Re: X-Men First Class
Just saw this movie. I was underwhelmed. I think it was far superior to both X-Men 3 and Wolverine, yet it was a far cry from X2, in my opinion the best of the batch.
I found the main storyline to be adequate at best. Though the two actors portrayed their characters well, especially Fassbender who I can watch hunt Nazis all day long, their friendship never blossomed the way I imagined. Admittedly I have never read an X-Men comic so I can't comment on it's accuracy, but aside from one or two touching scenes that could have been the start of a firm bond, there was too much excess to concentrate on it enough for it to work. The strong scene I'm referring to was the one where Professor X helped Magneto move the satellite. In order to do it he enters Magneto's mind and shares his fondest memory. The film needed more of that. In the other X-Installments their relationship felt like that of brotherly love gone wrong, but I couldn't buy that here. The film was too scattered.
The villains always felt silly and non-threatening, and particularly the standoff between the two countries on their respective battleships was over the top ridiculous. There were better ways to shoot this rather than showing the entire bridge looking out over the bow of the ship, mouth agape and spouting the same orders to their crews in different languages. None of it matched the very first recycled scene from X-Men 1; the one where Magneto's mother and father are being hauled away to a concentration camp and he cries out in excruciating pain discovering his power in the process. That scene was dark and mature. The rest of the film felt campy and over the top. They could have done with a bit more subtlety.
Fassbender is a knock out and I've liked him in everything I've seen him in so far. McAvoy was good too, and I'd even say Jennifer Lawrence was pretty good. The rest of the cast for the most part kept pulling me out of the story, especially January Jones. I watch and love Mad Men, but I'll be the first to admit that January Jones is either the worst actress I've ever seen, or in reality she's a very stagnant person greatly in need of a personality of some sort. Awful.
So, overall I'd compare this film to X1 in that I had a similar issue with it; a very dark concept and poignant introduction, followed by some very good scenes, but then some borderline ridiculous scenes that cooled off the intensity. Don't think it's a double standard that I'm turned off by the ridiculous in a comic book flick. If a film sets itself up to be a crazy romp full of outrageous scenes, that's fine. I enjoyed Thor and Iron Man and others. But when a film sets itself up to fully examine racism and the war crimes of Nazis during the Holocaust, then I expect a story of similar sincerity.
Loved the Wolverine cameo though.
Just saw this movie. I was underwhelmed. I think it was far superior to both X-Men 3 and Wolverine, yet it was a far cry from X2, in my opinion the best of the batch.
I found the main storyline to be adequate at best. Though the two actors portrayed their characters well, especially Fassbender who I can watch hunt Nazis all day long, their friendship never blossomed the way I imagined. Admittedly I have never read an X-Men comic so I can't comment on it's accuracy, but aside from one or two touching scenes that could have been the start of a firm bond, there was too much excess to concentrate on it enough for it to work. The strong scene I'm referring to was the one where Professor X helped Magneto move the satellite. In order to do it he enters Magneto's mind and shares his fondest memory. The film needed more of that. In the other X-Installments their relationship felt like that of brotherly love gone wrong, but I couldn't buy that here. The film was too scattered.
The villains always felt silly and non-threatening, and particularly the standoff between the two countries on their respective battleships was over the top ridiculous. There were better ways to shoot this rather than showing the entire bridge looking out over the bow of the ship, mouth agape and spouting the same orders to their crews in different languages. None of it matched the very first recycled scene from X-Men 1; the one where Magneto's mother and father are being hauled away to a concentration camp and he cries out in excruciating pain discovering his power in the process. That scene was dark and mature. The rest of the film felt campy and over the top. They could have done with a bit more subtlety.
Fassbender is a knock out and I've liked him in everything I've seen him in so far. McAvoy was good too, and I'd even say Jennifer Lawrence was pretty good. The rest of the cast for the most part kept pulling me out of the story, especially January Jones. I watch and love Mad Men, but I'll be the first to admit that January Jones is either the worst actress I've ever seen, or in reality she's a very stagnant person greatly in need of a personality of some sort. Awful.
So, overall I'd compare this film to X1 in that I had a similar issue with it; a very dark concept and poignant introduction, followed by some very good scenes, but then some borderline ridiculous scenes that cooled off the intensity. Don't think it's a double standard that I'm turned off by the ridiculous in a comic book flick. If a film sets itself up to be a crazy romp full of outrageous scenes, that's fine. I enjoyed Thor and Iron Man and others. But when a film sets itself up to fully examine racism and the war crimes of Nazis during the Holocaust, then I expect a story of similar sincerity.
Loved the Wolverine cameo though.
Comment