I finally got around to seeing X-Men: First Class last night. I enjoyed the previous movies in the series but did feel that Last Stand and Wolverine's solo flick were on a descending trajectory. Not bad, but not great. This newest entry is part prequel and part reboot. Some might nitpick a few continuity errors with the rest of the series, but that doesn't change the fact that this chapter in the series is arguably the strongest. The acting was great throughout with particularly good performances from Michael Fassbender as Eric "Soon-to-be-Magneto" Lehnsher and Kevin Bacon as supervillain Sebastion Shaw. Between First Class and James Gunn's Super, Bacon is proving to be quite the heel lately.
One of the best things I can say for X-Men: First Class is that its characters carry the story just as much as the special effects and action. This one movie accomplishes what George Lucas couldn't do in three by showing a troubled person with special powers tragically succumb to his own inner demons and turn to evil. And unlike with Anakin Skywalker, there are points where sympathy is created for Eric even though we know he will end as a villain.
I'm not saying that the movie is without its flaws. It is on the verge of suffering from the same symptoms of character overpopulation that have bloated many a superhero movie in the past, but there is just enough balance to keep the scales from tipping. My only other issue is with the look of Beast.
If I were to tell you under any other context that Kelsey Grammer looked way more badass than somebody you might think I had lost my mind. But this new, young Hank McCoy looks so much like a purring kitty that it's kind of funny. Not only is the new Beast out-cooled by Kelsey Grammer, but even Scott Howard from Teen Wolf is actually more intimidating. Every time Hank appeared on screen in his furry blue form I kept thinking of that old "Beauty and the Beast" TV show with Ron Pearlman and Sarah Conner.
His transformation was pretty well done. It was very reminiscent of the transformation in the recent Wolfman remake. But the end result got more giggles than gasps.
Other than thinking Beast looked a little silly and feeling a bit cramped by too many characters I enjoyed First Class quite a bit. If you liked the other X-Men movies, definitely check it out. If superhero movies aren't your cup of tea then why are you still reading this?
I'll give X-Men: First Class today's arbitrary rating of 12 mutants used for civil rights metaphors out of 15.
