Holy cow. X-Men: First Class is actually good!
Some background: I never got into superhero comics. Everything I know about the X-Men I’ve
learned from going to the movies.
Consequently, my last exposure to the X-Men universe was through the
odious Wolverine. When I went in to this one, my
expectations were low.
Here’s the setup: it’s the Kennedy Administration. A dude with groovy brain powers
recruits a coldblooded revenge killer to join Team Good. As one may imagine, things do not work
out as groovy brain guy might have preferred.
The film hangs a pretty good story on that frame, helped
along by fun period work, seamless effects, well-directed action set pieces,
and the revelation that the amazing young actress from Winter’s Bone looks great naked.
The consensus among my filmgoing friends is that X-Men: First Class is average, at
best. I don’t get it. I had more fun at this film than any
other superhero film released this year.
2 comments:
I really enjoyed it. I've always been a fan of the x-men since I was a kid watching the animated series back in the 90's. I think what makes the x-men universe so intriguing is that its set against the politics of the sixties with xavier cast as MLK, and magneto as Malcom X. Both are fighting for the future of their race... but with very different methods. I think the more adult oriented and political backdrop gives the series more potential to be powerful than say, spiderman or ironman. Unfortunately, the first few movies didn't really capture that, but I think this one started to.
Wow, I must be pretty slow. I didn't pick up on the MLK/Malcolm X analogy. Setting this film in the '60s brings that forward, now that you mention it, and adds resonance to the proceedings. Thanks for pointing that out!
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