Today's Review: X-Men: Apocalypse

Still behind on all the stuff I wrote, but slowly gaining.

X-Men: Apocalypse - Recensie

'Third one is always the worst' says Jean Grey when leaving the theater after watching Return of the Jedi back in '83. She was right about that one, and conscious or unconscious (I doubt the writer intended for this movie to be the weakest in the second X-trilogy), she's also correct about X-Men: Apocalypse. However, also like Return of the Jedi, Apocalypse still is a whole lot of mutant fun for those who didn't expect the franchise to reach new heights anyway.

Granted, it's not the story that provides the mirth, since it's the stuff of repetition, variations on themes and lack of narrative evolution. Basically, another all-powerful mutant rears his head and threatens to destroy the world for mankind so that its stronger successors can take over. And once again, the X-Men, fighting for peace between man and mutant, must get together to stop this megalomaniacal scheme from becoming reality. This time, it's not Magneto who has hatched the diabolical plan, but rather a 5,000 year old ideological predecessor, an ancient Egyptian once worshiped as a god, with the modern moniker Apocalypse. Magneto, once more masterfully performed by Michael Fassbender, merely provides some muscle to help Oscar Isaac's semi-god with his evil shenanigans. Isaac does a decent job playing an age old villain, but he's no Fassbender and his Apocalypse is nowhere near as intimidating or intriguing as the much more relatable Magneto.

Still, the villain suffices for the cause of bringing together two generations of X-Men, the First Class lot and the new batch of young recruits, including novel takes on classic X-characters Cyclops, Jean Grey and Nightcrawler. Their performances and their chemistry make us hopeful for the future of the franchise, should the studio feel like using them for the next installment Apocalypse seems to be building up to. For although it's meant as a conclusion to a trilogy, the ground work is amply laid for more to come and these young stars succeed in making us curious about what lies ahead. The new additions to the cast are aided by snappy dialogue and light humour, making the shortcomings in the plot not nearly as blatant as they would have been in lesser hands. Nevertheless, it's clear director Bryan Singer, who has made his fourth X-movie with this title, has run out of ideas for the X-universe. Though we appreciate his work on both trilogies, new blood would be equally welcome in the creative room as it proved in the cast.

Today's Triple News: a teenage game of Goonies

Posting here, posting there, posting movie news everywhere:

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/154984/teaserposters_teenage_mutant_ninja_turtles_online

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/154985/game_of_thrones_met_twee_seizoenen_verlengd

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/154931/goonies_ii_bevestigd

More Game of Thrones? I'm game. *insert smiley emoticon* Merriment aside, this is a logical step for HBO at this junction. Game of Thrones' ratings continue to go up, profits continue to come in, and to ensure viewers cancellation isn't looming around the corner - which is always something the audience fears tremendously, and the thought of it might discourage new viewers to start viewing - they renew the show not just for one but for multiple seasons, to send a strong signal the series will remain very much alive for a while longer. At this rate the series might very well make it to that total of 'seven or eight' seasons the showrunners expect to crank out of it. Considering the quality of this series coupled with the fact how much I love it (doesn't everyone?), this is nothing but good news for me. Better news of course would be HBO's commitment to see the series through to its very end without pulling the plug prematurely should ratings go down after all, but that's more or less unheard of. This way you can still keep the audience in suspense somewhat as to the ultimate fate of the show. Remember, all shows must die.

A franchise that does not seem to want to stay dead is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The concept is currently up to its third cinematic incarnation. Previously we had guys in suits and a fully animated film, this time both approaches will be mixed to make for digital characters interacting with flesh and blood counterparts. I care naught, for me the one and only Turtles will always be the old early Nineties cartoon. And even that isn't as good as I remember it to be upon rewatching. This current reboot feels too much like an excuse to sell more toys, much like Transformers and G.I. Joe (same studio too). Michael Bay's involvement wasn't something that made me clamour for renewed turtle power either. It seems those early rumours about turtles from space has fortunately been debunked in favour of a more traditional look though. These teaser posters effectively reaffirm that position, considering they first and foremost throw the fanbase a bone by revealing what hasn't been changed about their Turtles: their signature colour scheme and assorted weaponry. Unless these armaments and colours end up belonging to different turtle characters that we currently assume, but who in Hollywood would be dickish enough to pull off such a disrespectable prank?

Speaking of needlessly readressing past franchises, how's about The Goonies? If it wasn't for this rumoured semi-confirmed sequel, you would not even call it a franchise, but apparently the 1985 movie made enough of an impact that (some) people are still talking about in 30 odd years later. That's not enough to warrant such a late sequel though. In fact, you'd think a reboot would make more sense at this point, considering the original cast has all grown up big time by now (physically at least). If the original involved kids looking for subterranean treasure (that's as much as I know since I honestly haven't seen this film: shame on me, true...), a sequel that serves us adults looking for the same thing doesn't sound in line with the predecessor much. More likely it will be about their own offspring repeating their parents' shenanigans, with the original cast added for nostalgic flavour. That's the only way I could see a sequel work. But I still don't think they ought to make a sequel (or reboot, or re-imaging) to every old success story. Better find some new cinematic treasure in the subconscious cave instead, Hollywood.