X-Men: Apocalypse - May 27, 2016

[JAWS]

Overall opinion isn't too high JAWS. But most of us were at least glad that we saw it. I thought it was about a 5.5/10.

..... Oh oh.. We are usually on the same page. Good to know.. Keep the expectations low.

I liked it enough to give it a 7.5/10. The short cameo was well worth the price of admission lol.

I am thinking I might give the same rating. I don't love the most loved X-men movies as everyone else and I don't hate the most hated as everyone else. Most X-men movies are fair to average for me. I enjoy them but it's more because of the characters then the films themselves.

That GIF is ****ing hilarious!

I think if you were excited by the trailers then you should go see the movie. There's also plenty of leaked footage online to help you make up your mind if you're still on the fence.

Oh I am seeing it either way... I just wanted to know where to put my expectations.. I usually see the big movies by now but I have been busy.

 

[IrishJedi]

I am thinking I might give the same rating. I don't love the most loved X-men movies as everyone else and I don't hate the most hated as everyone else. Most X-men movies are fair to average for me.

This is pretty much more of the same. Not a very good movie, but not complete trash, either. Worth 2 hours at the theater, imho.

 

[Khev]

I'll take something ambitious and chaotic done out of respect for the source any day over something censored and restrained to appease children and sell toys.

Nice try with that "you gotta be 16 to appreciate Deadpool" bit though. I hate to break it to you, but its your beloved MCU that's being made first and foremost for the high school crowd.

Must have hit you pretty close to the mark to get you all riled up like that huh kid? Don't sweat it dude, enjoy your little Deadpool movie while you're the right age to do so. But I bet I've been reading Captain America comics for longer than you've been alive and I can absolutely assure you that Evans and the Russos have been "nailing" the source material with regard to the totality of the character from the 60's to the 90's. Did they copy the poor execution of the Civil War miniseries? No, thank God. They made it much, much better.

But if Deadpool is juvenile and unclever in print and the movie perfectly evoked that then great, to each his own and more power to you.

 

[crows]

If u put deadpool in order it becomes the most by the numbers cliche plot ever.

Just becomes a typical origin, typical revenge story underneath.

Sure it has good action and has jokes, but deadpools plot is as by the numbers as x men origins wolverine or batman begins or even a little bit of green lantern. Or spawn.

Not comparing in quality, but in plot structure deadpool was very very safe and very conventional

It was not groundbreaking or taking a risk as far as the story goes......

They just rearranged the scenes and for some reason everyone praises the movie for being groundbreaking just because they tell the story out of order....

I mean big woop...

I dont hate deadpool at all. But for a movie that brags about being different. Story was not that different at all

 

[GasparZizou]

Pretty much, it's one of those movies I don't think are very good, but for personal enjoyment I like it a lot, warts and all.

Hell, I think TPM is a better made movie than DP.

 

[Khev]

Deadpool felt like a live-action version of that one youtube video where someone redubbed the cartoon Optimus Prime so that he dropped about 50 f-bombs in one conversation. I chuckled for the first few seconds and then it got old, real old.

 

[crows]

I liked the jokes that dealt with x men or the roommate or the taxi driver. Ironically enough that was some of the original parts the movie had.
Anything that was not origin or revenge related was cool. The best friend and the bar was great.


The bad guys were very cliche too. More cliche than typical superhero movies

 

[jye4ever]

It's funny, XMA is called an entertaining yet flawed movie and the immediate reaction is to blame the MCU crowd.

 

[Khev]

It's funny, XMA is called an entertaining yet flawed movie and the immediate reaction is to blame the MCU crowd.

 

[karamazov80]

Civil War was really, really good. If I wasn't an X-Men guy, that one might take the cake for me. Spider-Man alone makes it better than most comic movies.

But I see a lot of folks hating this movie in particular for the Magneto thing. But every single comic movie you see (even those helmed by the great Chris Nolan) will have at least a handful of those decisions that some can take real issue with. Take Civil War (Age of Ultron has much more glaring ones, but I'll stick with Civil War since folks treat it as the high water mark for comic movies). I think Tony's reaction to the video at the end of Civil War works, and also think Charles's response to Magneto over and over again works. But both could be criticized for the same reason. Charles knows what Mags has done and is capable of. Iron Man knows Bucky wasn't in control when he did what he did. Yet both allow an emotional response to trump an intellectual one. I think it works for the films, even though it's a dramatic interpretation of "real world" human behavior in both cases.

And there are parallels to this, in the comics, where Magneto does terrible things just like in the movies. But time and again he ends up in a truce of sorts with the good guys at some point or another. He even led the X-Men and New Mutants at times. Of course there is an oversimplification of reality here. And the film does downplay the toll on life as Man of Steel did. But that's also something true to many comics. I like that the MCU goes out of its way to show how its heroes try to save common people. But just because a movie doesn't do that doesn't make it ****, IMO (that was never one of my top complaints about Man of Steel, by the way, though it is an issue in that Superman's MO is more about doing that kind of thing than it would be for most characters).

Yep, the MCU is just unusual in that we're on a first and last name basis with "teh studio" that causes interference. But all studio funded films have that same element of powers that be to appease. The Russos have just proven to be masters of making lemons out of lemonade (when needed, obviously some of Marvel's requirements were spot on, particularly with regard to reigning in Whedon's desired two hour Thor bath movie.)

Obviously this is true. BUT, the MCU has had a lot of directors come, and go. And Edgar Wright never even got his chance. It seems like the studio influence is much stronger here than elsewhere. Which has its pros and cons, but by and large has been a plus for Marvel IMO.

 

[a-dev]

K well I enjoyed Deadpool. Didn't quite anticipate the exact nature of his 4th wall breaking - that even though he is in the universe of the X-men movies he references them as movies mentioning the real actors, joking about messed up timelines etc. Are the other characters hearing him say these things and if so what the hell do they make of it? Had me confused on that one but all-in-all I found it funny and entertaining.

 

[karamazov80]

It's funny, XMA is called an entertaining yet flawed movie and the immediate reaction is to blame the MCU crowd.

Well I think it's a testament to the impact of Marvel Studios, no? They are now the standard by which other movies are compared, and that extends to critics. I'll have to watch this one again to make sure my initial feeling holds (it honestly didn't with Thor 2, which I liked a lot less on second viewing), but as of right now, I am really having a hard time understanding the response to this versus Age of Ultron, when the latter was much more flawed than Apoc in much more fundamental ways. And the only thing I can really think is that folks just like the approach of the MCU films, with your heavy does of likable, and often funny characters that will sufficiently buffer you from really baffling story-telling decisions and overstuffed action sequences.

But it is what it is, and I accept that I'm in the minority for my appreciation of Apocalypse for whatever reason. It works for me, I accept its flaws, and I look forward to watching it again on DVD!

 

[jye4ever]

But Stark's and Cap's conflict is a personal matter over government control and more importantly the murder of Stark's parents by Cap's friend.

Magneto slaughtered millions and ruined many more lives due to massive infrastructure damage, that can't be solved with a letter yet that's what they did...take care pal if you ever need me you know where you can find me.

 

[karamazov80]

Is Luke's forgiveness of Vader, and the love shown toward him at his funeral pyre by the Ewoks and whatnot, more acceptable? Because Vader wasn't a passive onlooker in the terrible deeds of the Empire (who killed a lot more than Magneto did). To me, that's a similar thing. Had Vader lived on, I don't think he would have been tried and executed. Or treated as a pariah by Luke and pals.

For the purpose of the narrative in a fictional fantasy tale, I think it can and does sometimes work. I'm assuming we'll see more of the same with Kylo Ren when all is said and done.

 

[Khev]

Magneto walking away with no repercussions for the worldwide destruction he caused wasn't a dealbreaker for me because it was just one random aspect very late in the film. What kept me from fully enjoying it was the fact that I didn't think Apoc was an impressive villain, the Weapon X scene wasn't that great, the one character who died died stupidly, and the end battle was average. I actually liked all of the new recruits (every one of them,) Quicksilver (definitely more entertaining that the MCU version so there's a win for Fox) those choice sentimental moments, and the overall vibe of the film. It's too bad that Singer pretty much dropped the ball on all the "show stopper" moments though because for the most part I was on board from beginning to end for everything else.

 

[SNIKT1950]

The only thing I can really think is that folks just like the approach of the MCU films

Today's GA wants safe, generic summer fare disguised as serious, inspired filmmaking.

Iron Man 3, Thor: TDW, AOU, CW....the trailers for those movies made them look like masterpieces.

Disney knows how to sell tickets.

The only movies that have been honest with their marketing were GOTG & Ant-Man which delivered exactly what the packaging claimed they would.

Civil War actually looked like a war movie in those trailers.

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

Civil War actually looked like a war movie in those trailers.

True, I was expecting Saving Private Ryan or Rambo 4, but instead I got a superhero film with Spiderman in it

 

[Khev]

True, I was expecting Saving Private Ryan or Rambo 4, but instead I got a superhero film with Spiderman in it

Don't taunt Sour Grapes.

 

[karamazov80]

Well I think it's fair to say that Singer et al. were resting on their laurels a bit with this one. I don't fault them for it, but I can't say that the MCU is any "safer" than this was, when you compare prior X-films. The tone, character interactions, and emotional core was pretty standard. Singer was saying that this was his take on a "disaster movie," but I didn't feel the stakes were any higher than they were in X2 or DOFP. Though again, I think following established conventions is a good thing here. They have found their niche, and are running with it. And I enjoy them. But sure, Marvel Studios also has its formulas and approaches that aren't going to look too risky in the final analysis. Though putting a Troma guy, who was behind freakin Super to helm one of their movies isn't exactly conservative. Super puts Deadpool to shame in some of its WTF moments.

Civil War was just what it was advertised to be to my eyes.

 

[Khev]

What's Apoc's power level in the comics? Was he a guy the X-Men could take by themselves or did they need help (whether it was the Avengers, FF, multiple X-Men teams, whatever.)