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X-Men: Apocalypse Review

Jul 2, 2024

Lecture Notes: X-Men Apocalypse Review

Introduction

  • Hosts: Aara, Kirk, and Kristen Stephenson Pino
  • Discussing the movie "X-Men: Apocalypse"

Movie Introduction

  • Mutants: Born with extraordinary abilities, often a gift and a curse.
  • Themes: Power, guidance, fear of the future, and the dangers of believing oneself to be a god.
  • Observation: If a powerful mutant existed in ancient times, they might be perceived as a god.

Key Scenes and Discussions

Opening Scene

  • Music: Epic, sets the tone for the serious events.
  • Mechanism: Transference of powers from mutants to one person, ending in sacrifice.
  • Reaction: Hosts find it unsettling and reminiscent of Wolverine.

Historical Context

  • Mutants' existence revealed during the Paris Peace Accords after the Vietnam War (1973).
  • Incident: Eric (Magneto) attacks the president but is stopped by a young mutant.
  • Prejudice: Some persistence of prejudice against mutants.

Character Focus: Scott Summers

  • School Introduction: Scott (Cyclops) introduced to the school for the gifted.
  • Power Control: Learning to understand and control powers is essential.
  • Demonstration: Scott attempts to control his optic blasts.

Nightcrawler

  • Introduction: Revealed in a confrontation, known for his teleportation abilities.
  • Fight Scene: Highlights his agility and teleportation.
  • Background: Nightcrawler is Mystique's son (from the comics).

Magneto's Simple Life

  • Living normally with a wife and child.
  • Tragedy: Daughter and wife killed, leading Magneto back to his vengeful path.
  • Magneto's Power: Demonstrated in a scene where he kills those responsible with a metal necklace.

Apocalypse's Awakening

  • Ancient Mutant: Apocalypse is awakened and seeks out powerful mutants (Storm, Angel, etc.) to serve as his horsemen.
  • Power Transfer: Apocalypse enhances the powers of his followers.
  • Objectives: Destruction and rebuilding of the world.

Cerebro Hijacking

  • Apocalypse uses Cerebro to connect to and control mutants worldwide.
  • Dramatic Scene: Xavier battles Apocalypse mentally, attempting to resist his control.

QuickSilver's Scene

  • Rescue: QuickSilver saves mutants from a mansion explosion in an iconic slow-motion scene.
  • Revelations: QuickSilver is Magneto’s son but decides not to reveal this immediately.

Wolverine Cameo

  • Brief Appearance: Wolverine in his Weapon X form, releases from containment and leaves after a brief action scene. Some hosts found this scene unnecessary.

Final Battle

  • Alliance: Mutants unite to fight Apocalypse and his horsemen.
  • Key Moments: Jean Grey unleashes her Phoenix power to defeat Apocalypse.
  • Magneto's Redemption: Magneto joins the fight against Apocalypse.

Analysis and Critique

  • Character Development: Mixed reactions to the depth of character development for certain mutants (e.g., Psylocke, Storm, Angel).
  • Nostalgia: Use of scenes and references from earlier movies to evoke emotional responses.
  • Striker's Role: Criticized as unnecessary to the main plotline.
  • Magneto's Story: Appreciated for its emotional depth and demonstration of his complexity.

Final Thoughts

  • Mixed reviews on the movie's pacing and character use but overall enjoyed the expansion of the X-Men universe.
  • Future Speculations: Discussion on potential directions for characters like QuickSilver and the aftermath of the movie's events.

Closing Remarks

  • Hosts sign off and thank viewers for joining the discussion.