Movie Review: ‘X-Men: Apocalypse,’ a Sequel 5,000 Years in the Making

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Glenn Kenny

Oscar Isaac as En Sabah Nur in “X-Men: Apocalypse,” directed by Bryan Singer. Credit 20th Century Fox Film Corporation

“Mutants are born with extraordinary abilities,” James McAvoy says as this movie begins in darkness. He pronounces “extraordinary” in the same plummy way that British actors have been doing since, oh, “Lawrence of Arabia,” at least. The darkness gives way to the largely C.G.I.-generated landscape of “Egypt, 3,600 B.C.” Inside a pyramid, a peculiar ritual is taking place. Stone-faced royals and functionaries partaking in it sport jewelry, makeup and scars that once again inspire a viewer to ponder why contemporary Hollywood insistently looks to Burning Man to inform its vision of the ancient world. [link]


“X-Men: Apocalypse” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned) for language and apocalypse. Running time: 2 hours 23 minutes.