Class is in Session: Inaugural X-Men
Team Makes Big Noise at Summer Movie Box Office
By: Brandon Porter
"Listen to me very carefully my friend...killing will not bring you peace."
"Peace was never an option......." - Charles Xaviar and Erik Lehnsherr
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| The Very First X-Men (Left to Right) Charles Xaviar, Banshee Havok, Magneto, and Mystique |
The Story
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| Taking a page out of The Dark Knight, X-Men: First Class looked to establish a darker more serious tone but still have the great action and humor that has made the franchise entertaining for the past decade. |
Analysis
With big time superhero films lined up for the summer movie season, X-Men: First Class looked to make a case to being the only superhero film to truly see this summer. Happily, the results are really proving their theory right. With the film grossing over $56 million dollars and given an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, X-Men: First Class has become the best superhero film so far in this summer movie season. The crew truly worked hard to make a film that had all the feel of a summer movie, but have a great story and tone to back it up. The amount of detail in the story is one of the films strong points, focusing mostly on the relationship between Charles and Erik and making them the central focus. As for the film's dark tone, it's somewhat taking a page out of The Dark Knight. Looking at the films before that one, the Batman film franchise really stumbled before hand. When Batman Begins and The Dark Knight came, It gave the series a new identity as a more serious and darker version of the Batman universe which help the films tremendously critically and box office wise. The same is now being said for this latest edition to the X-Men franchise with most critics saying it's right up there with Dark Knight as the greatest superhero movie ever; Though some people think otherwise. But one thing is certain, if Fox and Marvel can keep the franchise on this path, then it's a strong possibility that it will reach the same success as the revitalized Batman franchise if not exceed it.
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| Actor James McAvoy gives audiences a side of Professor X never witnessed before...A young, fresh, fun, and youthful personality but yet at the same time, still carries the witful and peaceful carisma of the one we are used to seeing. |
Review
When I first saw the trailers for X-Men: First Class, I kind of brushed it off not really finding to much intrest in seeing it. But over time, I started to become quite intrested in the overall set up and decided to give it a shot. I'm so glad I did!!! This movie was unlike any summer movie or superhero movie I've ever seen before. With so many summer movies going with style over substance, picking big explosions, crashes, overbearing visual effects, and hot women over a strong character driven plot, First Class was the first film I've seen that had plenty of substace, and yet did it with tremendous style. The overall concept or set up for the movie is that it is an origin story retelling the formations of the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants. As I watched the film, I couldn't help but be engaged in it. Being it took place during the civil rights movment and the cuban missle crisis, two important historical events in American history, I felt that putting the debut of mutants in this most crucial time period was a great approach that actually fit quite nicely. The cast really made the movie a joy to watch. James McAvoy's role as Charles Xaviar was a treat throughtout the entire film. Being that I've seen my share of X-Men T.V. shows, I always looked at Xaviar as a serious and compassionate leader. But McAvoy gave Xaviar a personality I never thought he had...a fresh, fun loving, and energetic personality. Whether it was boze drinking or using pick up lines on girls, James made watching Charles Xaviar fun to watch and at the same time he was still able, during the course of the film, grow into the Professor X we know today. On the other side, Michael Fassbender gives an equally strong proformace as Magneto. Seeing what Erik went though really was a real emotional experience. From having his mother murdered during the holocaust to his undoughting desire to want to avenge her death, you see that the events he goes through really shape him into the man we know now. Being consumed by hatred, saddness, and an unreachable want for belonging, this traps him in a web of antagonism and turns him into the iconic villian. The other characters however, don't really have the same type of depth. Mystique, Banshee, Havok, Beast, Angel, and Darwin though they are important characters in the story, really don't have much of a vital role in the overall plot. But since the story was mainly focusing on Charles and Erik's relationship, this issue can be overlooked. But in saying that, I would have liked to see a little more background on mutants such as Havok and Banshee being they will be part of the team for a while. Mystique has a little more depth, though it still dosen't match the depth that Magneto and Professor X have. I really liked the relationship that her and Charles had. It was big brother big sister type of love that really worked and made her an almost equally vital character. As far as action, though not the driving force of the movie, it was still satisfying and had the most fast paced and thrilling intensity of any movie I've seen this summer. The climactic battle scene I feel could have been a little more intense than it was. It really felt toned down from other action movies i've seen. Summing it up, It was a great film that really had me satisfied in a way no movie has before. It's something I hope the franchise builds on if this is truly the start of a new trilogy.
Rating and Final Thoughs
87% B+
Though I don't consider it the greatest superhero film since The Dark Knight, It is right up there with it. This is the first summer movie I've seen that the driving force is not the special effects and explosions, but a strong character driven plot with a emotinonal and heart felt tone. Xaviar's School for Gifted Youngsters Inaugural Class of 1962
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| Charles Xaviar (Professor X) |
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| Raven Darkholme (Mystique) |
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| Hank McCoy (Beast) |
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| Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) |
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| Sean Cassidy (Banshee) |
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| Alex Summers (Havok) |
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| Angel Salvadore (Angel) |
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