Potential for redeeming the X-men

Rating: 9/10 (14 June 2011)

This is the fifth X-men and one may think that 4 following the original are too many. I originally would think this, but X-men First Class redeems the series. Unlike the previous two X-men's, this one is not rushed nor is the CGI the main goal. There is actually a very interesting plot, likable characters, and it is well paced. This X-men is particularly special because it explores how many of the mutants have become the way they were in the other features, such as how Xavier opened up his school and how Magneto and Mystique ended up being villains.
The cast is very good. James McAvoy is simply a great actor, and he pulls it off swell as Dr. Xavier. The actor who played Magneto (I can't remember his name) is flawless. He embodies the tortured soul of his character very well. It is inevitable that he becomes a villain, but even so, I still root for him. Jennifer Lawrence is also a nice and a sexy addition as Mystique. Kevin Bacon plays an excellent villain—he needs to be the bad guy more often. I even smiled at the little cameo that Hugh Jackman performed as Wolverine—though it is very short.
The story, well, it is purely a work of fiction, but it incorporates some historical events that somehow blend into the film's plot perfectly. The technical aspects are mostly great, but some of the CGI sequences seemed to bother me. One in particular is when a submarine crashes into a beach, destroying a boatload of trees in its path. I don't know why, but it seemed fake to me. Perhaps this is because I am pursuing a potential career in 3d animation and I always tend to analyze the work of the visual effects artists more carefully than most viewers. Then again, the whole premise of mutants living amidst society is a bit silly and cartoonish. Anyway, X-men First Class pretty much summed up my satisfactions of a great, blockbuster hit: acting, story, solid pacing, and mostly decent film-making. If there is another X-men, the writers and filmmakers need to make one with the ingredients I listed above. If this is the last one to be made, Hollywood has made a great close to the series.
My rating: 3.5/4