X-Men: First Class - Review

When the conversation of "what's your favourite superhero movie?" comes up, I often hear the same answers. Most people will immediately talk about the MCU, some more "elitists" bring up the Dark Knight and will often explain in a condescending tone how "by definition" it is the best superhero film (I like the movie too, don't worry) and you may ever hear some people throw in the original Spider-Man trilogy (that's mostly me). However, one franchise that seems to be overlooked nowadays is the X-Men franchise. I know the continuity is absolutely all over the place and there have been some absolute duds within the series, but there are still some movies that are real solid motion pictures. Enter X-Men: First Class.

I should mention that I have absolutely no nostalgic attachment to X-Men what so ever. I never read the comics, I never watched the cartoon, I never had any X-Men toys, and the first movie I ever saw in the franchise was X-Men: Origins - Wolverine. I wouldn't even watch another X-Men movie until a friend of mine who was a big fan brought them all over one night for a long marathon. That was the night I jumped in head first into the world of X-Men, and was the first night I saw X-Men: First Class. It's a movie I don't think about too often, but whenever I decide to give it another watch, it always feels fresh.

One of those reasons is the style this movie has. There are literally dozens and dozens of superhero movies to choose from nowadays and there is no shortage of them still being released. With such a wide variety to choose from, it's hard to stand out from the rest of the pack. However, since that this movie takes place during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Matthew Vaughn and the production design team were able to have some fun give the movie a slick style. Having the movie's plot centre around a major political event like the Cuban Missile Crisis allowed for 60's style costumes, sets, props, and overall look and tone of the movie. While not as intense as something like Captain America: The First Avenger, but the 1960's tone is a nice little touch to make First Class stand out.

However, the core of this movie are the characters and the ideals that they embody. James McAvoy is our young Charles Xavier and he is a great lead. He has charisma, extreme intelligence and all the witty charm you'd want in a character like Charles Xavier. He also has the firm belief that people and mutants alike have the ability inside them to better themselves and has fairly optimistic view of a world where mutants and humans can co-exist.

Erik Lensherr on the otherhand has a different view on things. Discovering his mutation when he was a child in a Nazi concentration camp leads him on a lifelong journey of vengence which gives the film a serious undertone. His drive and intensity are real powerful stuff and although you may not fully agree with his methods, you can feel his pain. He also acts as a great foil to James McAvoy's Charles Xavier which would start the great friendship/rivalry throughout all the X-Men films.

On top of the great duo of Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr, we have characters like Mystique and Hank McCoy who are great additions to the cast and also add their own ideals to the film. I was talking to my mother about this film and she simply said, "I like X-Men because it feels smarter than the Avengers." I do have to agree with her. The X-Men franchise has always had a string of philosophical concepts throughout their films and First Class is one of the best examples of that. Each character has their clear ideals and motivations which makes all the action sequences have more weight to them. Sure, these action sequences may not be the most visually stunning when compared to other films in the genre, but because each of the characters are deep and well-written, it heightens the emotional investment making the action much more exciting.

X-Men: First Class is a solid superhero film with great characters, a tight script, a sleek design and exciting action. It's a movie you're not going to want to miss!