Movie Review - X Men First Class
Movie reviews are sponsored by Apollo Cinemas
Directed: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: James Mcavoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, January Jones
A considerable amount of time has elapsed since the last of the X Men trilogy graced the big screen, but now with the public taste for all things caped and crusading, Marvel have decided to give the team a new lease of life.
As the title suggests First Class bears witness to the birth of the group known collectively as the X Men. The plot deals mainly with the forging and un-forging of the friendship between the soon to be Professor X and Magneto, played by James Mcavoy and Michael Fassbender respectively. The two are joined by a selection of ultra humans, as they attempt to save the world from the evil clutches of Kevin Bacon.
The film itself seemed to undermine expectations for example, I thought it would have been a film preoccupied with big set pieces and CGI... it wasn't, and I thought, as with most big sequels (or prequels in this case) it would not match its predecessors, but it did.
The reason behind this is that big action sequences gave way to a plot more focused on character. As a result we are presented with rounded and sympathetic characters, which I was only too happy to spend the considerable run time getting to know. These individual stories are fused together with a very distinct 1960's vibe, to create a film that is not only engaging but also very entertaining.
The X Men themselves undergo a radical face lift as Fassbender and Mcavoy slip effortlessly into the roles created by Ian Mckellen and Patrick Stewart. Mcavoy plays the confident Prof X as a cheeky undergraduate with an eye for the ladies and Fassbender manages to create a emphatic portrayal of the villainous Magneto. They were supported by a knock out cast which included Jennifer Lawrence and January Jones. But Kevin Bacon's Sebastian Shaw at times steals the show as the seemingly invincible mutant out for world domination.
X Men First Class is a film that seems to do the impossible and eclipse the original. It is a big budget blockbuster with a heart and a great sense of fun. But what else could be expected from the director of Kick Ass, his sparing use of action sequences rendered them twice as impressive and his handling of character only served to engage, and unlike most box office darlings it leaves you wanting more.
SCORE: 4/5
