X-Men: Apocalypse

Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) has used his mutant powers to enslave all of Ancient Egypt (3,600 BC) and has empowered four (4) other mutants to help him enforce his unholy reign. Worshiped as a god he has grown weak and needs a powerful mutant sacrifice to go on living. During a ‘rebirth’ ritual, rebels decry him as a false god and destroy his pyramid trapping him forever. Buried over 5,000 years he is awakened in 1983 and sets out to find mutants who can aid him in subjugating this new world. He soon recruits four modern ‘horsemen of the apocalypse’ including a young Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Psylocke (Olivia Munn), Angel (Ben Hardy) and a disillusioned Magneto who convinces anew to make the world pay for their crimes.

After the events of the previous film, “X-Men: Days of Future Past” (2014), Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) has become both a hero and an icon as the mutant who stopped the mutant terrorist known as Magneto back in the 1970’s. Living under the radar she now seeks enslaved mutants in order to set them free even if that means bringing them back to her old friend and mentor, Charles Xavier/Professor X (James McAvoy).

Unfortunately, Xavier has caught the attention of Apocalypse and has become an integral part of his plan for Earth’s domination. With time running out can Xavier’s untrained students bring Apocalypse’s reign to an end before it begins or will the immortal with delusions of godhood finally make the apocalypse a reality for all of mankind?

Reuniting many of the characters from the previous two movies, including “X-Men: First Class” (2011), “X-Men: Apocalypse” is an exciting addition to the franchise that will thrill most fans of the films but may leave others confused at the brisk narrative that takes little time to ‘catch up’ new audiences, explore relationships or cover previous story lines. As with the other X-Men films there is a lot of content to be wary of.

Objectionable Content

Violence: Heavy. People are disintegrated, turned into skeletons, electrocuted, made to become part of walls/floors, impaled by metal/shrapnel/claws, cut open for sacrifice, a throat is sliced open and many are killed by debris, crushed while whole towns and cities are laid to waste, mostly from a distance but some close up shots are included. A mother and child are harrowingly impaled and killed and many soldiers are viciously attacked in a melee that leaves the dead and dying in their own blood. A strong sense of peril pervades much of the film including one suggesting possible worldwide nuclear armageddon. By far the most violent of the X-Men movies, there is no mistaking that you are witnessing mass genocide and children should by no means be allowed to have their impressionable minds tainted by this.

Language: Moderate. Inappropriate language is not extensive but the following was still heard: Ass (1), Ass-h___ (1), piss-off (1), hell (2), the Lord’s name taken in vain twice (OMG and God-d___) and the “F” word was said one time by Magneto for laughs. Aside from the violence the foul language should likewise give pause to parents both for their kid’s sake and that of their own.

Sex/Nudity: Mild. The closest example of near nudity are the few scenes showing Mystique in her naked blue form. Other scenes deal mostly with provocative clothing once when Mystique is in a very cleavage bearing dress and throughout when focused on Psylocke’s skimpy battle attire. The only kissing shown is between a loving husband and his wife. Quicksilver (Evan Peters) makes a short but obscene gesture with his hands when describing that his mother and father had sex.

Lessons

As with most films featuring heroes and villains lessons, both good and bad, can be seen if you choose to look for them. Some of the topics included; humility, prayer and pronounced blasphemy.

Humility: Raven/Mystique, who had previously been so proud of her mutant form she rarely wished to look human, now constantly dons her ‘human’ guise while helping to fulfill Xavier’s dream of peace yet all the while maintains, “I’m no hero”. Charles, who mostly lived the life of a recluse in the last film, now embraces his role as servant and as headmaster of his school as he nurtures the young mutants in his charge. Throughout the Word of God we are taught how much our Lord values humility.

“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5

“He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.” Proverbs 3:34

Prayer. After calamity strikes and several of Xavier’s students are in peril, Kurt/Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is heard praying, “Dear Father… Oh to be in the light of God. Protect me from danger. Save me by your command. Listen to my prayer and keep me safe,” which harkens, in part, to Psalm 71 where it says,

“Be a rock of refuge for me, where I can always go. Give the command to save me, for You are my rock and fortress.” Psalm 71:3

Earlier, while not quite a prayer, Moira mutters a “Thank God” upon the arrival of some needed medical assistance but, like Nightcrawler’s prayer, this is the only instance heard throughout the film.

Blasphemy. The central villain of the film states that he has been known by many names one of which is ‘Elohim’. This Hebrew name for God is used frequently in the very first chapter of the Bible, Genesis. However, it is also used throughout the Old Testament to refer to pagan gods and idols showing how Satan has been trying to usurp God’s place before mankind from the very beginning. This would not be possible without willing human accomplices both then, and now.

Simon Kinberg, one of the writers of the film, has said in reference to Apocalypse, “He is the God of the Old Testament…”. Likewise, Director Bryan Singer describes the film this way, “It deals with ancient mutantism, the origins of the mutant state; or the origin of gods and religion. There’s a mixture of ancient religion and cultism in the character of Apocalypse.'

The character himself minces no words again about his deity when he declares, “You can fire your arrows from the tower of Babel, but you cannot strike God.”

In another example, when Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult) comments that the ‘four horsemen’ is a name he [Apocalypse] probably got from the Bible, Moira (Rose Byrne) interjects, “Or the Bible got it from him,” alluding to the supposed fictional nature of the Word of God.

While audiences will know going in that these are comic book characters and the concept of super-humans is, in itself, that of fantasy, we as Christians need to be aware of underlying motives particularly when it seeks to belittle or defame the one true God and question whether or not our Lord would want us to knowingly support that media.

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before Me.” “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” (Exodus 20:2-5)

“X-Men: Apocalypse” is another action-packed and riveting installment in the X-Men franchise whose obvious weakness is a narrative that, as mentioned before, depends heavily on the audience’s familiarity with the other films and spends little to no time properly developing characters and relationships including that of the villains’. The special effects are top-notch, Quicksilver steals the show again with his appearance, and the actions scenes are jaw dropping at times with fights fought in both reality and, in a new twist, in the psychic realm (astral plane). Spoiled by unnecessary language, pervasive violence as well as blasphemous overtones I cannot fully recommend this otherwise well-made comic book film.

Violence: Heavy / Profanity: Moderate / Sex/Nudity: Mild

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