A Class 1 Movie!
It had not been very long after the Marvel studios movie "Thor" had come by and there was this new X-Men First Class released. I feel Marvel studios is doing a fantastic job bringing their most popular comic characters and teams on to the silver screen.
Let me give a brief about X-Men and their evolution details before I begin talking about this movie. The story of X-Men, per marvel comics, begin with the growing number of mutants in the world, the normal humans' reaction towards them and some of the mutants turning evil not withstanding the hatred from humans. Charles Xavier, a powerful, intelligent and noble minded forms a team to fight the evil and protect the innocents. Being a mutant himself he finds and recruits all those mutants in the world and bring them to an institute of gifted few more commonly known as the Xavier institute of mutants. He finds the mutants using his well known invention called the Cerebro (also called Cerebra) which amplifies the telepathic powers of Prof X and therefore helps locate the coordinates of the mutants. Charles, who later comes to be known as Professor X, helps the mutants harness their special powers and use it for the better of mankind. Thus a team evolves which is now known as "X-Men".
The very first students of Professor X were Scott Summers (Cyclops), Jean Grey, Beast, Iceman and Angel. Later to join were Storm, Wolverine, Rogue, Emma Frost and Mystique. Some of these turn evil and join the brotherhood of evil mutants headed by Magneto, an old friend-turned-foe of Prof X. Magneto will be part of Prof X's team initially. Later, due to difference of opinion with Prof X he turns evil and decides to quit. Unlike Prof X, he has a notion that humans are against mutants and are set to destroy all of them. He begins to chalk out various evil plans against humanity along with his fellow mutants including Mystique, Toad and Sabre Tooth. X-Men have always been there to protect mankind and mutants from the evil schemes of Magneto.
The Bad
1. Sebastian Shaw: Role stretched and steals villanous thunder
The beginning of the movie is about Magneto's evolution - seemed similar to the first X-Men movie back in 2000. But thats only first few scenes. It takes deviation when Sebastian Shaw comes into picture. He plays a vital role in Magneto's evolution. Sebastian's role is stretched too much and is the actual villain overshadowing Magneto. Also Sebastian, played by Kevin Bacon, kind of steals the thunder from Erik as a villain. That is because he is the one that wears the helmet that blocks Charles's telepathic signals later on in the movie. I could almost feel the negativity of Magneto in him rather than Magneto himself.
2. Introduction of Mystique as so much a nice person and a great accomplice to Charles initially
but later moving on to Magneto's team somehow is disappointing.
3. Bunch of young and raw mutants with very less screen time.
Angel, Banshee, Havok, Beast and Darwin are the young bunch who joins Prof X's team initially. All are in crude shape but use their power for a very short time in trying to avert the war. No background given on how Emma Frost, Riptide or Azazel came into being but one could assume that Sebastian Shaw either found or created them.
4. Azazel comes too many times on the screen using his power too many times.
5. True its first class. But doesn't it deserve to have the very first students of Prof X - Cyclops (scott summers) and Jean Grey? Wolverine comes only for a few seconds where he denies to join Prof X's team when he and Erik approach him.
6. Cerebro is shown to be invented by Beast and not by Professor X as per the comics.
The Good
- The good part was the way the movie engages the audience [provided you know at least some basic stuff about X-Men]
- Erik played by Fassbender is a very convincing role.
- James McAvoy is a very effective young Professor X.
- Both Child Mystique and Older one are good. The older Mystique, thankfully is played by Rebecca Romjin, the same one played in the 2000 movie X Men.
- The romantic element between Mystique and the Beast is an interesting watch.
Overall, its a good watch if you know a bit about X-Men. If you don't know anything about the comic team, still it is worth a watch as it is worthy of being a prequel to X-Men movie of 2000. I personally liked this movie despite my many complaints about deviation from comics.
Favorite One-Liners
Magneto to mutants: "My fellow mutants, the enemy is out there!"
Mystique to Beast: "Remember, No hiding. Mutant and Proud!!"
Prof X to Banshee: "What you are doing is incredible. You are pitching your sound at the same resonant frequency as the glass. That's why it shatters."
Go and read more about each character in the movie, their powers and corresponding actors in the X-Men First Class Official Website: http://www.x-menfirstclassmovie.com/
