Reviews

"First Class". It's quite the subtitle. Indeed, you may have been confused when you first saw it. Perhaps you thought this feature was merely a re-run of the original X-Men served up on a bigger screen and viewed in large reclining seats, with a few cocktails here and there. Perhaps that was a terrible joke (that I may have stolen from Empire magazine).

The truth is a lot less glamorous. In this instance, "first class" translates to "original group". X-Men: Original Group does not quite have the same ring to it, but at least it's intriguing. Maybe a little clunky?
Okay, that's it! I'm done with the "100 or so words that are vaguely related to the movie but give little indication of what I actually think of it while taking up a significant proportion of the review". No more of that nonsense this year! Well, maybe in Term 4 when I get desperate. But not before then!
Right, next thing to fill up on my template is PREMISE. Awesome, that's easy. It's 1962, and Charles Xavier (McAvoy), gifted scientist and even more gifted telepath, has graduated from Oxford University by writing a thesis on mutation, and is living with his foster sister Raven (Jennifer Lawrence), who is also a mutant. CIA agent Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) soon seeks their help when she discovers a band of evil mutants, led by former Nazi scientist Sebastian Shaw (Bacon), who are interfering with international diplomacy on a grand scale. Meanwhile Erik Lensherr (Fassbender), a mutant with the power to manipulate magnetic fields and a victim of Shaw's sadistic research, pursues Shaw vigorously, eventually confronting him on a ship. Shaw escapes, in the fallout Xavier rescues Lensherr, and the two form a close friendship. They begin recruiting and training mutants in preparation for a battle with Shaw, but group divisions and personal motivations ensures things do not go to plan.
The film has an ever-present sense of humour, which couples with a corny, self-conscious nature to make sure the film is in a class of its own. No pun intended.
X-Men: First Class is not your typical comic-book adaptation. While it maintains the other-worldly special effects so common in these types of films, its scope as a lot wider. The writers manage to intertwine decent political material with steady character development, and you never feel like the story is overloaded. This attribute has led some critics to compare X-Men: First Class to a modern-day Bond film, but I don't think this is the best comparison. It lacks the intensity of such a film for two reasons. The film has an ever-present sense of humour, which couples with a corny, self-conscious nature to make sure the film is in a class of its own. No pun intended.
The acting is better than you would expect from a film of this kind. I don't have anywhere near enough space to go through all the performances. Suffice to say that the lead actors are exceptional and the support is mostly high quality. Fassbender steals the show as Lensherr; his performance is steely and cold-hearted without being robotic.
Director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Kick Ass) continues to prove his talent with this film; the elaborate set pieces work well and he paces the film superbly. This being said, he could probably do without the split screen montages; they are distracting rather than engaging.
X-Men: First Class is definitely worth a look. You don't even have to be a comic book fan to enjoy it. In fact, it would probably help if you weren't, because then you wouldn't get fed up with the various divergences from the original X-Men story. If you don't make it to the cinema, check out the DVD; it's the kind of film that plays well in either format. By the end, you'll probably wish you were a mutant. Well, I did. That's not weird, right?

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon. Directed: by Matthew Vaughn.