Lets kick this off with saying that X-men first class is the best x-men movie I've seen so far. The first two movies were ok and the third one and wolverine origins were utter dross. I have a sneaking suspicion that Marvel had a little more to do with this production than the last 4 films, even though the movie was produced through 20th century fox.
Anyhow, as for the movie itself, it's good. All the characters are interesting in some way and despite being mutants, they're very human in how they feel. The film is very much a social commentary on outcasts and social acceptance and the general close mindedness and fear that tends to dominate the average persons outlook when it comes to anything new or different. Aside from all that the film is simply very well done. I loved the casting, James Mcavoy was a great choice for Professor X, but even better than that was the choice for Magneto.
Michael Fassbender has really managed to capture what I think is the essence of magneto's character, especially for the age he's at in the film. He's full of angst and rage and rightly so when you look at it from a somewhat detached perspective. In a real way, Fassbender's portrayal of magneto really gets across that he's a tragic character. He's realistic about the limitations of people's ability to adapt to new things, but he can't get past his own experience enough to see that more peaceful options do exist.
The action is not as solid as I would have liked, but it is an origins story so that's to be expected. I have a very good feeling if they continue to make X-men films along this route, staying true to the spirit of the source material and not just making crap up from the minds of people who know nothing about the comics.
One thing I didn't expect from this film is that its actually somewhat moving and that's saying something for a super hero movie.
So final word: go see this movie, it's great.
Comments