X-Men: First Class (2011)

The greatest mutant bromance ever told.

Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) — the future Professor X and Magneto — are best friends dedicated to harnessing their powers and promoting the education of fellow mutants during the turbulent 1960s. The duo works together to stop a powerful adversary that threatens mankind, but their ideological differences drive them apart and turn them into ferocious enemies.

I’m a big follower of the X-Men. I like the first two X-Men films, and the last two, let’s just say are a little out-there. However, this prequel brings back that flair that I’ve wanted within that genre, since that crap with just Wolverine.

Director Matthew Vaughn who did the “wanna-be” superhero film last year, Kick-Ass, does a surprisingly great job of actually bringing that fun, but very detailed to this story. Vaughn does a great job of keeping this story at a quick pace, with all these different sub-plots and story devices going on at once, but it’s still paced very well and not once did I feel like I was lost in the confusion.

There’s also a great feeling to this screenplay because not only is there a little bit of humor here and there, but it’s also great to see the beginning of the friendship between Professor X and Magneto. Professor X is more like Martin Luther King Jr. as he wants peace in a kind way, while Magneto is more like the Malcolm X type, and believes any force necessary. I liked how this story plays out well and their friendship is the real heart of where the story is located. It must have been hard for four screen-writers to be on this, but somehow, it seems to work out so well.

The action is also amazing. Vaughn really knows how to make the crowd go “wow” with his visuals because they keep on getting cooler and cooler as the whole film continues. There are also a couple of epic scenes with missiles, submarines, and even a couple of bangin’ showdowns between the mutants that step into some unpredictable territory that will keep your eyes fully glued to the screen.

My main problem with this film is that I feel like that this film had so many stuff going at once, that I thought what really worked, didn’t get much attention and other things just sort of dragged it down. Also, I felt they tried to do too many philosophical themes here that didn’t quite work out in the final product, because once you think about it, this is an X-Men film and you don’t really need to say much else.

This whole cast is amazing though. James McAvoy brings that cool and laid-back approach to Professor X and works very well; Michael Fassbender is also great as Magneto and makes him seem like the total mean, and vindictive villain that he is, although his Irish accent comes out a couple of times when he’s trying to sound Polish. These two together have great “buddy” chemistry that makes this film stand-out from any other ordinary superhero flick. Kevin Bacon is pretty good as the smarmy bastard Sebastian Shaw; Jennifer Lawrence is also very good and sexy as a young Mystique; and the rest of the cast does a good job too with the likes of Oliver Platt, Rose Byrne, and the all grown-up Nicholas Hoult. Ohh how they get so old! The weakest link in this cast would probably have to be January Jones as Emma Frost, because even though she looks the part, she doesn’t really bring much to this performance and is ultimately forgettable altogether.

Consensus: It may try it’s luck at times, but X-Men: First Class is a well-scripted, stylishly directed superhero flick from Matthew Vaughn that keeps the action running at a fast-pace, and the actors doing great jobs with the material. This Summer movie season just keeps getting better and better.

8.5/10=Matinee!!