After the remarkably lacklustre X-Men Origins: Wolverine, expectations for this revamp of the X-Men franchise could not be higher. And in many respects,X-Men: First Class does not disappoint. McAvoy and Fassbender step up brilliantly to fill the shoes left empty by heavyweight luvvies Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen as the film central duo of Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr. Better known as Professor X and Magneto, the origins of the pair’s friendship form the centre of the mutant mythology, Xavier’s thoughtful yin balancing Lensherr’s raging yang. It is this relationship that forms the crux of this film, and the most impressive undertones of the whole franchise and the understanding of the ‘mutant problem’.
Set in 1962, at the height of the Cold War, the escalation of the Cuban missile crisis proves a perfect introduction point for mutants to the world at large. Sparked by louche lothario-cum-baddie Sebastian Shaw, the original mutant supremacist – played by Kevin Bacon in a stroke of casting genius – the CIA are forced to reach out to geneticist Professor Xavier to understand Shaw’s power and unwittingly reveal the presence of a mutant race across the globe. The ‘goodies’ go about recruiting more of their kind using the impressive inventions of Dr. Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult) while Shaw and his mutant henchmen stir up US-Soviet tensions. Then there is the inevitable showdown when the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ mutants face of in front of some frankly ungrateful humans.
If this all sounds a little bit like Singer’s first X-Men film, then you’d be spot on. Essentially, X-Men: First Class treads the same path, but years earlier, and with Magneto playing Wolverine and Shaw playing Magneto. But at least we are spared Halle Berry’s lame lines in this outing…
But such is the nature of the X-Men universe that history is doomed to repeat itself – is that not the irony of Magneto’s hatred of humanity, despite his awful past? – and so there is still plenty of new ideas in First Class to make it a worthy prequel to Singer’s original trilogy. But like Singer’s films, it is far from perfect.
Apart from the many fan-boy grumbles – the timeline paradox that sees Alex Summers/Havok feature in a film set over 30 years before his brother Scott’s appearance; Banshee not being Irish (if ever there was a role more suited to Robert Sheehan…) – there are some more obvious flaws with the film.
The story gallops along at a fair old pace, leading to plot-holes and a lack of character development. The film also suffers on this latter front due to the sheer plethora of characters, with some of the minor mutants – such as Alex Gonzalez’s Riptide – barely get a line, let alone any sort of character introduction and back story. The less said about the one-dimensional nature of supposed ‘major’ characters such as Raven/Mystique and Emma Frost, the better.
In trying to cover so much ground, X-Men: First Class in reality covers very little and is made weaker by a script that attempts to cram in explanations for everything from Magneto’s anger – already covered in previous films in the franchise – to the Beast’s appearance – another illogical and short-lived storyline that culminates in some of the dodgiest make-up ever seen in a multi-million dollar blockbuster.
The filmmakers would have been better advised to allow the characters’ stories to develop over several films rather than diluting the power of this origin tale by checking the huge number of boxes the Marvel world offered them. As a result, X-Men: First Class feels rushed and unfinished, not aided by some frankly awful special effects and make-up.
Sure, director Vaughn and his screenwriting muse Jane Goldman delivered the brilliantly subversive Kick Asslast year, but they seem a little out of their depth playing with a comic book classic that has a mythology far more complex than the cracking idea at the centre of their 2010 sleeper hit. Had they been more assured, the film may not have been the rollicking thrill ride it is, but equally we would not be subjected to an unnecessary ‘nicknames’ scene, for example.
But when Vaughn they hit their stride – notably during the recruiting scenes (with its special cameo) – X-Men: First Classshines, but the general lack of confidence the director has with his cohort and the exhausting pacing make the film seem to compound the film’s flaws.
An enjoyable if not exceptional franchise restart, First Class shows more than a little promise for the future, earning it a rating a little higher than it might deserve (also, I’m bored of giving films 3.5 stars), but one it is by no means incapable of fulfilling. Let’s just hope the next film is more X-Men: Kick Ass and less X-Men Speed Past.
Set in 1962, at the height of the Cold War, the escalation of the Cuban missile crisis proves a perfect introduction point for mutants to the world at large. Sparked by louche lothario-cum-baddie Sebastian Shaw, the original mutant supremacist – played by Kevin Bacon in a stroke of casting genius – the CIA are forced to reach out to geneticist Professor Xavier to understand Shaw’s power and unwittingly reveal the presence of a mutant race across the globe. The ‘goodies’ go about recruiting more of their kind using the impressive inventions of Dr. Hank McCoy (Nicholas Hoult) while Shaw and his mutant henchmen stir up US-Soviet tensions. Then there is the inevitable showdown when the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ mutants face of in front of some frankly ungrateful humans.
If this all sounds a little bit like Singer’s first X-Men film, then you’d be spot on. Essentially, X-Men: First Class treads the same path, but years earlier, and with Magneto playing Wolverine and Shaw playing Magneto. But at least we are spared Halle Berry’s lame lines in this outing…
But such is the nature of the X-Men universe that history is doomed to repeat itself – is that not the irony of Magneto’s hatred of humanity, despite his awful past? – and so there is still plenty of new ideas in First Class to make it a worthy prequel to Singer’s original trilogy. But like Singer’s films, it is far from perfect.
Apart from the many fan-boy grumbles – the timeline paradox that sees Alex Summers/Havok feature in a film set over 30 years before his brother Scott’s appearance; Banshee not being Irish (if ever there was a role more suited to Robert Sheehan…) – there are some more obvious flaws with the film.
The story gallops along at a fair old pace, leading to plot-holes and a lack of character development. The film also suffers on this latter front due to the sheer plethora of characters, with some of the minor mutants – such as Alex Gonzalez’s Riptide – barely get a line, let alone any sort of character introduction and back story. The less said about the one-dimensional nature of supposed ‘major’ characters such as Raven/Mystique and Emma Frost, the better.
In trying to cover so much ground, X-Men: First Class in reality covers very little and is made weaker by a script that attempts to cram in explanations for everything from Magneto’s anger – already covered in previous films in the franchise – to the Beast’s appearance – another illogical and short-lived storyline that culminates in some of the dodgiest make-up ever seen in a multi-million dollar blockbuster.
Sure, director Vaughn and his screenwriting muse Jane Goldman delivered the brilliantly subversive Kick Asslast year, but they seem a little out of their depth playing with a comic book classic that has a mythology far more complex than the cracking idea at the centre of their 2010 sleeper hit. Had they been more assured, the film may not have been the rollicking thrill ride it is, but equally we would not be subjected to an unnecessary ‘nicknames’ scene, for example.
But when Vaughn they hit their stride – notably during the recruiting scenes (with its special cameo) – X-Men: First Classshines, but the general lack of confidence the director has with his cohort and the exhausting pacing make the film seem to compound the film’s flaws.
An enjoyable if not exceptional franchise restart, First Class shows more than a little promise for the future, earning it a rating a little higher than it might deserve (also, I’m bored of giving films 3.5 stars), but one it is by no means incapable of fulfilling. Let’s just hope the next film is more X-Men: Kick Ass and less X-Men Speed Past.
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