So I saw X-men: First Class

[xt1me]

Not only is it better than X-men Origins: Wolverine, it also strikes it from continuity (along with X3).

:)

The opening makes it feel like you're watching X1 again because it is the same scene of little Eric in the nazi camp, shot for shot save with a different actor, but obviously it establishes things pretty well so why not. The next scene had lil’ Eric meeting the bad guy in an office and halfway through the scene the camera switches to the other side of the room were we see a lab with scary knifes and things which was a sequence that made my inner film student sit up and go ‘ohh, nice reveal’. Just a little thing but it made me feel better about the rest of the movie.

 

The mutants themselves are, of course, different from the comics as they’ve used all the big names up in the other movies. This is not comic canon compliant, but I was never expecting that so I didn’t mind. It does make me wonder if Alex (Havoc) and Scott (Cyclopes) are even related in the movie verse though. Either way it seems that Alex is older the Scott now. (In the comics it was the other way around and there was this whole thing were they were orphans and were adopted by different people and then, being comic books, it starts to get really confusing. But since Scott isn’t in this movie it doesn’t matter.)

They‘re not really developed much save for the main characters but that’s always the case when you have a large cast. Xavier and Eric get their bit and Mystique has a big role (which will confuse comic fans but I can see why they wanted her in the movie) and Beast is given his small bit, liking Mystique and trying fix what he thinks is wrong with himself and it backfiring (though that never gets much development either) but rest aren’t given much for use to work with. Havoc, like Cyclops, has his uncontrollable power that he needs outside help to harness. But like Scott, doesn’t have much personality and is left to play the part of a jerk. It’s a pity because I think it makes an interesting struggle but again, not enough time in the film. Banshee we learn pretty much nothing about ether, just seeming to be an average teenager who can scream things to death. Like Havoc, his character development is just power development. Power development can be used as character development, as we see with Eric, but he’s the only one it really works for. Pixie sorry Angel (why is she called Angel, I’m pretty sure she’s called Pixie in the comics, and has a totally different back story but I digress) has next to nothing for all she joins the other side. Pyro in X2 did the same but for him we at least got something showing why. It just seemed flat to me. Darwin would have been interesting except he gets killed pretty quick (this is a lot like his comic appearance if I remember correctly). I was not at all surprised by this. I couldn’t remember character and he’s in none of the trailers, of course he was going to die.

 

Sebastian Shaw was the bad guy but his powers were slightly changed from the comics, where he absorbed kinetic energy instead all energy (that would be a mutant named Bishop) but it helped the plot so I understand the change. Having the Hellfire Club be the threat was a good idea but I don’t like how he was basically a slightly crazier Magneto from the other films. His character really was just filling Magneto’s spot until Eric decide to turn evil. Considering the guy tortured Eric as a kid in the concentration camps (in the movie, his comic back story is totally different) Eric really shouldn’t be so eager to just take his place. If they had made it so that Shaw wanted to rule mutantkind after he got rid of the humans I think it would have been better. I mean he did, but it wasn’t emphasized enough. Eric should still feel like he wants to do good for his kind (however misguided that is) instead of just following in the footsteps of the guy that killed his mum.

Emma Frost was pretty much just her powers and her body but she had a bit to do at least. Azrael was from the comics I think but I don’t remember him and I have no idea who the tornado guy was. Needless to say they got no development, being glorified minions and all.

 

The human characters were also ridiculously two dimensional, even Moira MacTaggert, who was filling the roll of vague love interest for Xavier. And they ripped off the mind erasing kiss from Superman. At least it made sense here, what with Xavier being telepathic and all, but the other characters reactions to the kiss was pretty much the audiences too.

 

 

You know, looking at what I’ve typed it might seem like I hated to movie but I actually liked it. It may not have developed the characters it had but was interesting, had good ideas, and was a good prequel to the other movies. They hit what plot points they had to and effects when well done and not intrusive. It wasn’t an epic but it was highly enjoyable.

 

I will say this though, when Magneto started giving his speech near the end I suddenly thought to myself ‘is he Irish? He suddenly has an Irish accent. A real one not a Hollywood one. Did he have that all along?’ (I got some unintentional Braveheart vibes from it). It turns out he’s from Kerry. Who knew?

 

(I also liked Logan’s cameo. Lets face it, all four previous movies were about Wolverine, though only one literally, I’m sick of him by now.)

Good movie, go see it.