X-Men Reviews 4

http://game-bl4rg.blogspot.com/2011/06/x-men-first-class-review.html

X-Men First Class Review
Theusualtype Monday, June 6, 2011

X-Men, the longest running Marvel movie series yet, with the 5th one in theaters now. The Other day, Adam, a few others and myself went in to see it. Here's my take on it.

X-Men first class is the second prequel to the original X men trilogy, following the early parts of Professor Charles Xavier and Erik Lensher as they form the foundations of Mutant acadamy. The movie opens up with a brilliant Nazi Poland vibe as we see a young Erik lose his mothers to the Nazis and is forced into joining Dr. Sebastian Shaw, who is the villain of the piece and has the power to control energy. Meanwhile we see a 12 year old oxford bound Charles Xavier who meets Mystique/Raven for the first time. The two quickly become close friends and the story slingshots forward 20 years, Charles is being educated in Oxford, Erik is on a revenge trip, looking for Shaw to avenge his mothers death. The two meet together as they plan to get Shaw and thus begins the forming of X-Men.
From L to R: Magneto, Moira Mactaggart, Emma Frost, Azaezal, Beast, Havok, Angel, Mystique and Professor X

This movie was a brilliant prequel with an all star cast with James McAvoy as Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender as Magneto. The only problem I had with the cast was Kelsey Grammer was no longer playing Beast :'( (I'm a huge Fraiser and Cheers fan). The characters melded together perfectly and combined with the script, it made for a brilliant movie. The script delivered a high paced action adventure with various jokes thrown in making it very enjoyable. There was even a cameo appearance by someone who has been in ALL the movies, no not Stan Lee who for once I didn't think was in this film at all sadly, was Hugh Jackman as Wolverine who appears as Professor X and Magneto are recruiting various mutants.
Michael Fassbender as Magneto

I'm a big fan of X-Men. I've loved all the movies and thought they were all great instead of say Spiderman which I only thought that the first from that series was good. This film is easily the best of the X-Men. It has sort of left me hoping for some form of reboot, as there's no decent characters left to do it on that you could get an hour and a half plus story from. If we were to go back to present day I don't see how they could continue it there either,
A) Professor Xavier is Dead/ in the body of a brain-dead black man
B) Cyclops,Pyro and Jean/Pheonix are gone
C) Magneto, Rogue and Mystique have lost their powers, Although we do see Magneto move a chest piece slightly in the credits.
It's sort of sad seeing as this is my favourite series and I see no way for them to continue it now.
Raven (Mystique) and Beast
I loved all the new mutants who i've never seen in the few comics I've read such as Havok, Riptide, Banshee, Angel and so on. I liked seeing all the struggles of each of the mutants who were hiding inside "the mutant closet" such as Mystique and Beast. The setting was great as well and the production company made great use of the fact that it was set in the 1960's Cuban missiles crisis by including real footage of JFK speaking about the events.
From L to R : Banshee, Magneto, Raven, Moira, Beast, Prof. X and Havok
So in conclusion, what did I think.

I thought this was an amazing flick packed with the perfect amount of action and comedy that is needed by a superhero film. The actors were amazing by playing their parts perfectly, getting the mood right, showing just the right amount of emotion and not overacting. If this film doesn't get or at least nominated for any rewards, i'd be VERY surprised. People have different opinions as to who is the best super hero series, for me it goes from Thor being my third favourite to Iron Man and X-Men at the top so my view may be a bit biased but this film is probably my favourite super hero movie yet.

Shaw and Emma Frost
I'd give this a 9.5/10

One of the reasons is the plotholes that I noticed, a very large plot hole was but it may not be Canon but you may recall the end of X men: Wolverine where a large amount of mutants were freed then taken into Xaviers care and he was standing and bald. However in the final battle none of them are to be found.

http://www.padsandpanels.com/?p=13685

X-Men: First Class [Film]

Title: X-Men: First Class

Directed By: Matthew Vaughn

Written by: Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman, Bryan Singer

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, January Jones, Kevin Bacon

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Rating: ★★★★★

Review by: Matt Peters

X-Men: First Class is one of those rare films that earn its franchise a second wind. After the poor showing of X3 & Wolverine, it seemed as if the series had run its course. Fortunately, a Bryan Singer-infused script and an inspired Matthew Vaughn decided to try a different approach than what preceded them.

Setting the film in the 1960’s is a good choice. Some mutant powers like Professor X’s mental abilities have more of a “wow” factor in a time before mobile phones were widely available. Also, the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis provides a common, undeniable issue that must be dealt with by the CIA, and in this case, their covert team of superpowered mutants. Little tweaks like this also add credibility to the otherwise unbelievable premise that a trust-fund psychic would a) graduate from Oxford without cheating and b) decide to form a team and use his powers for good.

Speaking of Xavier, the character is expertly played by James McAvoy. While the entire cast is exceptional, he stands out in particular due to his performance, making Professor X a likable character and a believable leader. The absence of a strong lead character like Wolverine is definitely noticed, however, but Michael Fassbender’s Magneto fills the badass role nicely. Fassbender is truly center stage during the majority of the film as the ideas initially intended for Bryan Singer’s Magneto origin film were absorbed into this screenplay.

January Jones of Mad Men fame puts on a stellar performance as Emma Frost as well. Initially, I was confused by her casting, especially since Mad Men features other ladies who would seem to fill out the roll a little more naturally (like Alison Brie or Christina Hendricks), but was quickly won over after a few scenes. Last, but not least, of the featured cast is Kevin Bacon. His portrayal of Sebastian Shaw is a little cheesy at times, but overall he plays a convincing villain. The rest of the cast is rounded out by an assortment of newcomers that I look forward to seeing more from in the future.

The action scenes are very cool and full of explosions, flashy effects, and other staples you tend to expect from these types of outings. The difference is they don’t disappoint. The film is always a couple minutes at most from something cool happening on the screen. At over two hours, that’s quite an accomplishment. Also, from what I understand, the team had a limited budget and a short production time to get these effects accomplished, but they did a great job with what they had. There are no Roger Rabbit-esque cartoony claws here. However, the film isn’t completely devoid of its goofy moments. Lil’ Magneto’s scream of “Neiiiiiiiiiiin!” went on just a tad too long, and Xavier’s groovy pick-up lines may cause some eye-rolling. All in all though, nothing even comes close to Storm’s line from the original X-Men on the cheesecake scale.

Just to save you the time, there’s no Stan Lee cameo, and no post-credits shenanigans to see here, so enjoy it for what it is: a quality movie without the distractions of heavy continuity and impending crossovers. Gone are pointless cameos that turn the experience into a two hour Where’s Waldo marathon of mutants. Much like the 2009 Star Trek film reboot, watching X-Men: First Class almost feels like a weight being lifted from one’s shoulders. Having this property at Fox and separated from Marvel Studios may just be the best thing that could happen. Hopefully, they explore more eras in X-Men history in the coming sequels. If you want some good, fun mutant action, this is the best superhero film this summer has to offer.

http://comicattack.net/2011/06/mmxmenfirstclass/

Movie Mondays: X-Men: First Class
By
AHudson
– June 6, 2011

Title: X-Men: First Class
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Writers: Screenplay: Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, Jane Goldman, and Matthew Vaughn/Story: Sheldon Turner and Bryan Singer (created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)
Distributed By: 20th Century Fox
Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Rose Byrne, Kevin Bacon, January Jones, and Jennifer Lawrence
Release Date: June 3rd, 2011
MPAA: PG-13

When Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) and the Hellfire Club use their powers and influence to change the course of the Cold War, the CIA plans to thwart whatever this new mutant threat is. To do so, CIA agent Moira MacTaggart (Rose Byrne) hires Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), a brilliant professor on mutations and a mutant himself. With time running short before the Hellfire Club stats World War III, Xavier must recruit a team of mutants to combat the Hellfire Club’s own, as well as work with Erik Magnus (Michael Fassbender), a holocaust survivor hellbent on killing Sebastian Shaw after what he did to him in the past.

After a two week hiatus of summer comic adaptations, it’s good to once again start reviewing some brand new material being released on the silver screen. And what better way to kick it off again, than with X-Men: First Class? I admit, it might not be the most hyped about film out there such as the upcoming Green Lantern. But hey, it’s the X-Men. And the only bad apple there was X-Men: The Last Stand (yes, I did find X-Men Origins: Wolverine to be entertaining enough).

From http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3027600640/tt1270798

First and foremost, I have to say that out of all the movies released this year (that I’ve seen), X-M:FC has the best written story. OK, maybe it’s not the perfect script ever written, but then again, what is? There weren’t any major plot holes that I could think of. Maybe when I watch it sometime later on DVD I might catch one or two, but I highly doubt that. And one thing it’s also got going for it, is that everything weaves smoothly in together. You’ve got Charles Xavier’s story, Erik Magnus’s story, the Hellfire Club, Cuban Missile Crisis, CIA investigating the mutants, and the formation and start of the X-Men. Now, if badly written, trying to write that all in together could’ve been a disaster. Thor certainly wasn’t a disaster, but as I stated in my review, its story got stretched too thin. Here, nothing is stretched too thin, thanks to every part of the story playing into another. The only major complaint I have with it, is that some of the mutants, specifically the ones who are famous, don’t get used to their full potential. X-Men rule #1: If you don’t have a cool power or name, you’re not going to last for a very long time there.
Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw

From http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2824976640/tt1270798

Now, I do know one complaint that everyone’s going to have there. By and large, they threw the X-Men comic continuity out of the window. You have Moira MacTaggart as an American CIA agent, who knows what relationship they’ll make between Alex Summers and Scott Summers (father/son???), Banshee isn’t Scottish, all the characters are well into their fifties during the X-Men and the mid to late sixties now, and a ton of other things even the most casual X-Men comic fan can point out. Even film wise things don’t always add up, such as many of the characters being younger in other films (such as Emma Frost in X-Men Origins: Wolverine) or how Charles Xavier has a British accent when he resided in America ever since he was a child. But relax, let it go. Just think of this as a What If? or an Ultimate, instead of thinking this as a transcript of the original comics. Just enjoy the story instead of thinking about what’s correct or incorrect.

However, you can’t have a great story without great actors to support it. Fortunately here, X-M:FC did an amazing job with the casting. I can’t think of any weak links. Like I said before, many of the characters don’t get used to their full potential, but that’s more because of limited time than anything else.

James McAvoy does a great job portraying Charles Xavier. At first I wasn’t sure how he would manage after Patrick Stewart’s memorable portrayal, but the thing is, there’s no need for comparison. McAvoy plays Professor X as youthful, much more confident, and energetic. But in a way that’s not opposite of the Professor X that we all know about, just one who’s at a very different time in his life.

Michael Fassbender may not be as familiar as some of the actors, but I’m sure he’ll definitely be remembered for this role. What’s important about Fassbender is that he puts passion and torment into Magneto’s anger, plus it’s cool that it’s an actual German playing a German.

From http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3061155072/tt1270798

Kevin Bacon is awesome as Sebastian Shaw. He isn’t like the flamboyant, Renaissance comic character, but I’m glad he’s not, because the way Bacon does it fits the role perfectly.

Also one of the main characters throughout the entire film is Mystique played by Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence is on a roll, last year with Winter’s Bone and this year withe X-M:FC. She makes the character human, rather than simply a good guy who we all know will be going down the dark side. Plus, her performance fits in with Rebecca Romijn’s portrayal in the previous X-Men films.

We also have January Jones playing Emma Frost. Let me put it this way. Emma Frost is not one of my favorite X-Men, but she is in this one.

From http://www.imdb.com/media/rm116178432/tt1270798

And of course, there are so many other good performances, but I’ll leave it there. However, I will say I enjoyed Oliver Platt as The Man in Black (CIA agent), and Rose Byrne has shown that her performance as Moira MacTaggert as well as her previous role as Jackie Q in Get Him to the Greek is proving that she is quite the talented actress.

All the other elements needed to make a good summer film are here, as well. The special effects are the best looking and most natural out of all the X-Men films. The soundtrack is a great mix of sixties songs and original scores. The set and props look and feel like you’d imagine in the early sixties (as in not the Hollywood counterculture sixties or the sixties accidentally shown as the late fifties). Costumes are amazing; they actually make the original X-suits and Emma Frost’s wardrobe look cool. And although I said that the continuity was screwed up, they definitely captured the spirit of the Lee/Kirby X-Men, and even threw in a few cameos and comic references (even a few Children of the Atom ones).

From http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3982670080/tt1270798

I know I’m probably sounding very enthusiastic about the film, but it’s true, X-Men: First Class is really good. I didn’t expect it to be; in fact, I thought it was going to be terrible. But low and behold, not only did it pass my decency standard, it excelled it. Now, I know some of you might be asking, “Is it the best X-Men film?” Honestly, I never liked comparisons to begin with. Especially since this is so different from the first trilogy. It’s like trying to compare the Lee/Kirby X-Men with the Jim Lee X-Men. But let’s put it this way. I felt the same way about this film as I did with watching X-Men for the first time about ten years ago.

Now, all we can do is hope that this film does well, and gives us an X-Men: First Class trilogy, a second Wolverine film, maybe another spin-off, and perhaps even a fourth modern X-Men film.

For more X-Men: First Class coverage, listen to our review podcast!

http://mcneilmatinee.blogspot.com/2011/06/review-x-men-first-class-12.html

Monday, June 6, 2011
Review: X-MEN FIRST CLASS * * * 1/2

With every day, and from both sides of my intelligence,
the moral and the intellectual,
I thus drew steadily nearer to the truth,
by whose partial discovery I have been doomed to such a dreadful shipwreck:
That man is not truly one, but truly two.

- Robert Louis Stevenson

X-MEN; FIRST CLASS begins with the origins of Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) and Charles Xavier (James McAvoy). Erik was yanked from a Jewish concentration camp as a child and exploited by a Nazi doctor to further his research. The doctor, named Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) wants Erik to better understand his curious gift for being able to control and manipulate metal. However, Sebastian is bound and determined to exploit Erik's understanding of his ability through methods that will suit his own gains. Erik eventually makes his way into the world, powerful, sad, and tremendously angry.

Charles Xavier on the other hand is very aware of his telepathic and telekinetic gifts from an early age. Making matters better is the fact that he is approached as a child by another gifted youngster: a girl named Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) who sneaks into Charles' house and confirms to him that he's not alone as a mutant.

Years later, the world seems poised for nuclear war, and little do the superpowers at the time realizer that they are being manipulated by Shaw for his own gains. Shaw is backed by a talented group of mutants, including a diamond skinned telepath named Emma Frost (January Jones), a teleporter named Azazel, and a man who can manipulate the elements named Riptide.

An American CIA operative named Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) is the first to put together how Shaw is pulling the strings, and it's she who approaches Xavier - now a professor specializing in mutation - for help. Along with reaching out to the very angry and very powerful Erik for help, Xavier is quick to point out that in order to counter Shaw, the CIA will have to enlist young talent with mutated abilities of their own...and that Erik and Charles will have to be involved in helping them learn how to use their abilities.

It's no small co-incidence that FIRST CLASS zeroes in on the theme of allegiance, after all every other X-MEN film to date has centred on that very theme. What makes it so omnipresent in the X-Men stories is the manner in which allegiance tends to shift so very often. This gives the fantastical story a true relevance, as it is human nature to sway our loyalty to whatever serves our interests best at any given moment. We like to believe that at heart we are people of conviction, but any conviction - good or bad - can be bent when the chips are down and someone on the other side looks to be the answer.

While the Stevenson quote deals more with instinct versus reason, it can also be applied to the struggle of staying true to what one believes versus caving in to what is convenient. It would be very easy for all of the newly minted X-Men to forsake Charles and Erik, and instead align themselves with Sebastian Shaw. After all if mankind is truly ready to align themselves against mutants, then it seems inconvenient for mutants to squabble amongst themselves, right? However, it is clear that Sebastian isn't interested in bringing about peace with humanity, and with that he causes mutants to draw lines between each other, and decide just how much they care about doing what's "right".

Making the decision muddier, Sebastian Shaw throws down the gauntlet of "If you are not with us, then you are against us". What's interesting about this is how incorrect it really is. Often in life we find ourselves dissenting a cause, or a leader...and it's not because we are opposed to what that cause or leader is supposed to represent. We choose not to stand "with" someone like Sbeastian, because we disagree with the method. In FIRST CLASS nobody seems to encapsulate that more than Erik. He might hate Sebastian enough to want to kill him - but he doesn't neccessarily think Sbeastian is wrong about where humanity is headed.

The way FIRST CLASS builds upon these ideas is key to what makes it work, and what brings the franchise back to the excellence we first encountered in X2. With the exception of the particularly blank January Jones, the film features a wonderful cast - many of whom are given the unenviable task of channeling what we've already been given by other truly gifted actors. I didn't necessarily need a subtitle telling me where every last scene was set, but that's a minor flaw in the execution. The decision to use The Cuban Missile Crisis as the spine of the story is an inspired touch, and Matthew Vaughan guides the whole show with a subtle hand that one wouldn't expect after a film like KICK-ASS.

I do find myself left with one question though, and that is the question of "What Now?". While there is a sizeable story gap between where this film ends and where X1 begins (or likewise, where WOLVERINE ends), I can't see more than one more film coming down the line with this cast of actors. If that's the case, why did the writers choose to take this story as far as they took it...and end it where they did?

However, that is a question for things happening outside of the edges of the screen. What happens within the edges of the screen is something intelligent and well made. It's a film about balance. The balance between what is right, and what is simple. The balance between what one stands for, and how to stand for it. The balance between raw talent, and honed ability.

Most of all though, the film represents a balance between fun blockbuster, and intelligent ideas.

What did you think? Please leave comments with your thoughts and reactions to X-MEN: FIRST CLASS

Posted by The Mad Hatter at 8:00 AM

http://www.racialicious.com/2011/06/06/open-thread-x-men-first-class/

Open Thread: X-Men: First Class
By Arturo On June 6, 2011 · 57 Comments and 6 Reactions

By Arturo R. García

So Latoya, Andrea and I did a groupchat last night in order to dicuss this movie, especially one plot beat that raised some eyebrows online.

Then the chat transcript got lost. But we’re working on reassembling our group review for later in the week. In the meantime, if you’ve seen the movies, feel free to weigh in.

Be aware: I’ll post some of the topics we covered under the cut, but after that, it’s heavy spoiler territory.

Okay, so if you’ve seen the movies, you probably twigged to all of the following:

The death of Darwin. Seriously, WTF?
The over-accelerated character arcs for everybody (this was my pet peeve; First Class should’ve been a two-film story.)
The rampant genderfail when it came to the depictions of Emma Frost, Angel Salvatore, Mystique and Moira McTaggert.
The use of marginalization language in the film – and, really, of the X-Men franchise as a whole.
The character choices: notice how the characters of color – Riptide (the wind guy) was played by a Latino, while Angel was played by Zoe Kravitz, Lenny’s daughter – sided either with Sebastian Shaw, then with Magneto?

Your thoughts, readers?

http://www.periscopedepth.com/2011/06/06/xmen-first-class/

sterling, cooper, lensherr, xavier

Posted on | June 6, 2011 | 1 Comment

X-Men: First Class: Best X-Men movie since the first one. Stylish, engaging and yet still good fun.

In my oft-cited contribution to the Why We Overthink thousand-post milestone on OTI, I defended my snobbery by saying “mere enthusiasm is not enough to make something Good Art.” X-Men: First Class supports my claim. While the stylistic choices don’t break any new ground – mirror-image cinematography, aping Mad Men style – they are, at least, stylistic choices. It’s done better than in the first movie, where the villains are a giant dressed like a drifter, a naked blue woman, a leapfrogging jester and an old guy in Nouveau Fasciste, who live in a cave off the coast of, well, never mind.

Of course, it’s by Matthew Vaughn of Kick-Ass, so it’s not perfect. Every female with more than two lines prances around in her underwear within 10 seconds of her first appearance. The movie’s got its share of attractive guys. I could practically hear Meghan biting her lip as Michael Fassbender struts around Argentina in a tight polo shirt, and Nicholas Hoult (Hank McCoy / Beast) is probably a fan favorite. But they all keep their shirts on like they’re embarrassed, or rather Vaughn is embarrassed for them.

The dialogue has the usual comic book kitsch: James McAvoy repeats all the important stuff twice per sentence, and Jennifer Lawrence does the best she can with a bad hand. Kevin Bacon must have loved showing up to work every day and the enthusiasm shows on screen. January Jones delivers her lines on cue, and Oliver Platt and Michael Ironside play themselves.

Check out the podcast if you want to hear more (SPOILERS). I may also have an OTI post next week on the subject. For now: highly recommended.

http://www.reviewspew.com/2011/06/x-men-first-class-review.html

6.06.2011
X-Men First Class review
Monday, June 06, 2011

Let's take a short trip to the past. All the way back to the Summer of 2003. I had just seen X2 and couldn't be happier about what I had just witnessed. That movie had done nearly everything right and ended in a way that left room for a perfect sequel that could have done the Dark Phoenix Saga justice. What we got 3 years later was X-Men 3: The Last Stand. Overall it was a sloppy movie with dozens of wasted opportunities and meaningless deaths. Suffice to say, I hated it. Add Xmen Origins: Wolverine and all my hopes of redemption for the Xmen were dashed away.

When I heard they were making a prequel entitle First Class set in the 60's, I was concerned and not hopeful. I was a little relieved the Matthew Vaughan (Kick-Ass) was brought on to direct it, but all signs were pointing to the filming being rushed for a Summer 2011 release.

Xmen First Class starts the story of Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) as they meet for the first time and discover other mutants as well. Their group of rag-tag (who says rag-tag?) mutants are recruited by the government to track down the international super-criminal Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) who Magneto has a vendetta against so it serves his purposes.

McAvoy and Fassbender are fantastic in their roles as ill-fated friends. McAvoy actually gives Professor X a personality and charisma. He isn't just the overly serious Professor X. Michael Fassbender is great as Erik Lensherr (Magneto) and is menacing as he seems to always be on the verge of losing it at any moment. It was good to see Kevin Bacon again and he surprisingly makes for a good villain. The rest of the mutants were essentially place-holders and you feel nothing for them, except for maybe Beast and Mystique. I could have done without the whiny Mystique altogether.

The first half of the movie plays out like a world-hopping Bond film. It was good to get the backstories of Erik and Charles but it did not feel like an Xmen movie and was a little too frantic. Once the movie hit the halfway point it really takes off and the action sequences begin.

If this movie does well they will definitely have sequels and those movies are said to tie in to the original Xmen trilogy. I would be quite happy to see McAvoy and Fassbender act against each other again, I only hope the sequels wouldn't fall back on the human-to-mutant bigotry that the original trilogy relied on.

There are flaws in this movie. Do not believe the commercials that claim that it is on par with The Dark Knight. First Class is not. Though it is a pretty great return for the Xmen and the best movie in the series since X2. I'm thinking it's going to be a great summer. Xmen First Class does not ride coach. (sorry, I had to do it) I give it 4 stars.

http://davesmoviesite.blogspot.com/2011/06/movie-review-x-men-first-class.html

Monday, June 6, 2011
Movie Review: X-Men: First Class
X-Men: First Class *** ½
Directed by: Matthew Vaughn.
Written by: Ashley Miller & Zack Stentz and Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn & Sheldon Turner and Bryan Singer.
Starring: James McAvoy (Charles Xavier), Michael Fassbender (Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto), Jennifer Lawrence (Raven / Mystique), Kevin Bacon (Sebastian Shaw), Rose Byrne (Moira MacTaggert), January Jones (Emma Frost), Álex González (Janos Quested / Riptide), Jason Flemyng (Azazel), Zoë Kravitz (Angel Salvadore), Nicholas Hoult (Hank McCoy / Beast), Caleb Landry Jones (Sean Cassidy / Banshee), Edi Gathegi (Armando Muñoz / Darwin), Lucas Till (Alex Summers / Havok), Oliver Platt (Man In Black Suit), Bill Milner (Young Erik).

X-Men: First Class is the fifth X-Men movie made in the past 12 years. Other than X2: X-Men Unite, I have been somewhat disappointed with the X-Men movies. There is so much here that they can do, and for the most part, they have chosen the path of least resistance. It isn’t just that they changed Rogue into a teenager, or screwed up Gambit completely when they finally introduced him, or that they screwed up Jean Grey’s Dark Phoenix storyline completely and totally. I understand changes need to be made. It’s just that the movies never seem to be quite as good as they could have and should have been. The exception was X2, which was far and away the best in the series, and really one of the best superhero movies of the many we have seen this past decade. X-Men: First Class is almost the equal of X2 – and for that, I am grateful.

X-Men: First Class sets up what is to become the biggest rivalry in the X-Men universe. It lets us see Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), before he has become Professor X (before he has even gone bald or become paralyzed from the waist down), who will preach tolerance and peaceful co-existence between mutants and humans. It lets us see Eric Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) before he becomes Magneto, and preaches mutant superiority and the destruction of the human race. As we have long known, these two were once friends. For the first time in the movies, X-Men: First Class lets us see that, and what leads to the split.

The movie opens with a young Eric being led into the Concentration Camps during WWII. He is Jewish, and in the agony of being separated from his parents, he freaks out, and seemingly bends a metal gate with his mind. This catches the attention of a Nazi scientist Sebastian (Kevin Bacon), who brings Eric in and has him try and move a coin with his mind. He cannot do it, until Sebastian brings in Eric’s mother and shoots her in the head. Then Eric moves not only the coin, but everything made of metal anywhere close to him. Sebastian has his key for tapping into Eric’s power – pain and anger. At this same time, we first meet a young Charles, who comes downstairs in his mansion, and sees his mother in the kitchen – which is odd because his mother doesn’t cook. He soon realizes that this is not his mother, but another mutant – Raven (who will become Mystique). He is excited that there is someone different like him out there.

Most of the action though takes place in the 1960s, around the Cuban missile crisis. Eric has taken to tracking down Nazis, with his main target being Sebastian, and Charles has become involved with the CIA, who is also tracking Sebastian because of his strange friends and powers. The CIA wants a team to counter Sebastian – and eventually Eric will meet Charles and become a kind of co-leader of the team, most of whom are still teenagers, who Charles tracks with the aid of a machine made by young genius Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult), who has a secret of his own.

To a certain extent, X-Men: First Class suffers a little from what all superhero origin movies suffer from – the fact that the film has to explain everyone’s powers when they introduce a new mutant. But, for the most part, the film avoids this problem by putting together a new of mutant recruiting montage that introduces everyone and their powers quickly and easily. This is not like the recent Thor that had to spend so much time introducing the characters and their powers that there was little time left over for the actual story. If anything, X-Men: First Class has too much story, not the other way around.

The film was directed by Matthew Vaughn, who you may remember was the original choice to replace Bryan Singer when he left to make Superman Returns before the third X-Men movie. Because of creative differences, Vaughn left that movie, but considering fan reaction to that film, I guess the studio decided this time to trust that Vaughn knows what he is doing. And he does. This film is fast paced, and rather fun. McAvoy was an excellent choice for a young Charles Xavier, and Fassbender, one of the best actors anywhere in the world right now, obviously relishes his chance to play Magneto. Yet the movie takes its time, allows these characters and the others to become people, defined more than just by their superpowers. In Kevin Bacon, the film has an excellent villain – someone to play off brilliantly. Yes, the plot is rather silly if you sit down and think about it, but in the context of the movie and the universe it has created, it makes sense.

For the most part, I am suffering a little bit from superhero fatigue. Every year, we seem to get more and more superhero movies – this summer has already seen Thor and this movie, and still has Green Lantern and Captain America coming up. That is because, for the most part, these movies all have the same basic plot outline, and the same characters, even if their powers are different of course. Yet, for whatever reason, X-Men: First Class sucked me into this world like few superhero movies have been able to do in the past few years. No, it does not redefine the genre like Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins and The Dark Knight did. Yet, it is stellar example of how good the genre can still be.
Posted by Dave Van Houwelingen at 8:30 AM

http://blogs.indiewire.com/reverseshot/archives/monday_hangover_xmen/

Monday Hangover: X-Men: First Class

Monday Hangover
X-Men: First Class
By Keith Uhlich and Jeff Reichert

The things we do for movie love: I haven’t checked in with the X-Men franchise since 2003’s X2, which I found to be as “meh” as 2000’s first installment, only a half-hour longer and with the gay suprasubtext taken to a few hilariously limp-wristed extremes. (“We love what you’ve done with your hair,” sayeth the ham McKellen, scaly-blue fag hag Mystique at his side, to Anna Paquin’s Rogue.) Would that I believed in the defiant queerness, but like all of the movie series’ shout-outs to human rights struggles of various stripes—with the mutants as ever-present minority—it just came off as a sop to significance in-between all the bustling and deadening special effects. By the time Brett Ratner, the Cobra Commander of crass über-hacks, took over from Bryan Singer for 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, it was easy for me to decide to spend my money elsewhere. Ditto 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine (from the guy who made . . . Rendition and Tsotsi!?).

So why my interest in X-Men: First Class? Two (lasciviously pronounced) words: Michael Fassbender. And not just because his re-chiseled, post-Hunger torso made Fish Tank’s faux-kitchen-sink inanity bearable. With his perfect mix of presence and essence, he’s blessed with something more elusive: he’s a star and an actor. (Best. Rochester. Ever.) And dammit, he gives a performance in First Class as the intense, vengeful, and significantly de-gayed Erik Lensherr, a.k.a. Magneto. He’s fairly exhilarating when doing his “Simon Wiesenthal: Nazi Hunter” act in the film’s first third (even though here the character seems to be enacting a wish-fulfillment reprise of Fassbender’s doomed critic-cum-spy arc in Inglourious Basterds). A scene set in a tavern, where Mags kills two of the men who oversaw his concentration camp imprisonment, is like a B-side to Tarantino’s film—though Matthew Vaughn’s direction is strictly ballooning-budget Z-grade. Continue reading.

robbiefreeling posted to Monday Hangover at 11:18 am on June 6, 2011

http://www.ftrc.com/film-club/ftrc-film-club-has-a-first-class-kind-of-week/

FTRC Film Club has a First Class kind of week

This week FTRC Film Club went to see comic-book prequel X-Men: First Class! Did they think it was worthy of a gold star? Or did they think it was, well, a bit rubbish?

Usual spoiler warning applies. Read on!

Aisha ‘thought it was amazing! I thought Fassbender and McAvoy were brill too… I liked that they gave both sides, though I’m really not sure whose side I’m on. I like films like that’.

Rachel thought ‘this was such an amazing film, written well and the cast were fantastic! I loved the 60′s vibe and really want the soundtrack…cameos were a great surprise. I just loved this film’!

Anyone who stood out for her? ‘I think Fassbender has got a lot of notice for this film, even though he’s always done amazing performances I think this will be his breakout role’. She also felt a bit of similarity with another big franchise – ‘a lot of people have compared it to James Bond and it did totally have a James Bond feel…even in the end credits I felt I had just watched a Bond’.

Dave? ‘Very well done, the initial story went so well hand in hand with showing the origin stories of the main characters… Fassbender was the best person in it by a country mile’.

It wasn’t all good news, though. ‘There were parts I didn’t enjoy, such as the way the training scene was cut “comic” style…I didn’t feel it fitted in right with the tone of the rest of the film’.

Yasmin: ‘It was awesome! Michael Fassbender was fantastic, so intense as Magneto. Best thing I’ve seen him do! My fave movie at the cinema of the year so far I think…I’m surprised it’s had 3/5 in reviews, it’s a 4 star movie for me, I’d watch it again’.

What did franchise newbie Alison think? ‘It was an interesting film because I haven’t seen all the X-Men films. Only the first one… I think this is a good film for people who aren’t familiar with the franchise to watch and get interested in it’. Her favourite performance? ‘I loved Kevin Bacon. He was awesome. There is also something about him that I was attracted to…’

Elena? ‘I loved it and until last night I’d never seen an X-Men film! Hasn’t it got a great cast? I can’t really fault anyone I don’t think…really enjoyed it from plot and effects to chemistry between characters. I want to watch the other films now’!

Jonathan ‘absolutely LOVED it! I would probably be inclined to agree that this is my film of 2011 so far! Amazing film! Brilliant writing and plotting. Wolverine showed that sometimes origin films can go wrong, but this proved that in the right hands, it can be done really, really well’.

Adam thought it was ‘sheer brilliance! It has redeemed the X-Men franchise after the atrocity that was The Last Stand. There were a few things that didn’t sit right with me, but that’s because I’m a mahoosive X-Men fan. There were also a few contradictions but overall absolutely fantastic’!

‘I particularly liked the relationship between Magneto and Mystique, explains why she was so close to him in the original films’.

Kurt ‘also really enjoyed it. It was a very cool film (haven’t said that a lot lately) and I didn’t want it to end. It was also great to see Kevin Bacon play a baddie and he was properly hamming it up at times. Loved it’.

Kurt was also loving Michael Fassbender. ‘I loved the “James Bond” feel to Magneto as he was jetsetting around the world looking for Shaw. And the bit in the Argentinian pub was great’.

And Katie? ‘I really enjoyed it and loved the cameos. McEvoy and Fassbender were awesome and so was Nicholas Hoult who I didn’t realise was going to be in it – I was impressed by his American accent’.

Maxine ‘really enjoyed it but I was a bit confused with some of the characters’.

Chris thought it was ‘great to have such a good movie to talk about. Good story, great acting, just the bad guys could have got more dialogue and there were many errors in continuity’.

‘The Rebecca cameo was really good, however don’t you think it’s odd the future version of Mystique hates Charles so much’?

Andrew loved it. ‘Certainly on second watch there are a lot more flaws highlighted, but for a film that really came about in 10 months it’s jaw-dropping. The effects may be hit and miss, some character plotlines oddly rushed, but Fassbender’s Magneto and McAvoy’s Xavier make for such electricity on screen that nearly everything can be forgiven. Amazing talents at the top of their games, in a summer blockbuster of all things’.

And last but not least, Peter? ‘Deffo cheesy in parts but good pace, story and well put together’.

Ah, we love it when everyone likes the movie. Makes us feel all warm and smiley.

The first thing we have to say about it is that we’re now kind of in love with Michael Fassbender. His Magneto is possibly the suavest (and best-dressed) comic book hero-turned-villain we have ever seen. The rest of the cast are pretty good too – honourable mentions have to go to Nick Hoult’s ability to pull off the blue hairy look and James McAvoy’s impressive concentration face.

Plot-wise it’s actually a really good film to introduce the whole X-Universe to the uninitiated. And for the hardcore fans? A couple of well-placed cameos and the odd in-joke. Which we were totally proud of ourselves for getting, by the way.
There were a couple of continuity errors and moments when the special effects looked a teensy bit hokey – but this movie involves a flying submarine, several designs of all-in-one uniform and James McAvoy so we can forgive the odd slip.

Overall? A really good film. Go see! And bring on those prequel-sequels….

But just what is this Film Club malarkey all about? It’s simples, really. Each week we send a pair of cinema tix (ODEON or Cineworld, whichever is best) to 10 of our most active Facebook/Twitter followers. We put the film we’re going to see to the vote, and the winning film is the one we all go to see. Then we all sit around on Facebook on the Sunday night (6.30) and chat about it. Magic. Sound like something you want to get involved with? Drop us a line at twitter.com/f_t_r_c or on Facebook at on.fb.me/d4dMv8

June 6th, 2011

http://hidesquadron.com/blog/?p=663

X-Men: “First Class” (as in high quality)

This Movie defied all odds by being Fantastic

I did not like X-Men 2. I really didn’t like X-Men 3: The Last Stand. X-Men Origins: Wolverine might be the worst pile of slop ever thrown into a movie reel.

Let’s face it. Even with Sir Patrick Stewart Captain Jean-Luc Picard on board, all the sequels to the original X-Men movie (which I enjoyed) were crap. I had absolutely no faith in a prequel concept I heard about a year ago, and were it not for the pleading of a friend (she was really persuasive, saying I could go to see the previews, which I also enjoy) I probably would not have seen X-Men: First Class.

Boy, I’m glad she got me to go.

This movie was great! It had everything you would want in a prequel, including gratuitous retcon of established story lines (although this time, they retconned just about everything that was awful about the last few movies.) Somehow, they even managed to get rid of the worst thing about the X-Men. That’s right folks! Wolverine is not in the film!

Spoiler-Free(ish) Plot:

Set in the 1960′s during the Cuban Missile Crisis, newly minted Professor Charles Xavier puts together a team of young mutants in order to fight another team of not-as-young evil mutants (lead by a surprisingly engaging Kevin Bacon.) The bad mutants are trying to start World War III by forcing Americans and Russians to fire nukes at each other. The good mutants, working with the CIA, try to stop them.

The Good Guys: (From left to right) Banshee, Magneto, Mystique, Moira MacTaggert, Beast, Xavier, Havok

The plot worked well for an origin story, and I really enjoyed a fictional spin on the always-interesting Cuban Missile Crisis. Kevin Bacon, who plays the leader-villain Sebastian Shaw, was very convincing as a bad guy that can absorb (and subsequently release) energy. The two stars, however, are Xavier and Magneto, who were perfectly portrayed by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, respectively. Both had huge shoes to fill, as the two characters were previously played by two actors who were knighted by the Queen (Sir Ian McKellen Gandalf the Grey and Sir Patrick Stewart). I was impressed by both of their attention to detail as the characters were well adapted to their younger counterparts by these two actors, and they carried it with the level of goovy-ness that can only have occurred in a story that takes place in the 60′s.

Michael Fassbender as Magneto. The helmet was necessary, but still unwanted

Oddly enough, this movie really carries the back story of Magneto well, which surprised me considering another “Origins” movie about him was talked about for a good while. Let it be clear: There should not be an “X-Men: Origins: Magneto” now. There is no need. This movie takes what we know about his roots in a Nazi Concentration camp and picks up his struggle for revenge from there. They did a great job moving him from good guy to bad guy, and by doing so highlights the overarching conflict of humans vs. mutants that so drastically tears Magneto apart from his friend, Xavier.

James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier

Charles Xavier is a challenging character to play, mostly because of Patrick Stewart. McAvoy took the character, made him younger and more naive, and made a ton of bald jokes throughout the film. All of these were good things. Xavier is easily the most compelling character in the movie and his friendship gone awry with Magneto is almost Shakespearean in its tragedy (something Patrick Stewart is bound to appreciate). The character is overflowing with optimism for mutant-kind, and even as a young man he is clearly a father figure to the mutants around him. Even without his budding wisdom and genius level knowledge of the issues, he has the know-how to build a team of good people. This is the fundamental point of this particular origin story, and it was portrayed well, with McAvoy being the primary reason.

Conclusion:

If you have any interest in the comics, movies, or just like good revisionist history of real-world events, this movie will entertain you. It was a well done prequel and eliminates most of the stupid plot lines and moments of the past films by simply pretending they never occurred. Best of all, no Wolverine. Thank god.

4 out of 5 stars. I was really surprised by this movie, having hated the last bunch. Great Work.

~Jimmy “I never understood the amount of love Wolverine got as a character.” the G.

This post has a Shenanaganary rating of:

“Too bad these guys will not be in the Avengers movie. Shame.”
James George

This entry was posted by James George on June 6, 2011 at 10:35 am

http://anotherplotdevice.com/2011/06/05/x-men-first-class/

Movie Review – X-Men: First Class
by Nick on June 5, 2011

If you have never been to a midnight showing of a movie, you are missing out on a rather unique experience. While you could be doing better things like sleeping or socializing at a bar, I rather enjoy the midnight movie viewings. I have been to Star Wars showings, almost every major tent pole comic book movie and the Star Trek midnight showing. Now I am aware that the list I have just given is a big red flag for my general nerdiness, but f&#! it. Being in a theater full of like-minded individuals, getting to partake in a cinematic experience is really this one of a kind of feeling. The anticipation, the hype, the geek aura that permeates the theater (that could be the general hygiene of the crowd), that is what I felt when getting to take part in the midnight showing of X-Men First Class.

With a hotly anticipated movie, a beginning to all things X-Men and a chance to redeem the series that went wayward in the third movie, does First Class find a way to tie the mythos of the X-Men series together or (going to use a pun here) does the latest movie flunk its First Class (groan)?

Plot Synopsis:

As usual I am going to give a brief overview as I want people to go and see this movie.

First Class gives us the origin of how it all begins. Set during 1962 and Cuban Missile Crisis, the movie takes place in an alternate reality where the world’s super powers were right at the brink of war. We learn about the origin stories of Magneto and Professor Xavier, how they both dealt with their back story and how they were close friends. Both Xavier and Magneto find a common enemy to band together to defeat. We see the early beginning of the X-Men team and the start of the Brotherhood of Mutants. Both Xavier and Magneto look to stop the main villain, Sebastian Shaw, and the possible start of World War III.

Again, brief synopsis, but the point is go see this damn movie now!

Actors:

Now with the large ensemble cast of characters and actors, I am only going to focus he review on the more pivotal characters. So Kevin Bacon, January Jones, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, and Jennifer Lawrence will be talked about. Sad to say, but this review would be far longer if I decided to talk about all the side characters that make up the movie. And there are a lot of them.

James McAvoy as Professor Charles Xavier: The man who guides the steady hand of mutant and human relations, McAvoy did an exemplary job portraying the monk like mutant Xavier. While hard to mimic Patrick Stewarts performance, McAvoy brought a young, vibrant feel to the early years of Xavier. He had an ego, but always kept a clear head of the objectives he had to complete. While Xavier is an idealist and hopes that mutants and humans can co-exist, it is his interaction with Magnet (Michael Fassbender) produces the best scenes of the movie. Their friendship is deep (Bromance) and the eventual heartache that happens when the two spilt ways is beautiful and tragic to watch. James McAvoy produced an amazing Xavier in both the mannerisms of the founder of the X-Men and his civil rights struggle for mutant kind.

Michael Fassbender as Magnet/Erik Lehnsherr: A character marred in tragedy and fuel with hatred, Fassbender had a lot of to accomplish with portraying the leader of the Brotherhood. Needing to be both humanized and charismatic, Magneto is a character that is complex, but simple at the same time. Fassbender brought a sympathetic eye to Magneto considering the arc of the story is him exacting revenge against Sebastian Shaw for what he did to him in Poland during the Nazi occupation. Fassbender’s emotional display is intricate as you can see him convey numerous emotional cues like intrigue, humor, hate, and compassion in a small time span. The best scene is where Xavier approaches him for help in forming a team to combat Shaw. That scene has him change from hatred, to contemplating the offering, and acceptance in help. I was skeptical at first (which is my default mode) when they cast Fassbender as Magneto, but all that was shattered when you watch the early scenes in the movie where he portrays the hatred he has for humans and what they are capable of.

Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw/Dr. Schmidt: A cold and dangerous villain in the comics, Shaw was one of the founding members of the Hellfire Club and is the architect for the war between Russia and US. A powerful villain who sees humans as the weaker breed and evolution has proven that the strong only survive. Bacon was awesome as Shaw, since you need an actor who can chew the scenery and also just be a badass. I mean he gets to walk around with an ascot on in almost every scene, be this charismatic villain who wills others to be in the Hellfire Club. I think Bacon was fun to watch as a very powerful villain and reveled in Shaw’s opulence as a villain.

January Jones as Emma Frost/White Queen: Shaw’s right hand mutant, who has strong telepathic abilities and almost rivals that of Xavier, but also can turn her body in diamond, making her relatively invulnerable. Sad to say, her character was not developed or used to the best effect in the movie. The White Queen is strong character in the X-Men universe and very adept at manipulating both sides. While extremely beautiful, she is also a dangerous combatant, but in this movie, she is there as eye candy and a mechanism to push the plot forward. I was not a fan of January Jones as her performance was just cold and expressionless. I didn’t get the vamp, manipulative side of the character at all, but I will say this, she looks f#%@#&! smoking in her lingerie get up.

Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique/Raven: Wow, expressionless as can be. Watching her portray the shape-shifting vixen, Jennifer Lawrence just brought a flat characterization to the character. She has some bright spots in the movie, generally when she is talking to Magneto about her identity. You can see inevitable change of heart during these conversations between Mystique and Magneto, since she is by his side in the previous movies. Lawrence throughout the rest of the movie brought one look to the screen and felt like a teenager who just discovered girl power, or in this case mutant power. Her interactions with beast felt very high school as she was able to find someone who had a physical defect like her, and latched onto that character. She would end spouting some sort of positive reinforcement of mutant kind and the best emotional came from her reaction to seeing what happened to Xavier. She does look dynamite in blue paint I will say. But towards the end of the movie, her character started to show her true self, and I wanted a lot more of that since Mystique is a confused mutant without an identity.

Story/Direction:

Matthew Vaughn assembled a fantastic group of actors and orchestrated a grand, sweeping comic book movie. Despite all the terrible posters and press kits that went out for the movie, he was able to shatter expectations and bring that cool Brit-pop vibe to the movie. He interjects humor into the movie seamlessly so that it doesn’t detract from the story or movie experience and he throws that hardcore fans a couple of bones when it comes to easter eggs in the movie.

Vaughn, in my opinion, captured the overall theme of the X-Men, which is the struggle of the rejects of society. In every scene, there is some discussion about the co-existence of humans and mutants. It is what fuels the ending the movie, where both Magneto and Xavier have to confront their individual beliefs and the future of mutant and human kind. X-Men is about their civil rights struggle. Not to take anything away from the struggle of Blacks and Gays in society, but that is the essence of the X-Men comics. They are the dregs of society that no one wants or accepts. Much like satire is used to comically portray political issues (The Daily Show), X-Men was about the personal struggle of those who aren’t deemed normal. With Magneto and Xavier, you get two sides of the coin where one believes that human can be understanding and one that feels humans will never accept them. Xavier shares this belief that since they are gifted with powers beyond that of humans, they must use them for good and gain acceptance. Magneto, having lived through the Holocaust, knows that humans fear those that are different from them. He knows what atrocities than can commit in order to remain at the top of the hierarchy. Both characters represent different belief structures that eventually split them apart.

Vaughn did an amazing job at creating tension and tragedy between both sides. I never felt sadder than when we have to witness both Xavier and Magneto fracture their relationship because of their stance on human and mutant relations.

Music/Visuals:

As with any comic book movie, I expect to be wowed by the super powers that each mutant possesses. I loved the look and feel of the 1960′s that Vaughn portrayed. When it came down the costumes of the X-Men, it had the old school first generation look to them, although the costumes are leather since that is pretty sexy looking. I must say that everyone, mutant and human alike, looked rather stylish in their lounge suits and Madmen style outfits.

When it came down to the portrayals of the mutant powers, they looked awesome. There is something unique about taking a super power from the comics, in 2D, and bringing them to life on the big screen. It looks grand and powerful to watch as the powers have a life of their own. They are unique to their wielder and this each have their own little flair and life. The action set pieces were visually pleasing albeit short in some instances.

Overview:

I am not going to lie, I was grinning from ear to ear as I watched this movie. It is rare when I find myself immersed in a movie as much as the X-Men series has done for me. Vaughn was able to make a movie that appeases not only the casual audience member, but the hardcore fans as well. Showing the early incarnation of Cerebero, secondary characters like Darwin, one of the best cameo’s ever, all made for a fun movie to watch. X-Men has always had a special place in my heart, since it was the first comic book series I ever read and it pushed me into geekdom.

This was a movie that made me sympathize with both sides. The portrayal of Magneto by Fassbender was one the most humanizing portrayals of an X-Men in the entire series. To get you to sympathize with a man whose ultimate goal is mutant dominance is hard, but getting that much needed back story helps flesh out a character that was generally one-dimensional in the previous movies. I loved every minute of the movie and hope that they continue this series. Keeping with the theme and tone of the movies and the never-ending battle between the Brotherhood and the X-Men. Go out and watch this movie as soon as you can, from a comic book nerd who has a high regard for comic book movies, this is a must.

Rating: 4.5/5

http://pgcooper1939.wordpress.com/2011/06/05/pg-cooper-x-men-first-class-review/

PG Cooper: X-Men: First Class Review
Posted: June 5, 2011 by pgcooper1939

Release date: June 3rd, 2011

Written by: Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz, Jane Goldman, and Matthew Vaughn

Directed by: Matthew Vaughn

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, and Jennifer Lawrence

The comic book film genre owes a huge debt to the original X-Men film. While it wasn’t the first film based on a comic book franchise, it was the film that really started the comic book boom. In spite of all the comic films that have come since, the first X-Men still holds up well, as does it’s sequel, X2. The rest of the films in the series…not so much. X-Men 3 and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, I’d like to pretend they never happened. In the series, only half of the films are worth watching, but now First Class has come along to change that.

Of all the comic book films coming out this summer, this has always been my most anticipated. The first two X-Men films are great, and the second is among the best films in the genre. As bad as the most recent films were, it was clear a new direction was being taken with First Class. Plus, it had Matthew Vaughn directing, and I really enjoyed his last film, Kick Ass. Then the reviews started coming in, reviews calling it a great film, and one of the best, some even saying it was as good as The Dark Knight. My expectations were high, extremely high, but could First Class live up to that?

X-Men: First Class takes place in 1962, and shows how a young Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr, A.K.A Magneto, (Michael Fassbender) came together to form the X-Men. After graduating from Oxford in England, Xavier is recruited by the CIA due to his expertise revolving mutation. He ends up having to track down mutant Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) and his team of mutants. Shaw plans on starting a nuclear war between the Americans and the Soviets so mutants can rise from the ashes and take the world for themselves. Meanwhile, Lensherr is hunting down Shaw for experiments Shaw performed on him when he was a boy. The two attack Shaw on the same night. While Shaw gets away, Charles and Erik meet for the first time. They then begin to recruit other mutants in order to stop Shaw.

While there is quite a lot going on in terms of plot, the movie really boils down to the relationship between Erik and Charles. This relationship has always been a highlight of the series, and I was curious to see how First Class would handle it. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender play Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr, respectively. Both are fantastic in their roles, and stand shoulder to shoulder with the previous actors to play these parts (Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen). The Xavier here is a different one then we’ve seen in previous films. He’s a much younger man, and we get to see a side to him we never have before. We see him drinking, partying, chasing women, the typical things someone his age does. Through all this, we still see the wise Xavier, and it’s clear this is definitely the same man who we know and love from the original films. McAvoy does a great job with all this, as he’s really likable, yet also commands your respect, despite being so young.

Just as good is Michael Fassbender as Erik Lensherr/Magneto. Magneto is one of my all time favourite comic book villains, and Ian McKellen did such a great job I didn’t think anyone else could pull it off. Michael Fassbender proved me wrong. He really captures the pain and torment of Magneto’s character, and you really sympathize with him. Also, like Xavier, you see how this Erik becomes the Magneto we know from the other films. Despite are eliciting the audience’s sympathies, Fassbender still evokes the same sense of terror and menace that McKellen brought to the part. McAvoy and Fassbender are both so good in these roles, I’d argue they surpass Stewart and McKellen’s original interpretations of the characters.

Whenever the two are on screen, they command it. Their scenes together are the highlight of the film. From little things such as the two playing chess with each other (which was in the original films) to the scenes where their ideologies are clashing, it’s all so well executed. Throughout the film, there’s a real sense of dramatic irony. We know how things end up, we know Xavier and Magneto are destine to be in conflict. Even knowing this, you can’t help but want things to be different. There is a strong friendship between Charles and Erik, and you want them to stay friends even though you know it won’t happen. The final scene between the two is especially good and is extremely emotional.

The rest of the cast is also very good, even though none of them reach the same level McAvoy and Fassbender are on. Jennifer Lawrence brings a new depth to Mystique as she is caught between both Charles and Erik. On one hand, she’s a long time friend of Xavier (an angle of the story I loved), but she really sees things from Erik’s point of view. I wasn’t too impressed with Lawrence in her Oscar-nominated role for Winter’s Bone, but she really impressed me here. The rest of the new mutants are all good. They aren’t given much to do, but all of them leave a good impression. In fact, this is the first X-Men movie where you really love the whole team. Where all of them are really likable and memorable.

The villains in the film are good, but not great. Sebastian Shaw’s overall plan is very generic and taken right out of a Saturday morning cartoon. Now, Kevin Bacon does a lot with the role and makes him far more intriguing then he should. Plus, Shaw is somewhat a reflection of what Erik will eventually become, which also adds to him a bit. He’s mutant allies were also solid. My favourite is Azazel. Think Nightcrawler, but red, with a sword, and a bad guy. He didn’t have a single line of dialogue, but damn he was awesome. The other two, Emma Frost and Riptide, were alright, nothing special.

The film is well written, and the it integrates the villains plot, history, and human prejudice together very well. Some history buffs may take issue with how the film deals with the Cuban Missile Crisis, but I liked it. The movie is also very well paced, balancing comedy, drama, and action perfectly. Of all the X-Men films, this one is easily the most fun. It’s definitely a dramatic film and there are plenty of weighty moments, but it’s still a lot of fun, and probably the most fun I’ve had in a theater all year. The main reason for this is because of the team they assemble, and how much you like them. It also helps that they’re young people, and have this youthful energy to them that’s easy to get behind.

Vaughn handles the action very well, better than Bryan Singer even did. The climax is awesome, with a lot of mutants dishing it out with some awesome fight choreography, camerawork, and special effects utilized. There’s also a lot of fantastic scenes involving Magneto’s powers, including using a chain to destroy a boat, raising a submarine from the ocean, and stopping a wave of missiles. There’s also some smaller yet just as effective scenes regarding his powers, like Magneto using his powers to torture Nazis.

Matthew Vaughn has done a lot with X-Men: First Class. He’s made a film that surpasses his last one (Kick Ass), he’s made the best X-Men film to date, and finally, he’s made the best Marvel film to date. X-Men: First Class isn’t quite on the level of say, The Dark Knight, but it’s not too far off either, and it’s certainly the best comic book film since The Dark Knight. It’s fun, action packed, dramatic, and features two great performances from young actors I can’t wait to see more of. I don’t care who you are or what kind of films you like, you don’t wanna miss this.

Rating: A

http://flicksfan.blogspot.com/2011/06/movie-review-x-men-first-class.html

Sunday, June 5, 2011
MOVIE REVIEW: X-MEN FIRST CLASS
IN THEATERS

Set in the era before Professor Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr became mortal enemies as Professor X and Magneto, respectively, director Matthew Vaughn's X-Men: First Class follows the two former allies as they lead a powerful team of mutants on a mission to save the planet from nuclear annihilation. Charles (James McAvoy) and Erik (Michael Fassbender) were just young men when it began to appear as if the world was careening toward destruction. And as the Doomsday Clock ticks faster toward midnight, the time comes to take action. In the process of saving humanity, however, Charles and Erik clash. In the years that followed, Professor X would lead the X-Men in the fight for good, as Magneto and the Brotherhood spread chaos and destruction throughout the land. Kevin Bacon, Caleb Landry Jones, Nicholas Hoult, January Jones, and Lucas Till star in a film directed by Matthew Vaughn and adapted from a story by Bryan Singer. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence

Release Date: Jun 03, 2011

Rated PG-13 for Intense sequences of action and violence, some sexual content including brief partial nudity and language

Runtime: 2 hr. 20 min.

Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Review:

X-Men First Class is a movie that I had serious skepticism about from inception. Matthew Vaughn being given the directing reigns quelled some of those fears but not all. Any fan of the franchise would be hard pressed to have any sort of hope after X-Men The Last Stand and the criminally atrocious Wolverine X-men Origins film. This prequel faced plenty of challenges and somehow someway it overcame them all. Vaughn delivered one of the best superhero movies ever, just shy of The Dark Knight. A stellar cast working from a strong script brings a thoroughly engaging experience that rarely drags. Michael Fassbender leads the cast with a performance that brings all the rare and pain that his character suffers. Fassbender’s matched by a spot of James McAvoy who’s performance as Charles Xavier is respectful of Patrick Stewart’s original run yet singular in of itself. Jennifer Lawrence taking up the reigns as Mystique is a more than capable and its always good to see certain characters get fleshed out a bit more, ditto for Beast. Kevin Bacon is appropriately sinister and nefarious as the villain. January Jones, who can’t seem to stretch beyond the stepford wife persona, has perfected the art of acting via blinking and cleavage. Vaughn stages the action in epic fashion and even with a few questionable musical choices they never cease to impress. The scale and scope of the story are huge and impressive, A perfect way to restart the series.

A

PostScript

How I paid 90 dollars to see X-men First Class

In case if wasn’t terribly obvious I’m a bit of a nerd. So in perfect nerdish fashion I looked for the first showing of First Class in Las Vegas where I’d be for the week. Nothing says Vegas more than checking out the latest superhero movie afterall. Through a series of missteps and google confusion thing became terribly confused and expensive. I boarded a taxi and handed the cabby the directions. I should have been worried that he wasn’t familiar with the address but not enough to do anything about it. The cabby punched the address into his phone and headed off, still unsure of where he was taking me. Down the strip and on to the freeway, he rushed to try and make my 10am deadline. The more he drove the more I became worried there might have been a slight mistake. 20 minutes later and 40 bucks later he dropped me off at the theater quite literally in the middle of nowhere, later in the weekend I would walk by about 4 theaters that were pretty close to Caesars which we were staying at. Watched the movie which was a first showing so that saved a little cash because I like being thrifty when possible. Once the film ended, I had to ask the manager for a taxi cab number which he happily gave and waited a good 20 minutes for and then paid another 40 dollars to get back to The Strip. One the bright side I did get to see a lot of the Rocky Mountains in my extended trip around the outer reaches of Vegas…..

Posted by Daniel at 4:43 PM

http://clairepacker.wordpress.com/2011/06/05/review-x-men-first-class/

[Review] X-Men: First Class

June 5th, 2011 § Leave a Comment

X-Men: First Class

Dir: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon

Those mutants sure have interesting abilities…

I think what I enjoy most about the X-Men franchise is that – unlike your Superman, Batman and Spiderman – the story revolves around a group of individuals, all with their own unique abilities. While there are leaders – Professor X, Cyclops, Wolverine – everyone is in the same position. They are united in their mutation.

——————————————————————————————————–

X-Men: First Class takes place in 1962. Mutant supremacist Sebastian Shaw is trying to manipulate the US and Russia into starting a nuclear war. Genetics expert Charles Xavier joins forces with Erik Lehnsherr, a man who has a painful past with Shaw, to stop him.

I really enjoyed X-Men: First Class. Everything seems a lot more raw – the storyline is more frantic and the characters aren’t the polished, seasoned mutants we’re used to. Out of the franchise, I can only think of Jean Grey/Phoenix to rival Erik’s unharnessed and raw energy.

As pointed out in the trailer, this is the story of two men before they became the infamous Professor X and Magneto. Considering what big shoes they had to fill, I think that James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender were brilliant. The young Erik was as I expected but the young Charles was a lot cheekier. He has an ego and high sex-drive, as demonstrated by his great chat up line.

The other mutants – Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost, Azazel, Riptide, Angel, Mystique, Beast, Havok, Banshee and Darwin – are great characters with very interesting abilities. However, I didn’t warm to some of them, one way or the other. While important to the plot, I really wasn’t that interested in Angel, Havok or Riptide. Come to think of it, I don’t think Riptide is ever referred to by name…

The X-Men franchise is one of my favourite superhero universes and X-Men: First Class did not disappoint. It does have a few flaws – a few things don’t add up – but on the whole is an enjoyable couple of hours. It was great seeing a couple of familiar faces, too.

http://sosogay.org/2011/film-review-x-men-first-class/

Film Review: X-Men: First Class
Posted by Dominic Graham — 6 June 2011 11:00
Film Review: X-Men: First Class

Michael Fassbender as Erik Lensherr/Magneto

USA – Twentieth Century Fox (UK release 3 June 2011)

Rating: **

It’s 1962 and the CIA have approached Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), a bright young geneticist and telepath at Oxford whose help they need to track down Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), a former Nazi and mutant supremacist, currently manipulating powers in the East and West in an attempt to engineer World War III. Along the way Xavier meets Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender), a vengeful, metal-bending mutant with whom Shaw shares a dark and terrible history.

One of the many problems with X-Men: First Class is that there are so few fresh ideas; the opening scene, lifted directly from our first foray into the X-landscape, is a waste of time and bodes badly. In fact, the best action sequence here is almost exactly the same as the standout in X2, and the main objective – amoral mutant tries to lay waste to humanity allowing the super-race to thrive – is just a variation on X-Men and X2 (does anyone even remember the plot to The Last Stand?).

A further problem is that too many things don’t make sense. Why would Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult) believe his ‘cure’ might change his appearance but not his ability, when his speed and agility so clearly hinge on his freakish feet? Why would Shaw spend so much time manipulating war rooms when he could just stride into one and launch a missile himself? And why does Emma Frost allow herself to be held prisoner by the CIA when she could so easily escape? In fact, the mishandling of Frost is chief among our grievances - X-Men: First Class repeats the mistake of The Last Stand and completely bungles an ace female character, reducing her to a bikini-clad henchwoman when she should have been Queen.

There are some things to be enjoyed. The first third, which sees Lensherr tracking down Shaw via snivelling Swiss bankers and pub-dwelling ex-Nazis, is definitely the most exciting. These scenes vibrate with an intensity and surprising violence not a million miles away from that other Fassbender-starrer, Inglourious Basterds. This is where mutant powers impress most: in small rooms, where they’re creatively used (big SFX set pieces can sadly never be as thrilling) against bad men with bad politics.

But sadly when the team comes together, director Matthew Vaughan affords inadequate time to fleshing out the supposed legendary friendship between Magneto and Professor X, rather spending too much effort creating cute little origin stories for every little detail (Magneto’s helmet, an embarrassing condename-choosing session, Xavier’s wheelchair – even his baldness is foreshadowed), which becomes irritating rather than charming. What hope did his new characters stand; Angel, Darwin, Havok… and what’s the tornado guy’s name? Also, though he is by far the best thing in it, Fassbender’s Irish accent becomes wildly distracting by the finale.

All in all, X-Men: First Class is a campy, cartoonish affair that whips along too hurriedly and which, like the posters that promote it, is too crowded and lazy in its recycling of old themes. Disappointing.

http://newempressmagazine.com/2011/06/06/in-review-x-men-first-class/

In Review: X-Men: First Class (2011)
Posted on June 6, 2011 by newempressmagazine
By David Katz

X-Men: First Class beams into cinemas this summer attempting to capitalise on the reboot trend that has revitalised blockbuster filmmaking. It’s a method that’s worked beautifully and naturally for the Batman, James Bond and Star Trek franchises: take an enduring character people know and love, restart the internal continuity with a hot new star, and watch the cash fly in.

Except that this X-Men installment isn’t quite a straight overhaul in the manner of Batman Begins. There are some fine performances from the likes of James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon and Jennifer Lawrence, but the five star reviews from some truly over-zealous media outlets have raised expectations far too high. The film is ultimately an untidy compromise between introducing a fresh character arc, and keeping the continuity in check with the 2000 X-Men film that most people have probably forgotten, given how disposable these films are. And so you have a film awkwardly trying to establish its own identity, whilst all the while straining to tie the loose ends keeping the older films in the series relevant. The unwieldy conception of this film was exacerbated by a rushed shoot, multiple script re-writes, and a general sense of unease as to where the X-Men franchise should head next. This is a shame, because there are some promising elements in X-Men: First Class, with a cast talented enough to carry the weight of a big tentpole franchise. Nevertheless, director Matthew Vaughn, fresh off the relative success of Kick-Ass, struggles to put his unique signature on a film that feels somewhat misconceived.

Have you ever wondered exactly how Professor X and Magneto meet, bond over their shared powers, and eventually fall out over a dispute on human-mutant separatism? This is what the screenwriters of X-Men: First Class want us to invest in. The film embarks on relating these key mutants’ success stories in confident fashion, taking some storytelling risks: the narrative of Erik Lensherr (an impressive Michael Fassbender) in becoming Magneto is triggered by his mother’s death at the hands of the Nazi doctor Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon). Compelled to avenge his family and harness his metal-manipulating powers, he stalks the globe for Shaw’s whereabouts in an entertaining prologue redolent of James Bond in ruthless assassin mode. Lensherr comes into contact with Oxford University genetics professor Charles Xavier and they form a covert team sponsored by the CIA as a line of defense in the US’s Cold War struggle with the Russians. Together, they round up a motley crew of mutants, and begin to lay the groundwork for the X-Men as related in the previous films.

Apart from a few smart flourishes, mostly provided by Fassbender (check the way he dispatches a tableful of drunk Nazis early in the film), the progression of this plot is sadly laid out in identikit blockbuster form. It feels like watching a demo version of every origin-story superhero blockbuster, with Spider-Man or Iron Man substituted for a bunch of prim-looking, and interchangeable 18-year-olds who might be able to move energy or change shape or something cool like that. It is so prosaic. Believe me, the audience I watched this film with were fidgeting loudly, louder than this film’s already ear-bashing audio track.

My main problem here is that X-Men: First Class is an inferior mutation of one hundred better ideas, blended together and stamped with that oppressive ‘X’ symbol like the producers came up with them themselves. It steals the imagery, sense of flair and production design from the early Connery Bond films, yet immediately forgets what made them so charming. There should be an official name, probably in Belgian, for the feeling that comes from watching a film that apparently takes place in 1962 only to function at the mindless pace of a 2010s popcorn flick. I also noticed attempted pastiches of Star Trek’s (2009) central bromance between the two male leads, the booming yet elegant soundtrack-style of Hans Zimmer’s Inception (2010) music, and a spot of the history-modifying arrogance that was so abhorrent in Inglourious Basterds (2009). Sure, nabbing the best ideas from other films and making them your own is one way in which great cinema is made, but at times, X-Men: First Class feels like a $120 million budgeted guided tour through Matthew Vaughn’s DVD library.

The X-Men franchise really has the potential to produce some great cinema: we have a universal allegory for the socially outcast, some sterling original characters (hello Wolverine!) and a backlog of classic stories from the Marvel comic archives. And so, the defining note we take from X-Men: First Class is that 20th Century Fox have botched one of their most potentially profitable acquisitions (a poor US weekend box office opening only furthers this thought) pushing the quickest possible thing out there to preserve the brand. Somewhere, Christopher Nolan, comfy in the Warner Bros. executive canteen, is cackling. Cackling!

David has awarded X-Men: First Class two Torches of Truth

http://bestdamnmoviereview.blogspot.com/2011/06/x-men-first-class.html

Sunday, June 5, 2011
X-MEN FIRST CLASS

Maybe I have a habit of liking to many films, but this one is not a like for me. This one for me is a LOVE. I feel like this is what the first X-Men movie should have been.

X-Men First Class stars Kevin Bacon,James McAvoy,Michael Fassbender,and Jennifer Lawrence. This (for those not familiar with the comics) is an origins story for the original X-Men. It follows the big two Professor X and Magneto from their meet to their fall. This one starts right were the first X-Men (2000)began and just shoots right into a slew of back stories. The plot is so nicely woven into this story, it will just make your jaw drop. Everyone is so believable as their character that you couldn't picture anyone else in this film. Michael Fassbender is so spot on as Magneto that you hope they make a two hour film just on him. The best surprise performance though goes to Kevin Bacon. Bacon as the villain Shaw was spectacular, this may be one of his best roles to date. There is nothing lacking in this telling of the X-Men. The action,dialogue,FX, and plot(s) are so nicely laid that a new trilogy is a sure thing. If have the time see it, if you don't have time then make it. You will be sorry if you miss this one.
Posted by Stiles at 11:40 PM

http://veryaware.com/2011/06/review-x-men-first-class/

REVIEW – X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
Written by Manny Featured, Review Jun 5, 2011

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS
Directed by: Matthew Vaughn
Written by: Sheldon Turner and Bryan Singer (story)
Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, January Jones, Zoë Kravitz, Nicholas Hoult, Lucas Till, Caleb Landry Jones, Edi Gathegi

Rejoice, True Believers! If Stan Lee reviewed X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, he’d have this kind of a sentiment, and you know what? I do too. X-MEN: FIRST CLASS has the distinction of being the first prequel and reboot of a franchise, and it’s completely successful at doing both things. The X-MEN franchise has dwindled in recent years, and essentially petered out after the crapfest that was X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE. FIRST CLASS starts in the same way as Bryan Singer’s X-MEN film – I think they may have even taken shots from his opening – and only gets better from there.

What really makes FIRST CLASS effective as a prequel and a reboot is that it isn’t all exposition explaining why things are the way they are, but it actually has it’s own unique story that uses the period in which the X-Men were created to its greatest effect, even surpassing its source material. FIRST CLASS borrows, in a way from J.J. Abrams’ STAR TREK by creating an alternate history that works with the existing canon of films but is able to exist on its own.

What I really appreciated was that it really set up the emotional arcs of each of the major players in the film – Charles, Erik, and Raven (Mystique) – in such a way that fans of the franchise really got to understand these characters in a deeper and more meaningful way than even Singer’s films explored, and in such a way that the changes in the characters alligences that veterans of the franchise and of X-Men will know are coming are interesting and that newcomers will understand without writing them off as trite.

Without a doubt, the reason that the film succeeds is its incredibly strong cast. Michael Fassbender is magnetic on screen (pun intended) and brings a heart and soul to Erik/Magneto that I’m sure that Ian McKellan would have been able to bring, but that the scripts never allowed. There is a particular scene in which Erik is trying to improve his powers that is absolutely incredible, even moreso because I never thought that I would be moved emotionally in a comic book movie in that way. Frankly, I would appreciate it if more actors had the same level of commitment to all of their projects, no matter how big or small.

James McAvoy injects humor and a cockiness into the younger Charles that Patrick Stewart was never allowed to bring into the character and it’s a welcome respite from some his later scenes in which Charles is made into the utter paragon he has been in the other films in the series. I also appreciated Jennifer Lawrence’s ability to bring life and warmth into Mystique, as well as her ability to look utterly amazing at all times. For most folks, who probably still haven’t seen WINTER’S BONE, this will be their first encounter with Lawrence, and I think it’s a great performance that will even get HUNGER GAMES die hards in her corner.

While FIRST CLASS is an excellent film and really reinvigorates X-MEN and arguably comic book movies as a whole, it’s not without its flaws. Some of the dialogue in the film is laughable, but it’s delivered by actors who go through it quickly enough or who are committed enough to their roles to guide the audiences through them deftly. The weakest links in the whole film are the bad guys. While Kevin Bacon’s Sebastian Shaw comes off as utterly horrifying and creepy in the film’s opening sequences, he borders on cartoonish by the film’s end. Also, I think that Matthew Weiner has a mutant ability that no one is discussing: the ability to make January Jones act. Jones’ take on the chest Emma Frost is basically boobs and sparkle and not much else. She never is as menacing as the film wants her to be, so moments when she’s supposed to act as a significant threat usually fall flat.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS really lives up to its name and if CAPTAIN AMERICA and GREEN LANTERN can hold up their ends of the bargain, we just might be in store for a second wave of well made, well acted comic book movies. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

4.5 out of 5

http://sgnewwave.com/main/2011/06/x-men-first-class-review/

X-Men: First Class – of Mutants and Pride5

Written by Sean Koh

Next up in the latest spade of Superhero movies, X-Men: First Class is a classy reboot of Marvel’s X-Men movie franchise. And after the last two mediocre (X-Men: The Last Stand) to downright bad (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) movies, This suave Prequel-Trilogy-Refresher is, the say the least, a welcome addition to the marvel movie franchise.

Set back at the peak of the cold war, the story follows the beginnings of Charles Xavier, and Erik Lehnsherr, two old friends possessing radically different worldviews, both utterly convinced the other would come to their side if only the argument were framed differently. The duo have an amazing on-screen chemistry, played very nicely by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. The relationship is transfixing, with its realism and humanism, as odd as that sounds.
395135 james mcavoy and michael fassbinder x men first class super
Sympathy for the devil?

This is all the more contrasted by the villains in this film, who are; for lack of a better word, "comic book-y" when put next to the Xavier-Lehnsherr relationship. Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) leads the Hellfire club, bent on pushing the world already on the brink of thermo-nuclear war. Shaw is played almost like a Bond villain, suave, sociopathic, and has some sort of Rube Goldberg plan on world domination. It helps that Kevin Beacon is fun to watch as a murderous mutant sociopath (the same way James Woods was in Family Guy), but they are ultimately poorer for not fleshing him out the way they did with the rest of the cast

The acting here is top notch. Michael Fassbender I felt stole the show with his portrayal of Lehnsherr, the young Magneto. A child of concentration camps, we follow him through the first half hour, in full Nazi-killing mode. And while the actions he takes are brutal, Fassbender makes them feel justified as a relatable sort of righteous vengeance. There’s also a neat Tarrentino-esk moment early in the film, which I shall not spoil, but is amazing to say the least.

Jennifer Lawrence, fresh off her newfound success in last year’s Winter’s Bone, does an excellent job as a young Mystique, who grows increasingly awkward with her natural blue scaly form. She befriends Hank McCoy (Nick Hoult), a prehensile-footed mutant, who is very much like her, young and trying to find his place in a hostile world.

It is also impressive that director Matthew Vaughn manages to pack an awful lot of content into 130 minutes. Brisk storytelling and clever editing helps keep the movie sleek, swift, and concise. He also does take some creative liberties with the X-Men fiction, but really nothing I can see fans enraged by, was done here.

A promising first in a trilogy, with some of the most interesting performances I have seen this year, X-Men: First Class is an engaging and delightful watch which I will strongly recommend.

4/5 stars

http://www.fanboy.com/2011/06/x-men-first-class-better-than-expected.html

X-Men First Class: Better Than Expected
Posted by Gia Manry on Jun 6, 2011

I’m going to give you a rough review of X-Men: First Class, but before I do that I’m going to give you the highlights:

1. It’s better than it looks.
2. That’s mostly not due to special effects.
3. Michael Fassbender completely works as Erik.
4. January Jones completely works as Emma Frost…as written in this film.
5. Xavier is kind of a dick

There are two main throughlines of X-Men: First Class; one is plugging the mutants into the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, and the other, of course, is Erik’s transformation into the Magneto we all know and love especially as played by Sir Ian McKellen.

(Permit me to note here that this is not the review to read if you want an in-depth explanation of the various ways Matthew Vaughn did or did not rape the X-Men canon; the extent of my familiarity with the franchise’s history is having watched most of the awesome ’90s cartoon series.)

110605 - xmen group

The screenwriters on the pic— IMDb lists four, including Vaughn —deserve some credit for merging these two plotlines pretty seamlessly, although some of the dialogue falls flat (aww, how cute, Mystique and Hank/Beast both said “normal” at the same time… sigh). The writers also clearly realized at some point that they were writing Emma Frost for January Jones, because the role as written here is perfect for her: completely without depth. Major fans of Frost might be irritated, but all in all it’s not a big problem for the film, and her actions at the conclusion of the film make perfect sense.

I still feel like James McAvoy’s Xavier is a bit of a tool, and pretty wilfully oblivious to others for a psychic. But that, too, works within the film’s framework. None of the young actors in the film particularly stand out for their performances here, unless it’s Zoe Kravitz— she didn’t do poorly, but you kind of wonder why her character Angel is in the film to begin with. Of the grownups, however, Michael Fassbender does an excellent job as Erik throughout the pic. Towards the end certain shots even make him look impressively like someone who could reasonably look like Sir Ian McKellen later in life; James McAvoy, on the other hand, will never look as cool as Patrick Stewart. Ahem.

110529 - xmen villains

It’s probably not a great sign that I’d forgotten about Kevin Bacon’s involvement as antagonist Sebastian Shaw until I started looking for pictures for this review; you’ll chuckle that it’s Bacon, and he does a fine job, but again, it’s not like Shaw is a very in-depth character in the series. Fassbender’s response to him towards the end is better than anything Shaw says or does, really.

My biggest complaint about the film is that it looks like all of the character CG went into Emma Frost’s diamond effect (it looked like someone devoted hours to those sparkly breasts) and there was none leftover for Beast, who looked kind of like a constipated muppet. On the plus side, nothing in the visuals was so exciting that you really need to see it in theaters, so if you’re on the fence, wait and stream or rent it and you’ll probably be decently entertained.

All in all, for a movie I was expecting to be groanworthy, the flick was very enjoyable.

http://inside.anime-expo.org/reviews/2011-06/review-x-men-first-class-2011/

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Review: “X-Men: First Class” (2011 Film)

June 5, 2011

by J. M. Alcala, staff writer, Inside AX- Anime Expo

Hero. Villain. Mutant. Human. Words that have often been used in the long-storied history of Marvel’s X-Men franchise give insight into the struggle for acceptance. For the X-Men themselves, they have given us such memorable characters as Wolverine, Phoenix, Cyclops, Storm and Rogue though none more so than Professor X and Magneto. To understand the future, one must understand the past and the history of the series has been brought to life by X-Men: First Class.

Within the opening minutes of the film, viewers see a young boy being led through a concentration camp in Poland 1944. After witnessing his parents being separated from him, the young boy begins to reach for the metal gates that separate them until the gates begin to move. Just as the gates begin to come apart, he is knocked unconscious while a mysterious man looks on. Later, young Erik Lensherr is forced to use his powers for Sebastian Shaw (who has taken the name of Dr. Schmidt) or witness his mother die before his eyes. Despite trying, Erik watches Shaw shoot his mother in cold blood before unleashing his powers out of sheer fury, which kills the guards though leaves both him and Shaw unscathed.

Meanwhile, in Westchester New York 1944, another young boy stumbles upon a stranger in his home who has taken the guise of his mother. Realizing that the woman before him is not his mother, the boy reaches out with his mind to discover a young shape-shifting girl. Introducing himself as Charles Xavier, he is overjoyed to meet another person ‘like him’ as he invites the girl – who calls herself Raven – to live with him and his family.

Jumping to 1962, an adult Erik (Michael Fassbender) has begun his personal quest to track down the Nazis that were working for ‘Dr. Schmidt’ while both Charles (James McAvoy) and Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) are in Oxford, with Charles working to publish his thesis on mutation. As both men are trying to reach their goals, Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) has been working tirelessly to instigate a nuclear war between Russia and the United States. Through a series of circumstances, both Erik and Charles meet – with Charles having found himself working with the CIA and Erik having finally located Shaw. In discovering that Shaw and his cohorts are mutants themselves, Erik and Charles decide to team up and discover other mutants. Aside from themselves and Raven, the two men find Hank McCoy, a young scientist working for the CIA; Angel Salvador, a stripper; Armando Munoz, a taxi driver; Alex Summers, an Army prisoner; and Sean Cassidy, a teen that has a supersonic scream.

As Shaw continues to manipulate the Russians, the Cuban Missile Crisis has begun with both the United States and Russia trying to avert a nuclear war. Discovering that Shaw intends to create a nuclear war to potentially give birth to more mutants, Charles and Erik decided that training the other mutants to fight may be their only hope in stopping Shaw. Eventually, the rag-tag group manage to stop Shaw’s initial plan – with Erik finally confronting Shaw and killing him, despite Charles’ protests – though are shocked to see both Russia and the United States turning on them. With Charles wanting for mutants to be accepted while Erik deciding that mutants should be the masters over regular humans, the two come to blows while trying to save themselves from the missile barrage. Unfortunately, Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne), the CIA liason that had been working with both Erik and Charles, begins shooting at Erik to stop him – only for one of the deflected bullets to hit Charles in the back, effectively paralyzing him from the waist down. With the two former friends having now become enemies, Professor X and Magneto go their separate ways, only to meet again.

Pros:

Strong performances for James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as Professor Xavier and Magneto respectively.
Fantastic cameos of two particular characters
Great story that does tie into the X-Men movieverse.
Good mix of humor and action

Cons:

Under-utilization of the supporting cast, save for Raven
Pacing issues
Shaw not a truly effective villain

http://cinemawrite.blogspot.com/2011/06/summer-review-3-x-men-first-class.html

Sunday, June 05, 2011
Summer Review #3 -- X-Men: First Class

There comes occasionally a film so awe-inspiring, you do not feel like watching another one for a long time afterwards, lest you should ruin the impression with an inferior work. There comes a film, every once in a while, that combines genres with utter creativity and compliments the eloquence on the page with a classy cast, infusing soul into every dialogue and imagination into every scene.

X-Men: First Class is such a film.

The story starts in 1944 Poland, where young Erik Lehnsherr (Bill Milner) displays his first feat of power, as he and his family are being dragged off to a concentration camp. At the same time, a boy named Charles Xavier (Laurence Belcher) discovers his own extraordinary abilities and makes a new friend with similar gifts. Fast forward to 1962, when Erik (Michael Fassbender) is being consumed by a desire for revenge and Charles (James McAvoy) is being recruited by CIA agent Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) to help the U.S. government discover the truth behind the rumor of a new breed of humans. As Erik and Charles' paths cross, new allies come into the fold, relationships become more and more complex and the U.S. finds itself on the brink of nuclear war, a situation that an old enemy seeks to exploit for their own gain...

The screenplay is ingenuously evocative, playing with revisionist history whilst introducing the various mutant characters and exploring their powers. There are some wonderful details and effects, along with sparks of humor and moments of gravitas flying about. The context of the Cuban missile crisis serves as the perfect prism through which to depict the film's two main topics -- the brewing war between the human and emerging mutant population and the progressing rift between Charles and Erik, two people whose initial goals might be similar, but whose philosophical viewpoints differ sharply from the beginning. Director Matthew Vaughn proves that he can effortlessly carry a work of this scope and not lose the narrative to CGI, shootouts and similar genre elements, that often end up as gimmicks in the hands of lesser filmmakers. In fact, throughout First Class, there are no purposeless characters that are present for the sake of a cool trailer, no unnecessary action scenes for the sake of imagery and no forced romantic liaisons for the sake of attracting a certain demographic. The writing is poignantly perceptive, building the tension within the underlying conflicts, crafting the relationships in a sophisticated way and adding the twists, turns and devices as is appropriate.

The cast is, for lack of a better word, incredible. McAvoy has charm to spare as Charles and Byrne imbues Moira with a multidimensional passion and wisdom. Their subtle chemistry is fun, sexy and never schmaltzy. Jennifer Lawrence gives anguished humanity to Raven, bringing each nuance of vulnerability to a boiling point. Kevin Bacon is appropriately sadistic as the mad and madly swaggering scientist Sebastian Shaw and January Jones is a literal picture of coolness as Emma Frost, his unbreakable sidekick. Zoë Kravitz is a no-nonsense tough girl as flying mutant Angel Salvadore and About a Boy's Nicholas Hoult is brilliantly awkward as Dr. Hank McCoy, affectionately named Beast. However, the absolute knockout among the cast is Michael Fassbender. His Erik Lehnsherr is a man on a mission, an outsider whose existence has been etched out by pain and anger, and who slowly and surely embraces his metal-bending alter ego. He is utterly incapable of seeing the bigger picture when it comes to a harmonious society, simply because he has witnessed firsthand the dark side of humankind early on in life, and Fassbender conveys his torment in a feverish yet refined manner. It is impossible to take your eyes off of him; his regal ruthlessness is charisma itself and his intensity takes over every scene he is in. This man is an actor with a capital A and, while he should already have become a star after his harrowing performance in 2008's Hunger, this film is definitely going to be the one that propels him into the leading man stratosphere.

X-Men: First Class is a literate and innovative adaptation, portraying the origins of beloved characters through a unique perspective. Fans and novices alike will enjoy it, simply because the film sets the standard for all origin stories and storytelling in general. You are about to be enthralled by cinema at its finest.

10/10

posted by raindropped @ 8:58 PM

http://www.bcnn4youth.com/2011/06/x-men-first-class-movie-review.html

'X-Men: First Class' Movie Review
June 5, 2011 10:32 PM

Reinvents a familiar cast of characters in what might be the standout action film of the summer.

A dozen years ago super-hero movies seemed to be dead. Superman and Batman had each run four films, in both cases driving their franchises into the ground and exhausting whatever inspiration and goodwill they started out with. Stan Lee had been in Hollywood for the better part of two decades trying to get a movie made, any movie--Spider-Man, Daredevil, Captain America, you name it.

Then out of nowhere came Bryan Singer's mutant ensemble movie X-Men (2000), and it changed everything. It revitalized the super-hero movie and launched the current age of comic-book adaptations that, far from flagging, is still picking up steam. Yet few of the ongoing avalanche of Marvel and DC productions have been on a par with Singer's sharp little film. The genre has become routine, and few entries offer any surprises.

Even prequels and reboots are becoming almost routine: Counting Mark Ruffalo in the upcoming Avengers film, there have been three different Bruce Banners in ten years, and other characters--including Spider-Man, Superman, and Daredevil--are being or may be rebooted. Then there was X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a tepid X-Men prequel partly set, like X-Men: First Class, in the later mid-20th century.

Yet, surprisingly, First Class, produced by Singer and directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) from a story co-written by Singer, isn't more business as usual. First Class does what few franchise films do today: It takes risks, offers surprises. Consider Thor and the latest Pirates of the Caribbean: both competently pleasant films, and short enough not to wear out their welcome, but not a surprise between the two of them. First Class is comparatively long, but it feels satisfyingly complete rather than overstuffed. By the time it's over, we know Charles Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto), and Mystique in particular as we've never known them before.

Casting is crucial, particularly for Professor X and Magneto. From the first scenes of X-Men, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen effortlessly created a sense of an old kinship gone tragically awry. Happily, James McAvoy (The Conspirator; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) and Michael Fassbender (Jane Eyre; Inglourious Basterds) are up to the task.

McAvoy not only commandingly fills the shoes Stewart was never allowed to stand in, he persuasively reveals unguessed youthful follies in the telepathic Xavier's past--nothing as startling as Chris Pine's headstrong, immature James T. Kirk, but in that direction--that nevertheless illuminate the Xavier we know from later continuity.

Even more surprisingly, the film reveals a touching history with the shape-shifter Mystique, or Raven Darkhölme, vulnerably played by Jennifer Lawrence (mesmerizing in last year's Winter's Bone and now tabbed to play Katniss Everdeen in the upcoming Hunger Games movies). In this telling, Raven becomes a kind of foster kid sister to Charles, though her feelings for him may go beyond that. From their youthful first meeting we see that Charles, a child of privilege, instinctively associates his privileges with responsibility, and naturally takes the initiative in helping others.

Click here to continue reading

SOURCE: Christianity Today - Steven D. Greydanus

http://www.ultracondensedmovies.com/2011/06/x-men-first-class.html

6.05.2011
X-Men: First Class
I like how, on this poster, they put Havok on it, but so, so far back that it almost doesn't matter that he's there, like the tiny CGI horse at 0:38 in this Beyonce video.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[it is WWII Germany]
L'il Fassbender: Nooooo! Don't take meine Mutti away!! Noooo! We are Jews!!!!
[he BENDS a GATE and the Nazis are like WHAT]
L'il Fassbender: Raaaaaaaaaaage!!! My rage makes metal do things!!!!
[it is WESTCHESTER, also during WWII]
L'il McAvoy: Oh, hello, possible burglar. I don't mean to pry, but...you're clearly not my mother, though you look like her. I was just wondering what you were doing in my kitchen. Also I was wondering why I have an English accent, since we're in America.
L'il Lawrence: Uh...I'm a shapeshifter. My real form is blue and weird-looking. But I guess you knew that because you can read minds. Not really sure about the accent thing, though.
L'il McAvoy: Jolly good, we're both mutants then! You can live with me, though we are both, like, 10.
[back in GERMANY]
Deutscher Kevin Bacon: Move this coin.
L'il Fassbender: I can't!
Deutscher Kevin Bacon: No? Okay, I'll shoot your mom then.
[he DOES, and L'il Fassbender goes NUTBALLS and all the METAL everywhere is, like, DESTROYED]
Deutscher Kevin Bacon: Yes! Yes!!! Mutants!!!!
[it is LATER, during the SWINGING SIXTIES]
James McAvoy: You have a mutation...a very groovy mutation.*
Random Hot Girl: Hahahaha! Your stupid pickup line totally worked on me!
Jennifer Lawrence: Sigh.
[it is LAS VEGAS]
Extremely Unnecessary Title Card: LAS VEGAS, NV
Rose Byrne: Look! It's that general! I'm going to tail him in lingerie, just like a CIA agent would, because I am totally a CIA agent, you guys.
[she DOES, because in the SIXTIES, all ladies wore FANCY UNDIES ALWAYS]
January Jones: Are my breasts big enough to distract you from how bad I am at acting?
Kevin Bacon: ...not really.
January Jones: Oh well, here they are anyway. I can turn into diamonds LOL
[she LURES the GENERAL into a ROOM with her VACANT SEXINESS]
Kevin Bacon: You better vote for the government to put nukes in Turkey!
General: No!
Kevin Bacon: Yes!
[the TORNADO-MAKING GUY shows his MUTANT POWERS and also his SWEET LUXURIOUS MANE]
General: Okay! Your tornadoes, and to a lesser extent, your hair, have convinced me.
[the RED MUTANT spirits him AWAY via MUTANT POWERS]
Rose Byrne: Nukes in Turkey! And mutants!! That's no good! I better tell the rest of the CIA!
[they don't BELIEVE her because of SEXISM]
Rose Byrne: Damn my lingerie!! I must find a mutant expert! That's a real thing, right?
[meanwhile, in ARGENTINA]
Michael Fassbender: I'll have a beer, please, and also the square jaw of Viggo Mortensen. Oh wait, I already have that. Just the beer, I guess.
Some Guys Who Are Clearly Nazis in Hiding: Deutsches Bier...das Beste.
Michael Fassbender: BUSTED. You guys are totally Nazis. And I'm a Jew...who is gonna kill your asses!!!
[he DOES, spectacularly]
Michael Fassbender: Revenge!!!!!
[meanwhile, on a BOAT]
General: Okay, so now that I've helped you get the nukes into Turkey, I can just, like, chill out, right?
Kevin Bacon: NOPE. And guess what? I'm also a mutant!! And my mutant power is absorbing energy!! Like the energy from that grenade you were going to try to kill me with!!!! But instead I will kill you!!!!!!
[he DOES, also spectacularly, but less so]
Rose Byrne: I need to find a mutant expert.
James McAvoy: I am a charming mutant expert. You have a very groovy mutation...*
Rose Byrne: Okay, stop trying to charm me, this is serious. I need your help at the CIA.
CIA Heads: These mutants might be dangerous! We can't HIRE them!
Oliver Platt: Yes, but I can! I'm in this movie!!
James McAvoy: Okay, but first we have to find Kevin Bacon. I will do it with my mind powers.
[they FIND him on his BOAT and try to CAPTURE him but he gets away in his SUBMARINE]
Michael Fassbender: Nooooo!!! My revenge!!!
James McAvoy: Stop trying to stop his submarine with your powers of metal, new friend. Just calm down in the water here with me. Rest your head upon my shoulder. Not in a gay way or anything.
[they DO NOT KISS but really SHOULD]
Oliver Platt: I'm still in the movie! Enjoy it while it lasts! Let's go to my compound.
About A Boy: Hi guys! I'm a scientist! And a mutant! Please don't stare at my feet!
[his FEET are HUGE]
Jennifer Lawrence: Bokayyyyy! You also have mutant body issues, just like me! Maybe we can work through them together.
About A Boy: Also I made this thing that can amplify telepathic powers! Let's find some more mutants! Here, put this thing on your head.
James McAvoy: Don't touch my hair.*
[there is a MUTANT-FINDING montage that is PRETTY GREAT]
Angel: I'm a stripper with bug wings!
Havok: I can shoot red flame things!
Darwin: I adapt to my environment! Also I am black, FYI.
Banshee: I can yell real loud!
James McAvoy: Great! You guys hang out here and we'll go see what the bad guys are up to.
[the BAD GUYS attack the COMPOUND and basically DESTROY it except for the MUTANTS]
Angel: I'm switching sides, you guys.
Darwin: Nooooooo!
[he tries to STOP HER but instead is KILLED because of TROPES]
Kevin Bacon: Come on, stripper bug, let's get out of here.
[meanwhile, in RUSSIA]
January Jones: Seriously, check out this rack, you guys. It is, like, amazing. I just want to look at my own breasts all day.
Michael Fassbender: Yeah, we get it.
James McAvoy: Now tell us the plan! Oh wait, I'm a telepath, I'll just look in your brain and find it out!
[he DOES]
James McAvoy: Oh s$#!, Kevin Bacon is going to start World War III! All right, back to the compound to assemble our army of teen mutants.
Jennifer Lawrence: Um...it's destroyed.
James McAvoy: Oh, easy fix, we'll just go to my insanely huge mansion upstate.
[they DO, and do a GROOVY TRAINING MONTAGE]
Teen Mutants: We are good at our powers now!
Michael Fassbender: I learned to harness my emotions to move a satellite dish!
James McAvoy: Yes. Use the place between rage and serenity.*
Michael Fassbender: Isn't that, like...all the emotions? Like, if rage is a 10, serenity is a 1?
James McAvoy: Shut up, it sounds good.
[they both shed A SINGLE TEAR but still DO NOT KISS]
About A Boy: I brought you a present!
Jennifer Lawrence: Is it chocolates?
About A Boy: No, it's a serum that will fix how you are so ugly.
Jennifer Lawrence: That is a terrible present!
[she tries to deal with her MUTANT BODY ISSUES by THROWING HERSELF at Fassbender]
Michael Fassbender: You fine, but not now. But let me reiterate: daaaaamn, you fine.
About A Boy: I was just trying to help...I'll take the serum myself, though.
[he DOES and he turns BLUE and FURRY]
About A Boy: My comeuppance!!! Now I will grow up to be Kelsey Grammer! Whyyyyy!!
Rose Byrne: Ummmmm you guys we still kind of need your help to capture this bad guy...the Cuban missile crisis is happening and I think he's going to use it to start a war so mutants can take over.
Kevin Bacon: Yes!! That is totally my plan! I will wear this helmet the Russians made to block out telepaths! It does not look stupid AT ALL.
[there is an INTENSE STANDOFF involving the EMBARGO LINE and MICHAEL IRONSIDE]
Kevin Bacon: Hahaha! When the Americans shoot that Russian ship that my henchmen now have control of, a global thermonuclear war will be launched!
James McAvoy: Oh no you don't!
[he TELEPATHICALLY makes a RUSSIAN DUDE blow up the RUSSIAN SHIP so there is NO WAR]
Michael Fassbender: Now, for my revenge.
James McAvoy: No! Don't do it! Be the better man!
Michael Fassbender: Dude, he killed my mom.
[he STEALS the STUPID HELMET and kills Kevin Bacon with a COIN through his FOREHEAD]
Michael Fassbender: Remember this coin from earlier? I CAN MOVE IT NOW, BITCH.
[he DOES NOT actually say that but he is TOTALLY THINKING IT]
James McAvoy: We can coexist with humans!
Michael Fassbender: Then why did the Americans and Russians BOTH just shoot all their missiles at us?
James McAvoy: Oh. Well, s$#!.
Michael Fassbender: We can never live peacefully with them!!
[he uses his METAL POWERS to aim the MISSILES back where they CAME FROM]
James McAvoy: What are you doing?!
Rose Byrne: Yeah, stop that!
[she SHOOTS and one of the bullets is DEFLECTED into James McAvoy's LUMBAR REGION]
James McAvoy: My spine!!!
Michael Fassbender: I guess we are enemies now, old friend. Bye!
Jennifer Lawrence: I'm, uh...I'm switching sides too. Mutant and proud!!
James McAvoy: Great. I'm paralyzed and have no friends. I guess I'll open a mutant school. That seems appropriate.
Michael Fassbender: And I'll find that diamond lady with the big ta-tas!
January Jones: That's me!
[she STARES VACANTLY]
Michael Fassbender: Now I shall be called...MAGNETO!!!
[he puts on a CAPE for some reason]
thus spake Movie Maven at 11:16 PM