X-Men Reviews 7

http://www.movievine.com/reviews/x-men-first-class-2011-a-review/

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

Written by KaleSlade.

Published on July 01, 2011

Vicious, comedic, revamped and fresh can describe this latest and new entry into the X-Men film franchise. X-Men: First Class, the fifth in the series and second chronologically relaunches the characters of the past with style and sheds new light on the origins of notable characters include Professor X and Magneto.

The film introduces us to a young Charles and Erik with its opening. Charles is born into a rich life and is gifted with telekinetic powers while Erik as a youth was faced with the hardships of a Nazi Concentration Camp. His powers are brought out by Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon).

Years later, a young Erik (Michael Fassbender) meets a young Charles (James McAvoy) and a friendship forms. Erik and Charles must join together to stop Shaw from destroying all of humanity to bring forth the age of mutants, a gifted new species in the stage of evolution.

With the help of young recruits, Professor X and Magneto must faces a great challenge that will form who they are to become in the future.

The film features cameos from other mutants and past actors/actresses from previous films.

Overall, the film is a great way to give fresh light on a series I grew up with. With the potential for sequels, this film can become a great branch of a franchise on its own and bring some back-story and origin to these great characters.

10/10

Review by Kale Slade

http://mainhoonemily.wordpress.com/2011/06/30/june-movies/

X-Men: First Class (2011, English) – James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, etc.
I saw the first X-Men movie years ago and liked it, but was always mad that Hugh Jackman and Anna Pacquin’s characters didn’t fall in love (I like older men, okay? I saw nothing wrong with it!), so I never watched the others. Thankfully you don’t have to be overly familiar with the X-Men world to understand this prequel. It was pretty fabulous. I loved Michael Fassbender as Magneto.

http://neonapologist.wordpress.com/2011/07/08/my-mutant-power-is-writing-several-weeks-behind-blog-posts/

My mutant power is writing several-weeks-behind blog posts
Posted on July 8, 2011 by Neon Apologist

(A few weeks ago, I saw three movies in one week. Now I’m gonna write about them. This is post 2/3.)

My favorite drinking game to play, during, like, life, is whre you drink every time Ian McKellan says “old friend.” Just, like, always. Guess what – it happens all the time. If you play this game, and only this game, you will sometimes be drinking, and if you watch the X-Men movies you will be drunk.
Duh

If you meet him in person and work "old friend" into the conversation, you win the game.

You will also be delighted, because the X-Men movies are super fun. I’ve always liked them – they are a nice mix of action, camp, that sort of stupid, saw-that-coming-a-mile-away jokes that are endearing, and a healthy dollop of righteous, “we shouldn’t be mean to people who are different!” meaningfulness. They are a great balance between lots of emotional backstory and things that catapult into the middle distance and go “boom.” Plus, at least once per movie you have a fun little “here are these new, ordinary looking people, and here are they’re wacky magical powers!” montage, as well as a showdown between mutants where the good guys use their powers in weird and clever ways. Delightful.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Also, I have rarely laughed as hard as I did at the Wolverine movie

This new (well, sorry) X-Men movie – I refer of course to X-Men: First Class! – may well be the best one yet, the funnest and also most completely realized, with a good story and (mostly) less irritating side characters. It is almost definitely the gayest. Ian McKellan’s “old friend”ing of Patrick Stewart (and vice versa) was already great, since they were enemies who used to be friends and sometimes worked together and really liked each other but often had to fight each other to save the world, and stuff.
In his plastic prison

We are going to see an old friend

They are basically Dumbledore and Grindelwald, with the same amount of gay “subtext.” I have always been fond of these kind of relationships (parse that one how you will…), and First Class is just, well, delicious in this respect. They are such good friends! Their love is so poor! And yet, they can never be, because of their tragic backstories/histories/worldviews/etc etc.

See, they are still (were?) playing chess

They are also super hot. Like, dude, Michael Fassbender. Michael Fassbender. I was skeptical about him, and all the magazine articles with his slightly weird hair, telling me how he was totally the next big thing, all star quality and sex appeal and so talented and look out, world, Michael Fassbender is coming. But oh my god, let’s keep him.

In my defense, he's really not very photogenic

James is cute, too, even if he does still look like the faun in Narnia. That pressing his hand to his temple and looking glare-y thing still looks absurd, though. Perhaps more so, without the the wheelchair and the very bald head. The crack at the end of the movie (spoiler alert?) about him going bald was cute though. Continuity!

I especially liked this movie because not only did they spend a lot of time fighting against people with thick Russian accents, which is my favorite ethnic stereotype to have as villains, they also fought Nazis, which we all know are the best possible movie villains. I am excited for Captain America for this reason (and also this reason).

Admittedly, they were Kevin Bacon Nazis

The whole 60′s setting was a great call. It allowed for a lot of hilarious furniture, especially on the submarine (submarine ahahahaha), not to mention great 60′s fashion and accessories, like January Jones. And the Cuban Missile Crisis? Just, like adorable.

I guess I’m supposed to care about Beast now, and his feelings and his transformation, but I never have, and I don’t plan to now. Alex, the kid who threw glowy coaster rings, turns out to be played by that blond kid who writes notes through the window to Taylor Swift in the “You Belong With Me” video; I knew he looked familiar.

You know

My favorite scene was the one where they go to the strip club (of course) and sit there with their two person lap dance and play I’ll show you mine if you show me yours. Oh and then Zoe Kravitz was there (err), and she was kind of terrible. Pretty wings though. Also terrible – Rose Byrne. EESH.

No worries, Rose, you were perfect in "Bridesmaids"

Point is – definitely the best James Bond movie we’ve had in years. Especially the mirrored supervillian lair, and the part where the hot guy goes to Argentina and shoots people. Let’s have another one.

http://liveoc.blogspot.com/2011/07/summer-movie-guide.html

X-Men: First Class
Release Date: June 3rd
Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Caleb Landry Jones

The first of many in the super hero genre (excluding Thor which debuted to great reviews in May) X-Men: First Class is set to blow the blockbuster season wide open. The cast is extremely solid with James McAvoy playing a young Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Michael Fassbender playing a young Erik Lensherr (Magneto) as we get a glimpse at how the X-Men came to be. Expect stunning visuals, awesome action and an extremely interesting back story for both fans and non-fans of the franchise.

http://analhaqq.blogspot.com/2011/07/movie-reviews-x-men-first-class-and.html

Friday, July 8, 2011
Movie Reviews: X-Men: First Class and Green Lantern

These days while going to see a new movie, I've learned a little trick. When I go see a movie based on a comic book, or some other much-loved franchise, I try to have the lowest expectations possible. We know what travesties can be done to the heroes we love, such that I won't even cite examples. So now, I just preemptively disappoint myself with delusions of the worst possible outcome. That way at the bare minimum, I can be mildly entertained by gratuitous action and innuendo for two to three hours.

That also allows me to keep being surprised by some movies. Recently, my lowered expectations paid off, with X-Men: First Class.

Let me first say that I am someone very interested in character in movies, even such as this. And the consistently-underlying X-Theme" of intolerance always sets the stage for moral battles. This movie's success I think was to capture that story, and it required knowledgeable performances from both James McAvoy as Xavier, and Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr. Both actors almost managed to come off too charming, to the point that you might have forgotten who the bad guy is by the end.

As expected, there's a plethora of mutants tossed in to fill the fight scenes with silliness. Some we know well, others less so. At least in this movie, none of them were completely made up. Speaking of those other mutants, this may be the first time I've seen Kevin Bacon play the villain role. I am disappointed he tried too desperately to imitate Christolph Waltz's Oscar-winning performance of Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds, nor could January Jones hold up to Emma Frost's wit and severity (or bust, let's admit it) one bit.

X-Men managed great things with a few fascinating characters, but didn't set it with great action very well. Green Lantern may have met a similar fate.

Films like this could always look a little or sound a little more like the comic books, but in the end, they really shouldn't be. Because, what's the use of the comics we already love? In fact, check it out at your comic shop right now.

http://muveehub.blogspot.com/2011/07/reviewed-x-men-first-class-2011.html

Jul
Reviewed: X-Men: First Class (2011)
| By on

One problem that every prequel has to overcome it the ability to keep interest despite us knowing the eventual outcome of the movie. If you have seen any of the previous four films then it's quite probable you can piece together how this movie is going to end and how the characters are going to turn out. This therefore needs to be compensated for and is done so successfully by the introduction of plenty of new characters to keep our interest and the actual discovery of how two men who used to be friends come to be enemies.

X-Men: First Class follows the exploits of the first mutants to be discovered, primarily that of Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr aka Magneto (Michael Fassbender). It begins with a 12 year old Charles meeting Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) and their friendship as they grow up and a young Erik undergoing the hardship of Nazi Germany and the anger that this instils in him. Moving forward, Charles graduates from Oxford with his PhD in genetic mutation and is brought into the US government to help with a mission to locate someone whereas Erik is hunting down the man responsible for separating him from his mother during the regime twenty years earlier.

Both of their paths then cross when we discover they are after the same man, Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) and the mutant henchmen that he has surrounded himself with. Erik and Charles team up to recruit new mutants to teach them to use their mutations in order to prevent the Cuban missile crisis from unleashing the next World War and bring Shaw to justice.

The two main plots of this movie are based on finding out about the relationship between Charles and Erik and the actual storyline tied into the Cuban missile crisis and an impending world war. The trailers emphasised that this was the film where we could witness the beginning of the X-men and it doesn't fail to deliver with a good script not only providing the answers but achieving them with a well crafted dialogue.

As with most of the action movies nowadays, the action sequences are both impressive and well shot using a multitude of CGI effects especially during the final scene which was a particular highlight. The acting was also first class (poor pun intended) with McAvoy and Fassbender leading the way, their characters playing off each other perfectly but by no means outshining the rest of the cast.

Placing the whole film during that of the Cold War was a great choice by director Matthew Vaughn and co as it provided not only an impressive backdrop but used these historical events to enforce its points. In fact Vaughn impresses once more leading to a film that makes you invest in the characters before building to a action packed end.

In comparison to it's Summer sequel/prequel compatriots it has certainly taken the lead as the best so far and in terms of where it sits with the other 4 X-Men movies, well I'd put it in the top 2. Worth a trip to the cinema? Definitely, especially if you were already a fan of the franchise.

http://doubleline.blogspot.com/2011/07/summer-film-review-x-men-first-class.html

Saturday, July 09, 2011
Summer Film Review: X-Men: First Class

I like the X-Men movies. I like that they deal with deeper themes, like alienation and acceptance in society. Identity, and acceptance of self. Obviously then, I’d be excited to see the newest installment, X-Men: First Class. This film elaborates on the relationship between Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender). We also see more of the famous Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) and Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult) among other mutant favorites from the Marvel comics.

This film is set in 1962, giving a sense of nostalgia both for a time in our country and also for the pen and paper births of these characters. As an origin film, this element works nicely with the overall feel of the film.

The story felt a little rushed for me. There wasn’t a ton of time spent on the characters and their relationships, specifically Erik and Charles, and even Charles/Raven/Erik. The emotional climax at the end would have be better if the relationships had had more time to build. This would be my only big complaint.

Of course the costumes, sets, and makeup (especially the makeup) were all awesome. There were plenty of parts to chuckle at, and a sufficient action scene at the end (although, Brendan Fehr? Okay…). The ball got rolling and I feel in a good direction. As a stand alone film this is a good prequel to the franchise, but I wouldn’t be heartbroken if we saw more from this cast in the future.
Posted by pockets at 5:04 PM

http://somethingwithbeards.blogspot.com/2011/07/review-time-x-men-first-class_09.html

Saturday, 9 July 2011
Review Time - X-Men: First Class

I've been pretty lazy about reviewing lately, but luckily, those days are coming to a middle.
I recently saw X-Men: First class, which seems as good a time as any to get back into this whole reviewing things business. Read on, etc.

X-Men is a pretty beleaguered franchise. After the complete letdown of Last Stand, it seemed like the series had hit a low point. Then came Wolverine: origins, a film that was a kick in the teeth not just to X-men fans, but really just about anyone with functioning eyes and ears. The series seemed pretty much dead in the water, but Fox weren't about to let go yet. To prevent them having to give up the rights to the franchise, they legally had to make another film, and hence X-men: First Class was born. Hardly an auspicious beginning by any means. Worse, the first promotional images released seemed to be about as dorky looking as they could possibly make it. I was pretty much about to write it off as another cheap cash grab and give it a miss. What piqued my interest though, was seeing Matthew Vaughn's name attached. Vaughn directed Kick Ass last year, which was an apt description of its quality; Could he save the sinking ship that was the X-men franchise? Or more accurately, carry out a deep sea diving expedition and salvage the wreckage from the sea floor? Well, before I torture that metaphor any more, I'll get to it.

The film centers around the early days of Professor X and Magneto, and the beginnings of the complex relationship between the two. Now, this is already a much more exciting prospect than the origin of Wolverine the stabbing dude (hint: It involved more stabbing). It's set in the swingin' sixties, which along with giving a charged political backdrop, allows a more colourful style, much more suited to the X-men. The plot plays out as a mixture of both epic battle against a villain hell bent on nuclear war, but also on the more subtle battle between friendship and the growing rift that spurs from differing beliefs. There's also the tragic character arc of Magneto, the identity crisis of Mystique, and several other subplots as well. Whilst it's very nearly overkill, they're weaved together quite nicely for the most part, and for the principle 3 characters I was really invested by the end.

Cast wise, the film is almost uniformly excellent. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender lead as Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr respectively, and they both shine in their roles. While McAvoy seems like an odd choice for Professor X, he's really playing an altogether different character to Patrick Stewart's Zen master. Young Xavier is brash, headstrong, and a suave ladies man. It's refreshing to see that they didn't just go for a young clone, and instead show a different side to the character, more light hearted, but still guided by his strong principles. Fassbender turns in a great performance as the tortured Erik, a man eager to fight for his kind, but also fuelled by vengeance. Jennifer Lawrence also really shines as Mystique; she really brings across the struggle the character has with accepting herself for who she really is, and alongside Fassbender the film has some real heart. Finally, we have Kevin Bacon also plays the villain Sebastian Shaw with significant relish. A complex villain he is not, but while it's nice to have complex villains, sometimes the bad guy you love to hate is all you need, and Bacon delivers. More than anything though, his character, whilst unambiguously an evil git, gives good drive to Erik's arc.

Note however, that I said "almost uniformly". Zoe Kravitz plays filler side character Angel, and her background as a model first and foremost really shows. Her delivery is flat an uninteresting, and is almost a non presence. The character has a revelatory twist about half way in, but it's extremely difficult to care. This however, pales in comparison to the awfulness of January Jones as Emma Frost. You might be familiar with Jones as Betty Draper in Mad Men, and here she plays the exact same character. Hell, when something goes wrong in Shaw's giant submarine of doom, she scolds in the same way she would her children the show. The woman has no idea how to act. The worst part is she has a bewildering number of scenes: more than Shaw himself, and aside from the terrible acting, the character really has no reason to be there. Hell, with Jennifer Lawrence the eye candy quota is already well and truly filled, so Jones truly is useless.

Mmm hmm.
The most original aspect is Erik's role in the story. Whilst he has pretty much equal screen time as Charles, he's definitely playing the hero, in the more typical sense. He is the man of action and drive, and goes through the most character development. He resorts to extreme violence, but given the character's backstory it seems almost entirely justified. The great success here is in showing you exactly how the character became the man he is, in a way we not only understand, but also empathise with. Again, it is a credit to Fassbender that he really sells the character. There are a few scenes near the end where he inexplicably breaks out his Kerry accent, but lets just ignore that. He probably couldn't hear himself over the ridiculous helmet or something.

Tone wise, the film flits between humorous and dramatic, and it's surprisingly well handled. There's a bunch of young mutants thrashing the place with their powers one minute, and soon after there's a surprisingly emotional scene with Erik remembering his mother that died at the hands of Shaw in the concentration camp. It's a real credit to Vaughn that the film doesn't suffer any mood whiplash; scenes like these flow naturally from one to the next, and it just serves to make us empathise with the characters more. Speaking of the characters though, with such a large cast the film does spread itself too thin at times. The second act is a bit threadbare, focusing mostly on the mutants' training, but with so many character it doesn't leave room for much else. The growing friendship of Charles and Erik, and the rift that slowly forms between them, isn't given enough to time to really feel developed. It's to be expected that X-men is all about the ensemble, but it would have been much more prudent to, say, cut every scene with Angel and Emma frost, and just give some time to the story that actually mattered.

It should also be noted that the CGI is laughably bad in parts. For a film in 2011, I really wasn't expecting worse effects worse than that in the first X-men film. It's not a huge issue, but when they focus on Mystique's transformations in close ups, I'm bewildered. They really should have known how bad it looks. Not as bad as the CG claws from Origins mind, so there's at least that. Again, it's not a huge issue, but there's parts that really do take me out of the film, and it's a shame.

Let me tell you, It was hard not to just put another picture of Jennifer Lawrence here.
On the whole though, whilst the film has its share of flaws, it doesn't matter that much in the long run. I enjoyed it immensely. The central characters are all really relatable, the setting and tone is nigh on perfect, and the ending, whilst coming to a satisfying conclusion, still left me wanting more. I was hoping for decent sequel to the first two X-men films; what I got was a film far better than both of them, and up there with the best superhero films.

Don't miss it.
Posted by The Bearded One at 22:59
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July 9, 2011
Movie Review: X-Men: First Class (2011)
by Tony Dayoub


Given the decline of the X-Men movie franchise?which peaked fairly early with Bryan Singer's X2: X-Men United (not just one of the best in this series, but one of the best superhero films, period) before ending up in the execrable X-Men: The Last Stand and the disappointing X-Men Origins: Wolverine?one would be justified in choosing to avoid the latest entry sight unseen. But the anomalous X-Men: First Class turns out to be one of the most surprising summer blockbuster hopefuls in quite a long time. The cheesy comic-book costumes glimpsed in the preview hinted that this may have initially been planned as a slapdash film hastened to the box office for fear that studio distributor 20th Century Fox's rights to the series would revert back to Marvel. However, director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) turns the inherent camp quotient into a virtue, giving us a stylized, period look at the secret history of the mutant group and its origins, at times channeling the espionage-laden eccentricities of the early 007 films.

Playing Bond in this one is Michael Fassbender (Jane Eyre) as Magneto, n� Erik Lehnsherr, a holocaust survivor who uses his mutant abilities of lethal control over metals to further his globetrotting Nazi-hunting mission. As he gets closer to his nemesis, Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon)?Schmidt, in his days as a sadistic Nazi doctor?Erik meets Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), a powerful telepath recruited by the U.S. government to gather a mutant team dedicated to stopping Shaw from inciting humanity's armageddon.


Some of the best moments in X-Men: First Class come in the early part of the film, as Vaughn uses the period, early 1960s setting to supercharge the otherwise conventional movie. Erik's turtlenecks, narrow trousers and short boots, his cutting sense of humor, and confident swagger evoke the Sean Connery of Goldfinger (1964) or From Russia with Love (1963). The wild, sexually provocative costumes which barely cover Shaw's sidekick, the glittery telepath Emma Frost (January Jones), are easily explained by the front Shaw uses?a Las Vegas swingers' hot-spot known as the Hellfire Club?as a cover for influencing the global power-brokers on his payroll. Frequent appearances by JFK remind us that this was a time both filled with promise for the future and dread for the nuclear Sword of Damocles which hung over both the U.S. and the Soviet Union and, as a result, the rest of the world.

Now, lest you think my enjoyment of X-Men: First Class was without reservations, here they are: The allegorical aspects of the franchise that equate the shame of mutation with closeted homosexuality float on the surface of the film. Any of the subtlety used to camouflage the topicality of the first two films is absent here. Also, the actresses in the film (perhaps the only exception being the capable Rose Byrne) are in over their heads. Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) displays none of the talent that garnered her an Oscar nomination last year, reading her dialogue flatly. Zo� Kravitz seems to have been cast mainly to capitalize on the intrinsic promotional angles associated with being Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet's daughter. As for January Jones, is she a bad actress or what? Cast in the largest of the female roles, one wonders not only how she got away with projecting such a dull persona as a character that should stand out simply for the way she vamps it up as the film's designated eye candy, but if Jones ever really merited any of the attention she received as Betty Draper on the acclaimed TV series, Mad Men? Kevin Bacon fares marginally better as the movie's big baddie, but essentially his performance is yet another variation on the same smug asshole he's played since he made his debut in Animal House.


Flawed as it is, X-Men: First Class has two stellar things going for it?a couple of charismatic leads in McAvoy and Fassbender. Both share the kind of chemistry and easy camaraderie often seen in the best movie duos like Douglas and Lancaster, Lemmon and Matthau, and Newman and Redford. They bring equal parts gravitas and humor to their parts, leavening the juvenile dialogue beyond its obviousness. For Fassbender in particular, who has long toiled in the world of indies but is unknown to most of the general public, this should be a star-making performance. If the producers of X-Men: First Class wish to ensure their franchise's longevity, they should lock down Fassbender and McAvoy now, and start prodding their screenwriters to find something for the mutant team to fight in the Nixon Era.

http://septacinemaparadiso.blogspot.com/2011/07/movie-review-x-men-first-class-2011.html

Saturday, 9 July 2011
Movie Review : X-Men First Class (2011)

I never feel this glad after watching a movie like I feel after I watch this movie. Since the first day they annouce the cast ensemble I always follow their updates until one day come the trailer. It really blows my mind! I thought this movie gonna be sooooo cccoooolllll. So patiently I wait for this movie to come out. Then come the bad news! It will not be played in this dull country. So day after day while waiting for the situation to change (which is not until this day and anytime soon I think) to satisfy my curiosity about this X-men latest series, I watched the trailer over and over again until finally I found my way out to watch this movie, and it happen today!!! Just sooo happy, finally!
Yeah so that a quick story about my strong desire to watch this movie, I think that's enough so let's get to the game.

X-Men First Class basicly it's about the history of professor X and Magneto. How they first a brother then became an arch enemy and story how the form a gang full of incredible mutan. It's really informative for us X-men lovers. I really like how the picture the friendship between charles xavier and erik lehnsherr that actually they not hate each other, they just agree to disagree that they want different things for mutans. And the relationship between charles and raven is actually really good. It's funny how people that charles consider as his family are actually the one that differences with him. I really like the storyline of this movie.
For the acting, James McAvoy is perfect. He can capture the naivity of young professor x that being mutan is great but it's because he can easily hide his ability and still feels that he's normal. And Michael Fassbender really picture the sorrow and bitterness that form him to become this very dangerous mutan that can't be control even by professor x. There also three young actors that really attract my attention.
First is Jennifer Lawrance (of course) the most talked actress of this year after being
nominated in oscar, she got pick as leading actress in "The Hunger Games".
Her acting as the young mystique that looking for her identity is amaizing. The second
is Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy the genius inventor that turn into Beast. His growth
from a little boy in "About a boy" to the famous need-parental-guide teens tv series
"Skins" and the last is in this movie are absolutly stunning. Then the last is none other
than January Jones, the golden globe nominator but I'm not here to talk about her acting
in this movie cos obviously good, not great but good enough. She made a headline
before the opening of X-men not because her acting skill is because her pregnancy
news that rumored the father of that baby is the director himselve Mattew Vaughn.
Wow this girl really know how to promote her movie huh. But anyway enough with
the gossip.

Now the conclution is this movie, X-Men First Class is THE BEST x-men series ever!
I give them 5 stars out of 5. You X-men lovers out there should really check this movie
out! Cos beside you can know the history, you also can see Hugh Jackman and Rebbeca
Romijn as cameo in here.


Posted by Septa-Cinema Paradiso at 09:47

http://confessionsofatruemoviebuff.blogspot.com/2011/07/summer-sequelsx-men-first-class.html

Saturday, July 9, 2011
Summer Sequels:X-men: FIrst Class

Professor Xavier: "killing will not bring you peace"
Magneto : "peace was never the option"
These two strong line forms the very foundation of the 5th installment in the x men series after wolverine origin.Been a geeky comic book fan of both X men and Magneto , the ever eager film buff(me) hits the theater to catch first class(thankfully not in 3D). My hopes were not on their highest neither was my adrenaline levels cause of the promos and lackluster cast been employed(an X men movie without wolverine ,,,,comeon....),so as i embarked on my journey into the sequel that is actually the prequel to all the other X men movies .

Here's a short synopsis to bring out that mutation in you-
Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr 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 (some familiar, some new), to prevent nuclear Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men.


The main character of the movie is Erik Lensherr played by Michael Fassbender who for those of you don't know have appeared in movies like 300 and inglorious bastards, is the driving force behind first class. His characters dark past, his steely glare and his unending quest for vengeance just keeps you on the edge of your seat all the time, making you admire the steely resolve that will soon become magneto.


Charles Xavier on the other hand James McAvoy (whose acted in last king of Scotland) plays a cool, calm headed and compassionate Professor X ,who balances all the equations put out by magneto.The very fact there is a super villain in the form of Sebastian Shaw (kevin bacon) who can take on both Xavier and magneto together itself plays out superbly for the movie. The best scene is the one where our good old Mr claws (you know who i am talking about ) shows up just adds to the classiness of X men first class .The plot of the cold war and how mutants get entangled in it gets presented so perfectly that you don't find it cheesy even in the most world domination style schemes at all.

Details-
Directed by Matthew Vaughn
Produced by Gregory Goodman
Simon Kinberg
Lauren Shuler Donner
Bryan Singer
Screenplay by Ashley Edward Miller
Zack Stentz
Jane Goldman
Matthew Vaughn[1]
Story by Sheldon Turner
Bryan Singer
Starring James McAvoy
Michael Fassbender
Rose Byrne
January Jones
Jennifer Lawrence
Oliver Platt
Kevin Bacon
Music by Henry Jackman
Cinematography John Mathieson
Editing by Eddie Hamilton
Lee Smith
Studio Marvel Entertainment
Dune Entertainment
Bad Hat Harry Productions
Donners' Company
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date(s) June 1, 2011 (2011-06-01) (United Kingdom)
June 3, 2011 (2011-06-03) (United States)
Running time 132 minutes
Country United States
United Kingdom
Language English
Budget $140–160 million
Gross revenue $336,815,632

Theater seen from- Calicut Crown
Audience recommended to- Every little kid,big adult, old senior you can find cause everyone's gonna enjoy this one.

Final word-
I am going for 4/5 for 20th century fox "X men first class" which indeed is first class
Posted by HAMSTER at 9:17 AM
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Saturday, July 9, 2011
Movie Review--X-MEN
Movie Review—X-Men: First Class

Directed by: Matthew Vaughn

Starring: James McAvoy, Kevin Bacon, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Rose Byrne, and many others

Rating:

Great Movie, May See It Again (5 popcorn boxes out of 5)

This month’s review belongs to the recently released X-Men: First Class.

An Action-Comic Book film, packed with action and special effects.

The movie begins in Europe with the discoveries of special abilities during World War II. As time moves on Professor X, starring James McAvoy, becomes a specialist in genetic mutations. Michael Fassbender delivers the character of Magneto and Jennifer Lawrence plays Mystique, both characters tortured from childhood. They and Nicholas Hoult, who portrays Beast, are a part of the team that is brought together by CIA agent, Dr. MacTaggerte, played by Rose Byrne. As there is war throughout time, the mutant populations seem to have groups with opposite goals. Kevin Bacon depicts Sebastian Shaw; he plays this movies villain, a megalomaniac that begins with the testing perpetrated by the Germans to unlock the powers of hidden mutants. He is also able to absorb energy and has great plans to rule or destroy the world. He of course has his own team of mutants, and they are at cross-purposes with the X-Men.

The movie has great special effects throughout and is one of the best prequel movies to date. This movie answers many questions regarding the X-Men, their development, their trials and tribulations to live and excel as a mutant. The fact that it was a mutant in the CIA, who develops Cerebro was a fascinating twist, as well as the manufacturing of the helmet that will one day be worn by Magneto. James McAvoy brings new range and playfulness to Professor X that many would have never imagined while holding on to his impeccable loyalty and honor, just as Michael Fassbender delivers the rage and wounds that create Magneto. So many of the other characters just want to lead a normal existence in a world going crazy, and the movie brings out how their mutations make them who they are and who helps save the future.
Posted by Terry at 6:10 AM

http://dork-tastic.blogspot.com/2011/07/movie-update.html

Monday, July 11, 2011
Movie Update - Theater edition
This has been a strange summer for me. So far I have only seen two movies in the theater this year. (Although I am very interested in seeing what all the hype of Tree of Life is all about, I have not had a chance to see it yet, and I am quite excited for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 which I already have tickets for Thursday at midnight).

Being the life-long Marvel Zombie that I am, of course the two movies I have seen were Thor and X-Men: First Class.


The other movie I saw was X-Men: First Class. This movie went very much against the comic books in details, but it had the heart of the books which is why it works very well. I loved how Matthew Vaughn took real-world history and incorporated it into the world of the X-Men. This was a great reboot (and can only hope Spider-Man succeeds even half as well), because we can see how this story ties into the movies that came before it while also being its own story. The story of this X-Men shows Charles Xavier and Magneto as young men. It shows how they met and how/why they developed their similar, yet conflicting philosophies.
The highlights for me are pretty obvious: Michael Fassbender as Magneto played the tortured role in a believable way where we can understand why Magneto could be so angry. I also loved the first-person point of view of Beast's transformation, and the kids having fun with their powers.
I had some issues which are mostly nerdy issues like how certain characters were portrayed but that's only because they were different than the 20+ years of books I've been reading. I can 100% understand why some the writers chose to go in the direction they did. But here's a pretty simple idea when adapting comic books: You have years upon years of material and hundreds of books that are almost perfect storyboards to be used at your discretion. You also have universally accepted "best of" storylines, Hollywood should use what they have and not try to reinvent the wheel. And when you have what is considered one of the worst storylines of all time, and is considered terrible because of one specific character, you shouldn't put that character in your movie: I'm looking at you Azazel!
Posted by MitchyMitchyMitchy at 11:02 PM

http://canadiancinephile.com/2011/07/11/x-men-first-class/

X-Men: First Class

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Jordan Richardson

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Reboots and prequels are hot stuff in the world of comic book properties. Ever since the success of films like Batman Begins, studios have been clamouring to hammer out new origin stories that reboot defunct or rusty superhero franchises. X-Men: First Class is yet another reboot, designed to serve as a prequel. X-Men Origins: Wolverine was another such prequel.

The X-Men series is heading in the right direction with these prequels and origin tales, surprisingly enough. I enjoyed Gavin Hood’s take on Wolverine. For First Class, Matthew Vaughn sits in the director’s chair. The result is an energetic, fun ride of a movie that packs a young cast into roles that comic book fans know and love.

We open in a German concentration camp in Poland in 1944. A scientist coerces a young Erik Lensherr (Bill Milner) to use his mutant power to move around a coin. There’s a tragic set of circumstances, but young Erik learns that anger taps his power. Ahead a few years, Lensherr has grown up (Michael Fassbender) and is hunting down the scientist to take revenge. Meanwhile, telepath Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and his sister Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) become involved in discovering their own powers.

Xavier wants to blend in to the human race, but Raven struggles with her mutation as a shape-shifter. Set against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis, it soon becomes apparent that the evil Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) and his team of sinister mutants are trying to press the world into war. Xavier and an assembled team of mutants must spring into action before it’s too late.

Setting the action against the Cuban Missile Crisis is really a smart move. It gives things an air of importance. It’s also fun to see the JFK archival footage to give the action some weight and a concluding standoff in the midst of the blockade makes for a dazzling action finale. The notion that evil mutants had a hand in aiding one of the most frightening scenarios in history is amusing.

The performances are good, too. McAvoy is brilliant and funny as the idealistic Xavier. There are many cracks about losing his hair that add witty context to future events and his relationship with Lensherr is intricate and well-developed. There’s a mutual respect that plays out over the picture, but you can tell that a difference of opinion, a significant one, is dwelling beneath the rather amicable surface. Both Fassbender and McAvoy play into this unspoken tension expertly.

The period nostalgia, aside from the Cuban Missile Crisis scenario, is another bright touch. Not only does the backdrop of war make for some interesting wardrobe choices, but there’s a little James Bond flavour dancing about. There’s also a lot of eye candy, with Lawrence, January Jones, Zoe Kravitz, and Rose Byrne offering plenty to gawk at.

The tone of X-Men: First Class is its best feature, however. Vaughn smartly plays the whole thing light, giving us a sprightly but stern storyline set against insanely tense world events. While the rest of the series, save for the Wolverine flick, sank into self-serious moodiness, First Class plays hero the way things should be. The mood isn’t dire or dreary in the slightest and, like the Star Trek reboot, things are just too damn fun to look away.

http://awesomestarck.blogspot.com/2011/07/awesome-reviews-x-men-first-class.html

Monday, July 11, 2011
Awesome Reviews: X-Men: First Class
I love X-Men. I love them so much. It’s a story that I think lends itself to the big screen much better than other superheroes, save for maybe Batman. Before I dive into the review, just a few housecleaning items.

1) I did not see X-Men Origins: Wolverine, so if they are any discrepancies between that movie and First Class, I can’t comment on them. (EDIT: However, I just borrowed Wolverine from a friend, so there may be a further edit of this review)

2) When I saw the trailer for the film, my expectations, despite my experience with X3, were enormous.

3) The vast majority of my X-Men knowledge comes from the film series, the animated TV show, and random bits of information. I did not read the comics much, and I am not an expert by any means.

So without any further adieu, let’s get rolling with that synopsis, shall we?

There will be spoilers in this review, but if you’ve seen practically any of the other movies, you know all of them already.

It’s the 1960s- the cold war, John F. Kennedy, and the civil rights movement origins for mutants. (Your textbooks said it was for African-Americans, but nah it was totally mutants). Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) is working for the CIA, looking for a potential traitor in the shady American political underground, who may be giving secrets to those pesky Soviets. After witnessing what can only be described as “some pretty funky s$#!” [citation needed], she enlists the help of Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), a telepathic mutant himself who also has the ability to bend bullet trajectories around Angelina Jolie. The government takes interest in several mutants to help their investigation, including one revenge-seeking concentration camp survivor Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender), with the power to manipulate metal. However, just because Xavier and Lensherr work together doesn’t mean they see eye-to-eye…


THE AWESOME:

1) Professor X and Magneto

Let me clear something up here. X1 and X2 were great films largely because of Patrick Stewart and Ian McKlellan. X3 wasn’t a total piece of s$#! because of Patrick Stewart and Ian McKlellan. So it’s pretty damn important that Xavier and Lensherr have a strong relationship. That’s a lot of pressure on McAvoy and Fassbender, but they completely deliver. We see their earliest memories, why they are who they are and we are SHOWN, not told, their philosophies on mankind. It just works. Fassbender in particular was phenomenal, and while I had a little trouble seeing McAvoy growing up to be Stewart, Fassbender effortlessly convinced me that McKlellan was on the way. Great performances.

2) THE STORY- SPOILER ALERT

I won’t say that the writing was awesome, but the story was. It kind of reminded me of a spy movie- appropriate for the time period, I suppose. (SPOILER ALERT) Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) manipulates everyone around him in order to set up a nuclear war scenario, and it is very interesting to see how he does it- by playing his hand very carefully.

The best compliment I feel you can give a movie is that you don’t notice how long it is. X-Men: First Class clocks in at 2 hours and 15 minutes but with this solid of a story, and pretty good (occasionally great) writing, it doesn’t feel that long AT ALL. It sucks you in from the first moments and keep it going the entire way- a solid execution of a good script.

3) THE MUTANTS

How can I put this?

Remember all the cool X-Men? Your favorites? Go ahead, think of that particular one- your absolutely favorite mutant.

You got him/her?

Alright, bad news. Overwhelming odds are, that mutant is not in this movie. Which makes it all the more impressive that they were able to attract me to the characters and make them so damn likable. More importantly, they seemed to learn from X3 that quality over quantity is better- the mutants that we encounter in this movie, we really get to know.

I can’t say any of the mutants besides Professor X and Magneto really stood out- I mean, the acting didn’t blow me away or anything (for a variety of reasons)- but the roles were competently handled and the cast had great chemistry. If I had to pick, I’d say Nicholas Hoult (Hank McCoy/Beast) probably did the best job from a supporting standpoint, but then again, the beauty of the X-Men is that there are so many interesting characters and relationships that you tend not to notice individuals (apart from their mutant powers/abilities, obviously), and you see groups instead.

4) THE EFFECTS

I am a big hater of CGI. It’s overused and makes every film look the same after a certain point. HOWEVER, this film expertly uses to CGI, particularly in its action sequences and its background. Simply put, I knew I was looking at CGI, but it wasn’t the distracting oh-my-god-the-animators-are-really-going-overboard CGI, but it actually ENHANCED THE MOVIE (imagine that).

That being said, I can appreciate the sequences- most notably the early scenes with a young Magneto that realistic stunts were performed. It seems like a rarity nowadays in superhero movies. I don’t want to say too much more and ruin the fun of these scenes, but they were pretty cool.

5) CAMEOS

I could only spot two (although IMDB said there was three). Really cool for those who really pay attention, even though one cameo is blatant.



THE NOT AWESOME:

1) MYSTIQUE

Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) is a f**king disaster for long portions of this film. And it’s certainly not Jennifer Lawrence’s fault- it’s the writers.

Is this girl mental? I’m serious, does she have some sort of problem that prevents her from having coherent thoughts about how she sees the world and the basic interactions that humans have with one another?

I can deal with confusion- it’s only natural that a young girl (beginning of the movie) and young woman born with layers of blue prosthetics all over her body would feel awkward in a society where having dark skin makes you a second rate citizen (remember it’s the 1960s)- I get that. But there’s a difference between being confused or uneasy with your place in society, and being uncomfortable HAVING THOUGHTS.

Maybe it’s just me, but I do NOT see this character growing up to be Rebecca Romijn’s confident portrayal, particularly in X3.

2) CONTINUITY

I have heard two theories regarding the continuity of this film in relation to the others in the series:

a) it’s a direct prequel- everything is supposed to flow exactly into the other movies.

b) it’s kind of a direct prequel- it could go into the other movies and the general plot points and scenarios apply, but a lot of the specifics the audience is supposed to look the other way

So, if it’s A:

MAJOR ISSUES come up, especially with characters relationships, ESPECIALLY concerning X3. I realize this is tough to counter- how could those films have known about the plot of this one?- but it’s just really hard to swallow. Again, Mystique was really poorly handled in this regard (specifically in relation to Professor X).

If it’s B:

What the hell does that mean? Okay, so I’ll ignore some parts (from what I understand this mostly applies to the Wolverine movie details), and this spares most of the criticism of Mystique, but I just don’t get what they mean. It seems like a cop-out, just in case they want to use this as a reboot for the franchise (oh God please no).

NOW, all this being said, will this ruin this particular film?

No, the continuity only causes problems if you’ve seen the only films or are picky or both.

3) MINOR ISSUES

- the writing got a little lazy and awkward at times. This refers to dialogue, specifically a few scenes meant to showcase philosophy (see Prof X and Magneto in AWESOME). Not a killer, but noticeable. Like they were trying to give a wink to hardcore fans, but missed a bit.

- Kevin Bacon is an extremely talented actor, but there were so many times I just laughed and laughed at the prospect of his playing the main villain. I think it’s from watching Footloose and Tremors so many times. Especially Tremors. God I love Tremors.

- Even if you haven’t seen any of the other movies, or know much about the story at all, you can see almost everything coming.

- the pivotal moment of the film between the Americans and Soviets is just about the corniest sh*t I’ve ever seen in a superhero movie. This includes Spiderman 3. The dialogue is just so terrible….

- This movie is not Tremors.

Verdict time! So does this movie has Class 5 mutant awesome in it, or does it reek like Juggernaut’s jock strap?

Overall, on a scale of 1-10, 1 being sh**ty and 10 being mind-blowing, X-Men: First Class gets a…

7.5: This may be the best film in the X-Men series. There’s a lot going on this film, and it’s quite a ride. I highly recommend it to any comic book/superhero fans. I haven’t mentioned this word yet, but the movie felt HUGE. It felt EPIC, like this sh*t mattered. It’s what made X1 and X2 work, and what was missing from X3. I didn’t even mention a lot of the mutants specifically, but almost all felt necessary to the story, and some were BAD ASS. This movie deserves to be seen on the big screen. Not a perfect movie, and I don’t think it was better than Spiderman 2, but it was pretty sweet. Go see it!
Posted by starckie at 8:00 PM

http://www.theendlessroadtrip.org/2011/07/halfway-through-first-class.html

Monday, July 11, 2011
Halfway Through First Class

I'm in the middle of X-Men: First Class with Sarah (we had to pause so she could go out with some friends). Aside from some obvious one-liners it's been pretty good. It's definitely nice to see someone with an eye for good framing and an appreciation for focus pulls (there are lots of them) take on an X-Men film. And Michael Fassbender as Magneto was inspired casting. I even like most of the nods to current and past social phenomena and catch phrases.
I also came across this line of trivia just now on IMDB:

This is the second time that January Jones has been cast in 1962 opposite an actor with a pork based name. The first was in Mad Men opposite Jon Hamm and then this alongside Kevin Bacon.

Posted by Nathan Sizemore at 7:34 PM

http://kenoncinema.blogspot.com/2011/07/two-short-reviews-x-men-first-class-and.html

Monday, July 11, 2011
Two Short Reviews: X-Men: First Class and Bad Teacher




X-Men: First Class

What a movie this is! This is the kind of film you get when you have a real director behind a decent script and a great ensemble cast. A film that gets all the action beats right, lets the actors shine, and ultimately gives a very satisfying, electrifying conclusion. Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy are great as Erik aka Magneto and Charles Xavier, respectively. Fassbender especially captures the inner turmoil of his character and you actually feel compelled to side with him by the end even though he becomes the eventual villain. It's too bad this film came out six years after Star Wars Revenge of the Sith... X-Men First Class shows you just how to turn a bad guy into a good guy without any embarrassment. Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Lawrence, and Rose Byrne are also great in this film. Bacon is his usual slimy self whereas Lawrence and Rose Byrne both are able to hold their own with the rest of the strong cast. Overall, the film's plot is one of the most interesting and compelling ones that I can remember in a superhero film. This isn't just typical good vs. bad here, there's real conflict. The film is not without its faults, of course. A good number of the side characters are fun to watch just to see what types of powers they have, but ultimately, only about half of them are truly compelling. Plus, January Jones is quite disappointing in her betrayal of the White Queen. While she's pretty to look at, her character feels weak and underwritten. Still, the director Matthew Vaughn does a fantastic job here and the '60s setting really adds to the atmosphere of the film. This is the best of the summer superhero blockbuster crop, by far. Rating: 8.5/10

http://shaun-cameraeye.blogspot.com/2011/07/xmen-first-class-film.html

Monday, 11 July 2011
Xmen: First Class (film)
Writer/producer/director, Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass) took First Class head on, directing what can only be described as a new era of Xmen.

The film dives back to 1962 when Charles Xavier (James McAvoy, Wanted) and Eric Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender, Inglorious Basterds) first meet and form the Xmen to band together and take down Sabastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) and, in a nut shell, stop WWIII!

First Class was a make or break version of Xmen. With the disappointing Xmen: Last Stand and the more hateful Wolverine: Origins acting as a catalyst for negativity and dismissal, a new Xmen film was never going to grab attention straight away. That was until Matthew Vaughn popped up and turned the 'Series Of Misfortunate Sequel Prequel Things' into something that Xmen should have been from the start.... 'Mutant, and proud'

The problem with the last 2 films were that not only were they very boring, but they were, well, awful. X3 seemed to grab no attention and slithered into the darkness as the worm of all trilogy closing films. We all know how painfully terrible Wolverine: Origins was so we'll not go there, but it does seem like what we first loved about the X films was just forgotten about. For example everybody likes to know what powers our friends have and people like to see how the individuals live with their powers and how they control it.

First Class takes Xmen to the next level, it provides entertaient and hits all of the above mentioned criteria. It not only brought forth new Mutants we haven't seen before on film e.g. Angel & Banshi, basically a fairy and a....well... Banchi, but it kept the ones we love e.g. Mistique & Beast. (Not forgetting Xavier and Magneto of course). Doing this gave the audience a chance to notice the small things e.g. During Xavier's first go in Cerebro, we see a young storm in amongst the rush of mutants being discovered. And not to mention the one line cameo from Hugh Jackman as Wolverine 'f&#! Off' when X and E approach him in a bar.

It would have been good to see scenes that lasted more than 5min. It seemed to rush though the story which meant that there was not alot intellectually to take in. Which in turn meant that the rushed end gave a feeling of 'is that it?'

Even with that It is an extraordinary film that shines a well needed light on this dwindling series. It will not be suprising if 'young Xmen' are seen again. Well worth a watch if you wish to feel hope for this series once again!

4 stars!!
Posted by Shaun-CameraEye at 15:06

http://onthegointo.com/?p=5108

REVIEW: X-Men: First Class

by OnTheGOinTO on Jul.11, 2011, under Reviews

This is a hard movie to judge. X-Men: First Class comes with a lot of history behind it. It’s the fifth, yes, FIFTH, X-Men movie of the last decade. After a hugely financially successful trilogy, the series has attempted to branch off. First, with a prequel of how Wolverine came to be, and now we have the story of how Magneto and Professor X came to be. Looking at it on its own, X-Men: First Class is pretty great. It’s miles better than the godawful X3 and also better than the lame X-Men Origins: Wolverine. But it’s impossible for it not to seem all a little routine since it’s, once again, the FIFTH X-Men movie.

We are introduced to Erik (played by Michael Fassbender, who will eventually become Magneto) as a young boy in a concentration camp during World War II. His mother is killed before his own eyes by an evil Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), who notices Erik’s talent for moving metal objects with his mind. When he’s older, it becomes Erik’s mission to track down Sebastian and avenge his mother’s death. Charles Xavier (the eventual Professor X, played by James McAvoy) is a young scholar who theorizing about mutants living in the world and wants them all to be accepted. It sets both of them on a path to meet a bunch of other mutants in America and they will eventually choose a side on how they will live alongside humans.

The themes of every X-Men film are apparent here again. The mutants become the representation of every marginalized group that are not old white guys. We are introduced to a bunch of young mutants including a young Mystique (played by Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence). This is basically the X-Men reinvented with a bunch of younger actors, but there are a couple fantastic cameos from Hugh Jackman (as Wolverine) who gets to mutter the 1 F-word allowed for a PG-13 rating, and Rebecca Romijn as Mystique who gets to turn up for a quick second.

There’s really nothing wrong at all with the acting here. It’s got a great cast. McAvoy and Fassbender are able to fill the impossible large shoes left by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan. It’s fun to see Rose Byrne (Damages, Bridesmaids, Insidious, Get Him To The Greek) graduate to being in a huge blockbuster, but she really doesn’t get any challenging material to perform. She plays the thankless role of a non-mutant CIA agent trying to piece it all together.

Much has been debated about January Jones’ acting abilities outside her awesome performance as Betty Draper on TV’s Mad Men, but I really enjoyed her here. As Emma Frost, an evil mutant who is a telepath just like Charles Xavier, Jones basically adapts Betty’s icy, sarcastic tone to a sexy role in a summer blockbuster, and she’s a ton of fun to watch on-screen. The rest of the cast includes Oliver Platt, Nicholas Hoult, and Zoe Kravitz (the daughter of Lenny), who all bring a lot of charisma to the screen.

So basically there’s really nothing wrong with this flick. Sure, it would have been nice if the action sequences were more memorable, but the X-Men series has always been about story and character more than it has been about spectacular action pieces. It’s just a shame that this is the 5th movie in the series cause it somewhat just gets lost in the shuffle, as it covers the same ground (even if it does a better job of it) as all the other X-Men flicks.

Grade: B

http://aureabostel.posterous.com/review-x-men-first-class-2011-31616

July 11, 2011
Review ? X-Men: First Class (2011)
Guys, after re-watching this film, I had to change the rating, from 4 � stars to whatever you can see now.


5 stars


"You want society to accept you, but you can't even accept yourself." (Erik Lehnsherr)

I wasn't longing to see this film, and it didn't even make it into my top of most anticipated summer movies. But many of fellow movie buffs did stir up interest in me by their fantastic responses. As I was excited to watch it in theater, this excitement didn't pass by after the screening, and I couldn't wait to get to my laptop to review this prequel.


The 'First Class' story introduces major characters from the previous X-Men movies, centering around the leaders' paths to what they are to become in future, as we know them. What I really liked is that the film begins with 1944, which was a battlefield for the period of a certain global event, and which brings more reality into play. Moreover, since we are paying our attention to setting, a rich number of locations later is a great plus, as the action-driven plot more than just successfully manages to fly us from one place to another, making it a thrilling and satisfying journey.


The cast is excellent. It's just magnificent. First of all, there is James McAvoy, playing Charles Xavier, later knows as Professor X. He is an amazing actor and what surprises me is that I have just clicked on his IMDb page, and no one even has written his bio there; I just find it weird for I always thought of him as a great well-known talent, especially with his career taken off in 2007 in 'Atonement'. Whatever, he is a perfect casting choice for Professor X. For Magneto, they have chosen Michael Fassbender, whom we generally remember as a German-speaking British spy from Quentin's 'Inglourious Basterds' (2009). I was wondering why so many people were
talking about this guy last week. Now I know the answer: because Fassbender steals the show. I don't know what else I can say; you should see the movie for further explanations. Another character, who was given enough prominence, is the young Raven aka Mystique, portrayed by last year's breakthrough star Jennifer Lawrence. Having seen 'Winter's Bone', I saw all the potential of the girl but still couldn't form a full-blown opinion about her as an actress. 'First Class' gave me this chance. Even though her part is far from the one she was nominated for, her mystique-ish acting never shows weakness. So now I'm officially on Jen Lawrence's side. This paragraph about actors is getting bigger and bigger, but nothing can't be done, if the ensemble cast is that great. I was pleasantly surprised to see Rose Byrne and Nicholas Hoult in some of supporting roles, and I hope their careers are shooting up, starting with the involvement into this franchise. I heard many complaints about January Jones performance, but it didn't bother me at all. And of course, (almost) every good movie must have a good villain: Kevin Bacon in this case. And he is a fantastic choice for 'First Class' bad guy.


CGI is great, but what is more important, there is no surplus of it as it happens in some movies. It is not used in a tedious way, it is just perfect. Another thing that I loved is music. You already know that a great original score is a guarantee of success for a movie in my eyes. And it was bloody good and fitting the story in its special musical way.


Matthew Vaughn masterfully juggled everything he had, from acting talents to music department, and what he delivered to us is a fantastic summer blockbuster, which had enough drama, action and romance in it. It made me want to re-visit the first movies, not to mention I'm dying to see 'First Class' again! Definitely a great watch that you are not allowed to miss!

Rating: 5 stars (see what that means)

What did you think of this film? Any thoughts are welcome.

PS Writing this review, I fell in love with this film even more!

http://catatansimbak.blogspot.com/2011/07/x-men-first-class.html

yang mungkin berkenan )
Monday, July 11, 2011
X-Men : First Class
(Forgive my poor English, will ya? Kisses :*)

Wow.

It's been a while since I wrote my last blog post and movie review. I kinda miss expressing opinion, lashing out anger and re-living memorable moments from the movie I just watch on the cinema; therefore I figure I better start writing movie reviews again. And what movie would be more fitting for me to start over, other than X-Men : First Class?


(Pictures taken from here)

I always have a soft spot for superhero movies; even more so, for X-Men movie franchise. I followed all the trilogy and X-Men Origins : Wolverine. I won't be calling myself a true fans of X-Men story though, because I haven't read any X-Men comics and from my own experience being an avid fans of Harry Potter's books, I can safely say that there is always something (or more) missing from movies adapted from books. Nevertheless, there are movie makers who successfully capture the essence of the original story and re-create those essence in a way that makes everybody, both ordinary movie-goers and the true fans of the original story, share the same excitement (well, fans might grumble about bits and pieces but still, they stay to watch). X-Men movies are the good example for this kind of movie and that is why I always love X-Men.

That and the fact that I practically drool over Hugh Jackman (Me and my old-men-crush *sigh*)

X-Men : First Class focuses on the story of young Charles Xavier (James McAvoy, my favourite actor from Wanted) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender. I've never heard his name before but he's hot. Like, totally) before they become the famous Professor X and Magneto. At the age of 10, Charles meets Raven (the future Mystique) and befriends her, taking her as his own little sister. On the other hand, 10-year-old Erik must suffer the torture from Dr. Schmidt (Kevin Bacon) who is fascinated by his magnetic power. Watching his mother died in the hand of Dr. Schmidt put Erik in so much pain that his power manifests in such intensity that no one has ever seen before.
Fast forward to a couple of years later, we see that Erik has been searching the location of Dr. Schmidt to avenge his mother's death. This makes him cross path with Charles, the young professor specializing in human mutation who is currently helping CIA to track down Sebastian Shaw (Dr. Schmidt) and his mutant followers. The two bonds over their similarities as mutants who are different from human and together, they search for another mutants to be trained and defeat Dr. Schmidt. Nevertheless, this two best friend realize their difference about the kind of future they wish to pursue (Charles with his human-mutants co-existence ideal, Erik with mutants-must-be-able-to-conquer-human ideal) and no matter how hard they try to influence one another, the difference is way too big and in the end, they choose to go in a separate way; thus, commencing the beginning of their relationship as frenemies in the world.

From my perspective, this movie has done a decent job in introducing the important background of each character which shape their attutide towards human-mutant relationship. Erik/Magneto, for example, always feel the rage towards human because of his hurtful past, while on the other hand Charles/Profesor X show his optimism for humanism because of his educated background and the fact that he can easily mingle among human without being recognized as mutant (a fact that bitterly pointed out by Raven, whose blue nature always freaks out other people around her). I applaud this movie for its effort to show that there is no such a thing as black and white; everything has explanations. And who are we to judge whether one explanation is right or wrong? However, the movie has not exploit the issue of mutant existence and discrimination deep enough. The overall feel I got from this movie is still one that light enough to be enjoyed at the moment, rather than something that left me stunned and deliberately thinking of becoming human rights lawyer afterwards (too much?)

Although I accept the fact that X-Men : First Class or any other superhero movies for that matter, is the fun-oriented with plenty of visual treats kind of movie, I couldn't help but think that the lack of emotion is the biggest letdown of the movie. Especially at the last scene where Charles and Erik relationship takes a dramatic turn that change everything. It looks absolutely plain (Me: "Where's the guilt? Where's the remorse? Where's the angst?!!" *crushing bottle*) I sort of got the feeling that the scriptwriter wished to get done with the scene as soon as possible, leaving almost no chance for actors to explore the emotion that should be present on that scene. I mean, come on. One minutes and a half to decide that you will dump your bestfriend? (Oh wait. That happens in real life. Case in point: me, the poor dumpee)

So my verdict is, good movie to enjoy without thinking much. But still I wish to see more emotion. Gimme the tears!!! *I am such a dramaqueen*
Posted by Si Mbak at 7:12 AM

http://criesmary.wordpress.com/2011/07/11/x-men-first-class/

2011
07/11

X-Men : First Class

Just want to say some of the things that gets the review section of my mind working up after seeing X-Men First Class :

I’m a huge comic book fans, but I’m not really a fan of X-men. Their history its too complicated and murky for me. But this movie did a very good job in establishing foundation that the 4 X- Men movie already had.
A blockbuster with brain it is.
Good Script by incorporating the Cuban missile crisis. Make it more believable. But feels kinda too rush at the end. They want the movie to end so badly, they’re not thinking a lot of logical consequences in here. But what the hell, its a mutant comic book movie, why put logic in it? Nothing really sparkling in the dialogue department though.
Mathew Vaughn did a really good job in making the wall between serious tone and campy one. If only he’s the one that directing Thor….
McAvoy doing decent acting as Xavier but sometimes he looks like having too much fun. Michael Fassbender wins here. I cant wait for his work in Promotheus. Their conversation in the chess table kind of makes me feels like watching De Niro and Pacino legendary face off in Heat, leveled down version.
Bad flying special effect. Banshee and Angel Salvadore suffer because of that.
January Jones as Emma frost is cold as a diamond. I love her expression.
*Spoilers* the Wolverine Cameo is amazing. One of the highlight of the movie.
Its the second best of X-Men Movie, after Wolverine Origins(I meant it, Singer’s take on X-Men is flat and boring. Ratner? Fuckfest)
I hate watching this great movie in an pirate R5 Quality, but I have no choice. Stupid Indonesian Cinematic Scene.
Its official, any movie with Michael Ironside in it, is getting a BADASS stamp.
I hope they’re really making this the first one of another trilogy, they really got some good thing going on in here.

http://abovethebuzz.com/2011/xmenfirstclass/

X-Men First Class: The Series Reborn
By
Eric Nathey
– July 10, 2011Posted in: In Theaters, Movie Reviews

X-Men: First Class movie reviewX-Men: First Class starts out by following the iconic characters we have come to know when they were but little kids just realizing they had powers. Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) at a younger age is developing his understanding of genetics while Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) seeks to find revenge against the man who killed his mother. As they continue down their own paths they come together to find they are pursuing a similar goal. At this point the story begins and Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr begin to find others like them.

I have been looking forward to X-Men: First Class for quite some time now. Over the years the X-Men movies have begun to follow the same fate of many superhero movies of the past, their stories become stale. With this new installment of the series I was looking for the creativity that comes with superhero movies but also looking for a strong new story to go with it. I must say the movie delivered, of course it wasn’t the first Spiderman or Batman Begins, but it did keep me intrigued.

What kept me intrigued throughout the film was the backstories of a few characters, and the way they portrayed the “impossible” things that were occurring. Learning new aspects of different characters was not only interesting but it tied in well with the films that have already been shot. When the mutants would use their powers, I had the exact same feeling that the humans were experiencing in the movie. What I mean is that the supernatural actions that occurred seemed just that, supernatural. I felt as if I was seeing a superhero film for the first time.

Overall I give X-Men: First Class and Entertainment Value of 7.5 out of 10. I do this because the concept and execution of the movie were pulled off flawlessly, however, I found myself wanting a deeper story and connection between the characters. This movie is a good watch and can be enjoyed either in the comforts of your own home or in theaters, but I would suggest giving it a chance.



Entertainment Value: 7.5 out of 10



Director:

Matthew Vaughn



Cast:

James McAvoy … Charles Xavier

Michael Fassbender … Erik Lehnsherr / Magneto

Bill Milner … Young Erik

Kevin Bacon … Sebastian Shaw

Rose Byrne … Moira MacTaggert

Jennifer Lawrence … Raven / Mystique



Available in Theaters: June 3rd, 2011

http://theviewingtank.wordpress.com/2011/07/10/x-men-first-class-review/

July 10, 2011

An entertaining movie with a good script, X-Men First Class revives a franchise with great performances from its leading actors.

The movie revolves around the beginning of X-men, particularly the history of Charles and Erik. We get an insight into what formed their ideologies and how it resulted into two factions with opposing beliefs.

Rather than the coming out stories that the previous films relied on, this prequel focuses on the characters’ relationships. Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy are exceptional in this movie, and their dynamic creates a good character driven story (and inspired bromance fanfics across the internet). McAvoy’s Charles is more relatable than Stewart’s. Fassbender turns Erik into an empathic character that in the end, you feel that you would have made the same decision if you were him.

The rewritten Cuban Missile Crisis gave the ending more weight, and the performances from the lead actors turn it into a interesting play of two different opinions shaped by their owner’s experiences. Charles had it easy with a comfortable life, and the privilege of being able to use his powers undetected. Erick on the other hand, suffered from the hands of Bernard Shaw and the Nazis. His power was born out of anger and fueled by revenge.

The problem is unless Fassbender and McAvoy are in a scene playing out their chemistry, or arguing about what to do with their less evolved counterparts, everything turns into a typical blockbuster movie. The dialogue was also cheesy at times. The young mutants don’t really resonate and January Jones was rather wooden (or maybe that was her version of being the cold Emma Frost?). But for me these flaws can be overlooked. I didn’t really noticed them while watching the film (or maybe I’m just too distracted by Fassbender by being a badass turtleneck wearing GQMF out for revenge).

Overall its an engaging film that’s a huge improvement from The Last Stand and Wolverine.

My take: 7.5

*image from teaser-trailer.com

http://maheensabeeh.wordpress.com/2011/07/10/x-men-first-class/

X-Men: First Class

July 10th, 2011 § Leave a Comment

by Maheen Sabeeh

*ing: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence Kevin Bacon
and Rose Byrne
Directed by Matthew Vaughn

The damage done to the X-men franchise by X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine was pretty nasty. While the original two X-men films were fast as well as smart and thrilling, the last two movies ripped apart the series. X-Men have been in the need for a transformation, one that was similar to the lines of Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, which revitalized the Batman franchise.

Luckily for X-Men, Michael Vaughn has done just that with X-Men First Class. This is a smart, intelligent film that serves as the perfect prequel to the X-Men films and the storyline.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the film is that it takes us back to the childhood of its main rivals, mutants Magneto and Professor Xavier – played in the first three films by classically trained Shakespearian actors Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart. But the difference between the two men is present from day one.

Professor Xavier wants to work with humans, develop relations with them and promote peace and tolerance throughout. In other words, Professor Xavier has no problems living in the same world as humans, side by side. Meanwhile Magneto is of the view that the evolution of humanity lies with mutants. The mutants signify the next stage of human evolution and so humans should be disposed off as quickly as possible. He is ready to go to war with them. And sure, the super powers are cool. But it’s this argument that lies at the heart of this tale.

Set in the post WWII Cold War era, the film takes us back to the days when Magneto and Professor Xavier were not enemies but allies.

First there is Magneto who was known as Erik Lehnsherr back in the days. He displays power to bend metal/iron. Separated from his mother at a Polish camp, Erik draws the attention of a Nazi doctor Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) who wants to study Erik’s abilities through any means necessary and replicate them.

On the end, far away from the war is a wealthy British boy Charles Xavier who has the power of telepathy. He can read minds. He meets a girl, Raven, who can shape shift into anyone but her real natural state is blue and unnerving. He invites her to live with him and he now considers her his sister.

Fast forward to the future and the two young children have grown into men. Charles Xavier (now played by James McAvoy) has become a professor and has finished his thesis on human evolution and mutation while Erick (now played by Michael Fassbender) is an angry, vengeful man who is obsessed with finding the doctor who tortured him.
Of course they aren’t the only mutants in the world. Sebastian Shaw, who experimented on Erik as a child, has a few travelling with him. It’s his smug little army. There is a telepath (January Jones), a guy who can create storms (Alex Gonzalez), and a teleporter (Jason Flemyng).

Eventually the CIA gets involved when they get whiff of the situation. Agent Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) stumbles on mutants and pretty soon Charles and Erik join the CIA in helping them trace more mutants.

This leads to more mutants. But the good news is that the film isn’t filled up with just mutants who throw their power around aimlessly. Meanwhile the film uses real-life issues such as the Cuban Missile Crisis to make its point.
It all comes to head when Shaw comes into the mix with his mutants and it’s a full-scale war, mutants versus mutants, humans versus mutants and then Eric versus Professor Xavier. We learn how and why the two friends become enemies, how they separate and how Professor Xavier loses his ability to walk and lands in a wheelchair.

Ultimately the film works because it’s not as convoluted as the last two X-Men films. Plus it’s the new casting and the new faces of mutants that makes them slightly more appealing.

James McAvoy isn’t an actor who looks like a superhero. But the role etched out for Professor Xavier suits him impeccably. And he delivers. After playing an assassin in Wanted, here James McAvoy proves once again why he is so versatile.

And then there is Michael Fassbender who takes on the role of Magneto with perfection. He is charming and his screen presence is unfaltering. Michael Fassbender is the star of this mutant vehicle. Despite a well-rounded cast, it’s Michael’s vengeful, angry and volatile Magneto who steals the show.

In a nutshell, X-Men: First Class is exactly the kind of revamp this franchise needed. To know about the origins about X-Men and its most revered characters, check this film out. It’s really, really good.