X-Men: First Class (15.)
Directed by Matthew Vaughan.
Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Bacon, January Jones, Rose Byrne. 135 mins
The function of a prequel is fundamentally to fill a gap that nobody needed filling. Some years ago Bryan Singer's two X-Men features were among the best comic book movies yet made. Even if that all went a bit awry with the third chapter, I still can’t see why Fox became obsessed with the idea that the way forward would be to go backwards and to start doing origins films. Or at least I couldn’t, but now I've seen Vaughan’s film on how it all started back in 1963 and I’m a believer.
This is not intended as a begin-again reboot and it starts in exactly the same place that Singer opened the original X-Men film – in a Nazi concentration camp with a young Eric discovering his magnetic mutant ability. From there the film manages to restore the sweep and intelligence of the first couple of films along with all their other virtues : a really good cast, in a character driven piece where story was as important as action.
The bulk of the film is set in 1963 building towards the Cuban missiles crisis. The film makes the most of the sixties setting with little nods to the Bond movies. It's more than the just copying the trappings though, the film seems imbued with that spirit of optimism. First Class may be smarter and brighter than the typical superhero movie but it is not some dark and brooding beast. It isn’t silly; it is about prejudice and the pain of being different but it is also full of fun.
The film chief glory is its great ensemble cast. They are all proven performers but there's still an element of surprise to their performances. McAvoy gives a swotty righteousness to the young, mobile and hirsute Professor Xavier that is just perfect, while Fassbender’s Magneto is a ferocious creation. Just occasionally the film portrays a certain haste in its creation. The special effects are good, but they are not wow cutting edge. Overall the characters and the story are so strong it sweeps you along and you quite forget it’s a foregone conclusion.
Kingsman review
Kick Ass week of release review
X-Men: First Class (15.)
Directed by Matthew Vaughan.
Starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Bacon, January Jones, Rose Byrne. 135 mins
The function of a prequel is fundamentally to fill a gap that nobody needed filling. Some years ago Bryan Singer's two X-Men features were among the best comic book movies yet made. Even if that all went a bit awry with the third chapter, I still can’t see why Fox became obsessed with the idea that the way forward would be to go backwards and to start doing origins films. Or at least I couldn’t, but now I've seen Vaughan’s film on how it all started back in 1963 and I’m a believer.
This is not intended as a begin-again reboot and it starts in exactly the same place that Singer opened the original X-Men film – in a Nazi concentration camp with a young Eric discovering his magnetic mutant ability. From there the film manages to restore the sweep and intelligence of the first couple of films along with all their other virtues : a really good cast, in a character driven piece where story was as important as action.
The bulk of the film is set in 1963 building towards the Cuban missiles crisis. The film makes the most of the sixties setting with little nods to the Bond movies. It's more than the just copying the trappings though, the film seems imbued with that spirit of optimism. First Class may be smarter and brighter than the typical superhero movie but it is not some dark and brooding beast. It isn’t silly; it is about prejudice and the pain of being different but it is also full of fun.
The film chief glory is its great ensemble cast. They are all proven performers but there's still an element of surprise to their performances. McAvoy gives a swotty righteousness to the young, mobile and hirsute Professor Xavier that is just perfect, while Fassbender’s Magneto is a ferocious creation. Just occasionally the film portrays a certain haste in its creation. The special effects are good, but they are not wow cutting edge. Overall the characters and the story are so strong it sweeps you along and you quite forget it’s a foregone conclusion.
Kingsman review
Kick Ass week of release review
