Thursday, Oct. 06, 2011

X-Men: First Class

What a run, since its comic book debut in 1963, the X-Men have been freaking out. With more than 100 characters to choose from, they’ve had multiple comic series, animated TV shows and now five movies. The producer and heart behind this film is Bryan Singer. Singer is responsible for starting the mutant movie hype with “X-Men” and “X2.” “Kick-Ass” director Matthew Vaughn directs. This is the first X film that is not centered on Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine character – and that’s not a bad thing. It allows the other characters to shine, namely James McAvoy as Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender as Magneto. There are other performances emitting sheen - Jennifer Lawrence impresses donning the scaly, blue bodysuit as Mystique. There are also detractors – Kevin Bacon and January Jones is the best we can do at finding villains? Bacon just doesn’t fit and Jones seems lost playing dress up. But the origin story is rich in history. Set in 1963, the same year as the comic’s inception, this returns to Singer’s vision of superhero movies with substance and it’s the best installment since the first two. A first class testament for freaks everywhere and worth a watch.