Movie Review – X-Men: First Class

X-Men: First Class

Directed by Matthew Vaughn

Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, Oliver Platt, January Jones, Nicholas Hoult, Caleb Landry Jones, and Lucas Till.

Backstory

So another X-Men film has been thrust upon the world. And this one had quite an interesting pedigree. Bryan Singer, director of the first two, returns to the franchise, in the position of co-writer and producer. Matthew Vaughn, director of Kick-Ass, takes over as director. And, I’ve always enjoyed the novelty of period superhero films, so its 1960s setting intrigued me. How would this prequel tale fit in with the rest of the franchise?

Plot

The year is 1962. CIA Agent Moira McTaggert is on the trail of Sebastian Shaw and his organization the Hellfire Club. When it appears that members of the Hellfire Club have certain…unique gifts, McTaggert seeks out the world’s leading expert on genetic mutation…Charles Xavier. Their hunt for Shaw soon leads them to cross paths with young Erik Lehnsherr. Shaw was a Nazi commandant who experimented on Lehnsherr when Lehnsherr was a boy, Lehnsherr has dedicated his life to revenge. Xavier and Lehnsherr know the only way to stop Shaw is with others like themselves, and begin recruiting a team of mutants. A war is brewing…which side will everyone eventually be on? And how will the world at large react to these mutants?

What I Liked

This is the most action-packed X-Men film. It moves very fast. Appropriate to its 1960s setting, Shaw’s ultimate evil plot is very reminiscent of a James Bond film. I really Xavier’s portrayal as a cocky young man…this is almost a coming-of-age tale for Xavier. Oh, and there’s some very clever cameos by some other members of the X-Men franchise.

What I Didn’t Like

The film moves so fast that some times, it’s tough to get a handle on some of the characters. I’m still not too sure about some of the choices some of the characters make.

Final Assessment

I’d say this is one of the best films in X-Men film franchise. X2 is still the best, but this would be a close second.

3.5 Nibs