Movie Review: ***^X-Men Apocalypse (2016)

 This movie uses the younger X-Men actors putting it chronologically before the original X-Men.  An ancient Egyptian, Apocalypse or En Sabah Nur, has come back to life, who has incredible power which he uses to increase everyone's power, and dong so recruits a good group of X-Men, Magneto, Angel, Storm, Jubilee, Psylocke.  Magneto is easy to recruit because his wife and child were killed by humans.  He is seeking revenge.  In addition they capture Professor Charles Xavier, who is to help them get everyone at the same time, mutant and human.  He is able to send a message to everyone with his powers supplemented by Apocalypse.  

For the other side they are first taken prisoner by Colonel William Stryker.  They have to get away from him, before than can go to Egypt and capture the real bad guy.  They release Wolverine, who was being held for experimentation.  He takes care of all the guards.  

Then they are off to Egypt to confront the real danger.  This sets up a very big confrontation and everyone's loyalties are tested.  Jean finally unleashes her true power.  

Moira shows up as she is investigating the Egyptian phenomena the turned into Apocalypse for the CIA.  Xavier gives her back her memories.

	James McAvoy	...	Professor Charles Xavier
	Michael Fassbender	...	Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto
	Jennifer Lawrence	...	Raven / Mystique
	Nicholas Hoult	...	Hank McCoy / Beast
	Oscar Isaac	...	En Sabah Nur / Apocalypse
	Rose Byrne	...	Moira Mactaggert
	Evan Peters	...	Peter Maximoff / Quicksilver
	Josh Helman	...	Col. William Stryker
	Sophie Turner	...	Jean Grey
	Tye Sheridan	...	Scott Summers / Cyclops
	Lucas Till	...	Alex Summers / Havok
	Kodi Smit-McPhee	...	Kurt Wagner / Nightcrawler
	Ben Hardy	...	Angel
	Alexandra Shipp	...	Ororo Munroe / Storm
	Lana Condor	...	Jubilee
	Olivia Munn	...	Psylocke

Movie Review: ****^X-Men: First Class

 X-Men series

This version of X-Men provides the origin story for Xavier (James McAvoy), Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence)  and Eric/Magneto (Michael Fassbender).  In the case of Xavier and Eric different actors are used than the original X-Men.  Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) is also a mutant, but intent on starting WWIII.  This is around the time of the Cuban missile crisis.  At the end of the show the Russians and thr Americans are facing off over the American embargo of Cuba.  Will war begin?  Will war begin?  Magneto and Xavier work together, but have a falling out by the end over differing techniques.  This movie shows why Xavier was in a wheel chair; among other background stories.  

In Theaters: Dark Phoenix (2019) X-Men

X-Men Series

****Dark Phoenix (2019)  This movie plays on an alien power getting inside of Jean (Sophie Turner) and creating all kind of havoc.  Of course there are aliens who pursue Jean wanting the power for themselves, and the X-Men who are wary of Jean and her new powers.  The lack of control leads to the death of Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) and other similar mishaps.  With her new powers Jean starts to remember her past as it really was, not as it was manipulated by Professor Xavier (James McAvoy).  Of course the other X-Men get involved.  At one point Magneto (Michael Fassbender) is intent on killing Jean for her having killed Raven.  Other X-Men include Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Storm (Alexandra Shipp) and Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee).  I really enjoyed this movie.  I am not sure why people have been staying away.  Perhaps Xavier is a little too self-loathing in his part in Jean’s past, but we come to understand what is actually happening we hat past that.  This movie seems to give us a future look at what has happened to the X-Men.  However one problem with the X-Men movie series is the timeline is all over the place.  Great fun none-the-less. 

Movie Review: ***^The Light Between Oceans

I have been a long time writing a review about this movie.  This is a movie about love, and love tested.  Sometimes it is amazing what a love can survive.  After WWI Tom Sherbourne (Michael Fassbender) takes a job at a remote light house.  This job takes him to a beautiful island, but away from society.  The prospects become more tolerable when he falls in love with the woman, Isabel Graysmark (Alicia Vikander) and the marry.  However they are not as lucky in having babies.  Living away from others, there is no medical care other than what they give each other.  The first pregnancy is miscarried, and the second stillborn.  (This reminded me so much of my marriage to Sheri, after the same results with our first two pregnancies.  In our case this was followed by six beautiful babies and one beautiful adopted baby.)  While they are still grieving, a boat washes up to shore.  In the boat the discover a deceased man, with a baby, maybe six months.  Just a bit older than theirs.  Isabel still has milk and nurses the baby, and quickly falls in love.  A plan is hatched to adopt the baby, first by Isabel, who convinces her husband to go along.  Her husband is the employee, and falsifies his daily log, and removes the marker from their own baby's grave.  There baby is now this new baby.  And this has the makings of a really bad adoption story.  A couple things do them in in their plot, but mostly Tom's conscious.  When he meets the mother (Rachel Weisz) of their child, he is at a crisis.  He reveals enough to give himself away, and he does everything he can to absolve his wife of any guilt.  His wife is angry at him for giving their "child" away.  this is where the testing of their love takes place.  Can love last such a struggle?
This movie gives many beautiful scenes, with a troubling plot.  It had to end badly.