(Please note: the following blog was originally posted on my old blog
Why Yes I Am Quite Random, Why Do You Ask?, a blog I can no longer
access for some unknown reason. This is being put at the start of
each blog I'm uploading, in case anyone comes across the blog and
accuses me of plagiarism. This is explained further in my
introduction blog.
The following was originally posted on Sunday, December 4th, 2011 at 9:05 pm )
Today is going to be the first blog for
a themed week I'm calling “comic book film review” week, in which
I will review three of this year's comic book adaptations, now that I
have all three on DVD and thus have more time to explore them. Let's
kick things off with X-Men: First Class.
I don't think I need to go into great
detail about the X-Men, but I'll give a brief overview: the X-Men are
mutants, considered by some to be homo superior and they constantly
face adversity from the human race, as well as evil mutant teams like
the Brotherhood and the Hellfire Club. That is, when they're not
engaged in mini-civil wars within their own ranks.
Before X-Men: First Class, there were
four X-Men films, and each was a financial, if not critical, success.
But after X-Men: The Last Stand, the decision was made to take the
franchise in different directions. X-Men Origins: Wolverine was a
prequel to the original film series, and is usually considered the
weakest instalment in the series. As of writing this blog, a sequel
is on the way, entitled The Wolverine. In fact, the original series
has a fourth film potentially being made. And then there are all the
other spin-offs... yeah, these are topics for another blog.
Today, we're looking at the newest
addition to the X-Men film franchise. So, will First Class prove too
cool for school or will we see it in detention? Let's find out.
Set largely in the 1960's, Sebastian
Shaw and his fellow mutants are conspiring to start World War 3, in
order to make mutants the dominant species. With the CIA keeping tabs
on Shaw and his band, Moira MacTaggert enlists the help of mutant
expert (and powerful telepath) Charles Xavier to convince the CIA of
the existence of mutants. With the help of a new ally, Erik Lensherr,
Charles sets out to find others like them and stop Shaw's plan from
coming to fruition.
Like the previous X-Men films, there is
a large cast of mutants (albeit this and Wolverine have a slightly
smaller roster) so let's start with a brief description of each
mutant's power and little details.
Charles Xavier/Professor X (James
McAvoy), as noted above, is a telepath. And a very powerful one at
that.
Erik Lensherr/ Magneto (Michael
Fassbender) is a master manipulator of magnetism. But I bet you knew
that.
Raven Darkholme/Mystique (Jennifer
Lawrence) is a shape-shifter. And, in this universe, Charles' adopted
sister (of sorts. Kinda complicated.)
Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult) has
animal-like physiology and enhanced strength, stamina, agility and a
whole bunch of traits (and in this film, he does gain the blue fur he
is well known for. And that is not a spoiler.)
Emma Frost (January Jones) is also a
telepath, but she has a secondary ability: transforming her body into
a diamond form.
Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) absorbs
kinetic and radiated energy and controls it.
Angel Salvadore (Zoe Kravitz) can fly
(much like the Angel from X-Men we all know and love) and spit acid
(yeah, the other Angel can't do that...)
Sean Cassidy/Banshee (Caleb Landry
Jones) screams at ultrasonic levels, which he can also use as a form
of flight.
Azazel (Jason Flemyng) is a teleporter
(and in the comics, the father of Nightcrawler)
Armando Munoz/Darwin (Edi Gathegi)
adapts to situations as they come (growing gills in water, becoming
heat resistant around fire, that sort of thing.)
Janos Quested/Riptide (Alex Gonzalez)
creates whirlwinds.
And Alex Summers/Havok (Lucas Till)
absorbs energy and blasts it.
Now, there may be spoilers for the rest
of the review, but Charles getting paralyzed and Erik striking out as
Magneto are NOT spoilers. You kind of expect this if you know even
the slightest of X-Men. Everything else is still fair game for
spoilers so I warn you now.
Now, in a film with this many
characters, chances are you're going to try and pick your favourites
and pick the ones you either hate or just would have cut out of the
film. Based on the acting, the characterization and the dialogue, my
favourite characters would have to be Erik (I don't call him Magneto
because he doesn't really become Magneto until the end), Darwin and
Azazel. Michael Fassbender has a hard act to follow with inheriting
the role (in a way) from Sir Ian McKellen and he nails it. His
anguish, his determination, his hard exterior that hides a heavy
heart, Fassbender just gets it. If I had to choose a favourite part,
a part in which he truly shines, it's near the end, where he's poised
to take on the role we all know him for. After a bullet aimed for him
is deflected, it hits Charles in the back. The look of horror on
Erik's face just sells it. He's panicking, his best friend in the
whole world is in pain, he doesn't know what to do. His dialogue
after that only confirms just how good Fassbender is and I really,
really hope he gets some excellent roles now.
Darwin didn't get much time to develop
but what he did get, he used well. He was funny, laid-back and his
power is frickin' awesome. Unfortunately, he gets killed off soon
after his introduction. I may joke about it in the title of this blog
(as well as referencing Pokemon but that's neither here or there) but
in all seriousness, damn. He doesn't even get a big send-off. He dies
and then the scene changes. Wow, thanks a lot, movie. Take one of the
coolest characters in the movie and get rid of him. Oh well, at least
he did try and stand up to the villain. He may not have been a hero
for long but he was an X-Man through and through.
Azazel doesn't say much and is treated
like a lackey but besides looking cool (it's like if the Devil wore a
suit to work. No, no! He's like that one background character from
that episode of Angel! Season 5, The Girl In Question. He works in
the Italian branch of Wolfram And Hart. Yeah, he looks like that guy!
Also, just to clarify, I do not think the Devil is cool, I'm just
describing him for anyone who doesn't know who the Hell he is. Pun
not intended), he has one of the most super awesome powers (as I
mentioned above, teleporting). And what does he use it for? He drops
people. From the sky. Yeah. Badass or what?
I'll come back to some of the other
characters later, when I go into the negatives.
The action scenes were really damn
impressive and they didn't feel overblown, either. The battle toward
the end felt really authentic (as authentic as a movie with mutants
can be anyway) and I really liked Erik and Charles' confrontation
with Emma Frost, in which Erik uses a bed frame to constrict her.
However, there are two very big
negatives that keep this film from being one of the truly excellent
films of the year.
Going back to the characters now,
despite being a new take, I don't think I like the changes made to
Xavier and Beast. Neither of them has any tact when talking to
Mystique about her power and disregard her feelings. Or, to put it
bluntly: they kind of act like dicks. Xavier can't even answer a
simple question she directs to him (OK, it might be about if he
thinks she's attractive and would they date if they didn't know each
other and he responds with “But I do know you”. Dude, it's called
a hypothetical. You're a scientist, you should know all about those.
The correct response is “You're my sister” because after growing
up with you, that's what she IS). And if you want more dickish
behaviour, at the end of the movie, he and Moira (Rose Byrne, not
playing a mutant and her character's not American in the comics
despite being one here, doing a very good job) share a kiss... which
he uses to wipe her memory of the existence of mutants. You might be
trying to protect yourself and the others but now her credibility is
shot to Hell. And you could have trusted her or gone another way. But
nooooo, you had to wipe her mind.
And don't give me that “it's an
alternate universe, they can do what they want” song and dance or
the routine of “he's only young, he'll grow into the guy we know”.
You know who else was brain-wipe happy? The Xavier of the Ultimate
Universe and that universe is filled with arseholes! This is not a
path I want to see Xavier go down.
Beast isn't that much different either.
He openly tells Mystique she's beautiful when transformed to the
state she normally appears in (not the blue, I mean when she's in
public).
I've stated in my X-Men comic review
that Beast is my favourite character. Even in the aforementioned
Ultimate Universe, Beast escapes arseholeification. But here, he had
to be vain and self-centered. And no, I will not take the “young =
allowed to make mistakes” argument here either. Being young does
not absolve you of everything you do. And at his age, he should know
better.
Also, what the Hell is up with Angel
pulling a face heel turn? One minute she's happy to be free from the
life of a stripper and having fun with her new mutant friends, the
next she's off to help bring down humanity. Hell, when Sebastian Shaw
makes the offer for any mutant to join him, she takes it up with no
hesitation and gives some bullcrap reason. I basically view it as “Oh
hai losers, I'm off to join the winning side kthanxbai”. Or,
however it would be said in the 60's. Probably involving some
dialogue about felines and the shapes of boxing rings.
I reckon she just saw their clothes and
powers and wanted to live it up. It's just so poorly executed.
But the biggest gripe I have with the
movie: it can't decide if it wants to be a prequel or a reboot. It
wants to be both, but it can't happen. The two cancel each other out.
If it's a reboot, why did you reuse the footage of Erik in the camps
from the first X-Men movie? And why put Hugh Jackman as Wolverine for
a cameo if the films aren't connected? (Granted, that scene was
funny). Is Hugh Jackman-as-Wolverine a constant in all the multiple
universes?
But if you are a prequel, that just
raises further questions: why is Charles paralyzed at the end of this
movie if he can walk in The Last Stand? And more to the point, why
would he and Erik be all chummy for one little girl? And why is Emma
Frost an adult when she appears as a teenager in Wolverine?
No, movie. You pick one or the other.
Casino Royale did. Sure, Judi Dench portrayed M again but at least
they said outright they were rebooting Bond and bringing him back to
basics.
Admittedly, they do lean more towards
reboot but they don't outright say it and before release, it was even
being touted as another prequel. Heck, because of the early Erik
scenes at the camps, X-Men Origins: Magneto was scrapped.
All in all, a solid movie, but some
things still bug me. Unlike Bridesmaids, I think I rated this one a
little too high initially. Thus, I give it 3.5/5 (now it shares that with
Bridesmaids)
P.S Still hoping to see Apocalypse one
of these days. And can someone please hurry up with the Deadpool
spin-off?!
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