This movie is surprisingly, almost
shockingly good. It is one of those rare prequels/sequels/re-boots that
actually surpasses that earlier entries in the series. The other great
thing is that this is not just a "comic-book" movie; it is simply a
great story. It could be a cold-war spy story about agents with extra
powers; not just the origin tale of a classic Marvel Comics series. This
is a wonderful combination of action, strong characters, re-worked
history and espionage that is well worth seeing.
This film is set in the 60's and expertly
mixes the story of "mutants" with cold-war intrigue, specifally the
Cuban Missile Crisis. The discovery of a new class of men and women is
well handled, and the overtones of the Nazi regime from just a
generation earlier makes for realism Since our real history is so
well-incorporated into the fabric of the film, it pulls us into "buying"
this story more than most comic-hero releases.
The man who later becomes Magneto is of
Jewish descent, and a survivor of Hitler's terrors. We get to see Erik
Lehnsherr (actor Michael Fassenbender) transform from a good guy to
villain over the course of the film, and knowing his back-story makes
his Magneto character much more sympathetic. So, when a young Professor
X (Charles Xavier played very well by James McAvoy) attempts to locate
and recruit mutants, it is given a different light when Magneto explains
he saw it first hand in Germany. It started with identifying people of
Jewish descent, then tracking them, and then...well, we know what
inhumanities occured.
The strong cast is what makes this work;
stars and unknowns alike deliver characters that you remember. Fantastic
cameos from Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) and Rebecca Romijn (an older
version of Mystique) delight long-time fans of the series. Meanshile,
Kevin Bacon chews through scenery faster than you'll go through your
popcorn; and is despicably delicious in the role. January Jones
(breakout star of TV's 60's themed advertising agency drama "Mad Men")
once again fills out 60's psychedelic styles beautifully, while rounding
out her powerful mutant character of Emma Frost.
Amazing visuals, and blockbuster special
effects are heavy features of the film, but the characters and plot are
strong enough to keep this from falling into simply a visual adventure.
You like the characters, and you care about them. Because this
movie goes beyond just being another super-hero story, it should
maintain a massive audience and ensure the success of at least one more
X-Men adventure. The big question will be whether the next entry in the
series can live up to this installment.
Rating 4 & 1/4 out of 5
3 good things about this movie:
-James McAvoy, as Prof. X, delivers his work
as one of the leads in surprisingly strong fashion
-Great small role for one of my favorite
character actors Michael Ironside (from the cult Cronenberg hit
"Scanners" and the sci-fi classic "Total Recall")
-Beautiful scenes of "old school" Vegas,
complete with real & recreated footage of classic bygone casinos like
"The Mint", which really took the neon-sign era to new levels
3 bad things about this movie:
- Megneto's accent, or rather that of actor
Michael Fassenbender...in the final scenes, when he is almost yelling
his lines, his true Irish accent almost destroys believability for few
minutes
-With so many mutant characters, some will
inevitably feel "thrown together" since all powers cannot be as iconic
as Mystique's, or Beast's
-Found the character of Angel (flying former
stripper played by Zoe Kravitz) to be poorly written in that her
flip-flop of loyalty doesn't have the same depth as other character
changes