X-Men: First Class

X-Men: First Class is a nicely done prequel directed by Matthew Vaughn (of Kick-Ass and Layer Cake fame). Like all of the X-Men movies and many other films of the genre, it picks and chooses its mythology from the long running and ever-changing comic series, and makes up a bit of its own (possibly to the chagrin of many fans). But the result in this case is a stylish Cold War era period piece with a well-written story and lots of entertaining mutant action.

The movie begins with the childhood concentration camp backstory of Erik Lehnsherr (later known as Magneto), and moves to a young affluent Charles Xavier meeting the blue shape-shifting mutant Raven (later Mystique). We then flash forward to college aged Xavier (James McAvoy), as he graduates with an advanced degree in genetics. He is approached by CIA agent Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne), who has encountered people with unexplainable abilities and is looking for an expert on genetic mutation. With the newfound knowledge that he and Raven are not the only ones of their kind, they set out with Moira to find other mutants, and to battle a major threat to national security. Soon their paths cross with Erik’s (Michael Fassbender), who is on his own errand of revenge.

The big standout performances are McAvoy’s and Fassbender’s. Their characters and motivations are well realized, and the two have great on-screen chemistry as friends and soon-to-be rivals. Fassbender’s Erik is particularly impressive, radiating constant anger and purpose (and we can’t really blame him). Lawrence is also noteworthy as the tormented Raven, always having to hide her true form and not happy about it (although that motif does get a tad repetitive). It is fun seeing Nicholas Hoult (of About a Boy and “Skins”) portray the brilliant and equally tormented Hank McCoy (later dubbed Beast). The other young mutants and their abilities provide amusement, though little development. As in the previous X-Men films, there are too many characters to fully actualize them all. These actors have to settle for decent dialogue and action sequences as their characters are trained and guided by Charles and Erik. There are also some cool cameos that I won’t spoil here.

Kevin Bacon is downright menacing as the Nazi concentration camp doctor/researcher Klaus Schmidt (as you can imagine, his research isn’t exactly benevolent). But his character becomes a little inexplicable as we flash forward to the 60s and he’s still the main villain, but calling himself Sebastian Shaw, looking younger and sounding decidedly American. There are a couple of throw-away lines about why certain people, including him, don’t seem to age much in this movie or the subsequent ones, but in his case the age thing is still a bit disconcerting, and his presence in Nazi Germany isn’t really explained. Perhaps there are some illuminating scenes on the cutting room floor that will appear on the DVD. I’m crossing my fingers that this is the case. Emma Frost (January Jones) is the only other baddie who speaks more than a line or so. She is very pretty, a telepath, can shift into a nearly impenetrable diamond form, and apparently doesn’t have much in the conscience department, but otherwise we don’t learn much about her or any of the other antagonists. They are just henchmen.

Aside from the de-aging, overly mysterious bad guy, some other cons are the occasional descent into cheesiness and a few instances of over-the-top dramatic music that don’t quite fit the scene. But regardless of the flaws, X-Men: First Class is a non-stop ride that I was loathe to disembark. It is much closer in caliber to the first two Bryan Singer directed installments than the previous two (X-Men 3: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, both of which I found alternately entertaining and annoying). In fact, Bryan Singer has story and producer credits on this one, which could partially explain the franchise’s return to sanity and quality. With all the intertwining stories and character arcs, this movie could have been a mess, but through tight scripting, skillful direction and solid performances, we instead get a stylish, engaging, and fun summer blockbuster. I recommend this one for fans of the series.

[Rating:8/10]