X-Men: First Class (2011)

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X-Men: First Class Movie Review

X-Men: First Class is a 2011 superhero film directed by Matthew Vaughn and starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence. It is the fifth and best X-Men film.

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“I’ve been at the mercy of men just following orders. Never again.“

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It is a prequel that focuses on the relationship between Magneto and Professor X as well as showcasing the beginnings of the team. This is one of my favorite prequels of all time as it is so phenomenally well made and emotionally powerful. It was immensely satisfying following the beginnings of the team and most especially the character paths of many major characters. Some of the earlier sequences had too heavy montages, but overall the film is very well made and involving to watch and actually incredibly entertaining.

I loved Charles Xavier’s story and he is so likable in this movie. Erik’s origin story is a bit typical, but moving and so well executed and the relationship between the two is so complex and wonderful to behold. I found the conflict at the end to be superbly realized and it was fascinating learning how the team got split in two and how Charles got paralyzed.

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Moira is such a likable character and I’ve always had a fondness for Rose Byrne. Mystique is pretty solid, but as is usually the case with her, Lawrence’s performance isn’t particularly exciting. Beast was quite funny at times and he is here utilized the best of any movie. Banshee has a silly power and the same goes for Angel, but the two still have their moments. Azazel is solid and Emma Frost is quite memorable. Darwin is forgettable and it was frustrating having a black guy die first. Sebastian Shaw is quite solid as a villain here and is actually one of the more capable villains in all of the X-Men movies.

Nicholas Hoult was quite likable in his role and Kevin Bacon did a really good job as the villain. But of course the standout ones are Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy as these two perfectly embody their roles and they conveyed emotion so well. I would go so far as to say that they are better in these roles than Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart.

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X-Men: First Class doesn’t have the most impressive special effects, but it is still visually pleasing and very well shot. It is also really well directed and although I admire the work Bryan singer put into this franchise, Matthew Vaughn made the best X-Men movie with this one which is also one of my favorite superhero films of all time.

The action is excellent and some of the pieces here are exhilarating and incredibly fun to watch. All of the mutant powers were very well utilized both visually and in terms of the action as some of the fights were quite memorable and very well put together. But the humor is so strong that it honestly surprised me how great it is. Many do say that the lack of Hugh Jackman is felt, but I disagree as many characters here are quite funny at times and we get many really funny lines and scenes. The execution of jokes is excellent and they come at just the right times plus the energy from these young actors is palpable.

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The script is terrific and despite its obvious employment of Cold War and Russian opposition, the historical elements are nevertheless solid here and the film ties stupendously well with the rest of the franchise and actually exceeds the quality of the previous ones which is so admirable. The entire third act was just so emotionally devastating and featuring both terrific action and great character moments that it came as a perfect conclusion to the movie that was a bit too long and somewhat oddly paced in the first half. It is one of the most moving entries in the series while also containing the smart script, conflict and political themes that we’ve come to expect from the franchise.

X-Men: First Class is a tad long, but always involving and entertaining to watch. Thanks to a smart script, a well established conflict, superbly utilized characters and their relationships, a moving and perfectly constructed third act, many great action sequences and a surprisingly good humor as well, this entry is by far the best in the X-Men franchise while also being one of my personal favorite prequel as well as superhero films.