X-Men: First Class Review

After two not so good X-Men films in a row I can report we're back on First Class

 X-Men films have had a bad run of recent and Director Mathew Vaughns (Kick-Ass) attachment to First class only heightened my hope in the film a little. What started as an idea to do a film all about Magnetos origins soon turned into a 'lets see how the school began' idea and I wasn't to impressed. The Magneto film seemed to much more appealing to me, a film with a period setting that could tackle the subject matter of bigotry and such so much better. The whole film didn't really interest me and the trailer didn't help with it's lame attempt to tie this film to the original trilogy so badly I wasn't sure what I'd be in for but I'm glad I did go see X-Men: First Class as it has now replaced X2 as my favourite film in the franchise.  

The opening scene re-creates the original opening scene from X-Men nearly shot to shot but then tacking it a bit further. In these opening moments I felt we had a better understanding of what Eric Lehnsherr soon to be Magneto is, better than any of the other films attempted to do. Michael Fassbenders (Jonah Hex) first on screen introducing of Eric is a very sinister one and we soon establish the hate building up in that mans heart.

Though then on the opposite spectrum we are introduced to a young and much different Charles Xavier than we're used to now played by James McAvoy (Wanted) and he's walking. Not just walking but drinking and attempting to use clever pickup lines on girls in bars.

In these two or so opening scenes I was hooked because I knew here was the X-Men film I never knew I wanted but I needed. To see the two main characters evolve at a young age is much more interesting as to when there fighting with the whole team.

After all that praise I must point out the most annoying thing that I struggled with in the original X-Men movie the most as well. 'Goon Mutants' or simply the mutants that the bad guy has that never have any character in them at all but are on screen enough to deserve it. Please give these guys some personality, some lines, some something that'll make them seem less like simply 'Goon Mutants'



James McAvoy (Charles Xavier) & Michael Fassbender (Eric Lehnsherr) enjoy a quite game of chess



X-Men: First class is not only the best X-Men movie to date but also one of the better movies this year. Containing elements of a 'Summer Blockbuster' but not limiting it self to that. First Class goes further than simply 'a comic book movie' proving that characters can be interesting and a movie like this can be enjoyed for more than what the poster and trailer proclaims it to be.

Acting: 8.0

Writing: 8.0 

Direction: 8.0

Production: 7.5

Overall: 8.0