Geeks on Film: X-Men: First Class [Review]
X-Men: First Class is a great return to form for a franchise whose last entry was probably one of the worst superhero films in the last 5 years (I’m the Juggernaut Bitch! anyone?). While the film is more a reboot than a direct sequel, it once again takes a “timey-wimey” look at the X-Men character story-lines and gives you yet another “save the world while the mutants fight amongst themselves” scenario for your summer viewing pleasure.
Taking place during the Cuban Missile Crisis, we get a heavily stylistic and frantic look at the origin of the X-Men, the Xavier School For the Gifted and one of the greatest bromances gone wrong (Professor X and Magneto) in comic book history. The film moves at a breakneck pace and covers an immense amount of ground during its 2+ hour running time and could have easily been 2 films.
The film is X-Men meets Mad Men with some truly inspired casting, and is by far the best the series has been without Singer at the helm. While the film’s first 2 acts are solid the film’s third seemed to run long as it began to retread the tired territory of it’s predecessors. I think by the fourth film we get that humans will never accept mutants and the preachy speeches and banter just seem cliché by now, even in this new context.
While the film is much different than its predecessors and better for it, at the end it still feels the need to fall into the same tired mold. X-Men: First Class is still a solid entry for the summer blockbuster season and a great entry for the X-Men franchise as a whole. I just hope if we get a sequel to the newly rebooted franchise we can finally cover some new ground. If you’re a fan you wont be disappointed and if you’re not you wont be bewildered either, I give X-Men: First Class a 3.75 out of five stars.
When you mentioned that the last entry was probably one of the worst superhero films in the last 5 years, I initially thought you meant Wolverine, which, if anything, is even worse than Last Stand.
Good to hear this one is on point.
Yeah I really hated Last Stand. Probably because I was really looking forward to the Phoenix saga and Singers take on it. Wolverine while bad had its moments.
I was pleasantly surprised with this film. After subjecting myself to the previous X-Men films I’ve become a bit of a masochist. I know they will cause me pain as a fan but I go see them anyway. It’s like I’m in an abusive relationship and I’m only staying because there is a sliver of a chance the series might redeem itself.
The actors were great and played their roles very well. There were moments where I was laughing at the absurdity of some scenes but nothing too cringe worthy. I just couldn’t take Kevin Bacon in his helmet seriously. But to its credit, they even comment on that itself with a quick line of dialogue.
It was refreshing palette cleanser after the abominations they tried to pass off in previous years.
P.S. Although nothing was after the credits so I was a bit bummed, I’m a sucker for those little snippets at the end.
P.P.S. If this does become a reboot, forget the Phoenix Saga, give me Apocalypse. Ever since the live action movies have been announced I’ve been dying to see Apocalypse and Sinister on screen.
Furthermore if this does become a reboot, I wouldn’t mind if they just took from the animated t.v. show.
The animated show was so full of win! Apocalypse would be a lot of fun to see on screen, I just wonder how they would create him.
I’m glad to hear that this one isn’t terrible. From the commercials I didn’t hold much hope.