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X-Men: First Class is the franchise's valedictorian |
Rebooting one of the most popular comic book film franchises in history was a risk.
Throwing the movie forty years into the past, with only three characters from the previous films as the movie's lead was a big risk.
Setting the film in the context of the Cuban Missile Crisis was a huge, inspired risk.
And they all paid off in full.
I just returned from seeing X-Men: First Class at the Loews Theater on 34th Street in Manhattan, and I am stunned by how amazing it was. It made the previous X-Men films (except X2, but especially X-Men Origins: Wolverine) look like child's play in comparison. In fact, First Class is the best superhero film since 2008's iconic The Dark Knight.
X-Men: First Class succeeds in melding action, humor, human (and mutant) drama, and even a bit of romance in an excellent retelling of the Cold War. Unlike the other films, the storyline was efficient and quick-paced, so much so that they had to remind us what setting were in. It worked, though, adding to the film's tension and excitement.
The comic timing was own of the movie's highlights. Its fearlessness in poking fun at itself and the franchise was a welcome addition to the traditional aspects of a superhero flick. X-Men fans will be particularly happy with some tongue-in-cheek cameos (don't worry, I won't spoil it for you) and many history lessons throughout. Prequels are meant to fill in history gaps, but this film made it so much fun doing so. Haven't you ever wondered how Mystique could be in this film in the first place? What's great about the allusions is that they are subtle, but important. The movie refused to take itself too seriously, which helped make the film even more enjoyable.
When there was drama, it hit all of the right notes. One of the movie's recurring themes was the physical ramifications of mutation, and the use of Raven (who would later be Mystique) and Hank McCoy (aka Beast) to convey it was handled very well. There was also the classic X-Men struggle between working with and working against humans, which was reworked with a fresh, more character-driven perspective.
For me, the acting was the most impressive part of the movie. James McAvoy as Professor X and Michael Fassbender as Magneto never failed in providing compelling, captivating moments through the film. There's one scene of them together that was so powerful that it could possibly bag them at least a Golden Globe nomination.
Jennifer Lawrence, who played Raven/Mystique and was nominated this past year for a Best Actress Oscar, was excellent in showing her growing discontent with the life she was living throughout the whole film. Nicholas Hoult was also really good as Hank/Beast; I particularly enjoyed his awkward-to-epic character development. January Jones, who played Emma Frost, has never been sexier, but she was woefully underused as the primary villanness. Kevin Bacon was surprisingly chilling as the movie's head bad guy, but his character lacked real intention behind his actions.
My only real criticism of the movie also has to do with the characters. It felt like there were too many characters doing too many things, when it would have been easier to just focus on the primary ones more, like Emma Frost.
With all of that said, this movie was certainly a surprise for me. As a big fan of the X-Men films, I was skeptical. I am happy to say that the hype wasn't wrong. X-Men: First Class is a high watermark for the franchise, and should be used as a blueprint for how to make a good superhero movie.
Green Lantern has a lot to prove now.
