X-Men: Apocalypse – review

X-Men Apocalypse is the ninth film in the X-Men franchise. Since X-Men: Days of Future Past essentially retconned the series, the stakes have been raised. The characters were fun and the story was fast paced. The actors bring fine performances for the most part even though there are a few superfluous characters. For a Summer blockbuster it is exactly what to expect from a superhero film.

The first mutant En Sabah Nur has awoken in Egypt. Upon awakening in 1983 he recruits four powerful mutants to act as his four horsemen. Together they intend to destroy the world and remake it where the strong survive and the weak are culled. It is up to Professor Xavier and his X-Men to stop this titanic threat.

The addition of Oscar Issac as the villainous En Sabah Nur was a great choice. Sophie Turner as a young Jean Grey handles the roll with the gravitas it deserves. There are some other characters that seem sort of superfluous to the plot but were seemingly added for fan service- characters like Moira MacTaggart and Wolverine are welcome but not needed for the plot to continue. The actors who were in previous films fall into their respective roll fantastically. The one exception is Jennifer Lawrence, who at times seems to be sleep walking through her role to collect a paycheck.

The effects are fun and the devastation is on scale with some of the greatest Roland Emmerich movies.   The fight scenes are entertaining and work well in displaying what these mutants are capable of on a grand scale. The scenes involving Quicksilver are really exciting to watch. At this point a Quicksilver or Magneto movie would be welcome since their characters are so entertaining to watch.

If you are fan of the franchise, this movie is a must see. If you are new to the world of X-Men then I suggest at the very least watching a few of the past movies. X-Men: Apocalypse is a great follow up for the series and a great popcorn film to turn off your brain and enjoy. I can only imagine where the new storyline will go as the franchise continues.

REC 4: Apocalypse – review

REC 4: Apocalypse follows the events that occurred at the end of the second film. Considered the final film of the franchise, REC 4 tries to wrap up the story of Angela Vidal. The acting is decent and the effects are gory and fun. The setting of a huge, old boat is a great change because, like most bottle movies, it creates a sense of claustrophobia and unease.

Angela Vidal, played by Manuela Velasco, is found in the apartment building that was quarantined in the first two films. A few soldiers rescue her before the building is blown up. She wakes up in a lab onboard a large boat. She and the soldiers that saved her are trying to find out what occurred and make sure that the sickness doesn’t spread any further. 

There are several references to the previous films, which is great for fans of the series. An old woman from the wedding in the third film is staying aboard the boat as well. As for how this expands the entire REC storyline, it felt like it created more questions than answers. For example, the first movie showed that the disease was found as the source for demonic possession. The second establishes that these creatures can be attacked by holy symbols. The third showed how the infected had reflections that were demonic. This film talks about how the disease is a parasite but that is about it.

The acting is good and the action is a lot of fun. It is not often you can watch a guy killing groups of rage zombies and monkeys with a boat motor.  It is a silly movie but it is also fun. It at least brings back the character of Angela so we can see what became of her and what her fate inevitably will be.  If they didn’t say this was the final movie I think it would have easily found a way to build up a sequel using other actors.

REC 4: Apocalypse is a good movie. I would recommend it to any horror fan but only if you have seen the past films. I think they are some of the most consistently good zombie movies out there. If you are in the mood for a series that is foreign and takes chances, give the REC series a try.  They are sure to entertain.