X-Men: Apocalypse Tops Foreign Box Office over the Weekend

A comic lover's review and what to read before you watch it

June 6, 2016

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I can still remember the first time I read an X-Men comic. I was eleven, it was a battered copy of The X-Men #1 from my uncle’s collection, the very first appearance of Jean Grey -who evolved from Marvel Girl to the Phoenix and finally into the Dark Phoenix. I know now what a lucky introduction it was into the X-Men universe, and that same comic is now lovingly and slightly obsessively stored in a fire-proof water-proof storage unit that is home to the gems of my (still growing) collection.

It was thus with some anticipation that I went to see X:Men Apocalypse, the first time a teenaged Jean Grey gets a showing in the nine existing installments of the X-Men cinema franchise. The actress who plays Jean Grey, Sophie Turner, is well respected in the sci-fi/fantasy world thanks to her work on Game of Thrones. To many I know that would be a turn off as it is disconcerting for favourite characters to cross universes like that. However, due to a long standing, and admittedly ludicrous, oath I have taken not to watch the shows before the books are finished, I was curious to see her take a turn as my beloved Jean Grey.

Overall the film did not disappoint, nor did Sophie Turner. The plot line is an amalgam of several issues that feature the one and only Apocalypse ( see a list of what to read before you watch below) which in cinematic form resolve into a visually engaging and emotionally engrossing experience. There was a finely struck balance between the immersion into character backstory and plot progression and (SPOILER ALERT) it broke my heart to see Erik Lehnsherr, or Magneto, battle the demons of rage and anger that plague him as he loses the people he loves, time and again. In many ways the story of Magneto is the message of X-Men that carries through each film and is particularly resonant in this installment: that between love and hate, good and evil, mutant and human. Whether the X-Men are battling each other or greater forces, the struggle is always poignant and, despite mutant powers, deeply relatable.

From an aesthetic and cinematic viewpoint the film was vibrant and demanding, playing off of elements of light and dark with a heavy dose of CGI built in for effect. A very effective technique was simply the vocal modification used for Apocalypse, it lent a gravitas to the character that makes it easier to see why mutants gravitate towards him. Apocalypse himself is a fascinating character in the X-Men Universe.

If you want to read up on Apocalypse and the comic lore behind this installment, here’s a list of essential issues ( source: Wired.com)