“X-Men Apocalypse” (**1/2 out of four) was a sporadically entertaining eighth entry in the series about the X Men uniting to defeat the emergence of the world’s first mutant, Apocalypse, who threatens worldwide extinction. Good characterizations and camaraderie amongst the team combine with usual dazzling effects but the story is too lumpy and never builds continued momentum. Magento, Xavier, and Raven figure prominently in the story but Wolverine (who gave many of the entries grit and soul) is disappointingly brief. Worth checking out for Marvel diehards and an improvement over its drab predecessor but this still bears the mark of going to the well once too often.