Jack Goes Confidential: ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ Delivers—Too Much?

Will the general public ever tire of superhero movies?

Well, 20th Century-Fox sure hopes it won’t be with their latest edition in the highly profitable ‘X-Men’ series poised to rule the box office this Memorial Day weekend.

Advance tracking has it opening in the $100 million range.

So here we are already at the end of May.

And we’ve already experienced DEADPOOL, BATMAN v SUPERMAN, THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER’S WAR, CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR—and now here comes No. 5.

X-MEN: APOCALYPSE brings the emergence of the world’s first mutant—forcing the X-Men to unite to defeat his plan of global extinction.

He is the immortal Apocalypse who rises in 1983 after thousands of dormant years.

Now, along with his Four Horsemen and unlimited powers, he sets out to create a new world order.

And as the fate of the earth hangs in the balance, Professor X, Mystique and a handful of new troops set out to stop this seemingly invincible nemesis from destroying mankind.

So far. So good.

The screenplay makes for top notch visual adventure alright.

However my question is whether a giant adventure movie like this can be OVER PRODUCED? Over produced to the extent of becoming difficult to keep up with?

That’s what I believe director Bryan Singer has done with this fourth outing of the franchise. The story line goes in so many directions it’s hard to follow.

Add a consistent barrage of special effects—some so visually stunning—that I felt lost at times.

A sure case of when too much IS too much.

Having said that I’ll be the first to admit I was blown away by the film’s cinematic achievements.

The casting is nothing to sneeze at either:

James McAvoy–Xavier

Michael Fassbender–Magneto

Oscar Isaac–Apocalypse

Jennifer Lawrence–Mystique

All that plus a large bag of popcorn and not only was X-MEN: APOCALYPSE bloated—so was I.

My grade: C+

JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings during Kansas City’s Morning News on 98.1 FM, KMBZ.