Mutant and proud...

Rating: 8/10 (1 June 2011)

It's not very often you get a fourth film in a franchise that's of high quality (though I guess this is technically the fifth, if you count X-Men Origins: Wolverine), but X-Men: First Class manages to buck the trend and reinvigorate the series. A lot of the time prequels to films can be pretty pointless, since you basically know how it's all going to turn out, but this film is that rare kind of prequel that actually *succeeds* despite us knowing where it's all going to lead to in the long run. What makes this story interesting is that there are some surprises along the way, such as the fact that Charles Xavier met Raven Darkholme/Mystique as a child and they were good friends growing up. Then there's the matter of how Charles wound up in a wheelchair. The circumstances surrounding how he became paralyzed may surprise you.
A large part of what makes First Class successful is the casting. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are at the centre of the story this time around as Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr, and both actors convincingly portray younger versions of the characters first brought to life by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen in the original X-Men movie. McAvoy plays a different kind of Xavier than you might be expecting, but despite the difference in personality to his older self, you can nevertheless see how he will turn into the wise person we know he will become. Meanwhile, Fassbender is exceptional as a young Erik. His rage and impatience for humans and those who wronged him in the past, combined with the fact that he is not straight-out "evil", makes him a complex villain-to-be.
Then there's Raven, played awesomely by Oscar nominee Jennifer Lawrence. Watching her relationship with Charles from a young age allows us to see a side of Mystique we have never gotten previously. Their friendship is another great dynamic in the film, which allows for some very memorable/emotional scenes. You can understand why she feels the way she does, and what her issues are. And while Charles starts out as a close friend/brother type to her, it is Erik who really knows Raven and what she yearns for: acceptance for who she is. Hank McCoy (soon to become Beast), played by Nicholas Hoult, is another who is struggling with his outward appearance - courtesy of him having hands for feet. There's a romance between Raven and Hank that starts to blossom, and the two of them together are far less forced than the romantic relationships that plagued the previous films. They can understand where each is coming from, but sadly Hank makes the mistake of thinking they *should* hide their true appearances and he's a bit of a shallow jerk to Raven at one point. However, Erik encourages her to embrace her true identity and accept who she is - which is important, given that she decides to join his side in the end (the scenes between Raven and Erik, although brief, are excellent). In lesser hands, the younger versions of Mystique and Beast would not have been nearly as successful as they are, but Lawrence and Hoult are perfectly cast and bring much depth and nuance to them. The lovely and talented Jennifer Lawrence gives an especially stand-out performance.
Kevin Bacon makes quite the effective villain as Sebastian Shaw, and his right-hand woman, Emma Frost (Mad Men's January Jones) is definitely dazzling when she's showing off her diamond form.
Other characters on both the 'good' and 'bad' sides are given less to do and some are developed more than others, with varying degrees of success. The young X-Men recruits provide some entertainment when they're together, hanging out and (thanks to Raven) crafting code names for themselves. It's good that we got these scenes of them bonding together as a group, because before too long, everything goes to hell. There are casualties, betrayals and switching of sides.
The writers have crafted a very fine film that should restore faith in the X-Men franchise that perhaps some people had lost after that last couple. Director Matthew Vaughn ensures that you are never bored throughout this movie, his direction maintaining interest the whole way through - though not because of an overload of effects. Story is put first this time around, and First Class is all the better for it. There's not this need to throw CGI about all willy-nilly simply to keep you invested. It's the human drama between the characters which makes this film stand out. Having said that, when the effects do eventually come on display, they are quite something.
Some might have issues/questions regarding continuity between this film and the ones before it, but I was surprised by how much thought actually went into making this film fit with the others (even going so far as to match the first film's opening scene almost shot for shot). There's numerous nods to the previous films and characters, some more subtle than others, not to mention two memorable cameos - which come in the form of Hugh Jackman (who gets a great one-liner as Wolverine) and Rebecca Romijn (a clever nod to future Mystique).
It's not often that a franchise manages to bounce back after becoming rather lacklustre (and without rebooting everything), but this one definitely succeeds at it. And if the quality of this film can be maintained, here's hoping for more adventures with these young mutants.