X men Apocalypse Review

What I liked: This was a good superhero movie. The franchise is doing a good job of building off to their own alternate reality that still acknowledges the old movies but is free to do its own thing. There were new mutants with new powers and old mutants with better powers than they had before. Some examples: Psylock is new, she is pretty cool she makes cool pink glowy weapons out of psychic energy. This isn't weird "please shoot me" black widow glow; this is " I will chop your arm off" pink glow. She was an impressive fighter and for being based on the 80's high hipped bathing suits, her costume was really cool. Phoenix/Jean Gray we have met before, but phoenix was always just weird and not cool. This phoenix was much more impressive, you get glimpses early in the movie that make you excited for when she will actually appear. Not only was there better powers the characters were funner too. Nightcrawler wears a thriller jacket and is entertaining. Just like last time Quicksilver is a delight. I laughed through his entire big scene. He has some other, less funny, time on screen too but once again he stole the show. The presentation of the psychic battle was also pretty good. I think in most other movies I  have seen with psychic battles (having written that phrase, I am moderately concerned about my social integration), present it as kind of a Harry Potter sparks out of wands situation so you can tell that something exciting is happening. This was cooler. The post credits scene sets up where X-men is going next, which I think is a good direction for them to really come into their own less attached to the previous 5 movies. A good flick over all with very fun moments.

What I didn't: I said I was impressed with the development of some of the characters, I wasn't happy with all of them. I give the film team credit for trying to build more complicated characters and they did a good job with most of them but I had three main disappointments. Archangel he had a good opening and I was excited for the showdown between him and Nightcrawler but was left thinking: really? Magneto, they have tried to develop him into a conflicted complicated friend to professor X. This is what he is supposed to be so that is great, the problem arises in that their method of doing this is boring. Yep, bored. I also was unimpressed with the CIA lady. It took me about half the movie to figure out who she was (we met her in first class). And even after I figured out who she was, she didn't do anything interesting. She was kind of cool in First Class, so she should have been cool in this one too. Ok moving on from characters to Apocalypse, I don't classify this as a character because I have so many issues. what exactly was apocalypse's plan? Every time I destroy the entire world I think there should be a plan for after that, you know, besides building a giant pyramid of questionable structural integrity. And if my plan is to destroy the world I would probably use all the nukes I launched, just saying. Also what was up with his costume? are there supposed to be tubes coming out of his head? If you are only transferring your consciousness, why would you bring the tubes along for the ride? Also what were his powers? I counted like 4 but I don't really think any of them justify his godcomplex. I'm not sure how the TVs were still working after all that Magneto action. EMPs don't usually mesh well with electronics. But the magnetic waves were pretty cool. I also think that if your boss is possessed by and evil spirit and attached to machine connected to everyone's minds, you should consider pulling the plug. Immediately. Just saying. The raiders of the lost arc moment...yes, that happened. Finally, there were way, way too many flashbacks. One great, 2 fine, 87? Did you just feel like you needed to lengthen the film and didn't have the budget for more shooting?

Who should watch this? X-men fans, superhero fans, action movie fans. Grover &co (fuzzy and blue).

Would I watch it again? Yes. Of the new x-men this comes in behind first class but well before days of future past.