There’s one superhero film or the other running at the plexes throughout the year nowadays. And as a film and a comic book geek, I am having the time of my life booking first day-first shows for all these films. But I can’t say that I love them all. I wanted to say that I loved Dawn of Justice and now I want to say I loved X-Men: Apocalypse, but umm.... 
Bryan Singer’s fourth in the franchise wasn’t a disappointment but you can call it just-another-film-with-people-flying-and-no-story. 

THE HITS 
Quicksilver: Wohoo! When people think superhero and fast, together, they usually think of The Flash. But Evan Peters’s Quicksilver is giving the DC boy quite a “run” for his speed crown. Some of the best shots and also the most epic scene in the film belong to this young mutant. And he doesn’t even need to talk. His expressions and presence give the apocalyptic theme some much-needed levity. He had purpose and a backstory, though thankfully those are not explored in depth (that would have been the apocalypse of Apocalypse!).  

“I’m blue. I’m Kurt”: One of my favourites and the most underrated among the X-Men is finally back after 13 long years (you last saw him in X2, remember?). Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler was fantastic in X2, but the young Kodi Smit-McPhee is truer and bluer to the comic book canon. For most of the film, he had no clue what was going on and that added to his goofiness. His dialogues were short and on point. And just when you feel you’ve seen enough of his teleportation powers, he surprises you in the final battle.
 
THE MISSES  
The first 40 minutes: I felt so, so sleepy from the very first minute, right up to Magneto’s forest scene. Singer was so busy trying to set up the many new characters and what was about to happen in the second half that he forgot that people would only get to the second half if they survived the first!

The pace was slow, everyone was aimless and no one really showed off their abilities. Honestly, the interval went by faster than the first 40 minutes. 

Apocalypse: We love villains we can hate. For example: The Joker. But who is Apocalypse? He is a blue “god” with a digital voice who was asleep for many years. Interesting much? He can do everything you have ever wished for — powers of all superheroes combined, even Superman. Sad part is, I really love Oscar Issac. What a waste. 

What’s even sadder is that Singer didn’t even try to make him interesting. The scene where Apocalypse “wakes up” sort of takes you back to The Mummy. That can never be a good thing. 

And we didn’t even get to know much about this blue dude apart from what was revealed in the very boring dialogues. The funniest part? This god learns English like PK learnt Bhojpuri. Apocalypse is bleh. He does and speaks too much to excite. 

AND THEN THERE WAS...
Jean Grey. Sophie Turner as Jean was good. Not fantastic, but good. The shots when she wasn’t speaking and just doing what she does best, I felt like I was watching Jean; but when she opened her mouth, there was Sansa Stark, in a different costume! I have had a crush on Jean since I first started watching the animated X-Men on Cartoon Network. So I had high expectations. Sophie, in certain scenes, was stone-faced. The day she realises that being disturbed and being a stone are two different things, she will be a better Jean. But I must say that they added a lot to the character of Jean in the film, especially, in the climax. And oh boy, it was sexy in a twisted way!   

THE FOREST SCENE...
...deserves a special mention. The scene is powerful and establishes Magneto as an emotional person. Michael Fassbender is a brilliant actor and the changes in his expression from the moment he tells his wife that they must leave to what happens in the forest eventually are mind-blowingly beautiful. The cinematography here was perfect and the scene as a whole makes sense as it sets the stage for Magneto’s actions in the second half. I am not a huge fan of Magneto (honestly, I am not even a fan) but this scene made me feel for this man. It probably had a stronger impact because it followed right after the opening bore fest. 

THE BIGGEST CHEER?
Ah, you know it. You have seen his claws in the trailer. 
 

Priyankar Patra
If I directed X-Men: Apocalypse, I would... Complete the sentence in 20 words and send it to t2@abp.in