X-men: Apocalypse

I cannot believe it has been a year since I blogged about X-men: Days of Future Past (by the way, Days of Future Past is one of my favourite movies of all time). Throughout the past year, I had been busy. Busy anticipating and busy stalking director, Bryan Singer, on all his social media accounts. But all the hype and fanfare simmered yesterday night when I finally made time to watch X-men: Apocalypse.

Minute by minute, I was more and more detached from the movie. I just felt like leaving but something held me back. It might have been Magneto's attraction (and by Magneto, I mean Michael Fassbender) or perhaps I was in a foreign country and I didn't know my way home had I simply walked away. Whatever it was, I stayed...and I was thoroughly disappointed that I did.


FIRST...

From the audience's point of view, the movie was not coherent. It was one scene and on to the next without any connection. I thought there were lapses in between scenes and even contemplated asking the cinema if something was wrong with the screening... I am a cheapskate so if there really was something wrong, I want a refund and I want a full screening of the proper movie the next day!

Anyway, before I get carried away.... (read at your own risk; spoilers ahead)

It was about five minutes to flesh out Apocalypse's motivation which in my humble opinion, is simply too irresponsible on the film makers' part. Common sense tells us that villains want people to die and cities to be wiped out because they want to reign supreme, blah blah blah. But what makes Apocalypse different from I don't know, Ultron or the Joker? I am not professing to be a comic book fanatic or Marvel historian but perhaps his ethos could be linked to his upbringing and his culture. Antagonists do not simply go on a rampage because they are born angry or were so conveniently betrayed (well, some but not this particular one). So for the last time, please spend some time explaining to us who this villain is so we can be emotionally connected to him/her. Take a cue from The Walking Dead. For Apocalypse, he is simply present in the movie because he is the titular character. That's it. We don't like or dislike him (although we dislike the movie very much).

Also, I know that film makers actually care about what fans think. We thought that Quicksilver was the bomb in Days of Future Past and so, they extended his scene this time round. But it backfired. They made Quicksilver so awesome that it makes people feel that as long as he is around, other mutants are not necessary. Mutants like Wolverine who 'punch their way out' of messy situations can just take several seats. They have an army? We have Quicksilver who will disarm them in 0.1 seconds. END OF MOVIE. How superficial and puerile for someone to actually think Quicksilver's scene will fly with us. Again, IRRESPONSIBLE FILM MAKERS looking for a shortcut when there isn't one. Oh, and Jubilee?? Why is she in the movie?? She added nothing to this particular film. What an unnecessary paycheck.

As a whole, the movie was more of a flimsy house of cards than a sturdy Egyptian pyramid. Sorry, Apocalypse. 



NOW, ON TO THE VERY THING THAT MADE ME FOAM AT MY MOUTH...

In a nutshell, insouciant people at Fox/Marvel.

1) Cyclops and Havok
Enough said. I am so upset that they changed something as fundamental as characters' relationships. No, in fact, that is an understatement, I am livid.

2) Mystique
Just because Jennifer Lawrence is an Academy award recipient (and very well-deserved if I may add) does not give anybody the right to beef up Mystique's role in any shape or form (haha, get the pun?? Cause she is shapeshifter). Plain disgusting that executives actually pulled a fast one on us TWICE. Just stop it already. Please.

3) Jean Grey
One word: no. The origin of Phoenix is not a trump card. I am trying to understand (and accept unconditionally) that the cinematic universe is different from the comics and the cartoons but we are talking about one of the most powerful mutants here. Can we at least be a bit more sensitive to fans' feelings and not amp up Jean's power just because it is a supposedly opportune moment?

And right after she 'unleashed' her full potential, everything is hunky dory. WHAT??? No. God knows that Jean cannot simply become the Phoenix (yeah, I said 'become' because the Phoenix is another entity that inhabits Jean's body) and be normal again.

4) Magneto
Why is Magneto portrayed as some softie? We are talking about a potential sociopath here. Someone who abandoned his (other) wife and (other) children and kills without blinking. Come on, people. Get your act together.

Magneto is also not a horseman. If you think he will yield to anyone or anything, think again. He is someone who built another world for mutants to live in. Come on, he thinks he is God. Period.


________________________

They should have just stopped at Days of Future Past. Or they should have spent more time creating a better story line for such a major event and villain. I feel robbed and cheated. I think a lot of people also feel this way.

So... I guess this blog post is my plea to the people at Fox (I am just going to refer to them as a singular person). If you want to earn money the decent way, you have to show us. In fact, if you admitted that you were riding on the coattails of Days of Future Past, I would forgive you. I would. I will give you my money. But this is not about money. It is about artistic integrity.

And if you know you have betrayed us, I believe that you can still make things right. Just because you stumbled and lost your way does not mean you are lost forever...