On IMDb, X-Men: First Class has garnered the highest rating of all films in the X-Men franchise so far. Given the fact that this film features only a few of the familiar characters of the previous films, portrayed by different, younger actors, and the complete absence of Wolverine, the (current) rating of 8.1 somewhat surprised me. That was before I had seen it...
Being a pretty big X-Men fan myself, I was excited to see this, regardless of plot or characters. However, I was also a little wary of what to expect, for the reasons stated above. I suspect that anybody reading this might feel the same way. But rest assured, any doubts were quickly dispelled no later than the opening scene. First Class starts off very well, with the exact same opening scene as the first X-Men, featuring a young Erik Lehnsherr being separated from his parents in a Nazi concentration camp. What follows after this familiar story is something completely new and particularly dark and brutal. I won't give away any important plot lines, but suffice it to say there won't be a single person left wondering why Magneto is so resentful of "normal" people. This event also sets the tone for the rest of the film, and, to a great extent, explains why First Class is such a success: this film is all about character. Whereas all the other films were mostly about cool superheroes and special effects, First Class is all about character development and the history of those who would later become Professor X and Magneto. This concept might have failed big time if it wasn't for the superb screenplay. I take my hat off to whoever managed to incorporate every little, but crucial, character and storyline and made it flow together so beautifully. Literally everything comes together in this film, everything you might have wondered (why is Xavier paralyzed?) is given a credible and fitting explanation.
Another real strength of FC is its cast. Everybody in this film is right where they should be. Kevin Bacon is the perfect villain (but we already knew that…), James McAvoy not only looks, but sounds and moves like the young Charles Xavier would. Jennifer Lawrence is a convincing, young (and believe it or not, insecure) Mystique. All other characters are perfectly cast as well, humans and mutants alike. However, I feel that most credit is due to Michael Fassbender, an actor I am now ashamed to say I had never even heard of before. The way he portrays the 30-something Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto is stunning. His entire physique, down to every little twitch in his face, truly captivates all the pain and agony Erik has had to endure throughout his life. It makes you sympathize with Magneto and understand why he is the way he is. Whereas the "old" Magneto was little more than a bitter old man who despised Homo sapiens for undisclosed reasons (with no discredit to Ian McKellen intended here), Michael Fassbender does something I thought was almost impossible in a superhero flick: he gives Magneto a soul.
In case I might have given the impression that X-Men: First Class is no more than some wishy-washy character drama, don't worry. There are plenty of awesome action sequences and special effects to keep the more adrenaline-pumped movie-goer satisfied. And before I forget: there are two small, but awesome cameo appearances which I know you will enjoy…
Finally, a small note on parental guidance: I was absolutely baffled to see that half of the audience consisted of parents with small children. Like I said before, this is not just another cool superhero movie. X-Men: First Class features elements which are quite dark and graphic, and especially the scenes portraying Nazi brutality are not intended for a young audience. Personally, I would say 14 is the appropriate minimum age.
With all that said, I would recommend this film to anyone, even to those of you who aren't X-Men fans. It doesn't happen very often that I can't find a single flaw in a film, but I guess this is just one of those rare cases. Great directing, great acting, great everything. Period.
(July 2011)
