X-Men Reviews 6

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X-MEN: FIRST CLASS – Jabcat Twitter Review

June 15, 2011

X-Men: First Class
Stars James McAvoy
Directed by Matthew Vaughn

GO: Engaging story of early X and Magneto. Plot holes divert but don’t destroy character driven tale. Kevin Bacon seems misplaced as baddie.

7½ of 10 on the Movie Fraction Rating System™

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“X-Men: First Class” is another worthy addition to the Marvel franchise
Posted on June 15th, 2011

Review by: Coop Cooper

I had almost given up on the “X-Men” franchise after the misfire that was “X-Men 3: Last Stand” and the abysmal “Wolverine” spinoff. “Black Swan” director Darren Aronofsky recently teased comic book fans with a promise to make a higher-quality “Wolverine” film set in Japan (one of the most famous story lines in the character’s history) only to kill the project without adequate explanation. That news sunk my hopes even lower. At this point, a classic “X-Men” story taking place in the 1960’s didn’t make much sense to me. They had already modernized the original team members for the 2000’s and made them all youngsters. Thankfully with a bit of creative canon-bending, the gamble worked and audiences finally have another decent “X-Men” movie to enjoy.

The story starts with origins of Magneto, Professor X and Mystique. Magneto (Michael Fassbender) grows up hunting and exacting revenge on the Nazis who murdered his family and experimented on him to exploit his powers. The well-off Professor X (James McAvoy) adopts the homeless Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) as a sister, lives the good life and eventually earns his PhD in genetics. Fast forward to 1962… CIA agent Moria McTaggert (Rose Byrne) discovers a plot by the evil mutant Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) to start WWIII by orchestrating the Cuban Missile Crisis. The CIA hires Professor X for his expertise, but soon the Professor determines he must seek out and recruit other mutants, like Magneto, to stop Shaw from wiping out the human race.

The convoluted plot can be forgiven due to competent acting and exceptional character development. Instead of an evil mastermind, Magneto is more like Batman, a dark avenger giving fugitive war criminals their comeuppance. Professor X isn’t simply a leader with high morals, he’s a boozer and a womanizer who arrogantly uses his power and his smarts to pick up women. Mystique isn’t a soulless shape-shifting killing machine, she’s a insecure girl with a crush on her adopted brother. It shows a side of these characters never before witnessed in the previous films.

I suppose we have the TV show “Mad Men” to thank for making the early 60’s hip again. “First Class” attempts to capture some of the look and feel of “Mad Men” and may not have happened if the show weren’t such a success. This also allowed up and coming actors like Fassbender and McAvoy to take a stab at younger, more energetic versions of the venerable mutant leaders. Fassbender swashbuckles through the film, leaving spectacular scenes of destruction and death when he unleashes his power. Occasionally I’ll peg an actor/actress as having the qualities of an Oscar-winner and Fassbender fits the bill. McAvoy has proved his worth over the past few years, but this is the first time since the “Children of Dune” miniseries that he has proven he can play a believable hero… his whiny performance in “Wanted” doesn’t count.

I firmly believe Jennifer Lawrence (who was nominated for Best Actress in “Winter’s Bone” this year) will one day win an Oscar but for now, she is taking supporting roles in blockbuster films to prove her worth. As Mystique, she gets more time in human form than Rebecca Romjin did in the first three movies. She finds a few scenes in which to shine, but often gets drowned out by the large cast. I’m looking forward to seeing her handle a lead role in a major franchise when she stars in the first installment of “The Hunger Games” next year.

The other positives include some interesting fringe comic heroes and villains taking the place of classic characters who were adapted to the present-day story lines and therefore would not yet be born in the 60’s. In an attempt to be politically correct, two unrelated minority heroes were also included but neither added to the story. In fact, the whole intention falls flat considering where these characters eventually end up. What was the point of inserting them into the story if the filmmakers don’t give them anything important to do?

Kevin Bacon is horribly miscast as the villain. Although suitably slimy, he is not physically imposing. I would even go so far as to say he looked feeble. I suppose Bacon is finally showing his age after all these years. Pay him no mind, because the surprise inclusion of a superhero cameo and the large number of recognizable character actors in the supporting cast should soothe the sore spots.

Despite the better-than-average quality of the film, it often reaches moderate levels of hokum. If the studio allows for another “Classic X-Men” tale, I hope they can keep the cheesy lines and silly posturing to a minimum. Hopefully the film succeeds because I think another try at a 1960’s superhero tale is worth taking.

“X-Men: First Class” rating: 3½ out of 5 stars

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/x-men-first-class/Suggests?oid=8651590

Wednesday, June 15
'X-Men: First Class'
Film

Rejoice, geeks: We have been given another good X-Men movie! Director Matthew Vaughn's prequel smartly ignores the heartbreak of Brett Ratner's X-Men: The Last Stand and whatever the f&#! happened during X-Men Origins: Wolverine. In many ways, Vaughn even improves on Bryan Singer's X-Men and X2 by adding a stylish, 1960s-inspired James Bond flair to the superheroic angst. Nuanced performances from James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as BFFs (with benefits?) Professor X and Magneto keep us fascinated as a creepy Kevin Bacon tries to explode the world. It's the best summer movie of 2011 so far. (See Movie Times: thestranger.com/film) Paul Constant

http://maasmith7.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/why-x-men-first-class-was-good/

Why X-Men: First Class Was Good
by Maggie on June 15, 2011

It’s extremely rare when I go see a movie, mostly because I have no interest in what’s playing. But last Friday, I went to see X-Men: First Class with my brother and my best friend.

And I was impressed. I was never a huge fan of super hero movies, but here are a couple of reasons why I liked X-Men so much.

1. Magneto’s backstory as survivor of the Holocaust made him much more sympathetic. Even though he eventually becomes a villain, he has solid and believable motives for splitting from Charles Xavier’s band of mutants.

2. Quite a few different languages. I detected French, German, Spanish, and Russian. I think keeping languages in the film makes it more authentic. I’d rather read subtitles than have a scene that takes place in Germany be spoken in English.

3. James McAvoy (Charles Xavier/Professor X) and Michael Fassbender (Erik/Magneto) worked well together and the sense of close friendship gained, then lost was very powerful.

4. The movie took place in the 1960s and successfully weaved fantasy with the reality of the Cuban Missile Crisis. I always enjoy a movie set in the past rather than one set in the present or the future.

Seen any good movies lately?

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

Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Today's Movie Review - X-Men: First Class (2011)
I don't typically go to theaters to watch movies, but I made an exception for the latest offering from the X-Men franchise. I never read any comics growing up, but I did watch a lot of cartoons on Saturday afternoon. That was my exposure to X-Men and every other "comic book" movie that has been released over the past decade or so (Batman, Spiderman, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Iron Man, etc). Forgive me if I do not know enough of the actual basis for the X-Men beyond the cartoon. However, since the cartoon never really delved much into the origin of the X-Men, I guess a "reboot" was a good idea, especially if you make it as enjoyable as X-Men: First Class.

Per the above linked definition of reboot, I suppose that this movie was not truly a reboot in that sense of the word. They don't disavow the presence of the previous four movies in the series (including an appearance by Logan/Wolverine to try to make up for that horrible movie*), and merely expand on the origins of two leaders who would come to lead teams against each other in later years, Professor Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto). One's good and one's bad. I'm sure you know who is who by now so I won't bore you with details.

*The only redeeming part of the movie was Wade Wilson/Deadpool, then Ryan Reynolds ruined it by making Green Lantern. I'd be surprised if we ever see the rumored Deadpool movie now.


Anyway, so these two guys meet each other, they both have powers, and they join forces to stop a bad guy with even bigger powers, played by Kevin Bacon. The only character besides the main two that are really in the other movies a lot is Mystique, though Beast does appear in one of the other movies, though I am having a hard time remembering which one right now. There are a lot of new/old X-Men that show up, and hopefully, they will make another few sequels that will eventually link this "First Class" of Professor Xavier's school with the others from the first set of movies, but that remains to be seen. Rumors say that this movie is the first of a planned trilogy, so I guess we will have to wait and see.

Compared to the other X-Men movies, I was not as familiar with the characters, so it was fun to just sit back and watch the story, instead of expecting certain things based on the cartoons, i.e. the love triangle between Logan, Jean Grey and Scott Summers from the first movie, which played out in the cartoons. Kevin Bacon played the role of the all too powerful Dr. Shaw very well, making you hate him from the beginning of the film. While I missed Patrick Stewart as Professor Xavier, the younger version of him, James McAvoy, worked out well enough, though I am still trying to figure out why a boy from upstate New York has an English accent. Michael Fassbender also did very well as Erik Lehnsherr, channeling Ian McKellen a bit once he becomes Magneto. Great performances all around by the rest of the cast as well, and I do hope that they continue onto the other potential movies because of it.

Overall, I would probably rate the movie 8.5 out of 10. It was enjoyable for sure, but it did drag a bit. Of the five X-Men movies, I would probably rate it just below X2 as the second best of the franchise, which would place it ahead of the first X-Men movie, though not by much. If you are a fan of X-Men, I recommend that you see the movie, though it is not super necessary to run out and see it in theaters. The next movie that I plan on seeing in theaters is the last Transformers movie, so hopefully that one can be a little better than the first.

Until next time...
Posted by Robert at 12:00 PM

http://bearcastradio.com/x-men-first-class/

First Class’ at the Top of the Class
‘X-Men First Class’ at the Top of the Class

By bearcast | June 15, 2011 at 9:53 am | No comments | Culture, Film | Tags: ben miller, mcavoy, movie review, x-men, x-men first class, xmen

By Ben Miller

Another “X-Men” movie? That’s probably what a lot of people were thinking when the trailer to X-Men: The First Class first was shown. Most people were probably skeptical, thinking that this would just be another Wolverine mess again.
But most people turned out to be wrong. X-Men: The First Class is not a mess, but instead a very well-crafted story. The story was suggested by Bryan Singer, who directed the first two X-Men movies, so it’s no wonder that is a well-developed movie.

The movie begins with a scene that we’ve already seen in the first X-Men movie: where a young Erik Lensherr, a Jewish boy living in Poland at the time of the Holocaust, has his parents taken from him. In rage, he tries to save them, and discovers he is able to bend metal gates. Erik is then taken to meet Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) who tries to figure out Erik’s powers. To try to find the answers, Shaw kills Erik’s mother, thus realizing that his powers are triggered through anger and hate.
Meanwhile, we also meet a young Charles Xavier, a mutant boy with the ability to read minds, who finds another mutant named Raven, who later becomes Mystique. Charles and Raven become close friends and grow up together.

The story then shifts to the 1960’s where Charles (James McAvoy) is getting his degree at Oxford University. Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) is with Charles and the two are starting to learn more about their powers.

Meanwhile, Erik (Michael Fassbender) is trying to find Shaw and avenge his mother’s death. Shaw is currently working with the Russians to try to start a nuclear war against the United States and also wants to make mutants the most dominant race.
Shaw’s plot is discovered by Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne), an agent of the CIA. Desperate for help to try to stop Shaw’s plan, MacTaggert goes to find Charles in order to enlist in the help of an expert of mutant studies. Charles joins the team and the two go to try and find Shaw. It is then that they meet Erik and decide to form a truce with him. Erik is relieved to learn that he is not the only mutant in the world. Soon, with the help of some other equipment, more mutants are recruited in an attempt to try to stop Shaw from his evil doings.

The acting in this film is really great; especially McAvoy and Fassbender, who really help make the film a truly entertaining. Plus, Bacon in the villain role is surprisingly good, considering he’s generally isn’t known for this sort of role.
So in the end, this is a good movie that sets up a story we all know. It’s my hope that they continue this great story and maybe even do a new trilogy. Let’s just hope we don’t get any more origin movies like Wolverine, which was a disaster.

X-Men: The First Class

7 (out of 10)

Stars: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

2 hours 11 minutes

http://movie-gazette.com/20103/x-men-first-class

X-Men: First Class (2011)

Witness the moment that will change our world

Starring:

Alex Gonzalez

Beth Goddard

Bill Milner

James McAvoy

January Jones

Jason Flemyng

Jennifer Lawrence

Kevin BaconKevin Bacon

Michael Fassbender

Morgan Lily

Nicholas Hoult

Oliver Platt

Rose Byrne

Zoe Kravitz

Directed by:

Matthew Vaughn

Rating: 7/10

Running Time: 132 minutes

US Certificate: PG-13 UK Certificate: 12A

Country: United States

After the success of JJ Abrams’ take on the origins of Star Trek’s famous duo of Captain Kirk and Spock, Matthew Vaughn has now had a go at reviving the stalling franchise of X-Men by exploring how Mogneto and Professor X came to be enemies. Previously, Gavin Hood’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine was a ridiculously poor effort at this kind of thing but Vaughn seems to be getting better with each film he

First Class charts the rise and growing animosity of Magneto (Fassbender) and Professor Xavier (McAvoy) from very different beginnings. As a child Erik Lensherr (aka Magneto) was split up from his parents at Auschwitz concentration camp and taken on by an evil Nazi (Bacon) who recognises Erik’s strong psychic powers. He is then taken to America by his mentor but grew to hate him before working for the side of good (the side of America of course) with other mutants, one of whom was Charles Xavier (aka Professor X, obviously), a nerdy academic specialising in genetics.

Spanning three decades and a whole host of countries, X-Men: First Class certainly is an interesting, thrilling ride. Let’s face it, the whole Magneto-Nazi storyline is much more interesting than McAvoy’s rather humdrum tale so whenever Michael Fassbender is on screen – especially as he chases down Kevin Bacon’s suitably evil Nazi – the movie is so much more entertaining and interesting. Fassbender is gaining a real screen presence and star power recently as his charisma shows though in spades. Also, he impressively recites pitch-perfect German whenever counted on to do so (probably, I’m guessing from two years of learning German at school and listening to Rammstein).

In the end, X-Men outstays it’s welcome as the 132 minute runtime as it ambles along at a pedestrian pace and rarely shows a humorous side. Uneven characterisation is also a flaw as too much time is spent on some of the minor characters and their insecurities at being mutants and others – pre-dominantly women – are under-explored and merely there to look good.

It's Got: Michael Fassbender in fine form, thrilling action and a decent plot for the most part

It Needs: A less pedestrian pace, more even characterisation, more for the women to contribute

Alternatives:
Hellboy, Star Trek, X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Summary

A somewhat return to form for the X-Men series thanks to a few star turns and a pre-dominantly riveting story spanning three decades. Just forget X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine never happened.

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This entry was written by John Guzdek, posted on June 15, 2011 at 8:15 am

http://www.cranco.co/2011/06/continuity-does-matter.html

Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Continuity: Does Matter!?!
Taking a brake from our own creations (beads are still being strung and I am in the weeds of character and plot development), we managed to sneak off and watch X-Men: First Class. As it turns out, despite last weeks resolutions with regard to continuity, X-Men is a fail.

Ok, paradox or just bull, but I stand by what I said, and am undercutting it perhaps with my assessment of this film. I probably should have picked up Chester Brown's "Paying For It" instead. But, I was excited with naive hope, dragging my in-laws and wife into a film, not worth our discounted price. To be fare it was not a bad time or horrible. Not as good as X2 or even X-Men, still better then Wolverine and MUCH better then X3.

Well, let's start with the good. As reported (despite both lead actors having faces I didn't like...how horrible is that to say...they did not look the parts), James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender's performances, character arches and interplay are the reasons this is still an ok movie. Jackmen's cameo as Wolverine is cute. The Bond homage is aesthetically fun. I am grasping at straws, it seems. It was not as bad as the rest of this review will lead you to believe.

It was made clear that Mathew Vaughn in some interviews is a bit of an egotist dick. If the result is genius, fine. However, if one can take that impression and imagine it's effect on a films quality...well, it can't all be Singer's fault. It is true that Singer had a part in this films failures. But Vaughn seemed gleeful and purposeful in keeping this from working on film.

The fundamental issues are continuity (as it turned out...it can be important...to me), costuming, historical liberty, racism and CGI. The plots pace has been praised. I would agree, but even more so then in Thor, it sacrificed character development. Which was needed because of continuity decisions.

The performances are hard to critique. Because of the cast size only Magneto, Proffesor X, Subastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) are given enough time to confirm their quality. Bacon was a miss cast (I am not just citing him slack because we have 3 degrees of separation between us). The rest of the cast there are a few clear winners and losers, but most are just lost to screen time. Rose Byrne as MacTaggert had a continuity issue (CIA instead of British Scientist), but otherwise was as memorable as the comic presents the character . January Jones was torpedoed, a miss cast and costume issue (more on this in a bit). Oliver Platt was a much needed comedic relief. I should be speaking to the actual First Class performance...but they simply were not given enough continuity, context or screen time to assess.

Singer, as it turns out, really screwed up this movies potential continuity and Vaughn gleefully stepped in, ignoring the comic as much as he could. Singer made the actual Stan Lee and Jack Kirby X-Men first class different ages. Scott and Jean in X-Men where accurately teachers at the School (let suspend our disbelief and accept they have appeared to be in their late 20's since the early 70's...so for 30 years...since the comic does). These two are the core of the "real" first class. However, in X-Men, Bobby is introduced as a teen age student (always young at hart) and Iceman was perhaps the youngest of the original five in the 60's, but should have been a teacher by 2000. In X3 we are introduced to a teenage Angel and a 48 year old Beast (Kelsey Grammer is well cast here actually). Singer, disregarded continuity with Jean, Scott, Hank, Warren and Bobby in a way that would have forced Vaughn to reboot to do First Class justice. He did have a younger Hank casted (and given a horrible CGI treatment) and introduces Scott's younger brother Alex (Havoc) an early member. Of course without hinting they are brothers. Wolverine, being approached and then not joining is consistent with the comic. Even Raven's presence
is acceptable (even if a new revelation to some audience). But Vaughn takes Singer's liberties and introduces a huge character pool of people, I am still looking up. In other words...who the hell are these folks and why am I being required to ignore the story and accept this alternate? Who is this Angel (actually Junbug in the comic) with a lame power and a transparent opportunity for the film to have a strip club scene? Given the triangle between Banshee, Charles and MacTaggert in the comic, Banshee (in the comic joins the X-Men in the 70's with Storm and Wolverine) makes sense in this film...accept there is no love triangle there.

Spoiler (skip this paragraph of you must): As for racism; there is an exchange between Shaw (a Nazi turned American power player set on Mutant domination) and the First Class in the film: He expresses how it is time for the genetically superior to over through the dominant inferior oppressive majority (Magneto agrees to a point...so there are semantic disagreements in play). The shot switches from Shaw to Darwin. A not so subtle hint at a metaphor of black oppression in America and a direct correlation in the film to Darwin's curent state of mind in the film as a half-Black man in the 60's and a mutant. Of course what happens he heroically is killed. Well, this is wrong for a number of reasons. One, Vaughn, a Brit has no place in entering the discussion so obtusely. Second, you don't kill off your only Black character minutes after winking at him about race in America. Third, Mutants where a metaphor on Civil Rights, created by Jews who fought against the Holocaust, but the correlation had nothing to do with evolution or superiority of African Americans. Maybe I am at fault for reading into it...but it seemed totally unesasary, iniproriate and/or ignorant.

I actually love the Hell Fire Club as much as I don't thier White Queen (she is a poor substitute at Scotts side in the X-Men these days). Shaw is a bad ass character, but the clubs place in this story is a continuity reinvention that could only have been made fun with more of the "real" members of the Club. Riptide as one of the Muraders is a great Villain, as a member of the Hell Fire Club, he is out of place. I had to look up Azazel, who as Nightcrawler's Dad is a lame version of his son invented in 2004. Shows role in Magneto's life is a nice invention, so I don't begrudge Vaughn the concept.

Since I quite regular reading of the X-Men in the mid 90's it has become the norm to draw women in zip up costumes that are zipped down to just above the navel. So the norm (despite Kelly Thompson's crusade) that apparently in the 1960's this is how women dressed...oh wait, not so when Kirby drew them. The short skirts...ok accurate. The White Queen has always been in a asset revealing costume. So, it would have been odd not to. But on a real person...well JJ did not look so hot. Couple this with Angel's strip club and the best a female mutant came off was Raven, naked and blue. Way to keep it respectable. I thought it was a tad to violent too...but as a repressed American I can over look that (repressed, hah).

Male costumes where no better. Magneto's helmet worked even worse in this film. For me the most degrading costume was Michael Ironside (call sign Viper from Top Gun) in a Navel helmet and flap jacket that made him look like he was drowning. It was the last straw in my cheesy tolerance.

Now it's one thing to reinvent comics history and another to reinvent actual history. I understand the valuable actual propaganda role comics superheroes have played in fictionalizing current events. Superman represented a immigrant (Jewish) who could be an icon for Americans and take on Nazi's. Captain America punched out Hitler (and may again this summer). I already mentioned the X-Men and civil rights. Cap again after 9-11. It is part of the storytelling tradition. In this context there is not enough integration between known fact and the narrative. At the end the story is about mutants on a beach, not the messages being sent through an embassy. The Cuban Missile crises cannot be remembered as being saved at sea, when it was a lesson in learning to have faith in secret communications with your enemy. In having faith in their humanity under impossible public expectations to act against it. The struggles between Charles and Eric could have worked in a parallel negative, but Vaughn lacked the nationality, interest, insight or intelligence to see this.

I now strongly wish Marvel Films had the rights to X-Men an Spider-Man franchise. Fox simply lacks the self interest and insight to orchestrate a film which ties into the developing Marvel Film Universe and keeps the continuity from shooting itself in the foot.

I am now wishing I saw Super 8 instead...perhaps my Sci-Fi (Spielberg, Lucas and Abrams) geek side will be needed in supplementing my comic geek disappointment. A good not great Thor plus a Ok X-Men does not bode well for the summer of Comic Book superhero movies. Green Lantern is now getting bad reviews (my confidence was already eroding). I am hoping only the costume bothers me in Cap's film and who knows about Cowboy's and Aliens....could be a disaster or not.

Back to my own stories now...
Posted by CranCoArt at 8:59 PM

http://borg.com/2011/06/14/packed-with-super-mutants-first-class-really-satisfies/

Packed with super mutants, “First Class” really satisfies
Filed under: Comics & Books, Movies, Superheroes by borgeditor — Leave a comment
June 14, 2011

X-Men: First Class

2011, 20th Century Fox

Running Time: 132 mins

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Directed by: Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass, Stardust)

Starring: James McAvoy (Wanted, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds, 300) Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone)

Reviewed by Art Schmidt

“Killing will not bring you peace, my friend,” the young Charles Xavier says in the X-Men: First Class trailer. “Peace was never an option,” replies a young Erik Lehnsherr. Michael Fassbender’s tortured Erik appears emotionally and mentally ancient next to James McAvoy’s comparatively innocent Charles, and the two actors make a great pairing for this bold experiment in pre-booting a franchise many considered stale and washed up after the X-Men Origins: Wolverine mis-fire.

And of course peace isn’t an option! Peaceful options might make for good historical dramas, but this is a comic book movie! I don’t believe I’d shell out ten bucks to see the Beast frolicking through a field of dandelions, or Azazel teleporting from tree to tree picking passion fruit. Never fear, there is action aplenty. And most of it even makes a fair amount of sense.

The baddies in this story are led by Sebastian Shaw, a mutant who is able to absorb kinetic energy and use it in various ways, including keeping himself young. Kevin Bacon seems physically small and out-of-place in some of his scenes, but he wears the self-assured villain well, and the look in his eye says he easily (happily!) knows more about being evil than you ever will. January Jones plays his right-hand lady Emma Frost, the perfect combination of sexy aura and stone cold stare; Betty Draper/Francis would be proud . Azazel and Riptide round out Shaw’s cadre of cads, bent on starting World War III and steering the events leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Charles and Erik meet as two sides of a common goal: the foiling of Shaw’s grand plans (before either of them know what said plans really are). Charles naturally wants to avoid any conflict or harm to mankind; Erik just wants to exact cold-blooded vengeance, regardless of who gets hurt in the process. The two become unlikely teammates and friends with a common enemy.

Unfortunately, the one thing that X-Men falls prey to is what seems to affect most all movies of this sub-genre; namely, they try to fit what a monthly mag spends years building over large, sprawling story arcs that consume sometimes two to three years and thousands of beautifully inked pages into a couple of measly hours. Granted, fans don’t want a movie that only covers a single issue of a mag, but the studios don’t need to cram two decades worth of comic treasure into a single movie, either.

Tony Stark goes from playboy to crusader to secret identity to exposing himself as Iron Man in one movie. Really? Couldn’t save that for the second one? And over the course of two movies, The Hulk is born, rages, and is then brought under control (if we’re to understand the scene at the end of the second movie where Banner self-induces the Hulk transformation). And in Thor, the title character goes from rebellious son of Odin to outcast to human champion to redemption and then back into dad’s good graces all in the space of one hundred fifteen minutes.

Other films suffer from the same fate. Spiderman ran his course in three spectacular films, and apparently there’s nothing more the geniuses at Sony could come up with. Hence the forthcoming ‘reboot’ of a franchise that wasn’t even ten years old. Seriously? X-Men fell to the same fate: three movies in and Professor X, Jean Grey, Mystique and Cyclops were all dead or powerless. Oh well, that was fun. Next! It’s as if the major studios can’t see past trilogies.

Which brings me back to XFC. It’s a good movie, but even for a comic fan it’s hard to swallow the brief friendship between the main characters as being more than that; a brief friendship. As a key part of the overall X-Men mythology, these two are supposed to be the best of friends, torn apart by their ultimate differences of opinion on the role of mutants in human society. But if you follow the timeline roughed out by the dialogue of the movie, they aren’t together for more than a couple of months. If you go by the feeling that the scenes portray, it feels like maybe a bit more. And then at the end, they are almost where the first X-Men movie picks up. Not a good way to pave the road for more prequels!

But perhaps I am being too harsh. The devil is in the details, and I’m perseverating on them. The movie overall is very good, well thought-out and better executed than X3, and most of the details do play into the larger X-Men world. Jennifer Lawrence is great as Raven/Mystique, and the relationship with Charles eventually reveals itself as a perfect counter-point to his claim that he is working to benefit all mutants, and she plays the slow shift from Charles to Erik with skill. The movie also introduces several mutants ‘new’ to the big screen, and shows us the earlier lives of some of other favorites from movies past. I don’t miss my ten bucks in the least.

****SPOILER ALERT!!!****

Word to the Wise: Hugh Jackman makes a fantastic cameo that’s almost worth the price of admission in and of itself! And don’t bother staying through the credits, this superhero movie bucks the trend of the golden scene at the tail end of the movie. Save yourself five minutes and book when the credits start to roll.

http://www.whatsonnortheast.com/blog/mattreilly/2011/06/15/x-men-first-class-at-tyneside-cinema/

X-Men: First Class at Tyneside Cinema
Posted on June 15, 2011 by mattreilly

X-Men: First Class

I approached X-Men: First Class with some hesitancy.

It’s not that I’m a huge fan of the X-Men comic books or the other films in the franchise: I never read the comics and I only got round to watching the first four films in the last 12 months.

No, my hesitancy came from being a bit dubious of prequels.

My first thought when I hear the word prequel is that the studio executives involved have run out of ideas for sequels, but still want to milk their cash cow for every last drop.

Consequently, most prequels (and, actually, a good many sequels) are dire.

But this isn’t one of them.

This film could have been a by-the-numbers action romp.

While it is action-packed, it actually turns out to be – in my opinion – smarter, funnier, and more enjoyable than its predecessors.

This is due, in no small part, to the cast doing an excellent job of putting their own stamp on roles that are already well established.

It should have been hard to see anyone other than Patrick Stewart playing Professor X, but James McAvoy (Atonement, Shameless) turns in a strong performance.

Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds) shows a more human side to the character of Erik Lehnsherr, helping us to understand the hardships that lead him to become the villain Magneto.

There’s also a stellar supporting cast including Kevin Bacon (Apollo 13, Footloose), Rose Byrne (Damages), Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy, Skins), and Oliver Platt (2012, Flatliners).

There are blink-and-you’ll-miss-them cameo roles for a couple of the stars of the original films, and a very small turn from Michael Ironside (Top Gun, Starship Troopers) playing the kind of military role that made his name in the 80s and 90s.

Rather than taking anything away from the original films, here we get plausible backstories that make the whole franchise feel more rounded. (Well, okay, as plausible as backstories about mutant superheroes and supervillains can be.)

Even if you’re not particularly a fan of comic book movies, then it’s still worth giving this a chance.

Bear in mind that this is showing at the Tyneside Cinema, which proves that it’s a cut above the rest of this film genre – I can’t imagine the Fantastic Four or Hulk being given the same treatment.

http://cityroamer.blogspot.com/2011/06/beautiful-movie-x-men-first-class.html#axzz1Pr4yROtk

Wednesday, June 15, 2011
A Beautiful Movie: X-Men First Class

I’ve watched all the X-Men movie franchise and I enjoyed them all. Who wouldn’t? It has all the elements of a superhero film with all the fight scenes and special effects. But when I watched X-Men: First Class recently, I'd say it's beautiful and it's my favorite X-Men movie to date.

The movie is the 4th of the movie franchise. It’s a prequel retelling the early beginnings of X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants. The movie started on Magneto and Professor X’s lives as kids in 1944. Both had totally opposite lives – the young Magneto coming from a concentration camp in Poland, and Charles Xavier shown living in a New York mansion.

Eighteen years later, the lead characters paths have crossed due to certain turn of events. And this is where the movie starts to get lovely. Sure, the fight scenes are there along with the special effects. But what made the movie beautiful is because it showed the emotions and motives behind the actions, not only of present-day Magneto, but of Mystique and the Beast -- two characters who's been visible in all installments.



I loved how these mutants with superpowers initially struggled with their abilities; and how they fought to hide their real identities because they were different. I enjoyed how the story did not capitalize on the characters' powers and attitudes as superheroes/super villains. All throughout, the movie felt serene. It's like a feel-good movie. The actors did a great job playing their characters too. Michael Fassbender did a great job playing Erick Lenssher who struggled to decide between good and evil. Kevin Bacon, playing as Sebastian Shaw, is in his usual good self acting as a villain. James McAvoy also did great in his role as the thick-haired Professor X.

I haven’t read the comic book series and am not aware of how it all started. I only got to watch X-Men as an animated series, then the movies. Learning more about how it all began is a welcome treat. The story line is definitely a good way to change the direction and start anew. As I read somewhere, the producers are planning to have a trilogy. With that in mind, I think the 2nd part will also be on the same level of interest.

If you haven’t, you better go see this movie. I’m glad I did. My only regret is that I watched it at the SM Cinema. Although they claim that Cinema 1 is digital, the sound was not very good. It felt flat compared to maybe had I watched it at the Cineplex of Gateway Mall. Or maybe I was just expecting too much.

At any rate, the movie is still shown all over the metro. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Get back here to share your experience. If you watched it already, share your thoughts below.

Read more: The City Roamer: A Beautiful Movie: X-Men First Class http://cityroamer.blogspot.com/2011/06/beautiful-movie-x-men-first-class.html#ixzz1Pr54N2yc
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

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

Monday, 13 June 2011
X-Men: First Class
A step forward in the evolution of the X-Men, this time going right back to the roots of both Professor X and Magneto. While Eric Lensherr takes his magnetic beginnings from the horrific events of the Holocaust and his powers are forced to wake by the Nazi scientist Dr. Klaus Schmidt, Charles Xavier learns he isn't the only 'Different' person in the world when befriending Raven Darkholme, a young girl who can change her appearance however she pleases. Years later in 1962 Eric sets out to find Dr. Schmidt, now calling himself Sebastian Shaw the leader of the Hellfire club, who has drawn the attention of the CIA with his shady schemes with Russia and the possibility of starting an all at nuclear war between Russia and the USA. Enlisted by the CIA, Charles tries to help capture Shaw and his mutants but there powers overwhelm him leaving him severly disadvantaged until Eric steps in and tries to stop Shaw himself though Charles manages to persuade Eric to let Shaw escape and fight another day instead of sacrificing himself. After the failed attempt Charles and Eric team up to recruit there own mutant force to combat the enemy and form the X-men, who for different reasons pull together in a last dash attempt to prevent Shaw from starting World War Three.

The cast of this film were all fantastic! Although the two stand out figures of the film were Michael Fassbender(Magneto) and James McAvoy(Professor X) both played there roles amazingly well making their characters and the differences between them just as strong if not better than the way Ian Mckellen and Patrick Stewart portrayed them. I'd say Fassbender just pushes ahead of McAvoy by showing Magneto, Instead of the Villain out to destroy the world, but showing Eric as a man tortured by past events, wanting revenge while ultimately wanting to prevent the death of mutants at the hands of a race who fear them. Even the smallest roles were played well, Nicholas Hoult as Beast and Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique both showed the difficulties of being different keeping the main idea of mutant/human existence as with all X-Men films and made it stand out more than ever. Kevin Bacon also gave a strong performance as Sebastian Shaw giving the man with a god complex a sinister motive and strong ideals to actually stand out as a decent villain.

This film is brilliant. It's the best film I've seen in a long while and it's an X-Men film! Having the swinging feel of the 60's and historical factors like the threat of a cold war really pushes the film into our world and makes it stand out from other bland and dull comic book films which seem to far fetched to ever be believable. It does everything an X-Men film should, super powers, action sequences and likable characters which actually make it stand out as, in my opinion the best X-Men film so far. However it also takes those ideals and pushes them further by adding a decent story and more emotion to make the X-Men seem more realistic than ever before. All that and i didn't even mention possibly the best cameo i have ever seen in any film which will keep the 'ferocious' X-fans happy. First Class is exactly that it's a first class comic book, dramatic action adventure chronicling the birth of the X-Men and The Brotherhood of Mutants, and also showing the fragile friendship between Professor X and Magneto as it descends into chaos.

10 / 10

FIN.
Posted by Kung Food Cowboy at 11:09

http://kg-jhb.blogspot.com/2011/06/great-weekend.html

Monday, June 13, 2011
The great weekend

This weekend was so incredibly brilliant that I wish it hadn’t ended. I love it when weekends play out like this, I could happily live days like those on replay!

We started of Friday by heading over to Sandton City to watch X-men: First Class; a movie which has resulted in a deep seated crush on Michael Fassbender. I really enjoyed the movie, although a lot of people keep telling me you have to be an X-men fan otherwise its cheesy. Well, firstly I am an X-men fan (a huge one!) and secondly cheese and schmaltz make me particularly happy, so this was movie heaven for me! Beside if it says Marvel or DC I’m watching it. I do, however, have one thing that bothered me a bit, and that was the accents. The odd Celtic sound accent on a pole and a British accent on some one who grew up in New York State sat oddly with me.

I had training on Saturday morning, but after that I headed home to play hostess to my uncle for an hour or so before we packed up and headed to Ellis Park for the Lions vs Sharks match. I love rugby and will watch any match live, but our house can get a bit tense as Bf is a sharkie and I support the lions. The game was intense towards the end and thrillingly ended in a 30 all draw (Really the best result for domestic relations, but I would have loved a win at home!)

Some of the best excitement, however, was the entertainment we found while waiting for our friends to join us. These included getting flipped off by a homeless man when we wouldn’t give him money! Also the general people-watching is awesome at Ellis Park!

Sunday was perfectly relaxed. We were supposed to do the zoo trot, but pulled out due to the cold. Instead we slept late went on a shopping expedition to Makro where we went bananas with the shopping, came home and planted ourselves on the couch to watch an almost endless number of movies and eats mountains of junk food.

Next weekend, which really starts on Thursday thanks to the short week *does happy dance*, will be equally awesome as my sister is coming back from Hong Kong! Can’t wait to see her, I’m really excited!


Posted by Kierryn Goodwin at 4:50 AM

http://jounce.co.cc/bollywood/x-men-first-class-movie-review.html

X-Men: First Class – Movie Review
– June 13, 2011Posted in: Bollywood

Cast

James McAvoy
Michael Fassbender
Rose Byrne
January Jones
Kevin Bacon
Oliver Platt


Rating

***1/2

X-Men: First Class

This 20th Century Fox release directed by Mathew Vaughn with the story by Sheldon Turner and Bryan Singer, writers, Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz, Jane Goldman and Vaughn, charts the beginning of an epic saga X-Men. After that not-so-happening X-Men Origins: Wolverine is set for this 60 story, imagining the increase, Professor X, Magneto, and their first disciples mutant, is imbued with the paranoia of the Cold War, and served in a mythic dimension, which does not necessarily inspire purists Stan Lee.

Writers expand prologue set in Auschwitz-2000 X-Men included in the Nazi nihilism and x-treme action after a call to fight a powerful mutant in the world weakening, and stress the type of James Bond-style bravado, to the finish line.

Young refugee camp Erik Lensherr (Bill Milner) who has the power to bend metal with his mind, he becomes the evil Nazi Schmidt (Kevin Bacon) personal experience with unlimited power.

Out of prison camp in search of an adult Erik (Michael Fassbinder) revenge with the help of brain twisting beautiful Oxford University Xavier Charles (James McAvoy), whose utopian vision leaves little room for their combined forces to stay in the prison of this franchise style.

Raven (Jennifer Lawrence), change shape adopted sister of Xavier, provides the psychological conflict should propel the action of tension from one minute to something more than that.

The ideological conflict between Xavier and Erik decided to contribute to this bar.

Helmer Vaughn presents his expression with high efficiency, while stamping the story with visions of intolerance and mistrust in the middle of the period of Nazi domination, and in the second half of the paranoia and the nuclear missile crisis Cuba.

sequences of hiring and training, release the tremendous potential instinctive ingenuity – plasma blasting Havok (Lucas Till), Banshee Screamer sound (Caleb Lee Jones), adaptation Darwin (Edi Gathegi, too little seen), and big feet Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult) is particularly interesting. Increases their emotional, philosophical and natural is neatly defined.

Chris “model Seagers retro-oriented production is demonstrated by the significant impact of the corners to absorb ACE Lensman John Mathieson’s camera follow-ups and sharp.

Fassbender and McAvoy not resemble their counterparts at the beginning of Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart franchise, but they manage to adapt and to Charles and Erik memorable.

Hoult and Lawrence to show their characters in an existential conflict has a major impact, when Bacon, Schmidt, and January Jones, Emma Frost gives villainy Stark added dimensions.

For more info: http://indipopbollywood.blogspot.com/

bollywooddhamaka

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

Sunday, 12 June 2011
X-Men First Class
After the success of the first two Brian Singer directed films, the X-Men frachise took something of a nosedive through the messy Last Stand and the hugely disappointing Wolverine prequel. Once again we return to prequel territory with this origins story. On paper there was reason to be optimistic - the director's chair was taken by Matthew Vaughn (fresh off the success of Kick Ass) and the cast includes Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, January Jones and Kevin Bacon.

So, does this film work to heave the franchise back on track. The answer would be an almost unqualified Yes. Almost unqualified in that it has some faults - it probably tries to introduce too many characters so that some are poorly served - Riptide has little to do and less to say and some of the new characters' powers are either a bit derivative of previous characters (Havoc) or just a bit naff. But on the whole it works very well.

Vaughn, re-teaming with Kick Ass scripter Jane Goldman, has delivered a film which combines a bit of wit and humour with some good characters and some great action set pieces. The final battle of the coast of Cuba is one of the best handled and most thrilling finales to a superhero movie for a long time. In fact, the period, the tone and setting in the Cuban missile crisis gives this the feel of something akin to a Connery era bond movie, only with mutant superpowers and echoes of the Anakin/Vader plot from Star Wars.

As for the cast, the stand-out is Fassbender who makes a startingly good young Ian McKellen and brings some depth to the role. McAvoy struggles a bit more to live up to Patrick Stewart (hence repeated jokes about not wanting to lose his hair) but generally holds his own well enough. Of the others, Winter's Bone's Lawrence makes for a sympathetic Mystique, Nicholas Hoult brings pathos to the role of Beast and Mad Men's January Jones makes a great Femme Fatale as Emma Frost. It goes without saying that Kevin Bacon also makes superb villain. Also watch out for brief cameos from Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Romjin from the first films.

Overall - 7.5/10 First Class superhero flick and franchise firmly back on track.
Posted by Tony at 18:48

http://partlydrawn.wordpress.com/2011/06/12/spoiler-alert-saturday-my-thoughts-on-x-men-first-class/

Spoiler Alert Saturday :: my thoughts on X-Men: First Class

12 Jun

In short, oh yes. I have always been fond of the X-Men franchise; this was probably at least somewhat due to my crush on Bobby (Shawn Ashmore) and my ladycrush on Rogue (Anna Paquin) back in the day (this also could account for why I didn’t like the third one as much, the fail of them within). This is also because I am kind of a weird sucker for superhero movies that aren’t excessively idiotic, and I will give them all at least a try. And I like ensembles of weirdos, so.

Because of this, and because I love the 1960s so hard it hurts, and because I love James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender and also Rose Byrne when she’s not being stupid, I was pretty excited for First Class. And I was not let down, man oh man.

So, some thoughts that range from abstract to somewhat clear:

James. McAvoy. Oh, yeah. Bluuuue eyes, that cute sorta cocky but not douchey thing he had going at first.
Michael Fassbender. Dammit, I felt so weird thinking Magneto was kinda sexy, but I did. He was all badass. He was all speaking like a billion languages, which is a total turn-on.
And I was pleasantly surprised by Nicholas Hoult as Beast. Pre-bluification, oh man, my type much? Glasses? Nerdbabbling? Sciencebabbling? Intelligence and a random aptitude for piloting? Sweatervests?
McAvoy and Fassbender’s Charles and Erik had such a freakin’ epic bromance going.
And McAvoy and Rose Byrne’s Moira (a character who was Olivia Williams in X3, so automatically I was sort of rooting for her – also, brainy women? Yes please) had amazing freakin’ chemistry. I was just sitting there the entire time going shipshipshipshipship.
Hugh Jackman’s little pissy-ass Logan cameo was happy-making.
Hey, the plot was super great.
Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, for example) doesn’t fail. I’m adding him to my list of failsafe directors now.
It was the sixties. That meant clothes, that meant styles, that meant vibe, that meant yes.
I’m a sucker for origin stories, so I loved seeing all the kids sitting around coming up with their codenames. Jennifer Lawrence’s Raven/Mystique was so adorable when she was all “And you should be… Magneto! “
…lol, apparently Professor X’s brain is a remote wipe device. I am fully aware that was possibly the dorkiest sentence this blog has ever contained.
Surprisingly, I didn’t want to punch January Jones’ Emma too too much. I mean, yes, she was an evil bitch, and all icy-cold diamondy, but — she was supposed to be, she filled her purpose. And she is good at being eye candy, which she got to do a lot of. I had to tell my mom afterwards just to ignore the appearance of Kayla Silverfox’s sister!Emma in Wolverine, because, uhm, fail, completely not canon-appropriate. Better just to not pay attention and go with crazy bitch January Jones in the 1960s.
And Kevin Bacon makes a good creeper. After this and Super, I’m beginning to think that should just be his thing.

–your fangirl heroine.

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

Sunday, June 12, 2011
X-Men: First Class (2011)
X-Men: First Class is truly a first class summer blockbuster. Audiences are going to love it. It has all the ingredients for a memorable experience at the movies - a lavish budget, spectacular effects, a cast of likeable actors, thrilling action sequences and the most important ingredient of all, a solid story. The movie gets everything right from the get go and manages to keep it together till the end credits roll. You need not have read the comic books or seen the earlier films in this series to be entertained. As far as origin stories go in Hollywood superhero movies, this sets the benchmark.

Fans of the earlier films would be wrong to assume that without Wolverine or Storm or Jean-Gray or Cyclops, the movie would not be enjoyable. You will not miss Hugh Jackman or Halle Berry or Famke Janssen or James Marsden much at all while watching this. When I say this, I mean no criticism of the earlier movies or of the actors in them. All I am saying is that this latest offering is so superior to all previous films in the series that the producers would be better off using it as as a fresh starting point and using this new cast for upcoming features in the series. I guess this is going to happen anyway as this one sets the box office on fire.

When we saw the first on screen appearance of X-Men in the year 2000, Professor X / Charles Xavier and Magneto were old men. Each had their own team of superhero /supervillain mutants and their own sense of right and wrong. X-Men: First Class explores the background stories of Professor X and Magneto and tells us how the mutants who are eventually referred to as X-Men came to find each other in a world populated by "normal" humans. It also tells us how Professor X and Magneto become best friends but tragically go on to opposing sides.

The film starts of in the 1940s. A young boy named Erik suffers at the hands of Nazi soldiers and is separated from his parents. Erik seems to have the abilty to bend and move metal. A cruel scientist Dr. Schmidt (Kevin Bacon) kills the young boy's mother when at his command Erik fails to prove his powers. In America, Charles Xavier is a rich kid with telepathic abilities. One night at his house, he meets a homeless young shape-shifter named Raven. Delighted at having met someone who is "different" like him, he invites her to live with his family. The scene then shifts to the 1960s. Erik (Michael Fassbender) has now considerably improved his powers and is tracking down for former Nazis in the hope of finding Dr. Schmidt and avenging his mother's death. An adult Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) has become a genetics researcher. His adopted childhood friend Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) works as a waitress and seems to have a crush on him though he thinks of her as a sister.

Meanwhile, a CIA agent Moira (Rose Bryne) discovers that a secret society headed by a man called Sebastian Shaw (the same man who used be Dr Schmidt) along with some other dangerous people with extraordinary abilities are trying to manipulate a US Army colonel into something that could trigger off a nuclear war between the US and the Soviet Union. Her incredible story about the group of deadly mutants destroys her credibility within her own agency. She is determined to prove the existence their existence and turns to the geneticist Charles Xavier for help. When the CIA meet Charles and Raven, they finally see the truth in her story. A secret division within the CIA decides to use Charles to discover the existence of other mutants and to take their help to augment national defence capabilities.

This is a film where every scene seems to have just the amount of time that it should. No action sequence outstays its welcome. And there are plenty of them. There is not a moment of repetition or of boredom. The film's final twenty minutes are very exciting and will have the audiences thrilled. The more emotional scenes are so deftly handled that we forget that we are watching what is essentially a superhero movie. Just like Christopher Nolan's highly acclaimed The Dark Knight, X-Men: First Class manages to get us involved in the fates of the lead characters. Especially Erik. Even though you cannot approve of his actions, you will understand the pain that he goes through and why he makes the choices that he does. He is not an inherently bad man but the horrors and abuse suffered by him as a child prove to be too difficult for him to overcome. You know that even Charles's true friendship is not going to be enough to prevent him from ultimately making the wrong choice.

From a performance standpoint, while the movie does not require anything extrardinary, you have fine performances from just about everybody. Kevin Bacon is a good supervillain. Jennifer Lawrence proved her acting prowess in Winter's Bone and she is perfect as Raven. There is a surprise treat or two for fans of the previous films. I will not tell you what they are.

I had thoroughly enjoyed director Matthew Vaughn's previous venture Kick-Ass and with this outing, he has proved that he knows quite well how to make action films. For me, this has been the most entertaining sci-fi action film of this year and here I had been thinking that Thor could not be topped.

Rating: ***** out of 5
Posted by Shash at 5:08 AM

http://cinderellaincombatboots.blogspot.com/2011/06/x-men-first-classa-first-class-flick.html

Sunday, June 12, 2011
X-Men: First Class—A First Class Flick
Warning: this entry is created with occasional fangirl key-smash and squeals, so please bear with the giddiness and spoiler-ishness of the blogger’s writing. Thank you.

____

Before he became Professor X, he was Charles Xavier. Before he took the name of Magneto, he was Erik Lensherr. Before they became the worst archenemies, they were best friends, working together with other Mutants against a common nemesis. Chronicling the “why’s” of the philosophical rift between the two main characters—and the resulting clash of their teams in other X-Men movies—X-Men: First Class is a first class flick that effectively quenched the thirst of all geek hearts that has marveled the waning Marvel classic franchise (okaay, I’ll stop having fun with puns now).

x-men-first-class_610x3551THE FIRST CLASS in the Mutant’s school of awesome! *confetti*

With a plotline that keeps you on the edge of the seat, a well-rounded cast of characters, and a metaphorical message that is still relevant to our society today, this is easily the best superhero film that I’ve seen this year. The actors did a great job in bringing to life the beloved comics characters, though of course I commend Michael Fassbender’s performance as Magneto the most.

As someone who likes alternate histories with a touch of science fiction in it, I loved that the important chunk of events in the story are overlapped with the Cuban Missile Crisis during the Cold War. Sebastian Shaw’s plan to ensure that the missiles arrive in Cuba in order to commence World War III (and then make sure that Mutants will take over the world) is made of ass-kicking awesome. I’m not rooting for his team, but the clichéd antagonistic schemes look amazing when translated to the screen. XD

bromabce
SUPERHERO BROMANCE: Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) & Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender)

Anyone who doesn’t see the “bromantic” connection between Charles and Erik needs to wear The Magic Goggles of the Obvious. :p Haha. James McAvoy even called it a “love story”, but let’s don’t go there anymore, kaay? Charles is kind of an egotistic, condescending genius and Erik is fueled by revenge and rage, but they click together as partners-in-crime (or anti-crime, whatever you want). They also consider each other as trusted friends. All along they think they’re the same, but the heartbreaking scene at the beach near the end of the movie reveals the crevice between their beliefs. The non-spoiler-ish dialogue:

Erik: *looking down to a wounded Charles on his lap* We want the same thing.
Charles: I’m sorry, my friend. But we do not.
Fangirl Heart: *breaks*

Haha. Anyway, it’s the kind of tandem that reminds me of Watson-Holmes. Needless to say, it’s a new favorite.

nsbdWELL HELLO THERE KATNISS: For a moment there I thought she’s going to give him the famous upside-down Spiderman kiss. :p

It’s Jennifer Lawrence, more known to The Hunger Games fans as the actress who will portray Katniss Everdeen in the big screen adaptation of the THG trilogy. Raven/Mystique didn’t kick so much ass in this flick, but I know that if she did, she’s going to magnetize all the attention (pun not intended). That said, I’m expecting The Hunger Games movie to rock.

Moving on, I’ve mentioned before a “metaphorical message” of the movie that is applicable to our society. What I’m talking about is appearances. Raven/Mystique is a shape-shifter and having an original blue form makes her feel more of an outsider. Mutants normally are, but some can blend in with the crowd. If it weren’t for her abilities she wouldn’t even be able to go outside. Hank/Beast feels the same thing, so he formulates a “cure” that can make them appear normal. I loved the be-proud-of-who-you-are/no-need-to-hide stuff that Erik always tells Raven. The message is connected to our society today that has an ugly perception of beauty. A non-verbatim heartbreaking exchange:

Raven: We don't need to hide…
Hank: We may save the world tomorrow, but you have to accept that in our society your blue form and my big feet are never going to be deemed beautiful..
Raven’s heart and Fangirl Heart: *break*


asdwqeqFIRST AS A TEAM: Erik, “Banshee”, Charles, Moira, “Mystique”, and “Havok”

What makes this movie more exceptional are the funny moments that are perfectly juxtaposed with the serious ones. Like that training time with the guys, with Banshee being pushed off a window trying to improve his skill by using his scream instead of just a whistle, or that time when Moira reports to the CIA and mentions a kiss, to which the male agents groaned. XD Then there are course the epic cameos!

Wolverine has an uncredited appearance here! When Erik and Charles are locating Mutants that may want to join them, they go up to Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in a bar. But before they can even make a proposition, Logan tells them to “Go f*** yourself.” That elicited laughter in the movie house.

There’s also a scene where Raven/Mystique is trying to seduce Erik. Erik of course thinks she’s too young and says something along the lines of “maybe in a few years..” Seemingly challenged, Raven transforms to Rebecca Romjin, the actress who portrays the older Mystique in other adaptations. That also made the moviegoers laugh. XD
___

All in all an amazing movie! Some visual effects are not convincing, but they're just small flaws. XD I’ll certainly watch it again if I have a chance.

You know what's keeping my fangirl adrenaline going, though? Fox Entertainment said they're envisioning to make the "First Class" franchise a freaking trilogy. PLEASE MAKE THIS A REALITY!

Posted by Airiz at 5:47 AM

http://theboxedoffice.blogspot.com/2011/06/x-men-first-class-gets-high-marks-for.html

Saturday, June 11, 2011
X-Men: First Class – High Marks For A First Class Effort
With an all star cast, 20th Century Fox unveils their newest X-flick with the summer's latest tale of mutant strife – X-MEN: First Class.

Continuity with the Marvel (Comic Book) Universe

The First Class
THE PONTIFICATOR (TP): Continuity for X-Men movies is a bad joke at best and this movie hits a new level...it doesn’t have the continuity with the other X-movies. Billed as a prequel within the continuity of the films, I watched it under that pretense. How foolish of me.

ARTH VADER (AV): Even though FOX completely re-wrote every shred of Marvel comic book continuity in this movie, for once, I’ve got to say – and you're going to kill me for this Pontificator – I didn't mind it. Look, the X-MEN story lines run too deep and take on too many sub-plots to make any sense to the layman. Now, as a comic purist, I was appalled. Yet, I was able (somehow!) to put away the continuity crisis – prevalent in all FOX hero movies – the movie is a good time.
(TP): Not killing you yet Vadster, but with terms like “preboot” (prequel/reboot) and “requel” (reboot/prequel) describing the film, I should’ have known it was trouble. There was very little in this film from the comic except the characters themselves. Wait...I retract that, Beast was in the first class.
(AV): I missed Scottish brogues from both Moira McTaggart (played by the lovely Rose Byrne) and from Banshee, a.k.a. Sean Cassidy (played by newcomer, Caleb Landry Jones) that I heard in my head as a kid reading X-MEN. The twists of Mystique and Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) being adoptive siblings and the Hellfire club being a Vegas brothel – well they were just two of many bitter pills to swallow. So I shut that part of my brain off and just watched.

Casting, Directing and Acting

(AV): This is where First Class really shines, Tiffy! I couldn't ask for better casting. This film is so stacked with talent, minus the very flat (by delivery, I mean!) performance of January Jones, as The White Queen and the odd but solid performance of Raven/Mystique (played by Jennifer Lawrence).

(TP): These were the best performances I’ve seen in a comic film and had very dramatic moments dealing with pain and loss. Michael Fassbender had my undivided attention with every scene. I understood Magneto’s pain and philosophical position...and I even found myself agreeing with it! (yes, I became an evil mutant watching this film).
(AV): First rate acting and stunning direction were assets as the VFX folks outdid themselves as always, but the camera work, the exponentially increased story pacing and cinematography were all... first class – err – rate. P-Man?
(TP): Kevin Bacon turned Sebastian Shaw into the biggest menace I’ve seen in a movie in a long time and his resolve gave me chills. Jennifer Lawrence brought more to Mystique than I’ve seen in the other films combined. All other cast were terrific despite missed opportunities for more depth. With top notch directing, I only questioned the aerial battle between Banshee and Angel...but my misgivings are minor compared to the excellence delivered by great casting, superb directing, and incredible acting.
Special Effects

(TP): Excellent and plentiful, Arth. Sebastian Shaw absorbs energy and Emma Frost transforms into diamond...and I turned to mush every time I saw it. All the powers were believable and awesome. I thought Darwin’s power manifestation was the most interesting.
(AV): Stunning, Ponty, absolutely stunning. To me, if a Movie handles effects right, it can march right up to that red line between believability and plausibility. I believe there is a definitive difference between Special Effects (SFX) and Visual Effects (VFX). SFX show me the cool stuff that’s possible while VFX let me experience it. I felt as though I was flying with Banshee over the Soviet Fleet, or that I had to duck every time Havok used his power or cringe in terror every time Azazel would drop a CIA agent from 500 feet. This, along with some impressive audio effects, made this movie shine like Xavier’s cranium.
(TP):The (VFX) were indeed impressive Vader-Nader. Simple acts were done creatively enough that large displays of power put me beside myself with excitement. The movie delivered when it came to powers and when it came to Magneto...a simple coin turned out to be the deadliest display of all.

Taking a Deeper Look

(TP): This film had humor, action and profound drama. Xavier’s exploration of Magneto’s pain is touching and their chemistry is epic. That said, it failed as a prequel to the other movies. Plagued by continuity errors, it should have been a reboot.
(AV): This is where we separate homo superior from homo sapiens, folks. The hard truth is that the folks over at FOX are NOT in the business of making good movies. Their business is to make money, and true to the Hollywood mantra, they assimilate, butcher or consume anything that will turn a profit. From best selling novels, comic books, graphic novels (yes, there IS a difference!), plays, poems, short stories, Broadway plays and musicals, nothing is sacred. Or as good as the original. When was the last time anyone left a theater saying; "Whoa! That was better then the book!"
(TP): Yeah...and it goes deeper. Beast built Cerebro but in X2 it was Xavier and Magneto. Not a biggie, Xavier lied. Emma Frost is a teenager in X-Men Origins: Wolverine but here she’s an adult. Xavier seemingly forgets about Magneto’s helmet here in X-Men. In the opening of X-Men: The Last Stand and the end of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Xavier is walking and bald...being in a wheelchair with hair in this film is twenty years too soon. Storm and Cyclops are children here which makes them older in X-Men than depicted (giving credence to my assertion that Angela Basset should have played Storm!). The history here between Mystique and Xavier is completely new, but we’ve already established Xavier is a liar, so I’m sure he makes omissions too. In X-Men he told Logan he met Erik at seventeen...and now we know they met in his twenties. Charles is clearly a habitual liar.
(AV): Ouch. So, X-MEN: First Class will fall short of a much greater potential. However, as a story with an underlying subtext for greed, intolerance and overcoming personal adversity, this movie actually hovers near relevance. Pontificator, you and I may disagree on this, but when it comes to the thrill of seeing these characters on the big screen with top-bill actors (Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw? Brilliant!), I’m still as giddy as a nine year old in a comic book store.
(TP): Darwin is easily the most interesting character introduced in a long time, his demise is cliche and, given the nature of his power, dumb. Although Wikipedia stated “ After the credits roll, he is seen reforming his body into energy on the moon” (they have recently changed the wording here since it didn't happen) this never manifested itself when the credits stopped rolling.
Looking Ahead: Sequels

Bastion (Nimrod Sentinel)
(TP): If they dare to make a sequel to this prequel, I can only cringe at the further continuity issues that will arise. Kudos to whomever cast Michael Ironside, I’m a big fan and want him in the next one. There is so much material to source from that it’s just ridiculous to repeat anything.

(AV): Sequels? This one's easy. Since FOX bought the rights to co-produce the X-MEN, Fantastic Four and Spider-Man with Marvel Studios, their screenwriters are concerned with selling tickets. After five movies it's safe to say they have some winners on hand, and with screen plays on deck for X-MEN Origins: Deadpool and X-MEN Origins: Magneto, FOX isn't stupid. With a $50 Million opening weekend, movies like X-MEN: First Class are here to stay. With an endless well of sub-plots, story lines and characters, FOX has a limitless vault of concepts to butcher. The source material is way better than FOX’s dopey ideas, in-cohesive time-lines and pointless stories. Yes, I know a movie is a different animal, but when you ride that original source material into the sunset (Spider-Man, Iron-Man, Thor) you get really fantastic films that everyone loves. Pontificator, how say you?

Apocalypse
(TP): Show me Sentinels! Shock me and make it the future sentinel, Nimrod...attached to a really cool future storyline. Trick me and go in the opposite direction taking the story to the past with Apocalypse...Mr. Sinister in tow as his henchman. Of course, that would require we go further back than X-Men Origins: Wolverine did, all the way to ancient Egypt to understand En Sabah Nur (Apocalypse for those that don’t know his real name), but I’m up for the trip. It can be the sequel that’s a prequel to the prequel. Heck, give me Nimrod in the same story and we can have it be an epilogue too!

THE PONTIFICATOR rates X-Men: First Class: This is tough since I was taken out of the game early. I went to a prequel and got a pre-boot. So all through the movie every inconsistency was magnified a thousand fold. I struggled to like this film and there was much about it to enjoy. Thinking back, I feel better now reflecting than I did when the credits were rolling.

ARTH VADER Rates X-MEN: First Class: I know my esteemed partner will lambaste me on this, but I liked this movie. Filled with could have beens, should have beens and would have beens, this was the most poignant, best scripted, most closely aligned and best cast X-MEN to date. Yes, serious re-tooling is needed to get these movies to live even close to their potential, but that would take a wholesale buyout from Marvel studios – and that just isn’t going to happen, even with Disney backing. Fun, engaging and filled with beautiful, cool and deadly mutants of every creed and one the best movie-pacing efforts of the genre, I give this film a solid eight busted blocks

(TP): Consider yourself lambasted your Vader-ness, but I concede the excellent special effects, superb acting and parts that still have me thinking, like Azazel’s use of teleportation to make it rain men...literally. The profound exploration of pain and loss.The brilliant writing that put Xavier in the position of savior to all mankind, at the cost of being an accomplice to murder. That scene alone rattled my brain. Initially I rated five blocks busted, but have reconsidered and give it six.

Posted by ArthVader at 10:36 PM

http://news.worldsnap.com/entertainment/movie-review/x-men-first-class-movie-review-first-class-indeed-104865.html

‘X-Men: First Class’ Movie Review – first class indeed!
IANS
June 11, 2011 19:14:07 IST
Last Updated : June 13, 2011 11:27:52 IST

‘X-Men: First Class’ Movie Review – first class indeed!

Film: “X-Men: First Class”;
Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence; Director: Matthew Vaughn;
Rating: ***1/2

Americans, in the absence of their own ancient mythology unlike the Indians, Chinese or Europeans, have developed a national mythology of a different kind where instead of gods and goddesses, they have their Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader and Superman. “X-Men – First Class”, with its near perfect script, apt direction and some breathtaking visual effects, firmly enforces another mythological universe to this – those of the mutants.

Much before Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) fought at the opposite end of the fragile war and peace with inferior humans, they were best of friends, fighting for the good of humanity and mutants alike, in a world that did not know mutants existed.

When a powerful mutant threatens the world, the two working together develop a difference of perspective that will pit them against each other.

The film’s focus is on Erik Lensherr or Magneto, beginning with the same scene that the first “X-Men” opened to in a concentration camp. It moves through his hatred of the man that killed his father.

The character of Charles, almost Gandhi-like with his infinite love and belief in humanity, takes second fiddle. And that’s all right. After all hatred makes for a better subject than love especially in a film with dark undertones like “X-Men”.

Director Matthew Vaughn and his writers do an apt job in articulating the mutant universe, their fear and their need to belong. The metaphor is the insecurity of every geek or everyone different desperately trying to belong in a world hostile to them.

While Professor X chooses the path of love, Magneto chooses that of hatred, thus pitting them against each other in an eternal war.

The film thus navigates the many shades between black and white expertly, reaching in the end a point where both Magneto and Professor X, though being at the same end of spectrum with similar intentions, are nonetheless divided by the choices they make.

It is just like the rest of us find ourselves in life and the position we take and follow, which ultimately define us.

Magneto is also a perfect choice, and the good writing ensures that in the end he is made a tragic hero, on the lines of Prometheus of Greek mythology with the same angst, love and rebelliousness.

The main drawback of the film is that it is a little awkward and caricatures many situations in an attempt to be true to the other “X-Men” films.

It also draws heavily from Zack Snyder’s underrated masterpiece “Watchmen” and though it refuses to go dense into the human, and mutant condition, it is a commendable effort.

Though the audience can predict the end, aware as they are of the other “X-Men” movies, yet a good scriptwriting (consider handling so many characters and infusing life in them through good characterising) ensures that the entertainment and novelty values are not lost.

The casting is also almost spotless and all the actors revel in bringing out the angst and sublimity of their emotions.

“X-Men: First Class” in the scope of its story and its deft handling thus not just becomes the confirmation of a well-established franchise but the birth of a new one as well. Same when you consider an American mythology.

http://dave-in-wonderland.blogspot.com/2011/06/x-men.html

Saturday, June 11, 2011
X-MEN

-Men: First Class "" charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, which parallels the history of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants to stop Armageddon. Through the process, a rift begins, which initiates the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men.

Labels: MOVIE

posted by Royal at 10:40 PM

http://www.moviefilmreview.com/6433/xmenfirst-class-review

Xmen:First Class Review
Reviewer's Rating: This entry has a rating of 4
Rate This Movie: (Don\'t waste my time!)(Don\'t like it!)(So... So...)(Will watch again!)(Add it to my DVD collection!)

Posted on 11 June 2011 by jaxh8

As most comic book lovers, I have had a love/hate relationship with the Xmen franchise. To start off, this was the first title of any comic I ever purchased (Xmen #8: Bishop vs Gambit ’nuff said), so it’s a title near and dear to my heart. I love the characters, theme and overall craziness of the mutant series. Then came the movies. I had a few qualms, such as why are they all wearing black leather, and isn’t Famke Janssen ten years older than James Marsden? But it was a wonderful film, introducing us to Hugh Jackman (who permanently claimed the role of Wolverine for all time), and showing us the greatest team comic book movie to date. Two sequels followed that raised more questions (such as where’s Gambit, who did James Marsden piss off to suddenly become such a small role, and why do they use the same villains over and over when there are so many great ones to choose from?). The greatest thing in these films however was that they proved the relationship between hero and villain isn’t always black and white, and the friendship of Professor X and Magneto was captured brilliantly by Patrick Steward and Ian McKellan. It is that chemistry, in my opinion, that kept the villain focus on Magneto. So the studio gets a brilliant idea, let’s save that franchise (because God knows we all hated Xmen: Last Stand) by giving a prequel that focuses on that friendship. The resulting film, Xmen: First Class, not only saves the franchise, but rewrites the book on how to make a good comic book team movie (We’ll set aside Xmen Origins: Wolverine for the time being. Yes, it kicked ass, but it’s Wolverine more than Xmen).In a genius move, this film opens with the same scene that opens the original Xmen film. We see Erik Lehnsherr (here played by Bill Milner, but in the rest of the film it’s the astounding Michael Fassbender) in a World War 2 Nazi concentration camp. When separated from his parents, he discovers his powers by twisting the gates closed between them. It is emotional magic, even though we have seen it before, and was worth seeing again. The film goes on to show how a certain doctor in the camp (Sabastian Shaw played brilliantly by Kevin Bacon) uses cruel and unthinkable methods to bring Erik’s powers out and train him to use them. We also see a young Charles Xavier come downstairs in the middle of the night to find his mother in the kitchen. Being a mind reader, he identifies young Raven and adopts her as a sister (which leaves us comic fans going “Huh?” but it’s working with the plot, so we’ll shut up for now). Fast forward a few years and Xavier (James McAvoy) is graduating from a University with his published thesis on mutation. At this point he thinks he and Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) are the only ones and uses minor mutations (such as different eye colors) as a method to hit on women. His thesis draws the attention of CIA operative Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne), who saw mutant activity while pursuing Sabastian Shaw and needs to prove it to her superiors. The promise of meeting other mutants immediately snatches Charles’ attention and soon they are attempting to arrest Shaw on his yacht. They fail due to the other mutants assisting Shaw, but encounter Erik, who has been hunting Shaw for years, determined to kill him. Realizing they will need a mutant task force to combat Shaw, the CIA agrees that Erik and Charles will locate and approach other mutants for this purpose. This is where the magic starts, because not only do we see the bonds between Charles and Erik grow, but we get to see Xavier in action as the mutant teacher we know him to be. He harnesses these young people whose talents have always been uncontrollable and wild, even showing Erik that using anger as his sole focus is restricting, teaching him to come from a place between rage and bliss. He has to be a good teacher, because when Shaw’s true intentions are discovered, they will need everything they have to literally save the world.The writing on this film is superb, and the genius of the actors makes it even more so. The ever-present question in these comics and films has always been should mutants try to live with humanity or apart from it. The answer is never simple, as either way leads to a vast variety of problems. One of the fascinating takes on this is the issue facing Beast and Mystique, whose physical appearance makes them obviously different unlike others whose powers are hidden. They have to face the question of should we hide who we are or embrace it? Michael Fassbender’s intensity in this film is a wonder to behold and he captures every emotion so powerfully that you believe he can bend steel. James McAvoy is so likeable that you can imagine him as the greatest teacher you ever had. They are calling this the greatest Xmen movie so far, and I think I agree. All in all, if the Avengers comes off anywhere near as good as this film, then we are in for a treat next year.Final Word: Should see in Comic Book Action
Written by Jackson Haight
http://www.moviefilmreview.com/author/jaxh8

http://www.indiatalkies.com/2011/06/xmen-class-class-ians-film-review.html

‘X-Men: First Class’ – first class indeed! (IANS Film Review)

Film ‘X-Men: First Class’; Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence; Director: Matthew Vaughn; Rating: ***1/2

Americans in the absence of their own ancient mythology unlike the Indians, Chinese or Europeans, have developed a national mythology of a different kind where instead of gods and goddesses, they have their Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader and Superman. ‘X-Men – First Class’, with its near perfect script, apt direction and some breathtaking visual effects, firmly enforces another mythological universe to this – those of the mutants.

Much before Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) fought at the opposite end of the fragile war and peace with inferior humans, they were best of friends, fighting for the good of humanity and mutants alike, in a world that did not know mutants existed.

When a powerful mutant threatens the world, the two working together develop a difference of perspective that will pit them against each other.

The film’s focus is on Erik Lensherr or Magneto, beginning with the same scene that the first ‘X-Men’ opened to in a concentration camp. It moves through his hatred of the man that killed his father.

The character of Charles, almost Gandhi-like with his infinite love and belief in humanity, takes second fiddle. And that’s all right. After all hatred makes for a better subject than love especially in a film with dark undertones like ‘X-Men’.

Director Matthew Vaughn and his writers do an apt job in articulating the mutant universe, their fear and their need to belong. The metaphor is the insecurity of every geek or everyone different desperately trying to belong in a world hostile to them.

While Professor X chooses the path of love, Magneto chooses that of hatred, thus pitting them against each other in an eternal war.

The film thus navigates the many shades between black and white expertly, reaching in the end a point where both Magneto and Professor X, though being at the same end of spectrum with similar intentions, are nonetheless divided by the choices they make.

It is just like the rest of us find ourselves in life and the position we take and follow, which ultimately define us.

Magneto is also a perfect choice, and the good writing ensures that in the end he is made a tragic hero, on the lines of Prometheus of Greek mythology with the same angst, love and rebelliousness.

The main drawback of the film is that it is a little awkward and caricatures many situations in an attempt to be true to the other ‘X-Men’ films.

It also draws heavily from Zack Snyder’s underrated masterpiece ‘Watchmen’ and though it refuses to go dense into the human, and mutant condition, it is a commendable effort.

Though the audience can predict the end, aware as they are of the other ‘X-Men’ movies, yet a good scriptwriting (consider handling so many characters and infusing life in them through good characterising) ensures that the entertainment and novelty values are not lost.

The casting is also almost spotless and all the actors revel in bringing out the angst and sublimity of their emotions.

‘X-Men: First Class’ in the scope of its story and its deft handling thus not just becomes the confirmation of a well-established franchise but the birth of a new one as well. Same when you consider an American mythology.

IANS

Posted by Tanushree on Jun 11th, 2011

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

Friday, June 10, 2011
X-Men: First Class


Excellent prequel that gave an insight into the beginings of the Xmen trilogy series. Before X-Men was X-Men and before mutants revealed themselves to the world, there were just Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr. When Xavier had hair and Magneto was his pal... this is the story of how X-Men began.

Excellent casting choice by Matthew Vaughn, starring James McAvoy (as the young and budding Professor X), Michael Fassbender (as the charismatic brooding Magneto). Together with other mutants like Hank (now the blue-furred Beast first played by Kelsey Grammer in X-Men: The Last Stand), Mystique and newcomers Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones) and Havok (Lucas Till), they plunge into battle for the first time as a team so newly formed that they're not yet called the X-Men.

I liked how the movie explained the complicated love-hate relationship between Xavier and Lensherr, at first a common friendship united by world events and a global catastrophe, the 1962 Cuban Missiles Crisis playing in the background. Ideological differences soon causes a deepening rift between them and we can see the beginnings of Prof X's X-men against Magneto's Brotherhood, we see the pre-pubescent blue shape-shifting Mystique shifting allegiance from Prof X to Magneto, how Xavier was shot and thus sustaining a spinal injury (which would account for him being wheelchair-bound in sequels).

Definitely first class!
Posted by kopibeanz at 11:54 PM

http://kristinecuer.com/2011/06/movie-retrospect-x-men-first-class/

Retrospect: X-Men First Class
Kristine Cuer On June - 4 - 2011

photo source: 20th Century Fox

This was not part of the movies I was looking forward to this year list. Mostly because I had a feeling that this will be another cliche-ridden movie much like the X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The franchise seem to have nothing left from its tank after that prequel. And it was later on followed by bad movie posters.
photo source: 20th Century Fox

But how can I resist James McAvoy?

The decision to finally watch it was definitely worth it. I could say early on that X-men First Class is the best movie among the franchise so far. It has a great back story, strong script, interesting plot and powerful and great performances from its cast most especially from James McAvoy (Professor Charles Xavier) and Michael Fassbender (Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto).

I was a bit surprise though cause there’s no 3D or IMAX version of this movie (or at least here in Cebu). But the effects though it’s just 2D were still great. And I guess that’s what makes this movie even better cause it doesn’t rely merely on its special effects to entertain its viewers but more because of its sharp humor, witty and intelligent scripting. It pulls the movie together. Even that cameo appearance of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine was clever. It definitely made the audience burst into laughter.

But what I like most from this movie is the team up of McAvoy and Fassbender. Their portrayal of Xavier and Magneto’s relationship was perfect. Now I understand Magneto’s character even more and it’s amusing to see Professor X walking and hitting on girls. Again, Geeks are adorable! I got no trouble switching my imagination of Michael Fassbender from Edward Rochester (Jane Eyre) to Magneto. Both definitely gave depth to their characters.

There were just a couple of things that I don’t necessarily unlike but let’s just say they got lesser impact on me. I am not that amuse with the teen drama amongst the “first class” of young X-Men. I didn’t find Jennifer Lawrence that convincing as Mystique but mostly because of bad make up (Or maybe because up until now I’m not convinced that she can be Katniss Everdeen — yah, I could be bias on this one). And though I find the name Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) amusing as a villain (mainly because the name Shaw reminds me of a villain in Chuck ), I don’t find him scary enough to lead a group of baddie. But like what I’ve said, the movie have a great script you could disregard its flaws.

I guess as a whole I can say that this movie rebooted and redeemed its franchise. X-men First Class is definitely worth watching.

Rating: ★★★★☆