X-Men: First Class

by Steve Kochems

Since the post-credits surprise of Iron Man, Marvel Entertainment has pushed their focus toward the upcoming Avengers film in every other stand-alone superhero movie within their universe. With the lone exception being the blue-balling Wolverine, all things Marvel seemed ready to live and die on the success of the Avengers… until now.

X-Men: First Class is proof that Marvel Entertainment always has and will probably always have the most depth and universal success in mainstream cinema. Christopher Nolan’s Batman film’s aside, Marvel has been a slam-dunk over DC. Even if he (Nolan) were to spearhead a Justice League film, First Class does such a great job of setting the stage for more early X-Men films to come that they could strike back, should the Avenger happen to fail. The two most important characters to that universe are so fresh and well-cast; I expect a sequel to be green-lit almost immediately.

With that being said, I come to one of the few problems I have with First Class. Fox didn’t seem sure about this film, or at least they wanted a bonafied winner before they put any more money in the franchise that had clearly worn down. After the credits rolled I could only wonder how much better the movie could’ve been if it had been given the go ahead for three films rather than one. It forced director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) to skim over a few characters that desperately needed more screen time than what they were given here.

However, I can say for sure that Vaughn was smart enough to keep a film so rich with Marvel characters grounded on the two essential ones here. James McAvoy as Charles Xavier and Michael Fassenbender as Erik Lensher are outstanding choices and are the reason First Class soars above all three other X-Men films. Fassenbender’s vengeance is perfectly counterbalanced by McAvoy’s blind optimism, and all the while we get to sit watching the friendship form and eventually fall apart.

This isn’t to say that the film leaves it’s predecessors behind. The opening scene is so close to how Bryan Singer’s X-Men opens, I thought it may have been lifted straight from that film (which wouldn’t be such a surprise as Singer was a producer on First Class). There are also a few nuggets toward the possible future for die-hard fans, such as mention of William Stryker and a few nice cameos that try to keep the original X-Men films tied in (like a mutant you may see again in the very near future).

All in all, I think First Class may yet be the best film I’ve seen this year. Granted, I’m a big fan of the comic book genre and how it has evolved since the first X-Men, but any lover of good stories and character can enjoy what this film brings to the screen. I can’t help but compare it to J.J. Abrams' recent Star Trek reboot, as both franchises were in a decaying state and fresh young directors took the iconic characters, recast them into their younger forms, and brought new excitement to them that reaches beyond die-hard fans of the comics or series. It’s simply good story-telling and crisp pacing that does this and helps it appeal to the masses.

As a fan of the superhero genre and good narratives in general, my only complaint still remains that Marvel (and Fox) didn’t believe enough in the film to let it expand as they did for the eventual Avengers. Hollywood seems starved right now for a classic trilogy that doesn’t flame out in it's finale. And while The Dark Knight Rises is likely to do this, it surprises me that Marvel chose not to try and rival it right away after its two previous disappointing attempts at it (especially now that Jon Favreau will not be directing Iron Man 3).

I’m straying a bit from the film itself on this review, I know, but I just have had trouble getting over the missed opportunity here. As a kid, I truly loved spending a rainy Saturday watching all three Back to the Futures, or Indiana Jones', or Star Wars films… Hell, this past weekend I even endured all three Lord of the Rings (extended editions!). Maybe it’s just me that’s starving here, but I hope not. I hope that the next film (assuming there is one) can be as fresh and exciting as this. Then I’ll have nothing to complain about.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars