En Sabah Nur, the ancient destroyer, is returning after
being buried under the ruins of Egypt for thousands of years. He is the
original mutant, and his powers are thought to exceed those of any other. He
gathers four lieutenants to himself and increases their power, and intends to
cleanse the Earth in order to have only strong survivors left in order to advance
the cause of evolution. The X-Men must work to stop him, while also dealing
with the fact that mutants still are not trusted by the general
population.
*THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD THE REST OF THE WAY*
The Adoption
Connection
Charles Xavier runs a school for mutants; it’s a boarding
school, but they seem to become somewhat of a family.
One character loses his wife and child in one moment; his
loss drives him to rage.
A child asks her father what happened to his parents; his
parents were taken away, but he promises her that he will never be taken away
from her; however, the police to come to try to take him away while the girl
looks on in a state of panic.
One character learns that another character is his father;
they meet, but the father does not learn of the relationship. The son says that
one day, he might tell his father.
Strong Points
Through Xavier’s persistent acceptance and understanding,
many of the mutants have come to develop a familial bond with each other that
helps them persevere and overcome great adversity.
Challenges
There are some graphic blade injuries shown, which could disturb
some viewers.
Weak Points
One character expresses his desire to make others suffer
deep emotional pain at the loss of their loved ones. A child and her mother are
killed on screen by an errant arrow shot by a police officer. No one ever seems to show regret for people
that they kill.
Recommendations
X-Men: Apocalypse will likely draw an audience of kids,
pre-teens, teens and adults. There are some scenes of semi-graphic blade and
gun violence that could be disturbing to children who have experienced
violence, and a scene where a father mourns his slain wife and child could be
triggering for some. The story is captivating, and the positive, enduring, and
forgiving relationships between many of the mutants are uplifting and
refreshing. This could be a good choice for most viewers ages 13 and up,
provided that the potential triggers are not more than they can handle.
Questions for
Discussion
If you could send thoughts into someone’s mind, without having
to see them or say the words out loud, who do you think you would talk to?
If you could go anywhere, in an instant, where would you go?
Raven has become like family to Magneto. Who in your life
has become family or “like family” to you, even though they once were not?
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