X-Men: First Class (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
Ever since the year 2000, I've come to enjoy the X-Men movies. I wasn't wild about X-Men Origins: Wolverine from a few years back. But on the whole, they've been fun superhero flicks. Now comes an X-Men prequel: 'First Class' (directed by Matthew Vaughn). And I gotta tell you, it IS first class. After a brief prologue in a Nazi concentration camp in Poland during WWII, the film flashes forward to 1962 & the Cuban Missile Crisis. The plot interweaves actual historical incidents with the X-Men comic book mythology - which I think is handled superbly.
The brunt of the film concerns young Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), a CIA advisor with telepathic abilities who is working with agent Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) to assemble a team of mutants (humans with superhuman abilities) capable of defeating ex-Nazi megalomaniac Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon, having fun as a villain). Some of those mutants include: Raven (Jennifer Lawrence), who later becomes Mystique; and Hank (Nicholas Hoult), who later becomes Beast. Xavier's most powerful ally happens to be Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), whose 'magnetic' control over metal is so unwieldy that it needs harnessing (from Xavier, himself). Erik has strong motivation for killing Shaw; as it was he who killed his mother in that opening Poland prologue. Considering himself a monster to Shaw's Frankenstein, Erik doesn't care much whether his revenge aligns with Xavier's methods or not ... so long as it's achieved.
And that's where the amiable, rational-minded Xavier differs from Erik in their philosophies. Xavier believes that, once Shaw is defeated, humans & mutants should be able to live in peace. Erik, on the other hand, embraces violence & firmly believes that WWIII is in store. To him, humans will never accept mutants. Charles Xavier becomes Professor X. Erik renames himself Magneto (played by Ian McKellen in the other films). Initially friends, these 2 men become archenemies. And the X-Men mythology continues with the version which came out 11 yrs. ago.
'First Class' may the 5th X-Men film. And it may be a prequel. But this must be said: though I really enjoyed the first 2 films in this series, it is actually 'First Class' that impressed & entertained me the most. Before all else, this is a quality film. And the fact that the plot is of the comic book vein is what makes its quality all the more surprising. Effective directorial choices, good performances, beautiful 1960's-era production design, eye-popping visual effects, a booming musical score, engaging action set pieces ... 'First Class' has it all. That's not to say the movie is perfect. Some of its mythology is heavy-handed. Some characters go relatively underdeveloped. And some of the visual effects lack a state-of-the-art feel. But that's nit-picking.
Some viewers may cry 'not another origin story!' (which is to say, lotsa backstory, not enough 'main' story or action). I say, they're wrong. Because the source material is so dense, there's no way that every character/subplot can get its due. But the way in which the film plays out is nothing less than entertaining - punctuated by a great intro, interesting philosophies (foreshadowing what happens in the other X-Men movies), & a real wower of a climax. Speaking of the climax, the way in which Xavier loses the use of his legs & why Mystique aligns with Erik/Magneto is interesting to watch unfold.
Now, for as stellar as I think this film is for its stylish direction, 'how the mutants came to be' origin story, & fantastic visuals ... the main reason why this film works is due to the charismatic performances by James McAvoy & Michael Fassbender. Right off the bat, you can tell that they have 'something'; both together & individually. There's a forcefulness; a magnetism (no pun intended). McAvoy is cool, playful, & takes the source material seriously. Fassbender is handsome, mischievous, & inherently watchable with his undisciplined nature (thanks to Erik's awful childhood). These are great actors transcending the material into something special. And I actually teared-up during a scene where Xavier is training Erik to control his innermost emotions when trying to move a massive object. You almost wish that an entire film could be devoted to them & their tricky love-hate dynamic.
Some of the other characterizations come up short. Jennifer Lawrence is solid as Raven/Mystique. I liked her character arc (looking for someone to convince her that she's beautiful in any physical state) … but more could have been done with her. Nicholas Hoult (from About a Boy & A Single Man) has a congenial presence; but again, his 'Beast' comes up short. The characters of Havoc, Darwin, & Angel really get the shaft; though it is cool watching their superhuman abilities. Which brings me to January Jones' depiction of Emma Frost. I'm not wild about the actress (who plays a b*tch on Mad Men). But AS Emma Frost, I think she gives an appropriately cold, aloof, wink-wink performance. I say this because she's getting torn to shreds in other reviews; even the ones that love the film.
As mentioned, 'First Class' gets a big thumbs up for me because it does many things very well (directing, casting, acting, editing, spy-on-spy action, FANTASTIC period sets & costumes, make-up work, visual effects). Even though this is a prequel/origin story, the script shrewdly re-examines some of the early relationships so that the ensuing films make sense (the ones released in '00, '03, '06, '09). I especially like how we're given reasons to accept Erik as a sympathetic anti-hero. I was engaged for the film's fleet 130 minutes. And the final 20 are jam-packed with well-executed action & tension. 'First Class' is a confident motion picture. You can tell that there is talent & intent at the helm (Matthew Vaughn). And the actors bring the material to life.
The brunt of the film concerns young Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), a CIA advisor with telepathic abilities who is working with agent Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) to assemble a team of mutants (humans with superhuman abilities) capable of defeating ex-Nazi megalomaniac Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon, having fun as a villain). Some of those mutants include: Raven (Jennifer Lawrence), who later becomes Mystique; and Hank (Nicholas Hoult), who later becomes Beast. Xavier's most powerful ally happens to be Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), whose 'magnetic' control over metal is so unwieldy that it needs harnessing (from Xavier, himself). Erik has strong motivation for killing Shaw; as it was he who killed his mother in that opening Poland prologue. Considering himself a monster to Shaw's Frankenstein, Erik doesn't care much whether his revenge aligns with Xavier's methods or not ... so long as it's achieved.
And that's where the amiable, rational-minded Xavier differs from Erik in their philosophies. Xavier believes that, once Shaw is defeated, humans & mutants should be able to live in peace. Erik, on the other hand, embraces violence & firmly believes that WWIII is in store. To him, humans will never accept mutants. Charles Xavier becomes Professor X. Erik renames himself Magneto (played by Ian McKellen in the other films). Initially friends, these 2 men become archenemies. And the X-Men mythology continues with the version which came out 11 yrs. ago.
'First Class' may the 5th X-Men film. And it may be a prequel. But this must be said: though I really enjoyed the first 2 films in this series, it is actually 'First Class' that impressed & entertained me the most. Before all else, this is a quality film. And the fact that the plot is of the comic book vein is what makes its quality all the more surprising. Effective directorial choices, good performances, beautiful 1960's-era production design, eye-popping visual effects, a booming musical score, engaging action set pieces ... 'First Class' has it all. That's not to say the movie is perfect. Some of its mythology is heavy-handed. Some characters go relatively underdeveloped. And some of the visual effects lack a state-of-the-art feel. But that's nit-picking.
Some viewers may cry 'not another origin story!' (which is to say, lotsa backstory, not enough 'main' story or action). I say, they're wrong. Because the source material is so dense, there's no way that every character/subplot can get its due. But the way in which the film plays out is nothing less than entertaining - punctuated by a great intro, interesting philosophies (foreshadowing what happens in the other X-Men movies), & a real wower of a climax. Speaking of the climax, the way in which Xavier loses the use of his legs & why Mystique aligns with Erik/Magneto is interesting to watch unfold.
Now, for as stellar as I think this film is for its stylish direction, 'how the mutants came to be' origin story, & fantastic visuals ... the main reason why this film works is due to the charismatic performances by James McAvoy & Michael Fassbender. Right off the bat, you can tell that they have 'something'; both together & individually. There's a forcefulness; a magnetism (no pun intended). McAvoy is cool, playful, & takes the source material seriously. Fassbender is handsome, mischievous, & inherently watchable with his undisciplined nature (thanks to Erik's awful childhood). These are great actors transcending the material into something special. And I actually teared-up during a scene where Xavier is training Erik to control his innermost emotions when trying to move a massive object. You almost wish that an entire film could be devoted to them & their tricky love-hate dynamic.
Some of the other characterizations come up short. Jennifer Lawrence is solid as Raven/Mystique. I liked her character arc (looking for someone to convince her that she's beautiful in any physical state) … but more could have been done with her. Nicholas Hoult (from About a Boy & A Single Man) has a congenial presence; but again, his 'Beast' comes up short. The characters of Havoc, Darwin, & Angel really get the shaft; though it is cool watching their superhuman abilities. Which brings me to January Jones' depiction of Emma Frost. I'm not wild about the actress (who plays a b*tch on Mad Men). But AS Emma Frost, I think she gives an appropriately cold, aloof, wink-wink performance. I say this because she's getting torn to shreds in other reviews; even the ones that love the film.
As mentioned, 'First Class' gets a big thumbs up for me because it does many things very well (directing, casting, acting, editing, spy-on-spy action, FANTASTIC period sets & costumes, make-up work, visual effects). Even though this is a prequel/origin story, the script shrewdly re-examines some of the early relationships so that the ensuing films make sense (the ones released in '00, '03, '06, '09). I especially like how we're given reasons to accept Erik as a sympathetic anti-hero. I was engaged for the film's fleet 130 minutes. And the final 20 are jam-packed with well-executed action & tension. 'First Class' is a confident motion picture. You can tell that there is talent & intent at the helm (Matthew Vaughn). And the actors bring the material to life.