Super-Cember Day #19: X-Men: First Class (2011)

(Originally posted December 19th, 2017)

This is entertainment. It's as simple as that. I don't know why people don't talk about this movie more often, but X-Men: First Class (2011) was just a perfect movie. I don't use that word lightly, but that's what it was: perfect. I did not see this coming, and I am going to relish in this moment to talk about it. Starring James McAvoy as Charles Xavier/Professor X, Michael Fassbender as Eric Lehnsherr/Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence as Raven Darkholme/Mystique, Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert, Nicholas Hoult as Henry 'Hank' McCoy/Beast, Lucas Till as Alex Summers/Havok, Caleb Landry Jones as Sean Cassidy/Banshee and Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw.

X-Men: First Class (2011)

I feel the need to compare this movie in some capacity to the previous X-Men prequel: X-Men Origins: Wolverine. In that review, I pointed out that as a prequel, there were never any stakes, as we already know everything that's going to happen, and there was never any tension. With this film, it was the exact opposite. There was an element of foreknowledge, but it was as if I was watching this universe for the first time. When something happened that I knew had to be coming, I was genuinely shocked. The movie does an excellent job of making these events seem fresh, even though we already know the outcomes. I don't know how they did it, but by God, they did it. This was probably the most tense X-Men has ever been, and considering what's come before it, that's saying something. Maybe the Cold War atmosphere lends itself to that, but however they did it, they nailed it.

Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggert

The two actors that certainly had the most to prove were James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. It's one thing to play the younger self of a world-renowned actor like Patrick Stewart or Ian McKellan, but they also needed to have the same chemistry as they did, and that was no small feat. Luckily, these two hit it out of the park and into next year. These guys are powerhouses, and any scene with the two of them in it was absolutely stellar, especially if they were the only two on screen. In particular, the scene where Magneto is trying to swivel the satellite is one of the most perfectly executed scenes I've ever seen in a movie, period. I would watch these two talk about soup, or sports, or a minute-by-minute commentary of watching paint dry. They are just phenomenal, end of story.

Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr and James McAvoy as Charles Xavier

Jennifer Lawrence plays Mystique, and this is the character that I kept having reservations about. I don't like Jennifer Lawrence personally, but her acting's fine in this, even pretty great, so that wasn't the issue. It just seemed like every direction they took the character seemed a little off to me. Like the opening scene where it's revealed that Charles and Raven grew up together. I was skeptical. But, to my surprise, they actually really made it work. Then they went down another road which I don't want to spoil, but it had me wagging my finger, but then they actually made it really good. Then at the end, when she has a choice to make, I was ready to throw my hands in the air and scream to you all about how nonsense her decision was, but then they subverted my expectations and actually made it a really emotional moment. Kudos, movie. I kept having issues, and you kept immediately resolving those issues. Therefore, I really enjoyed Mystique here. That's interesting. I was always kind of lukewarm on her in the original trilogy. Hmm. We'll see where the character goes.

Jennifer Lawrence as Raven Darkholme

I'm really not sure what else I can devote an entire paragraph to, as I just have so much to say, so let's just do a rapid-fire list. Kevin Bacon was an amazing villain, and a great choice for this story. Seeing the beginnings of the X-Men mansion sent chills through my spine, and the training montage was just so beautiful to watch. With so many new characters to introduce, the movie somehow found the exact right balance between showing off their powers and exploring their personalities. The Cold War setting was a fantastic way of exploring the potential upcoming Mutant War, but it was never too in-your-face. That scene on the beach was one of the best things X-Men has ever done.

Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw

It comes down to this: X-Men: First Class (2011) was one of the best, if not the best, experience I've ever had watching a movie. It definitely wouldn't have been as good had I not gotten up to date with the previous X-Men films, and after this, I certainly can't wait for the rest. 10/10.

Tomorrow: Nolan's trilogy of Dark Knight movies kicks off with Batman Begins.