2011: The Year in Film: "X-Men: First Class" Review

After the mutual disasters that were "X-Men: The Last Stand" and "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (which is approx. 19X better than XMen 3 but still a mediocre movie, at best), it was clear to lots of folks (well, at least me.. and hopefully everyone else who cares about these sort of things) that something needed to change with what Fox was up to with their X-Men franchise. After the departure of Bryan Singer (the director and mind behind the first X-Men flick and the superb X-Men 2), the franchise appeared to be floundering and in need of a serious overhaul. Enter Matthew Vaughn, producer pal of Guy Ritchie and the dude behind Kick-Ass, a time warp, the return of Bryan Singer and a couple of serious Hollywood up-and-comers and Fox is looking at a serious revamp a bloated and troubled franchise.

The film opens with looks at Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr (who would become Magneto) at age 12 in 1944, dealing with the initial manifestations of their powers in settings that could not be different. Xavier in a mansion in New York and Lehnsherr in a Nazi death camp. The action next skips ahead 18 years to 1962, where as adults, Xavier (James McAvoy), fresh upon receipt of his PhD from Oxford and Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender), hunting down those responsible for his parents death, are two of the most powerful mutants on the planet. In the midst of the Cold War, the CIA are investigating a mysterious organization known as the "Hellfire Club", who have mysterious connections with those in power both in the US and in the Soviet Union. Upon discovering that mutants exist, the CIA turns to Charles Xavier, now a leading expert on mutation, for help in learning about and identifying this new threat. After happening across Lehnsherr, Xavier and his new friend get along fabulously, and set about recruiting other mutants for their new team. As the Cuban Missile Crisis looms, the new "X-Men" play an important role in averting nuclear holocaust amidst the growing tensions between the two leaders of the team.. Xavier who seeks peace and cooperation, and Lehnsherr who believes confrontation and war is inevitable.

This is a very, very strong film and a much-needed reboot of the X-Men franchise. McAvoy and Fassbender are truly fantastic. Without either one of them this film would have fallen flat on its face under the stuffy weight of its absurdity and pretension, but these two talented actors, through sincerity and a necessary levity, allow the film to rest on their capable shoulders so that the rest may fall into place. This is an absolute must given the sometimes whirlwind action of the plot, bouncing around the globe and introducing tons of new characters in a short period of time. The effects and direction are more than adequate.. but the strength of this film is the acting. Kevin Bacon is convincing and sufficiently smarmy as the villainous Sebastian Shaw, (soon to be Catniss Everdeen) Jennifer Lawrence brings a much-needed humanity to the Mystique role, and January Jones and Rose Byrne are both strong as the sex appeal on both sides. Oh, and there's the single greatest cameo and one-off use of the PG-13 F-bomb that I can recall.. that's all I'll say about it. Let me say that it is absolutely criminal how under-used Oliver Platt is in this flick. He is one of my secret favorites and never seems to get enough to do.



Michael Fassbender is going to be a star. Let's just get it out there and say it. I've dug him ever since Inglorious Basterds (he's the awesome English dude), and if you haven't seen "Centurion".. Netflix instant it RIGHT NOW. He absolutely crushes the Magneto role out of the park.. bringing the requisite pain, rage and nuance to an absolutely essential role. That's a large part of the appeal of the X-Men franchise.. the primary villain isn't just a dastardly prick that can be written off as evil incarnate.. he's a nuanced human with a depth of character and sympathetic view. He gives a star-making performance, truly. But this flick wouldn't be good if Magneto kills it and Professor X mails it in.. and another favorite of mine, James McAvoy ensures that doesn't happen. McAvoy and Fassbender clearly enjoy working together, and share a number of absolutely terrific scenes. I, for one, look forward to a number of prequel films in which they work together. This is a quality super-hero flick folks.. come for the acting and stay for a fun period flick with a solid mix of action and character. It feels a little crowded and frantic at times.. but with actors as good as McAvoy and Fassbender bringing the goods, I'm willing to overlook a lot.

8/10.