X-Men First Class Review

By: Robert Acosta

Cast:
James McAvoy as Charles Xavier
Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr
Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw
Jennifer Lawrence as Raven/Mystique

Plot: Based off of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr are on a mission to stop a power hungry mutant, and must enlist the help of people like themselves to take him and his clan down.

Review: It's been a while since we the audience could sit down and watch a decent X-Men film. Well, the wait is over. X-Men First Class is it.

A fast pace, action filled, X-Men film that does some good story telling and some good setting up of future films. Granted, there are some minor plot holes with a couple of characters that I will get into towards the end of the review.

I had a feeling that McAvoy and Fassbender were going to own the roles of Professor X and Magneto, and it couldn't have fit any better. Separately, together, it doesn't matter they were both excellent. McAvoy brings this suave, smooth element to the character while still maintaining the intellect, leader aspect of Charles Xavier. Fassbender just brought this emotionally driven, controlled Magneto along with glimples of the Magneto we've all come to know and love. You know, the brute, ruthless, powerful man who just tears shit up? He's still there.

Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw was kind of a fresh character to have in an X-Men film. You look at him and he doesn't look the least bit dangerous, almost comical how he looks. He shows off his powers for just 2 seconds, and he convinces you that he is a bad ass.

The young cast that makes up the rest of the "first class" fares a lot better than expected. I think Jennifer Lawrence (Raven/Mystique) and Nicholas Hoult (Hank McCoy/Beast) may have put themselves on the map with their performances. The rest of the this part of the cast don't really get a lot of time to shine or do much more than some quick action shots.

On to the topic of the holes in the story, BEWARE THAT SPOILERS MAY LIE AHEAD. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

Emma Frost is in the movie, and is a grown woman. Does this make sense? Not entirely. In X-Men Origins: Wolverine, she was a teen and this movie is supossed to take place before the Wolverine events. The producers of First Class haven't addressed this yet. Should this bother you? No, not really. I think she is needed in the film.

Havok is in the film, as one of the young X-Men. For those who know the story, he is Cyclops younger brother. Cyclops is briefly shown in a scene, as a kid and it brings up the question: "Does this make sense?". Normally it wouldn't. But in an interview with Bryan Singer, producer of First Class, says that while in the comics they are brothers, in this film series, they are just related, not brothers. Things will tie together in the future. Should this bother you? Once again, not really.

All in all, X-Men First Class is the kind of film this franchise needed to bring respect back to it. So many great places to go from this story, the future is bright for the mutants.

Rating: 4 out of 5