A frustrating exercise in superhero movie overkill, X-Men: Apocalypse wastes a talented cast and interesting premise to deliver the worst entry yet in the storied comic-book movie franchise.

There is a scene about 30 minutes into the ‘80s set X-Men: Apocalypse where a group of teen mutants leave a showing of Return of the Jedi. As the group debate which Star Wars movie is the best, one ends the conversation with: “Well, at least we can all agree the third one is the worst!”

No doubt that was a dig at X-Men: The Last Stand, the third entry in the superhero series that was directed by Brett Ratner, who famously replaced Bryan Singer (…Apocalypse the fourth X-Men he has directed) after he decided to work on Superman Returns. Unfortunately for those behind …Apocalypse, the true dud of the series is not Ratner’s underrated addition, but this here third entry in a prequel series that began with a bang, but ends with a disappointing fizzle.

It’s not as though the element’s weren’t there to make …Apocalypse another winner in a franchise that’s filled with them. Starring the impressive trio of Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence as Magneto, Professor Xavier and Mystique (respectively), along with the addition of the incomparable Oscar Isaacs as the god-like villain Apocalypse, this latest comic-book movie is a textbook display of too much action, too little substance. This is a very strange thing for a genre franchise that has a good track record in executing both its themes (often of the social political variety) and its VFX heavy action entertainment to equally effective results.

It’s choice of villain (a fan favourite of comic-book fans) brings with it the chance to delve into some meaty themes of divinity and religion, yet brushes them all aside with the kind of visual spectacular overkill that is ruining the superhero movie, with scenes of mass destruction failing to evoke any weight or consequence or (most importantly) stakes to these proceedings that previous chapters effectively portrayed.

Performances aren’t any better. Fassbender, McAvoy and Lawrence seem to be going through the motions, while new additions portraying old favourites Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Jean Grey (Sophie Turner who is particularly wooden), and Storm (Alexandra Shipp) lack personality and sympathy.

Singer once brought an intimacy to the social political dimensions that more often than not made the X-Men franchise the thinking man’s superhero movie. Yet it is clear that the weight in the themes that come with …Apocalypse has left Singer and his movie floundering. Perhaps it’s time to scale it all back, or just give up all together.