X-men: Apocalypse

X-men: Apocalypse is the latest in a long line of X-men offerings, but the third in the 'First Class' series, following First Class and Days of Future Past.  Set ten years after the latter, an ancient being- one who can transfer his essence to others to both live forever and absorb their mutant powers- is roused from his millenia-long slumber in Egypt.  Taking in the modern world, he sees nothing but weakness, and wants to restore the Earth to the rule of the strong.  As he's done in the past, he recruits four 'horsemen' to protect and aid him as he seeks domination.  As this being- called Apocalypse- begins reshaping the planet, the X-men may be the only ones who can stand in his way.  But is this powerful foe too great even for them?

This was a good movie.  The humor was pretty good, and (of course) action superb.  But the real value is in the message: it explored the idea of power and its purpose.  Characters on both sides of the conflict have power, and both want a better world.  Apocalypse sees power as a means to dominate, and strengthen the Earth through elimination of the weak.  Professor X, on the other hand, sees those gifted with power in a very different light- they should protect those without, and work with the weak to bring the world to its potential . . . together.  Meanwhile, man's illusion of strength is shattered, as we're rendered helpless when our weapons are easily nullified by those stronger than we.  Man will have no hand in this battle- the strong will decide our fate; may those with mercy win.

Certainly worthy of contemplation, I enjoyed this exploration of power.  In this vein, we also see mutants struggling to harness and understand their power.  Some messages in the film may be suspect- when one mutant tells another to 'unleash their power' and show no restraint, it could be interpreted as "being who you are" and accepting your gifts (which is good) . . . or using your gifts without thought to consequences (which is bad), so there's a line there that needs to be drawn.  Overall, this is a strong offering.

Rating: A-