I need to get a few more things off my chest lol
Xavier: His naive world view felt like a regression from DOFP, invented so he still needed to "learn" something from Mystique in time for the conclusion. I didn't really buy it. As pumped as people were to see this film close with a danger room session, I can't help but think that this film could have easily opened with one if Charles was where he should have been.
Mystique: I actually like how J-Law's reluctance to wear the costume was written in. She is now hiding because her true form has become a symbol for something she doesn't believe in, and that's great. The character has no real purpose at this point though. Her becoming the team leader at the end was forced and I've had quite enough of Mystique's unnecessary dominance. Lawrence's completely dead-eyed take on the character isn't helping either.
Magneto: I can't enjoy Fassbender's powerful performance if his enitre plotline feels like a rehash. His family are walking targets from the first moment they appear on screen. Does he really need any more tradegy in his life, or does it just muddy a perfect, poetic origin? Erik has been so prominantly featured at this point that you can feel the strain to keep his story fresh. His attempt at a peaceful life doesn't really mesh with his exit in DOFP, and similarly it's hard to buy his redemption after being responsible for countless deaths.
Beast: Still hiding in human form. Yawn. He has next to nothing to do here and is still leagues away from the (much more interesting) character he's destined to become. He should be more developed after 3 films and supposedly 20 years of growth.
Quicksilver: Arguably the breakout star of DOFP, it was a no brainer you'd see him again. Sadly, "no brainer" is the operative word, as no thought was put into his return. In perhaps the most blatent disregard for continuity, we pick up with Peter in the exact place he was in 10 years ago. Same age, same clothes, same basement, and a mini arc about daddy issues that is never fully exploited.
Moira: I love me some Rose Byrne. This film doesn't. Moira exists to explain and accidentally unleash the villain. While I enjoy the cute dynamic with Xavier, she has no agency of her own and the further the film devles into the implications of her mind wipe in First Class, the less sense it makes and the more sinister it seems.
Apocalypse: The character is limp, conceptually and visually. He's rarely threatening, nor interesting enough as a character to compensate. This series has set a high standard for complex villains and he falls short. He was always going to be a hard sell. They missed the mark.
The Horsemen: All underused. Angel is there because of comic book significance but it's irrelevent to this universe and as such it has no impact. Psylocke simply makes up the numbers.
The entire film is a tired, uninspired exercise in contractual obligation. It exists because several cast members are tied into one more outing. It's set in the 80's because of a pre-established pattern. Quicksilver is here because it worked the first time, Weapon X is here because it didn't. It's a trilogy capper, a clean slate, a prequel and a culmination of 6 films all at once. There's references, retreads. It's the same but it's different. It's a jarring mismatch that is too bound to old continuity to strike out on its own, and takes too many liberties with continuity to complement what's come before.
It should not have happened, and after DOFP so beautifully paved a way forward, it's heartbreaking to feel as bleak about the franchise as I did 10 years ago.
