X-Men: First Class
The arrogant film critic in me wants to be enraged at the power-suits making our entertainment choices for us in Hollywood. How dare they give us nothing but regurgitated and reorganized ideas in this: The Summer of the Sequels? We should take to the streets with signs declaring our thirst for originality. Dust off soapboxes and make sure the bullhorns have batteries so we can let those in control know that we’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore! Right? But the reality is, despite my grand notions of what Hollywood should be doing, these do-overs have been pretty stellar so far this summer and deliver what they’re supposed to deliver: Entertainment.
”X-Men: First Class” goes the prequel/origin route made popular a few years back by Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins” (Although one might say the modern origins of the origin film goes back to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze”. I’m joking, really, but I can’t think of an earlier sequel/origin film.) Once you’ve exhausted your franchise where better to go than back to the beginning? We start in 1944 Nazi-occupied Poland where a young Erik Lehnsherr discovers his ability to manipulate metal with his thoughts while being traumatically separated from his family. A Nazi general (Kevin Bacon) recognizes the potential in young Erik and tries to teach the child how to control his powers. It doesn’t go well.
Meanwhile, it is 1962 and young Erik (Michael Fassbender) has grown his abilities and his desire for revenge against the evil Bacon who now goes by the proper villain name, Sebastian Shaw. Shaw has gathered a small crew of outcasts and looks to destroy the world so that his mutant posse can take their rightful place as the next rulers of the world. Its just evolution. I look around and constantly see six-foot tall teenage girls and nine year old boys with full beards and I tend to think that the filmmakers behind “X-Men” have a point. The next wave is coming.
We are also introduced to a young Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) who still has all of his hair and all of the charm that Patrick Stewart brought to the role in the earlier films. Xavier, along with CIA special agent Moira Mac Taggart (the ever versatile Rose Byrne), is gathering other mutant derelicts to give them a place to go and let them know that they are not alone. He joins forces with Erik to wage battle against Shaw to save a mankind that doesn’t want them. Very noble stuff.
The purpose of “X-Men: First Class” is to restart the franchise and it easily accomplishes that. The film plays off the familiar elements nicely while delivering enough fresh fodder to chew on. Credit director Matthew Vaughn for stirring things up. Coming off his own exhilarating vision of the comic book hero in last year’s “Kickass,” Vaughn gives the X-Men Universe a wonderful renovation. The action is tight and breathtaking and the personal moments are handled well. Some of it comes off as heavy-handed at times and the film would have benefited from a few less scenes delivering the message that its okay to be different but the overall effect is nice. Just the right amount of cerebral mixed with the visual candy.
