| X-Men: First Class |
| Written by Nick West | |||
| Tuesday, 07 June 2011 08:45 | |||
 I should mention here at the top that I’m a huge fan of the X-Men comic books. Though they’d been around since 1963 in 1991 Marvel released a little reboot comic called X-men #1. It went on to sale over eight million copies and inspire a generation of comic fans. I was twelve-years-old and right on board. I went back and collected most of the 60’s and 70’s issues—and all of the 1980’s stuff. Having said all that, I’m not a fanboy. If a movie (or comic) isn’t well executed and the story fails, I’m going to call it for what it is. If it sucks, it sucks. X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine were both well into suck territory. X-Men: First Class decidedly does not suck. Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass, Layer Cake) and starring James McAvoy (Wanted), Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Basterds) and Kevin Bacon (you know this guy right?)—First Class is a summer action movie of the highest caliber. Class is basically the origin story of Professor X (or Charles Xavier, played by McAvoy) and Magneto (or Erik Lehnsherr, played by Fassbender). There are a few small vignettes to open the film of Charles and Erik as children discovering their mutant powers. Kevin Bacon is a nazi (doctor? psychologist? scientist?) who discovers Erik’s abilities to manipulate metal. He uses fear, anger and unethical methods to make his powers stronger. Young charles is a rich kid with the ability to read minds. He befriends a young shapeshifter Raven (played as an adult by Jennifer Lawrence). Set mostly in the early 1960s, First Class is actually a period piece. It totally works. Turtlenecks, skinny ties and shag carpets abound. The time period allows the filmmakers to treat the action like a Bond movie. Hell, the Bond-esque elements were a lot more fun than any recent 007 flick. A lot of characters are thrown at us in a short amount of time. However, it never feels confusing and surprisingly the characters of Charles and Erik are given ample time to grow and arc. More on them in a moment. From what I understand the production of First Class had its share of problems. It was rushed and there were six weeks of re-shoots (always a bad sign). I wouldn’t have known that from watching the finished product. It was a slick fast-paced story and loads of fun. Matthew Vaughn has a real eye for exciting action that feels realistic. The action almost feels intimate. The emotional impact is there. The motivation is there. It’s the exact opposite of a Michael Bay movie. Vaughn keeps scoring with me as a director. The casting was spot on. Joining McAvoy and Fassbender is a huge cast of known and unknown names. Kevin Bacon takes on the alias of Sebastian Shaw. Fans of the comics will remember him as leader of the Hellfire Club—a notorious group of rich mutants with world domination on their minds. Bacon is amazing as always. Chewing up all of his evil dialogue without overacting. He’s a great baddie. Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy) shines as the nerdy Hank McCoy/Beast. Rose Byrne plays Moira MacTaggert—a CIA operative. She is intelligent, beautiful and perfectly cast—if she were actually playing the geneticist version in the comic books—but here she doesn’t quite work as a government agent. The rest of the cast is full of heart and chemistry. More could definitely be said. I wanted more of Caleb Landry Jones as a stoned looking recruit. And holy shit! That red demon guy Azazel is played by Jason Flemyng! I didn’t even realize it until the movie was over. That brings us back to McAvoy and Fassbender. These two are brilliant together. The friendship and rivalry between Charles and Eric is of mythological proportions. It’s Martin Luther King Jr. versus Malcom X ideologies. It’s something I’ve always loved in the comics. And here it is played with true passion. Fassbender is especially fantastic as a man we want to receive redemption but we all know he lets his dark-side win. Watching the fall of Erik Lehnsherr as he becomes Magneto is a beautiful tragedy. X-Men: First Class is a triumph. The themes and action are powerful enough that anyone can enjoy it. Middle-America should come by a ticket. The cameos alone will crack people up. Bacon, Fassbender and McAvoy draw us in— the cool fights and retro-vibe seal the deal.
http://www.x-menfirstclassmovie.com/ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/x_men_first_class/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1270798/
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