-Men: Apocalypse picks up shortly after Days of Future Past in which we see our new heroes and anti-heroes facing their greatest challenge yet, Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac). From start to finish X-Men: Apocalypse is an absolute delight and a blast. Singer returns to form and gives us the third X-Men Movie we always wanted, and for that we are thankful.

At the start of the story we have our heroes and anti-heroes dealing with the fallout of the events of Days of Future Past and trying to rebuild their lives whether it be with the X-Men or on their own misguided adventures. On the other hand, we have a character that we haven’t seen since First Class return, Moira (Rose Byrne) who stumbles across the birth of Apocalypse on a government-sanctioned mission. Apocalypse who is dubbed the first mutant, is hell-bent on destroying earth and will stop at nothing to do so as he assembles his four horsemen in the form of Psylocke (Olivia Munn), Angel (Ben Hardy), Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Storm (Alexandra Shipp).

Apocalypse exploits the fears of the four horsemen and that is how he gets them to join him on his crusade to end mankind and only have the strongest mutants left standing to rebuild a better world. However, one thing that Apocalypse did not count on was the X-Men and their willingness and determination to stop him at any cost, they consist of Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Quicksilver (Evan Peters), Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Havoc (Lucas Till) and Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Now not all of the members of the X-Men want to be X-Men, but realize they must for the greater good. Can this band of misfit heroes take down the greatest threat to man and mutant kind or will Apocalypse rule the world?

The performances in X-Men: Apocalypse are near perfection thanks to a phenomenal cast. Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique nails the role and gives Franchise Fans the Mystique we have all come to love and cherish. As well Oscar Isaac, who is always a force to be reckoned with, delivers once again as a truly taunting villain, in the form of Apocalypse. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender continue to shine as Charles Xavier and Magneto, right up there with the likes of Stewart and McKellen. Newcomers Olivia Munn, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Ben Hardy, Alexandra Shipp and Kodi Smit-McPhee are all incredible additions to the cast as well, as they deliver the best takes on the characters under the direction of Singer. Moreover, Singer manages to takes some of the biggest criticisms from Fans with  X-Men: The Last Stand, namely a botched Phoenix plot line, and seems to right those wrongs here.  This bodes well for future installments in the Franchise and we’re excited for what’s next.

20th Century Fox Canada release X-MEN: APOCALYPSE in theatres on Friday, May 27, 2016.