Cinema Review: X-Men First Class (2011)

Bryan Singer's X-Men, a decent if not spectacular success on its release, is widely credited with igniting the superhero movie boom that we're still living through. The 11 years since the film's release have seen two direct sequels and now two prequels, to varying degrees of popular acceptance. The problem with prequels is that they tell us a story that we already know - what did Wolverine reveal, that hadn't already been covered (much more efficiently) in X-Men and X-Men 2? X-Men First Class encounters the same problem, but does go about it with considerably more panache. Matthew Vaughn, who was originally lined up for The Last Stand before bailing with mere weeks remaining until production, is the unlikely occupant of the director's chair, but it's clear why this tale held more interest for him. With a relatively clean sheet and a brand new cast, he's able to put his own stamp on proceedings, and the result is certainly different, both visually and tonally, from earlier X-films.

One of the key changes is the period setting. Beginning with a recap of the first scene of the original film, set in a Nazi concentration camp, the story then branches off into a completely new direction. The majority of the film is set in 1962, which both adds visual interest and the chance for historical context. Mostly the time frame is taken advantage of for the Cold War setting, with a finale that incorporates, to impressive effect, the Cuban Missile Crisis. Meanwhile, the '60s backdrop also allows Vaughn to indulge in some of the more campy elements of the comic book source material that Singer so comprehensively shied away from; First Class is colourful and at times cheesy, and, yes, the heroes even wear a variation on the classic yellow outfits.

Central to the narrative is the evolution of the relationship between Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr - known to most as Professor X and Magneto - and how their friendship mutated into the outright antagonism of the first X-Men. The casting of James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender is inspired, not least for their unfamiliarity as leads of a blockbuster. Fassbender in particular is magnetic - no pun intended - combining good intentions with believably sinister overtones in a way that, say, Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker totally failed to do in the Star Wars prequels. If anything, he's even better than Ian McKellen in the part, displaying both the required physicality and twisted likeability. In fact, Vaughn's casting throughout is an offbeat joy - current indie darling Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) is great as the young Mystique, while the underseen-of-late Kevin Bacon has great fun as a diabolical baddie.

Where the film comes unstuck is in trying to do too much. This is a packed 132 minutes, and, as could be said for all of Vaughn's previous directorial outings (Layer Cake, Stardust, Kick-Ass), there's too much going on. You get the sense that the rough cut ran extremely long and was hacked away at to make for a reasonable running time. The film never finds a rhythm or a compelling through-line. Whereas X-Men was principally Rogue's story and X2 Wolverine's, First Class attempts to divide its attention between everyone, lacking in focus. Some scenes exist purely due to the demands of a prequel; one clunky example depicts the young mutant recruits giving each other their now-familiar nicknames (Mystique, Angel, etc.), which falls flat as undisguised exposition. Moreover, even the action scenes tend to pass by quickly, with few true standouts.

The exception is the aforementioned third act showdown, glimpsed in the trailer, which is a thrilling, sustained barrage of spectacular sights. It's evident that a large proportion of the CGI budget was saved for the sequence, as the poor effects that crop up slightly too often prior to this do not intrude here (the exception being some of the mutants' powers, which never convince: flaming spit globules and flying by scream power come to mind). The USA vs. Soviets vs. mutants finale is brilliantly executed and in fact made more satisfying as you watch the known elements of the mythology slot into place, and the allegiances form that will last into the original films. It has been suggested that the film teases a sequel (Second Class?), but it doesn't need one; the end provides a welcome emotional payoff and narrative closure that also can segue in relatively seamlessly to the pre-existing canon.



Summary
An overstuffed and slightly disjointed narrative means that X-Men First Class may not merit the grade that its title implies, it's still a highly enjoyable effort with stellar casting and a barnstorming final third.