Title: X-Men: First Class
Directed By: MAtthew Vaughn
Release Date: June 2011

It goes without saying that X-Men: First Class arrived on a wave of anticipation that could sink even the most certain of hits. After the misfire that was Wolverine’s recent solo big screen venture, and especially considering that the team behind last year’s excellent Kick Ass are at the helm, the huge fanbase will be expecting pay off and sit sharpening their detractions and denunciations for any sucker punches to their expectations. The good news then is that First Class is excellent, a thoroughly exhilarating thrill ride through the seminal years of the X-Men crew. The bad news however is that, due to various little flaws, the fanboys may never admit it.

After revisiting the concentration camp epilogue that opened the original film, the action kicks off proper in the 1960s. Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), a genetics professor and recent graduate of Oxford, is recruited by CIA operative Moira McTaggert (Rose Byrne) to assist in her investigation of the mysterious Hellfire Club, headed by Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon). Along the way, they meet Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender), a slightly unhinged but powerful mutant on a Jason Bourne-style campaign of vengeance against those who made his life hell in a Nazi concentration camp. With Shaw as their common enemy, Xavier and Lensherr team up to recruit other mutants and prevent him and his cohorts from bringing about nuclear annihilation, though the two men’s ideological differences begin to tear things apart from within.

The first element of this film that must be celebrated is the performances of the two leads. First Class is weighed more than anything on the ability of Fassbender and McAvoy to inhabit pivotal, familiar roles to stabilise the tumult of SFX around them. Happily, the two actors acquit themselves impeccably. McAvoy is nothing short of outstanding, reinvigorating Xavier with a youthful charm and boyish zeal that’s completely infectious. Fassbender (the temptation to write “represent!” here for my multilingual countryman is overwhelming) is equally terrific, capturing Lensherr’s tortured personality with a performance at once menacing and sublime. The rapport between them is a touch understated however, meaning those expecting an intensive exploration of this key bond may go home disappointed. Yet (and this may be a controversial opinion) sometimes this story works better if you see the two men as ideological counterpoints brought together by a common enemy, as opposed to lifelong brothers in arms gradually ruptured by their differing outlooks. There is a simmering tension throughout as the pair obviously respect one another, yet cannot reconcile their contrasting goals to forge a lifelong partnership.

It says much about the ability of the two leads however that their roles ring truer and fuller than the others. The Hellfire Club are, unfortunately, a little underdeveloped – frustratingly so as they are fraught with dramatic potential. It’s rare for an actor of Kevin Bacon’s calibre to seem overshadowed by what’s going on around him, though the breakneck pace at which the story progresses perhaps necessitates his being more of a one-dimensional villain. Similarly, January Jones’ Emma Frost is wooden, more of a glittering Barbie doll than anything else. Riptide (Alex Gonzalez) barely gets a line and the fascinating Azazel (Jason Flemyng) is a veritable goldmine that goes completely untapped. Future films would do well to maybe trim the excess minor characters and afford some time to back story – the younger supporting players do their best, but several (especially Zoe Kravitz’ Angel) feel surplus to requirements and do little to advance the story. Mystique in particular is reduced to a teenager with “cosmetic issues,” and considering she was an Oscar nominee earlier this year Jennifer Lawrence’s performance treads a dodgy line between underplaying her troubled sense of self and overplaying the hysterics.

However, these gripes do seem petty in the general scheme of things – audiences expect a blockbuster above all else and in this the film delivers in spades. The speed with which things unfold ensure the movie never loses its edge and the personal conflict between Xavier and Lensherr plays off the constant dramatics of their surroundings. The music is terrific, the set pieces (especially the showdown, set around the Cuban Missile Crisis) are exquisitely executed, and the film features a number of brilliantly timed cameos – one of which in particular will have fans squealing with glee. Taken as a whole, First Class succeeds admirably – it may not quite challenge X-2 for spectacle but it is great fun and unrelentingly entertaining. For all that the depth of its characters may have paid the forfeit of this unrelenting thrill ride, it’s a film that needs mass appeal and is better suited to excitement than analysis. If you want a comprehensive character study of the vicissitudes of Xavier and Lensherr’s friendship, cross your fingers for the next one. Otherwise, get a bucket of popcorn, leave your nitpicking at the door and enjoy. Minor flaws do not a great movie undo, and the giddy fangirl flee with which I emerged from the cinema both times says more than any technical talking points.

RATING: 9/10
Review written by: Grace Duffy

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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