The moment 20th Century Fox announced the X-Men franchise was getting the prequel treatment it was almost possible to hear the millions of fanboys around the world slapping their foreheads in bewilderment. Who could blame them? If there’s one thing recent history has taught us is that 90% of these films lack the originality or wow factor of their predecessors, while marketing them tentatively as “reboots” doesn’t improve their chances at widespread acclaim either. And the remaining 10%? They just happen to be a couple of films directed by Christopher Nolan and Martin Campbell.
But with X-Men: First Class Matthew Vaughn, the Brit director responsible for bringing the taboo-breaking Kick-Ass to the big screen, has unexpectedly delivered a movie that not only rivals Bryan Singer’s previous entries, but is also a “preboot” worthy enough to be mentioned in the same breath as Batman Begins and Casino Royale. It also means that for the first time in eight years we are treated to a seriously good X-Men movie.
Part of First Class’ brilliance lays in the fact that it does not always feel like a traditional superhero flick. For instance, the opening half hour resembles a fast-paced globetrotting spy thriller (at this point in the plot Michael Fassbender’s ruthless Magneto is less master of magnetism and more Sean Connery-era Bond). The early ‘60s setting also allows for some intriguing socio-historical commentary, as the CIA’s fear of emerging mutants mirrors the American nation’s paranoia of communism. By setting a different tone to the franchise whilst also grounding it in historical reality, Vaughn is already offering something vastly superior to the mishandled and largely derided X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
While all of the core X-Men deservedly get their moment in the spotlight, the main focus is on the absorbing relationship between Magneto and Professor X. Not in a million years was it possible to imagine a pair of actors slip so comfortably into these roles like Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart did, but hey, isn’t it nice to be pleasantly surprised every once in a while? James McAvoy pulls off the requisite eloquence and compassion to play the young Charles Xavier (while adding a pinch of charm and cheek for good measure), but it is Fassbender who steals the show. As the morally ambiguous Magneto, he is both reluctant hero and villain waiting in the wings, a violent crusader barely restrained by the advice of his best friend. It is a remarkable performance that even Sir Ian would no doubt applaud.
The only glaring flaw that pervades First Class is that, due to the amount of backstory that needs to be covered, it feels rushed and unfocused in places. The obvious downside to this is that a number of intriguing characters are left criminally undeveloped (Emma Frost reeks yet again of missed opportunity). Nevertheless, it would be trivial to let this one shortcoming diminish Matthew Vaughn’s overall accomplishment: he has successfully reignited interest in what was becoming an ailing franchise. Looking forward to next class, Prof.
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