What the Critics Are Saying About X-Men: Apocalypse

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshiped as a god. Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel's X-Men universe, amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible. Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto, to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven with the help of Professor X must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction."

"Everything they've built will fall! And from the ashes of their world, we'll build a better one!" - Apocalypse

I don't know what critics were smoking but it's far from what they made it out to be. If you grow up reading comics , collecting cards and watching the TV series every Friday night then you'll love the movie.

I would like to thank the organizers of the X-Men: Apocalypse special block screening held at SM Megamall Cinema 3 namely Tag Media, Golden Ticket and Astig. That last full show definitely was convenient coming in but somewhat a little bit hard going back home if you don't have your own car with you. Nevertheless, I am grateful for the invitation which made me realize I need the speed of Quicksilver more than bringing my own car.

I seriously got chills when classical music by Beethoven - Symphony No.7 in A major op.92 - II, Allegretto start playing in the middle of the movie. Hearing this on X-Men: Apocalypse was so satisfying. This marvelous movement in Beethoven's 7th is an emotive, and foreboding piece which typically suggests that the shit is about to hit the fan. No matter what, John Ottman's music is ALWAYS on point. It gets my blood pumping and the heroic spirit soaring whenever I hear his X-Men: Apocalypse theme.

I was also obsessing at Quicksilver's (Evan ‘Kick-Ass’ Peters) theme song Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) during his slowmo when he saved all the people at the X-Men school - it's one of the best scenes in the movie. Quicksilver owned it hands down! Just like Spidey on Captain America Civil War. X-Men was better than Avengers as always.

X-Men: Apocalypse takes the cake, with an exhaustively long script and mind-numbing dialogues. Maybe all that everyone does in the movie is talk, talk, talk. Plus, despite being claimed as 'one of the X-Men's greatest foes of all time', the villain Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) doesn't put up much of a fight. One minute he can wipe out a room of enemies with a single look but when facing the X-Men he obliges each with an unmemorable one-on-one battle. The Apocalypse character was not given centre stage, domination, intensity and the big hype of being the first and most powerful mutant.

The story line started well with the introduction of En Sabar Nur's past up to his hibernation, excellent first 10 minutes. The story line also followed well with En Sabar Nur's present day awakening. After these, the story became messy.

Apocalypse just traipsed around recruiting his horsemen as he meets them (no standards really) and they just went with him in exchange for better powers. I felt that apocalypse was someone the X-Men bothered with while moving on with their lives. He was just a plot device, as opposed to being the great antagonist who deserved a historic era in X-Men lore.

The purpose of Apocalypse’s four disciples (horsemen),made up of Magneto (the excellent Michael ‘Steve Jobs’ Fassbender who looks bored throughout), Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Psylocke (Olivia Munn) and Angel (Ben ‘EastEnders’ Hardy), is hard to fathom. Why does he need them when he seems to be all powerful. Olivia Munn as Psylocke totally rocked my world!!! Hahaha.... Exactly like the comic!

Virtually immortal and invincible, only Raven / Mystique (Jennifer ‘Hunger Games’ Lawrence), Professor X (James ‘Filth’ McAvoy) and a team of young, inexperienced X-Men stand in Apocalypse's way.

It isn't true that all you'll get to learn from the movie is how Professor X became bald and how Wolverine made the crowd nuts for that one minute of cameo. Hugh Jackman just knows how to make a scene really cool!!

Well, there's the suddenly emerged powers of Jean Grey who used the powers of what we will know soon as Phoenix, who was able to defeat Apocalypse at the end. So all it needed was her. Can't help thinking Game of Thrones when I saw Sophie Turner as Jean Grey!

Overall, I would highly recommend this movie especially for the geeky fans who never leave themselves out of all the comic book, cartoons, etc., hype. It may not be perfect, but still it's worth seeing it on the big screen, then watch it all over again for the nth time on your laptop or tablets afterwards.

"Whatever your parents,your church,your mosque tells you...Remember: You are not a child,You are X-Men!!."