Confusion rules the roost

Ervell E. Menezes

The latest in the series “X-Men: Apocalypse” is all about the mutants and their fight for survival. However, with the number of characters thrown in it is hard to follow what’s happening, as betrayals and double-crosses come to them as easily as breathing. It’s all part and parcel of the Marvel Comics strategy.

At the dawn of time En Subah Nur/Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) is the first born of the mutant race, which rules the world in Ancient Egypt but is betrayed by his worshippers and entombed alive for centuries. His loyal followers, the four Horsemen are killed while trying to save him. Awakening in 1983, En Subah Nur believes that only he can save humanity by first destroying and remaking it in his own image. But that’s no easy task even for a God because there are a host of wannabes looking for their share of the spoils.

There’s Charles Xavier/Professor (James McAvoy), a mutant pacifist; most powerful telepath and founder of Xaviers School of Gifted Youngsters and Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbinder), a mutant with the ability to control magnetic fields. Raven Darkholme (Jennifer Lawrence) is a mutant with shape-shifting abilities, who rescues mutants who are oppressed or enslaved. 

You even have a CIA agent in Moira McTaggert (Rose Byrne), who fell in love with Xavier in one of the earlier movies and Scott Summers (Tye Sheridan), who fires uncontrollable destructive optic beams and wears a visor or sun-glasses to control them.

So director Bryan Singer’s job it is to man these diverse characters and he is aided by a good screenplay by Simon Kinberg. James McAvoy shaves his head for the part and is easily recognisable, but he displays little acting talent. Neither do the others, including tried and tested Michael Fassbinder and Jennifer Lawrence. The only exception is Rose Byrne as the CIA agent, but even she isn’t reason enough to sit through 144 minutes of this kind of Marvel mayhem.